questions would seem to Sollara.
“I am not an idiot,” she snapped in response.
Realizing his mistake, he set out to explain. “No, I know that; I just mean, you lived underground. I’m sure you never had to make a fire before. How’d you know to collect sticks?”
“We have fire there. Servants would bring wood from the Surface,” she paused, knowing that she had only half answered his question. She wanted to tell him more but wasn’t sure if she could fully trust him yet. But what other choice did she have? He was the only one with her. “I had instructors and tutors. And one of them, the one who taught me self-defense, was also an avid hunter. He would tell me stories of his hunting trips and how fire kept away the beasts. So I thought it was necessary to have a fire.”
Kai raised his eyebrow at the mention of the instructor so she went on to explain. “Sugoi wanted me well educated so I could aid him and Mari in ruling one day. H e sought out the best educators available, and each day I studied and trained.”
“That makes sense,” he said as he caught her unsettled gaze. “I’ll take the watch while you get your sleep tonight.” He diverted his eyes from her and focused on the flames.
“The hell you will! Just because Asima forced you to take me to her does not mean I am your burden. We are in this together. You take the first watch or the second watch, but if you refuse to let me participate, I will refuse to sleep, and I will keep walking all night to Vitoria-Gasteiz!” She was tired of feeling helpless, her whole existence she had been made to feel that way. And she especially wasn’t going to let Kai treat her in that manner.
He looked at her, raised his eyebrows as he assessed her threat. “Fine, you take first watch then.”
She could tell he was not impressed. It irked her that he gave her first watch. She knew it was always the easiest of the watches. It is easier to force yourself to stay up than to force yourself to wake up and keep an alert mind. It was another thing her self-defense instructor had taught her. But although she was mad, she was happy to finally be given something to do.
She watched as he rolled up his sweater to use as a pillow and crawled under his blanket, wrapping it tightly to his body. For a brief moment she let her thoughts slip to cuddling in next to him, to feel the intoxicating coolness of his body. Realizing her moment of weakness, she quickly chastised herself.
Propped against a tree with her blanket over her shoulders, Sollara studied the stars and the moon. The beauty of the sky once again overwhelmed her. Unable to control her awe, tears escaped.
“Sollara, are you all right?” Kai asked, as he propped himself up to get a better look at her.
“Have you been watching me this whole time? You’re supposed to be sleeping.” She glared at him, making sure he understood how seriously she took her post of first watch. He sighed and turned over, pretending to go back to sleep.
She watched him for a while and figured by the unsteadiness of his breathing that he wasn’t sleeping. “Well, if you refuse to sleep, I might as well lie down, too.” She began to fiddle with her makeshift bed. Bed was an over exaggeration really. It was a blanket over top of a pile of leaves that Kai had collected. When she discovered the leaves, at first it made her smile. But the more she thought about it, the more she felt babied by Kai, and she had had enough of that for a lifetime.
Knowing Asima would not be impressed with how she was acting, she decided to be nicer to him in the morning. She watched the flames dance and twist until her mind went blank and sleep took over.
-19-
S oon the rays of the sun spread over her face, pulling her from her sleep. Deciding to stay in the in-between dream and reality state a little longer, her mind drifted back to the field where she had curled up next to Kai.
“Darn it all!” she growled, as she bolted upright,
“I am not an idiot,” she snapped in response.
Realizing his mistake, he set out to explain. “No, I know that; I just mean, you lived underground. I’m sure you never had to make a fire before. How’d you know to collect sticks?”
“We have fire there. Servants would bring wood from the Surface,” she paused, knowing that she had only half answered his question. She wanted to tell him more but wasn’t sure if she could fully trust him yet. But what other choice did she have? He was the only one with her. “I had instructors and tutors. And one of them, the one who taught me self-defense, was also an avid hunter. He would tell me stories of his hunting trips and how fire kept away the beasts. So I thought it was necessary to have a fire.”
Kai raised his eyebrow at the mention of the instructor so she went on to explain. “Sugoi wanted me well educated so I could aid him and Mari in ruling one day. H e sought out the best educators available, and each day I studied and trained.”
“That makes sense,” he said as he caught her unsettled gaze. “I’ll take the watch while you get your sleep tonight.” He diverted his eyes from her and focused on the flames.
“The hell you will! Just because Asima forced you to take me to her does not mean I am your burden. We are in this together. You take the first watch or the second watch, but if you refuse to let me participate, I will refuse to sleep, and I will keep walking all night to Vitoria-Gasteiz!” She was tired of feeling helpless, her whole existence she had been made to feel that way. And she especially wasn’t going to let Kai treat her in that manner.
He looked at her, raised his eyebrows as he assessed her threat. “Fine, you take first watch then.”
She could tell he was not impressed. It irked her that he gave her first watch. She knew it was always the easiest of the watches. It is easier to force yourself to stay up than to force yourself to wake up and keep an alert mind. It was another thing her self-defense instructor had taught her. But although she was mad, she was happy to finally be given something to do.
She watched as he rolled up his sweater to use as a pillow and crawled under his blanket, wrapping it tightly to his body. For a brief moment she let her thoughts slip to cuddling in next to him, to feel the intoxicating coolness of his body. Realizing her moment of weakness, she quickly chastised herself.
Propped against a tree with her blanket over her shoulders, Sollara studied the stars and the moon. The beauty of the sky once again overwhelmed her. Unable to control her awe, tears escaped.
“Sollara, are you all right?” Kai asked, as he propped himself up to get a better look at her.
“Have you been watching me this whole time? You’re supposed to be sleeping.” She glared at him, making sure he understood how seriously she took her post of first watch. He sighed and turned over, pretending to go back to sleep.
She watched him for a while and figured by the unsteadiness of his breathing that he wasn’t sleeping. “Well, if you refuse to sleep, I might as well lie down, too.” She began to fiddle with her makeshift bed. Bed was an over exaggeration really. It was a blanket over top of a pile of leaves that Kai had collected. When she discovered the leaves, at first it made her smile. But the more she thought about it, the more she felt babied by Kai, and she had had enough of that for a lifetime.
Knowing Asima would not be impressed with how she was acting, she decided to be nicer to him in the morning. She watched the flames dance and twist until her mind went blank and sleep took over.
-19-
S oon the rays of the sun spread over her face, pulling her from her sleep. Deciding to stay in the in-between dream and reality state a little longer, her mind drifted back to the field where she had curled up next to Kai.
“Darn it all!” she growled, as she bolted upright,
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