Outside, Simon and Duffy were sitting against a tree while Hamish chased around the dog and a young wolf. The dog looked a little nervous of the wolf, which was considerably larger than it even though it was far from full grown, but it was enjoying the game.
Hamish stopped as soon as he saw Danya and the dog ran headfirst into his legs. He ignored it. "Is he...?"
Danya nodded. "He's awake."
"Do you think they'd be okay with it if I went in to see him?" Hamish asked. "Just for a minute. I know I'm not family or anything and there are a lot of people waiting to see him, but..."
Duffy slapped a hand on the back of Hamish's shoulder and Hamish bent forward from the force of it. "Come on. Let's pop in and see him before word gets out."
"I'm supposed to tell everyone he's woken up, but I don't really know many people here," Danya said.
"I'll do it!" Ansel said as she shifted out of wolf form. "I am very fast and very good at telling people things."
"I'll pass that task on to you, then," Danya said, and Ansel immediately dashed off.
Simon had stood up as well, but his attention was focused on Danya. He placed his hands on Danya's waist and Danya instinctively leant into the warmth of his energy.
Danya rested his forehead against Simon's shoulder. "You don't want to see Yore?"
"He'll have more than enough visitors right now," Simon said. "I'll visit him later, after things have calmed down."
Danya nodded. "Emity said you wanted to talk to me about something...?"
"Ah, yes," Simon said, tension growing in his body in the moment before he stepped back. "Will you take a walk with me?"
"Of course."
Simon took hold of Danya's hand and led him down a dirt track that took them out of the village and then up a hill through thick trees. After days inside listening to nothing but Yore cough and struggle to breath, the sound of birdsong and the wind through the trees relaxed tension out of Danya's body he hadn't known he was holding onto.
"This is nice," Danya said. "I hope whatever you want to talk about isn't bad. I don't think I can take more bad right now."
"I also hope it isn't bad."
"That isn't the reassurance I had hoped for."
Simon kissed the back of Danya's hand. "I intend for it to be good, but I have been known to make miscalculations regarding the emotional needs of others."
At the top of the hill, the trees cleared out onto a rocky cliffside that overlooked the forest below, the setting sun illuminating the landscape in a deep golden hue. Simon led Danya over to a low boulder and they sat down to admire the view.
For several minutes they just sat together, looking out over the forest, but Danya could tell Simon was preoccupied. He sat almost too still except for his hand, which was fiddling with something in his pocket.
Finally, Simon spoke. "I'm not sure if this is what you want, so... You know you can always say no to me, right? We have a relationship now where you feel comfortable doing that?"
"Yes, Simon. I rarely want to, but I can say no to you."
Simon nodded and licked his lips. He was visibly nervous. "Do you remember that conversation we had once. It seems a long time ago now, but it wasn't really. You said that being a Companion was like an arranged marriage, at least ideally. That you were upset by the way I used to treat you because you had wanted to be mine — and for me to be yours. Lynna explained it a bit as well. How the security and stability you were promised as a Companion was something you had a hard time letting go of."
"Yes," Danya admitted. He didn't feel as ashamed of it as he used to. Considering how he'd been raised, those feelings were normal.
"Well, I don't know how much you still feel that way, but I don't think you have to be a slave to want someone in your life who you know will always be there. And, when you're not a slave, there are ways to... formalise that arrangement." Simon pulled the object he'd been fiddling with out of his pocket and held it up to the light. It was a silvery ring that had been shaped like a vine.
Danya stared at him, eyes wide and mouth open. "Are you...?"
Simon nodded. "I'm asking you to marry me. If you'd like to."
"But we can't, can we? We're both men and we're on the run, and even if they weren't nobody would perform a wedding between a mage and a human."
"It turns out humans aren't the only ones with the concept of marriage. There is someone here who could perform the ceremony for us. It wouldn't be legally binding, but I think it would mean more for me this way. For it to be done by people who accept me. But if it's too soon or you simply don't want to, that's fine. I do understand. Really."
"Simon," Danya said as he flung his arms around him. "I want you for as long as I can have you. If you're offering me forever, I will gladly accept."
Simon let out a relieved laugh and hugged him back. "Yes. Forever. I promise."
They sat there, arms around one another and for that moment at peace as they watched the sun set. Their future was uncertain and perilous, but one thing was for sure: they would face it together.
THE END
Continued in book two, Healing Ties!