Chapter 7:
[Searon POV]
A dim light overhung Searon as he sat at an oak desk searching through scrolls. Elsargast had just left him to his studies after discussing some of the elves defenses. It was the first time a human was allowed access to documents concerning the defenses of Sudegam. He was rather pleased with the king’s cooperation with the human’s now. Elsargast knew that without the numbers of the humans Sudegam stood little chance against the rage of the upcoming force.
A feather rested in Searon’s rough hands as he wrote down designs of his own for his men to follow. After ever few strokes he dipped the tip of his feather into the glass ink container next to the paper before scribing down more information. He gathered as much information as Elsargast was letting him know to better design his plans.
A swift knock at the door startled him which caused him to make a streak of ink across on the fresh sheet of paper. The overwhelming smell of ink tickled his nose and he gentle rubbed it getting to his feet. He let his feather drop into the glass ink bottle and rose to his feet pushing in his chair. He checked the candlelight which hung above his desk making sure it wasn’t about to burn out before he softly walked to the door.
With a soft creak the door swung inwards and he was surprised to find Anaela standing to greet him. She was alone and her expression was not to his liking as he saw fear in her eyes. Without saying a word she pushed her way inside and past Searon without a second glance. Bewildered he peaked out the door finding the hall of the library empty before gently closing.
Turning around he found that Anaela was sitting in his desk with her hands covering her face. He silently hoped that she came to see him about the moment they had shared but soon realized it would either be more romantic or violent if that were the case. Instead he walked silently to where she sat at his desk and sat at the corner.
“Is everything alright?” He sincerely asked.
She looked up to him and he noticed the large circles around her eyes. She was worn out and tired, that much he could tell and he only wished he could comfort her. However, he accepted that it would not be such a great idea as she already was resilient on even speaking to him. He wished they could find a common ground but it seemed she wanted to stay as far away from her feelings as she could.
“No, something is amiss.” She sighed shaking her head.
He paused and he considered what she had meant. As far as he could tell everything was going according to their plan. Each commander organized their men well and communicated with each other and the dark force was still far out of reach. Thoughts crossed his mind but it all faded when she looked up to him and their eyes locked.
Her gorgeous green eyes sank deep into his and he saw genuine fear and concern. It wasn’t concern for him but for everybody and it scared Searon. She was a mess and he soon realized that it was the first time he had seen her in such disarray. Her once perfect straight hair was now a tangled mess and the smile that he loved so much seemed to be hidden under a layer of frowns. Yet, still despite all that he still marveled at her beauty.
Strangely even without knowing her all that well or for even that long he felt genuinely comfortable in her presence. It was what made him crave her even more and it was what she was trying to stay away from. There were few women in his life that made him felt this comfortable. There was always Starlyn, but during all their travels he realized how much he treasured her friendship. He knew after a while that with her it wasn’t a path he ever wished to travel. She wasn’t his type, yet Anaela…
“I have been scouting.” She stated.
This surprised Searon as he figured she would be busy training with her fellow archers and designing a plan for them on the defense. His eyebrow rose in surprise and he slid off the desk walking over to grab another chair which he scooted next to her. He regretted getting so close to her as he could now smell her peaches and cream aroma that set his chest on fire.
“What have you found?” He asked trying to cough the smell from his nose.
“Four missing elf guards… even more missing humans…” Anaela uttered.
“What?” Searon gasped.
Thoughts raced his mind on how so many could be missing and what could have happened to them. She was right, something was amiss and they needed to find out what was occurring. He quickly rose from his chair and turned away from her letting the news sink in.
A long exhausted sigh fell from his lips as he gently brushed his long dark-brown hair from his eyes. He turned back around to face Anaela who was still solemnly lost in her own thoughts. After a few steps closer to her he arched her face up to meet his with his hand. A conflicting rush of emotions rushed forward but he kept himself in check as he looked deep in to her eyes. He wished to kiss her but he knew that it wouldn’t be appropriate. Instead he put his hand behind her head and pulled her into him with a giant hug. At first she was startled but soon accepted it and held onto him tight.
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[Anaela POV]
Inside she smiled as she felt his strong muscles with her arms around his back. She knew the look he had just given her, the look of longing to kiss her. She felt weak in the moment as well and she didn’t understand what about this human made her weak in the knees. It made her glad that he respected her so much not to act on his emotions.
Soon she realized that she had been holding onto him too long and she cursed herself inside as she reluctantly let go. Taking a step back she tried to mask her red cheeks from his notice. He knew exactly how to comfort her and it scared her. With all the things that were happening she was scared and he knew that. The last war she had been a part of was with Starlyn but it wasn’t as full scale as this was becoming.
She had a feeling what was behind the occurring disappearances but she was scared to admit it. She wasn’t about to tell Searon what she thought either if she wasn’t even sure herself. All that she could think of was that she needed to get out and find what was happening. She made a step forward before Searon blocked her path.
“Where are you going?” He asked. His voice was soft and gentle and seemly concerned she thought as she looked up to him.
“I must... go.” She said.
“You will do no such thing.” Searon whispered.
Bewildered she looked up to him getting lost in his green eyes where she nearly forgot to breath. She closed her eyes for a moment before looking at his face that was soft yet serious. Noticing his clef chin she bit her lip realizing how attractive it was on him. Elves did not have indents in their chins or face and yet Searon had a clef chin and dimples when he smiled. It was a rare occasion that she ever saw him smile, but the one time she did see it she was amazed.
“What?” She asked.
“Why did you come here?” Searon questioned.
She turned in an attempt to get around him only to have her left wrist grabbed and held in place. Looking back to Searon a slight snarl creased at her lips and his grip only tightened making a shiver scatter over her body. For some reason it made her weak in the knees and a wave of ecstasy came across her. With no other choice she reluctantly looked back up to Searon meeting contact with his glossy green eyes.
“I thought that…” She trailed off not wanting to admit why she came. She didn’t even know why she came. Strangely after she found out she found herself at his study and it didn’t occur to her until after she had knocked. Why she had chosen to find him was beyond her and the thoughts swirled through her mind but the pieces didn’t add up. Surely if Starlyn was still around it would have been her that she would have confessed her findings to.
“You came here because you want my help.” Searon stated in a matter of fact tone.
She averted her eyes from his gaze and quickly returned her attention finding herself at a loss of words. A large gulp flowed through her throat which caused her to cough clearing her air passage. When her mouth opened no words formed and she gently closed it again. Knowing he was right she finally swallowed her pride and spoke.
“Yes.”
“All you have to do is ask…” Searon hinted.
She backed away hoping he wasn’t serious but the stare of his was firm. Realizing that he didn’t offer and he wasn’t going for his weapons yet that he was indeed being serious. A smug grin escaped his lips as he stood there and waited for her to speak.
“Would you aid me in my search of what is going on?” Anaela hesitantly remarked.
“I’d be glad to.” Searon smiled now grabbing his claymore and fastening it to his armor.