Would Dahr be a good boyfriend?
I snickered at the very thought. Probably not.
Would having sex with such a man be worth foregoing a possible work of art or two? I was ashamed to sayyes, absolutely.
I would much rather feel something now, than possibly feel something in the future. A future that either way, was not guaranteed. I thought about my town, about going back and alerting everyone. But would anyone believe me? Would they abandon their homes and their livelihoods on the words of a woman who told them the faeries were coming? Or would I have a better chance to change the course of the attack if I remained right in the middle of planning it?
I found myself walking around the camp for what seemed like hours, until I spotted the large tent, situated right in the middle, presiding over the rest of the territories. And headed straight towards it. Nodding to the people who kept greeting me and enjoying being seen, I made my way to the tent and grimaced at the sight of the two pikes, which were still there.
A warning.
And a promise.
A promise that I would be protected.
Thathewould protect me.
With sudden determination, I pushed the tent flaps open, and blinked the light of day away, letting my eyes adjust to the cool and the shade. I blinked once and looked around the tent, spotting Dahr’s body crouch on the side of the small mattress of the bed he’d brought for me. He looked like a giant trying to share a dwarf’s bed.
His attention shot up at the movement, inky eyes pooled with pain suddenly glinting with hope.
“What are you doing here?” he barely murmured and stood, his eyes scanning me from head to toe as if to make sure I was really there.
“I’ll be making this my home for a while. If that's alright with you.” I replied and dared to show a smile, which he immediately returned. Then I added, for good measure. “But if I am to abandon my life, there’s a few things that need to change around here.”
“Aren’t you going to the training camp today?” I asked when Dahr invited me to have breakfast together. It was safe to say I was a little more than surprised, especially after the night we’d spent together.
I wasn’t sure if Dahr was still affected by my accusations or if he simply wanted to give me space, because he ordered dinner to be brought in, along with Mira, who cared for my wounds. The warrior made a point to return very late to the tent, when I was already asleep.
Alone.
In my own bed.
Needless to say, I was slightly disappointed by this reaction. I was hoping for at least some acknowledgement and maybe even a little gratitude for the fact that I had chosen to stay on my own accord. Or maybe this was Dahr giving me freedom to follow through with my choice? Giving me time to change my mind whenever I wanted to?
I was too tired to wonder and, after a plentiful dinner and a few hours of waiting for Dahr to return, I decided that the bestcourse of action was rest and recovery. Luckily, my face didn’t feel as swollen, but it was still hurting when I brushed against the silk pillow cover, so I decided to give my body the rest it needed.
And of course, I took the opportunity to get closer to Dahr with this sudden invitation to breakfast. I didn’t know if he slept well or how long he spent away from his bed last night, but we had never shared breakfast together; he always had to hurry out of the tent at first light.
“I was hoping that I could spend some time with you, if it doesn’t interfere with any other plans,” he raised his brows slowly. He probably knew about my visits to Karisha’s tent and was indirectly telling me that I had the freedom to choose the events of my day.
I knew Karisha would understand, and I made a mental note to catch up with her at the earliest opportunity, since she must have heard about the mess I made in her absence.
“It’s not Karisha’s fault,” I clarified, lest Dahr reach his own conclusions and go against my friend. “Whatever I did wrong,” I pointed. “Running away from Sylam, getting into the sea, it was all me. She didn’t know what I was going to do that day and left me in her tent to get some space,” I made sure to explain to Dahr, especially since I knew the two of them had many projects in common and had to share the responsibilities of leading the camp.
“I made sure Karisha knows she is not at fault.” Dahr’s answer took me by surprise, so I inched closer to him and tilted my head like a child listening to a fairytale and absorbing all details.
“We had a long chat last night. Karisha, Markos and I. I shared many things with them, most of which will help you settle better in the camp,” he explained as he started arranging plates on the table and motioning me to take a seat.
This was probably the most plentiful breakfast spread I had seen in the camp, much more luxurious than what Karisha and I shared. There was sausages and bacon, toast, a variety of cheeses, vegetables, hard boiled eggs and even a bowl of strawberries.
“Wow,” I released an exclamation at the sight of everything, my mouth instantly watering. “I haven’t seen strawberries in years,” I admitted and, leaving etiquette behind, I reached for the bowl to grab the biggest one and took a generous bite, letting myself enjoy the sweet taste and the acidic juice.
I realised too late that I was smiling like an idiot and Dahr’s eyes remained pegged on me, absorbing everything I did, so I forced myself to place the rest of the strawberry on my plate and straightened my back to take the adequate position, unwilling to make a bigger fool of myself than I already did.
“Don’t stop on my account,” he smiled. “I know you like strawberries, which is why I had them ordered.”
“They’re my favourite!” I smiled with excitement and, following his invitation, I grabbed another strawberry from the bowl, this time a smaller one that perfectly fit into my mouth. Then I realised what he had just said. “How doyouknow they are my favourite?” He and I didn’t really have a lot of time for conversation and when we did, it was mostly practical things or insults.
