I continue to float in the warm water that embraces me like a comforting hug. What feels like a second is actually an hour and I don't mind staying here. First to get rid of all the blood and dirt that clings to my body like a second skin. Second to get some distance between a certain male and myself.
It clears my mind to not have him close. I can see everything more clearly, if he is not in my vision anymore. That way I can't feel his body heat or even smell him next to me. But too soon I'm back in reality. My skin starts to feel colder and I know I have to go back to them.
With a last sigh I step out of my comfort zone and put on my undergarments. They are still a bit wet, though it is better than being dirty. Normally I would just freely walk out like that to the fire that I know Cedrik already prepared. But I don't feel comfortable being half naked next to Arijus. So I put on the clothes that aren't ripped too much and make my way towards the two men, who are already waiting for me.
Like I expected, the fire is already lit and while Arijus puts some more wood into the burning flames, Cedric throws his wet shirt over an old looking branch for it to dry. He is shirtless right now and when I look at his upper body, I remember that we are not immortal. Unintentionally I scan his scars. Scars engraved onto his body by the goodly war a long time ago.
We heal faster than normal human beings. But scars inflicted by gods don't recover the same. Some will stay forever and you will remember them for eternity. Especially the pain. I carry a few as well, hidden underneath my clothes. Though I'm not ashamed to show them. They are a part of me, my adventures and everything I have been through.
Slowly I step towards the fire and Arijus stops mid sentence. He talks to Cedric like there is no tomorrow, but the sight of me gets him to be quiet.
I go over to him and crouch down, so that we are at the same eye level. However I make sure that there is an arm length of distance between us. I just want to dry my clothes with the heat, which warms my skin as soon as I step closer to it. It tingles and dances across my hands as I stretch them out, to get some warmth into them.
It's crazy how the weather changes so fast at this place. I still remember the tropical heat this morning and how the sweat was running down my face. But now I almost want to put on another layer to get warmer. And I'm sure the temperature will drop down even more the darker it gets.
"You don't have to stop talking when I'm around. It is kind of rude, you know. I may believe you are talking bad about me, if you stop," I say and the sudden urge to tease him grows inside of me.
"What? No! I'm not talking bad about you. I wouldn't do something like that. There is no reason to," he fastly claims. His eyes get bigger as he looks into my face. But I can't stop noticing the slight redness that appears on his cheeks.
"You sure?" I question.
Cedric, who knows me too well, starts to laugh as he sits down next to us. He pushes Arijus shoulder in a friendly manner and shakes his head at me with a grin attached to his lips.
"You have to know that Inanna is immune against my charm."
"What charm?" I snort.
A chuckle leaves his full lips. "See? That is what I'm talking about."
"So you were indeed speaking about me?"
"Well yes, you are a too interesting topic to not talk about," Cedric tells me and out of habit my answer is to throw him an annoyed glare.
Arijus meets my eye again and the clear interest shines behind them. It's astonishing how vivid the color seems and how innocent they look. It's the cause for my next action, made without thinking.
"If you want to know something about me then just ask me."
There is a silence that follows my words. Only the flicker of the fire crackles around us. I don't turn my head to watch the wood being destroyed by the fire. Instead I stare at Arijus, who watches me as well. His lips are slightly parted, a hint of his white teeth can be seen and it takes him some time, before his head moves up and down as an answer.
"Good if that is cleared, I go to catch some more wood. That will not be enough for the whole night," Cedric says, pointing at the small amount of wood next to our feed.
It's like a magical spell has been removed, because Arijus and I both go back to our natural self. Me ignoring him and he helping Cedric to fetch some more wood.
Soon dusk arrives and it hits us faster than the cold wind that comes along with it. I view the sky above me. A mixture of colors I have not seen before, reflects on the evening sky. Red, orange, violet and pink tones surround it in a magnificent play of colors. Where one ends another one already blends into it.
It's peaceful. More than it has ever been in the last few days. I look at the little camp we are staying in and wonder if I'm the only one awake. Cedric lies next to a tree, his eyes are closed. But it doesn't mean he is already sleeping. Who knows if the last occurrence let him drift to sleep that easily.
Arijus lies a few feet away from him. He as well is next to another large tree. One that I have never seen before. It's leaves have the color of blueberries. However I only see his back.
