Thank the Allfather, I did not hallucinate the Elven hunter.
That is where my gratitude ends, however, because he is more irritating than I remember.
I came across his path again in the same open field as before, only this time, we were not hunting reindeer. We seemed to be hunting each other.
I had left the town under the pretense of hunting, of course, but I had made my way to this meadow and plopped down onto a rock in the center out of sheer stubbornness. Somehow, I knew that his curiosity had to match my own, that he would make his way back here eventually. It was only a matter of waiting him out.
So I sat and waited. The rock I had perched on was a large, flat boulder that sat a few feet off the ground and was as wide as I was tall. The surface was worn smooth from the climate so it provided an excellent spot to wait in while also being visible to the entire shadowed tree line.
After a few hours, I grew bored. I had been staring up at the constellations that scattered across the night sky, counting the different celestial arrangements I could see when I heard the distinct crack of a branch breaking under heavy weight.
It was too loud to have been an accident, too quiet to have set off nearby wildlife.
I willed myself to relax, to keep my eyes on the night sky while my focus was on the bulky shadow that seemed to have detached itself from the tree line. Slowly, the incorporeal form circled the open field while I lay on the flat rock, my arms tucked up behind my head. The icy temperature had dipped when the sun disappeared over the horizon, but my flames kept me warm. My breath fogged in front of me as I controlled my breathing, waiting for the right moment to move.
Before I could blink, the shining black blade of an axe was pressed against my throat as the handsome face of the Elven hunter blocked the night sky.
"Bold to be so relaxed when the last time we met, you shot me with a flaming arrow," the male said in his low and melodic voice, almost capturing me with his smooth words.
I grinned, his confusion clear in his silver eyes for only a moment before they narrowed at me. From behind my head, I pulled a dagger that was now pressed against his groin, right over the artery that bounded there.
"Bold to assume that I was not aware you were near," I said, unable to hide the mirth in my words.
We stared at each other for what seemed like a very long time before he removed the blade from my throat and put his hands up in a sign of concession. Following his lead, I withdrew my blade and sheathed it at my thigh before standing to face him. Seconds ticked by as I crossed my arms over my chest and waited for the Elven to speak, but it seemed he was just as content to wait as I was.
So we waited in silence. Waited to see who would break first, waited to see who would grow more annoyed.
Alva would say that we were two fools ready to perish for the sake of stubbornness, but it felt more like a test to me. Was he waiting to see if I possessed as much patience as him? Did he think I was here to kill him?WasI here to kill him?
While every possibility ran through my head, the only end to this standoff that I had not considered was the one that came to be true. The male spoke, his exasperation clear as he sat on the snow-covered ground and planted his chin on his closed fist. He motioned for me to sit, but I hesitated.
"It seems I was not the only one curious about the other," he said, his words sliding over my skin like the softest of silk.
I shook the thought away as I took a few steps and sat, pulling my knees close to my chest and wrapping my arms around them.
"I never learned your name," I said.
"As I never learned yours," he countered.
Silence fell again. Two wills that would not bend clashing until someone grew frustrated. The rest of our conversation went this way— one person offering the tiniest bit of information, which prompted the other to return the kindness until they each settled back into a stubborn silence.
It was only when the moon was high in the sky that I became aware that I had stayed too long.
"Fuck," I muttered as my gaze tracked the arc of the moon and guessed what time it was. "They'll be sending out a party to look for me if I don't return soon."
I stood, brushing the snow off my leather leggings and ignoring the frigid water that had melted into them the longer I sat with this male, who I had still not learned the name of despite all my prodding.
"I take it that I'll be able to find you here again," he said as he stood as well, seeming reluctant to let me leave.
"I would say yes, but as you will not give me your name, I cannot promise my return."
The male chuckled, the sound pleasantly skittering over my bones. I turned to leave anyway, taking a few steps toward the trees that would lead me back to town. Only when I reached the shadows of the tall pines did the male speak again.
"My name is Aeric, fair huntress of the woods. What is yours?"
I paused as his name settled in me, a sense of rightness warming my muscles and loosening my tongue.
Looking over my shoulder, I said, "I am Sylvi."
