Noir

**SEVEN DAYS LATER** Tilting the water bottle, I took several long swallows, feeling the cool liquid refresh my parched throat. I then poured some over my wrists, relishing the soothing sensation as the moisture pooled on my skin before sliding off silently. Inhaling deeply, exhaustion weighed heavily on my breath, which escaped in a groan. Jesus Christ, I grumbled inwardly, Noir hadn't been joking when he said he would push us. It had been five hours since our last break. The brush we were hacking and slashing our way through with sharp machetes seemed never-ending. Each time we cleared a path, more foliage sprang forth, slapping us in the face and igniting tempers. They seemed determined to impede our progress with frustrating regularity. And now, to my dismay, as I had barely caught my breath and cooled down, Noir appeared ready to resume the battle. He stood up and began hacking at the thick foliage again. Staring at him in disbelief, I hissed, "Seriously?"

Noir's arm paused mid-strike as he whipped around. He blew out a breath, then with frustration evident in his voice, he snapped, "Why don't you stop being such a sniveling whiny ass and get up off your rear-end and help?" Eton, who had struggled to his feet shortly after Noir and was attacking the dense brush with equal fervor, halted abruptly at the heated words. Whirling around, he barked, his voice filled with frustration, "That's enough, Noir! There's no reason for you to be so harsh to her. She doesn't possess our strength, yet she's been battling this stubborn brush just as fiercely as we have." With a disgusted snort, he turned back to hacking at the thick growth, muttering vile insults under his breath directed at Noir.

Three hours later, I found myself facing Noir once again, desperately shouting, "I said I have to pee!" In a display of annoyance, Noir let out a frustrated breath and growled, "Jesus, you just went!" I began to explain, only to abruptly stop and cross my legs in discomfort. Panting, I muttered, "Damn you," as I struggled to regain control over my volatile bladder.

Without protest, I felt Noir's arm brush against the back of my legs as his other arm encircled my back. He scooped me up and carried me into the brush, gently lowering me to my feet. With irritation, he snapped, "Just get it over with!" Then he turned and moved a bit further into the brush, granting me some privacy while still within earshot.

A few minutes later, I cautiously made my way back to Noir's side. As we began to navigate through the overgrown brush and onto a slightly clearer path, Noir snapped, "You should have told me before it became this bad!"

I stood there, mouth agape, my face contorted in sheer astonishment as I hissed, the words barely escaping my lips; "before it got...!" Then, I erupted, my voice roaring in disbelief, "are you fucking kidding me... I started nearly an hour ago telling you I needed to stop!"

Nodding, Noir sneered, his expression oozing with contempt. "All right... so you did, but you never said it was because you needed to pee. For all I knew, you were just whining some more... as that's about all I've heard from you all damn day!" he spat, finishing his words with a thunderous growl.

"Fuck you, Noir. It's because of your kind we are out here!" The words had no sooner left my lips than I instantly regretted them.

Noir halted abruptly in his tracks, the sound of crunching foliage under his boots ceasing. His back stiffened, and with a slow, deliberate movement, he turned to face me. The air around us seemed to grow heavy.

Noir's narrowed eyes bore into mine, his gaze filled with a mix of hurt and anger, his lips curling into a snarl. The tension in the air was palpable, and a knot formed in the pit of my stomach. "What did you just say to me?" he growled, his voice laced with a raw intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.

Realizing the gravity of my words, I took a step back, my heart pounding in my chest. "I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "I shouldn't have said that."

Noir's expression softened slightly, but the lingering anger remained in his eyes. He let out a weary sigh, his shoulders slumping. "It's fine, I suppose," he muttered. "But you should know better than to antagonize me. We're in this together, whether we like it or not."

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He turned away from me, his movements filled with a tense energy as he resumed his task of clearing the thick brush. Shame and frustration washed over me, like a wave crashing against the shore. The scent of damp earth and foliage filled the air.

"I'm sorry," I muttered, my words barely audible over the sounds of brush being cleared.

Noir glanced over his shoulder, his expression inscrutable, his eyes reflecting a mix of emotions. "We've all had our limits tested today," he said quietly. "Let's just keep moving forward, all right?"

I nodded, my eyes avoiding his piercing gaze. The sound of my voice trembled as I offered my apology, "I'm sorry for losing my temper. It won't happen again."

The weight of his silence hung in the air, as if he were pondering my words. Finally, Noir let out a heavy sigh and returned to his work on the brush.

The rustling of leaves and twigs filled the forest as we pushed deeper, the overgrown foliage becoming thicker with each step. The sun gradually sank lower in the sky, casting long shadows that danced around us. My muscles throbbed with exhaustion, aching from the effort, while the burn in my legs intensified.

Eton, Thorin, and Noir, however, effortlessly maneuvered through the dense forest, their bodies gliding with grace and confidence. I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to possess such strength, to never tire.

"Don't," Noir snapped, breaking my train of thought. "Don't wonder. You don't want to know."

I turned to him, a frown etching across my face. "Don't read my mind, dammit!" I hissed, my anger vibrating in my voice.

His response was sharp, filled with irritation. "Then stop thinking so damn loudly. You're giving me a headache."

I glared at him, my anger rising like a boiling pot. The fiery intensity in my eyes matched the crimson hue that tainted my face. "You're such a prick, you know that?" I seethed, the words dripping with venom.

Noir, engrossed in his work, shrugged nonchalantly, his eyes fixed on the task at hand. "And you're too easy to provoke," he retorted, his voice laced with a hint of amusement.

His indifferent shrug grated against my nerves, aggravating my frustration and my scowl deepened, etching lines of irritation across my forehead. "I'm not the one who's acting like a prick!" I shot back, my voice tinged with defiance.

Noir abruptly ceased his work, turning to face me with an expression of exasperation etched upon his face. The sight of his furrowed brow and furrowed lips intensified my own feelings of annoyance.

"Oh, please," he drawled, his voice laced with sarcasm. "Don't give me that crap. You've been a bitch to everyone since we got here."

His words stung like a slap across the face, leaving me feeling wounded and exposed. My face flushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment, the heat radiating from my cheeks.