"You're still staying with me, right?" Zenova asked as she, Nyx, and her father pulled their cloaks on. Nyx grinned at the young female.
"Sure am. Someone has to make sure you stay out of trouble," he teased, flicking the hood of her cloak. The feisty female shot him a lethal glare as she tugged it back on.
"Don't fight already, you have a month of being friendly minimum," Cassian scolded, tugging on a pair of gloves. Nyx snorted and shoved his elbow against his younger cousin.
"If I don't finish the week with a dagger in my throat, I think we are in luck," he responded. Cassian grunted and offered a hand to his daughter. Zenova took it with a bounce in her heels, eager to join the trainees. Nyx took Cassian by the arm and winnowed all of them to Windhaven.
Immediately, Nyx was hit by the unnerving cold. Not only was it the chill of the mountain village, but the memory it held. He shivered as he pulled his hand from his uncle and brushed a dusting of snow from his shoulder.
"Let's go meet the camp lord first, then we will check out the house and village," Nyx spoke quickly, trying to prolong the time before the torture that entering the house will be. He may not think of Theia daily anymore, but entering a house that he hasn't been in since they were together will surely send him spiraling.
He was used to drowning the random sparks of sorrow with whiskey, but his mother forced him to stop drinking away his feelings a decade ago. It wasn't that he thought of Theia everyday that caused him to drink, but she was the start of it. From there, every inconvenience had him chugging anything to numb his mind.
"I heard Silas Rossatos is the new camp lord," Cassian started, taking his daughter's arm to turn her toward the large camp.
"Don't know him," Nyx murmured, shoving his hands into his cloak as he followed the two.
"He was a decent trainee, I think he was in the crew before you. He started moving up in the ranks. Became camp lord a few decades ago," Cass responded. Zenova sighed dreamily, making Cassian whip his head towards his daughter.
"Do you think he's handsome?"
"Is that really a question you're asking your father?" Nyx chuckled, shoving her small shoulder as he met her stride. Zenova laughed as Cassian shuddered.
"Not to mention he's several centuries older than you," he chimed in. Zen rolled her eyes.
"You're like half a millennia older than my mother," she scolded. Cassian shrugged in a way that displayed his loss at the argument. Zenova was smart, but she had taken the largest portion of sass and extreme ego from her parents. Her nearly black hair had lightened through the years, now at a mid-brown tone with golden hues throughout. Her eyes were like her mother's, a smokey blue. Nyx was also several centuries older than her, but he still enjoyed his cousin. They had more bickering sessions than siblings, and had become the closest of friends.
When Nyx learned she would be joining the Windhaven camp, he immediately suggested he stay with her in the house on the hill. It wasn't until they were leaving that he realized what that village meant to him, and what he would find there. It was a small village, and he planned to be a hermit.
They entered the camp grounds sooner than he expected. Nyx felt more comfortable here than in the village, knowing he wouldn't run into a trace of Theia here. The fields and training grounds were filled with elder trainees and warriors, but towards the large building for equipment and whatever else the camp lords did in there, was a gathering of the newest recruits. The camp lord, Silas, was standing in front of the small crowd, his hand resting on the sword at his hip.
Nyx studied him, noting the mass of this male. He was larger than expected, but the bright smile he sent their way counteracted his intimidating look. Nyx wanted to scoff. The camp lord that instructed him never smiled, never had a kind look. Training wasn't gentle, and this male, despite his obvious experience, looked as though he'd coddle the trainees.
"Ah, Zenova, right? You're the last to join us, but you aren't expected to go through the first day. It will simply be the beginner techniques and introducing the trainees to the area. Nice to see you again, General," Silas spoke in a cheerful tone. Nyx didn't stop his grimace as he observed the male. Silas held out a hand to Cassian, who took it a bit more aggressively than necessary.
"You got our letter, then?" Cass asked as their hands broke apart. Silas nodded.
"Yes. Due to her older age and previous experience, Zenova will be joining our fifth year trainees. They are working on airborne tactics now, but tomorrow I will have them review for her sake. I understand you'd like to get her settled first."
"Zen will be staying in the High Lord's home on the edge of the village. Nyx will be with her, so she does not need to be placed in the housing here," Cassian explained, dropping a hand on his daughter's shoulder. Zenova seemed to be giving the camp lord an ogling stare, making Nyx roll his eyes as he held back a laugh.
Silas's eyes turned to Nyx, a look of shock flickering over his features before he recovered. Nyx didn't blame him. He has practically been absent from the entire court until two decades ago, and he had no reason to step foot in Windhaven. He was simply a myth to the younger generation. Silas bowed his head.
"Heir, nice to meet you as well," he spoke quickly. Nyx scoffed and crossed his arms.
