SWNOVELS Chapter 34: Reunited
Early the next morning Talon and I head out just as there’s enough light to see in front of us. Talon has barely said anything about what we talked about last night and at times I can feel his eyes watching me but he doesn’t say anything. As the morning begins to light up the air seems to continue to be filled with an uncomfortable silence. Finally, I slow down my horse as I begin to hear the sounds of the river in front of us. I move to the left of Talon and look towards him, this morning he woke up with a large dark bruise just above his left temple. I on the other hand still have an ache back from the valleys and now an already healing bite wound on my arm. My uniform undershirt is torn slightly but no one can tell with the top shirt on.
“Talon, before we get any closer to the others.....Do you have anything else you want to say?” I speak up watching in front of us then rather Talon. He’s quiet for a moment as we ride, the forest undergrowth beginning to get more clustered as the sound of rushing water grows.
“How much longer do you have before the effects take over?” Talon asks quietly. He deserved to know everything now.
“A couple months at the most, if I’m lucky. You should know that if we don’t find the virus at ground zero..... I won’t be going back.” I almost whisper out. He’s the only one I’m telling this to. I wanted to be truthful, if he is keeping this enormous secret from me he should know all of it.
“What?” He asks suddenly. I look over at him his eyes filled with confusion and shock.
“If I can’t find the other virus, then I’ll all but be a bomb. I’ll be toxic by the end, I don’t want to do that to all those people within the walls. So, I’ll leave and spend my last days away from everyone else but; you the only one I’ve told.” I warn him. That same sadness fills his eyes and I try not to feel agitated at all the sadness in the air.
“Clare doesn’t know?” He asks and I shake my head.
“Clare may be here to watch over me, but she’s only loyal to my father and the director. If she knew she has permission to take me back against my will.” I tell him. Talon nods understanding what I meant. wanted to believe Clare cared for me or even thought of me as a friend but I know her family. They’re the most loyal of the A-status families there.
“Promise me that you won’t tell anyone... please,” I whisper out and look over at him. His hazel eyes looked over me unsure until confidence fills his eyes.
“I promise, If the virus isn’t there... I’ll help you disappear.” He says surprise me.
“What?” I’m speechless, I didn’t ask him that but a warm comfort fill my heart.
“You’re effectively heading to your death Aspen, so the most I can do is help you disappear if it doesn’t work.” His words are strong as a smile covers my face. I push back the tears threatening to fall.
“Thank you,” I say, with more weight than I had known I felt before but having someone I can trust is a wonderful feeling I hadn’t had before. He just smiles and nods his head warmly. The air shifted to one of warmth and trust.
We break through the underbrush as I duck below a large leafy bush, revealing the river. A kind and calm fall over us to know we finally reached at least some water. “Let’s get washed up here,” Talon says and I jump down from my horse and walk over the large flowing river. This river moves quickly but it’s not raging as hard as the one we passed a few days ago. I kneel down on the river bank and pull off my shirt. Undoing my bandaged arm I use the water to clean off my wound again. My wound has three deep teeth marks on my bicep. The cool water takes away some of the dark blood from last night washing it away.
Talon washes off his face to my left up the river a couple feet. I wash my hands and arms then move over to washing my top shirt trying to get the pools of blood in my clothes from yesterday away in the water. After a few minutes, I tie my wet hair back into a tight bun feeling refreshed and as clean as I can. My uniform shirt is drying on a rock near the river as I finish washing up. I look toward Talon who sits washing his arms as his uniform sits next to mine on the rock. His slightly long hair slicked back with the water. We finally fish up and drape the wet shirt over the back of my saddle as we both climb back on our horses.
We follow the rocky river upstream as it twists and turns back and forth. The spray of the river hits the rocks it’s my face and neck as we ride keeping us cool in the warming morning sun. We ride for an hour maybe more once in a while stopping to see if anything could be seen at the edge of the map. We finally reach an area of the forest filled with sounds and birds slightly louder than the crashing sounds of water falling. We circle around a large gathering of trees as our horses shuffle through a small opening in the undergrowth revealing the waterfall.
Mist rises over the large river at the bottom of the gallons of water falling from up the rocky hillside. Moss-covered rocks line the river as I look up past the towering trees to the clear water falling over the side of the hill. The area around the falls is pretty clear of bushes or undergrowth as my eyes land on Clare sitting on a rock on the bank f the river splashing the blood off her forearms.
Orion s on dry ground on one knee looking over what looks like crude drawings of a map. His medium-length brown hair dripped and pushed back. They both look up as Orion’s hand reaches out to his gun beside him. I stop my horse as my eyes land on Clare. her usual blonde hair is slightly tinted black on the ends and in other patches of her hair from the forsaken blood. Her shirt is sprawled out drying on a rock as is Orions. Clare jumps up an obvious weight lifting from her shoulders seeing me safe and alive.
“Thank the Old Gods, you okay.” Clare blurts out happily as she runs towards me giving me a hug. I’m a little taken aback by her actions. We’ve known each other for a year and she’s never shown me much affection. Orion follows behind her giving Talon many half hugs as a sly smile covers his face.
“What’s with the bruise, Talon?” Orion says lifting his chin at Talon as he squints. Talon’s eyes widen remembering that he had gotten injured and I quickly fill in for him.
“Yesterday we got a surprise from a forsaken and he was knocked off his horse.” I mostly tell the truth. It’s not like Talon knows he was an inch from falling to his death and since he is keeping my secrets then I can let him believe nothing too serious happened. Orion’s eyes open wider as he laughs out. Surprising me because I haven’t seen Orion show more than a small smile before.
“Well, I’m glad you guys are okay.. if I had to spend another hour alone with her I think I was going to sacrifice myself to the forsaken.” Orion jokes slightly to Talon. Clare folds her arms and glares at Orion. They had obviously had a rough time with one another. I’m guessing Orion’s just glad another one of his team members is okay.
“Aspen, were you hurt?” Clare squints noticing the cut in my undershirt. I look over at talon, I had forgotten my shirt was drying on my horse. So I lie again.
“I got a small cut from running from the valley. I accidentally hit a branch... you know I can be clumsy.” I laugh out. Lying was starting to become a second skin for me. I don’t like that it’s becoming so easy for me to come up with a lie. I guess I won’t have to do so for too much longer anyways. Clare’s eyes look over my face for any deception and nod believing me.
“And the others?” I ask looking around the falls. A pang of an unknown feeling hurts my heart at the thought of them somewhere lost or wounded maybe even dead. The image of Enyo’s enchanting eyes flashes in my mind and I try to shake away the odd feeling that comes over me. I barely know him, so why am I worried about him?
Suddenly crashing from the other side of the river sounds as three horses charge through the tree line covered in blood as our eyes look behind them.