I'm still next to the fire, too awake to drift into sleep. The thoughts of my teammates, wandering around this unknown place still lingers on my mind. Are they alright? Are they together or do they all have to fight alone? I don't have answers and this is the thing that bothers me the most.
My senses immediately notice the steps that are approaching me. And I'm sure if I didn't have them, I would have still noticed it. Arijus foodsteps are too loud to not hear them as he walks through the grass. He would not be a good assassin.
Carefully he sits down next to me, his arms wrapped around his torso to keep himself warm.
"Can I ask you some questions now?" he wants to know. His eyes fixed onto the flames in front of us. He throws another piece of wood into the fire and the flames abruptly start to devour them.
I close my eyes for a second. I shouldn't have said it back then and already regret my carelessness and my stupid mouth. Who would have thought that his curiosity is bigger than his fear of me.
"What do you want to know?" I steady my chin with my right hand and watch as his hands move effortlessly to create some more heat for us.
"How old are you?"
"Older than you," I answer without any hesitation.
He throws the last piece of wood into the fire before looking at me. His brows wrinkle in confusion. "How would you know that?"
"I don't have to. I know that I'm older. You are what? Eighteen or Nineteen?"
"I'm twenty-one," he states as if it would make a difference. What are two or three years, when you have lived for more than a hundred, I think.
"Same thing," I say and Arijus asks me the same question again, wanting to know the answer to it. Stubbornness must be a trait of his, one that I don't appreciate.
I sigh,"I stopped aging at the age of twenty-four." I answer him truthfully, waiting for his reaction. "I as well stopped counting the years," I lie, even though I know exactly how old I really am.
He blinks a few times, before he studies my expression to see if I'm lying.
As he recalls my words inside his head and decides if he wants to believe me or not, Arijus asks me a different question. One that is as irrelevant as the first one.
"Where are you from? What is it like where you live?"
"Two questions at once," I mumble trying to be annoyed. But it doesn't work as well as I hoped.
I answer his question, seeing no harm in this useless information. "I grew up in a city called Palencia. Nowadays I don't really have a place to call home." My answers are short, but more honest than I want to admit.
Suddenly I feel warmth. It spreads from my hand to my whole body. Slowly but steadily it crawls up my skin in a comforting manner. As soon as I realize what he is doing I pull my hand away from his. How dare he. My body is cold as well as the hard glare I give him.
"Do not touch me!" I hiss and expect him to apologize. But he just looks at me with an open stare. There is something in his eyes I don't want to see.
"That is sad. I can't imagine what it feels like to not have a home to go to," he says.
"You don't have to pity me. I don't care about something unnecessary like that."
"I don't believe you."
I snort," I don't care about that either. Believe me or not. Why bother, it has nothing to do with you."
Arijus smiles, though it doesn't reach his eyes. They don't hold that spark they usually do when he talks to me.
"You are right, it doesn't. But it still makes me sad to know that about you."
His words sink deep into my mind. He shouldn't. He shouldn't care about me or something that concerns me. It's wrong. It is so wrong.
As I don't continue speaking, the man beside me drops his attempt to show me how he feels and instead does something completely different. His willingness is beyond.
"I see that you don't want to talk about yourself. I get it. We don't know each other and only met by chance. However you somehow have my interest. I'm fascinated by you and I don't know why I can't stop wanting to get to know you."
I cringe at his words. The words it's wrong echo through my mind. Over and over again, like a tune in my head.
"But I will stop asking. Well for now, because you yourself told me to particularly ask you if I wanted to know something about you. So I will do that, when you feel more comfortable around me. Instead you could ask me something you want to know about me," his lips move upwards and that spark is back.
My lips form a straight line. "I don't want to know anything about you."
Arijus lowers his gaze and as he meets my blank expression he suddenly lays down on his back, while closing his lides. I watch him make himself comfortable next to me and there is suddenly a sour taste in my mouth, like I just bite into a fresh lemon. What is he doing?
"Alright I get it," he makes a pause before he adds,"But if there is a question you have in the future, feel free to ask me anytime." With that he wishes me a good night and soon falls asleep next to me.
I can't help gawking at the man soundlessly sleeping next to me. What is with him? Why does he have to be so stubborn? I don't need or want that. I don't want his answers about his life or anything that involves him. Why is that so hard for him to understand? I don't need him to wait. I don't.... My thoughts drift into the night. It's exhausting, more than fighting that spiderwoman. And to my dismay Arijus is the thought I fall asleep to.