"Mm. We should get going, Zen hasn't seen the village," Nyx responded. Silas swallowed, nodding as he waved them off.
"I'll see you tomorrow, Zenova. Training is at sunrise," he spoke to the female, whose mouth was still agape as she stared at him.
"Let's go," Cassian spoke gruffly, nudging his daughter to turn around. It took until she was staring at a snow dusted fence before she blinked and cleared her throat. They made their way up the hill and into the village; Nyx's stomach grew tighter with each step. He adjusted the hood around his face, letting the shadows swallow his features.
Completely different from his usual saunter, Nyx watched his feet as they marched down the main street. Cassian pointed out several shops, though they aimed for the one Emerie used to run. Zen had her own leathers, though she wanted a new pair for training. Nyx simply watched his boots kicking at the snow, grunting in response every time Cass or Zen spoke to him. The streets were busier than he remembered them being, though few stolen glances proved that soldiers were stationed on the blocks.
"Cauldron, do you smell that?" Zen groaned, audibly sniffing at the scent drifting from the bakery. Nyx turned his head in the exact moment that his shoulder collided with someone. He heard them yelp, though he didn't turn. His jaw was set tight as he continued to march, ignoring whatever incessant screams were behind him. It would be easier without anyone recognizing him. That way, word can't be sent to Theia that he is there, and she won't come looking.
They found the shop and Zen immediately ran in. Cassian laughed as he followed his daughter, but Nyx remained outside. He glanced around the street with nervous eyes, hands flexing in the inner pockets of the cloak. He was eager to get to the house and begin cleaning, since it has sat empty for two centuries. Nyx didn't want to be in public any longer than necessary, and he didn't need to be shopping with Cass and Zen.
With a groan, he shoved the wooden door open. A bell rang above his head, signaling a new customer. He cursed under his breath as he dipped behind a stand of thick coats and caught Cassian by the shoulder.
"I'm going to the house to get it ready. I'll see you there later," he spoke in a rushed tone, patting his uncle's shoulder before rushing from the store. He chose an alternative route through the village, sticking to the outskirts as he made his way to the house. His nerves didn't calm as he drew near, hands sweating despite the frosty air. The rock lined road came into view, and his breath felt too short.
Nyx pulled the keys from his pocket, shaking them in his hand as he stepped onto the porch. It had been so long since the memory of Theia plagued him, yet this village was riddled with memories. Nyx cleared his throat and scoffed at the childish way he thought. She left him, there was no denying that. He didn't need to think of her, not anymore.
Theia was a forgotten lover, one of many. He couldn't count how many females had been with him since she left. He was practically a child, enthralled by the first female to stand up against him and his father. Sure, he had never felt for any of the other females as strongly as he did for Theia, but perhaps it's because she had depended on him more than any of the others. The only difference was that he had left them before they could get too close.
Nyx rolled his neck on his shoulders and shoved the key in the lock. With a turn, he pushed the door open. It creaked from disuse, a dusty and dingy smell clinging to his nose immediately. The floors were filthy, the beautifully stained wood now dull with the opaque layer of dust. Nyx grimaced as he stepped in, kicking at the rug at the doorway. Dirt kicked up from it, making him cough.
When his father left this house to return to Velaris, he had paid someone in the village to clean it on a regular schedule. When he put the house under Nyx's command, the irresponsible part of him wanted to forget all about it. Now, a once cozy home was abandoned and left to the elements.
He got to work on the main floor, grabbing the broom from the linen closet and sweeping to the best of his abilities. The cleaning was a decent distraction from the other thoughts he had. By the time he was finished scrubbing and scraping away the centuries, midday held light through the large windows.
Nyx crossed his arms, loosing a breath at the polished floors and counters. He had beaten all blankets and cushions on the porch, but he'd decided to replace the blankets with some from the closets instead. His next mission was the upper floor, and it made his stomach twist. Each step of the creaking stairs, Nyx couldn't stop the memories from flooding back.
His eyes went to the bedroom on the left, the closed door hiding the room Theia's mother had died in. To the right, the bedroom he had held Theia each night during her depression. It was the reason he avoided the guest wing of the river house. Theia was everywhere.
With a tight jaw, he got to work on the floors, bathing chamber, and the left bedroom. After changing the sheets with clean ones, he stood in the doorway and stared at the bedroom he once slept in. It hadn't changed. Blankets were still a mess on the bed from the last day they had been there. Books were on the side table, a forgotten glass of water dusty and stained.
Nyx ran a hand over his face, already regretting his choice of staying with Zen. Swallowing the obnoxious emotions that threatened him, Nyx got to work scrubbing the room until there was no trace of his stay there at all.