Soft

Soft. He’d come because she said she needed him. Ayred seethed. She was curled around the tree in front of him and he felt like he might fall off of the edge. He inched closer to her, pushing her against the tree trunk.

“You’re not going to fall off.” Silosyil muttered with exasperation.

He didn’t answer her, he just tried to get comfortable, stretching out his arm above his head and trying to use it as a pillow and draping the other over her. It took him some time to fall asleep despite how tired he was, but her slow even breathing eventually dragged him down into dreams.

Dreams of the old beggar and his father gave way to dreams of Silosyil wrapped around him and telling him that she needed him. When he woke, she was trying to disentangle herself from his grip. He had wrapped both arms around her and was using her back for a pillow. Ayred released her as if she were a venomous snake and nearly fell from the tree.

He swung himself down and looked at Lutius and Aramen. The men were scratching their legs through their pants as best they could.

“Congratulations,” Silosyil sounded smug, “maybe next time you’ll listen.”

Lutius started to mutter under his breath and Aramen shook his head.

“Have you met my brother? I think you’d get along well.” Ayred inquired dryly and watched her jaw drop.

She pointed and stalked off into the woods. Ayred glanced at Lutius and Aramen and both men grinned at him.

Like the day before Silosyil ranged ahead, moving more quickly than he and the others could. Aramen approved, a woman with strength and stamina was a good thing in his opinion, but, coupled with the way she had called him soft, it just made Ayred irritable. It felt as though she were doing it to spite him somehow.

They reached a ford across the river by late afternoon. Silosyil wanted to cross and find the shrine immediately but Lutius overruled her. He and Aramen were of the opinion that once the shrine had been secured they would want to leave immediately. Wandering in unfamiliar woods at night so close to Malav’s armies would not be wise.