It was still dead of night when I
awoke. I could tell even before I opened my eyes, for it felt as if I shouldn’t
be awake at this time. Yet I was. Something had woken me from my sleep. I was
rather use to waking up in the dead of night even after Hunter graciously
allowed me to sleep within the security of his bed. But this time felt
different. I slowly opened my eyes and sat up to take in my surroundings. I lay
there in the center of the massive bed that usually Hunter and I shared at
night but as I continued to scan the room I noticed that Hunter was not in his
usual spot on his side of the bed. In fact, the sheet I lay under were in the
exact same formation they were in when I fell asleep. A sign showing that Hunter
hadn’t come to bed at all.
I sat there in the middle of the
bed, my eyes heavy with sleep. A slight headache clouding the memories of the
proceeding night. As I sat there holding my head, trying to figure out why I
was unable to remember last night with any clarity, my ear started to twitch. I
started to listen closely. As I focused my hearing on the surrounding sounds, I
noticed a periodical clang faintly piercing the normal ambiance of that of the
country night. As I got out of bed to go check out the noise, I grabbed the
dagger that always rest on the bedside table next to me. Even though I knew
very well the odds of danger was low. Old habits die hard I guess.
I walked down the dark
corridor that lead past many rooms available to customers looking for a place
to rest their head. The only light guiding me being the light of the full moon
that shine bright through a glass window. As I tip toed down the hallway, I
fought with the continuous headache that still throbbed in my head, trying very
hard to remember what exactly happened before I came up to bed. I started to
think to myself, step by step, the events that I could recall leading up to my
bedtime. ‘I remember having a lengthy conversation with a boy named…’ I
impulsively made a thinking face. ‘Connor? Was his name? I told him story after
story of my adventures and bounties.’ I continued down the hallway to the top
of the stairs and start descending the wooden steps, each step light as a
feather and making almost absolutely no sound. ‘I remember him insisting on
buying me a few drinks.. and the drinks tasting slightly off’ As I reached
about half way down the stairs, I started to notice a faint red glow emanating
from between the cracks of a door I had come to find that lead to Hunter’s
smithy. ‘after the drinks I remember feeling strange. I don’t remember exactly
in what way though. There was also something Connor said that made me sort of
uncomfortable, and that’s why I left?’ I finally reach the bottom of the stairs
and continue onward toward the clanging which was now very clearly coming from
the smithy. I could only presume that it was Hunter hard at work, but at this
hour? It only made me more curious. ‘Okay. So I left Connor behind and headed
up the stairs to bed…’ It was at this point I was only a couple of feet from
the door, the clanging now very noticeably coming from behind the door. I
started to reach for the iron ring handle to open the door. ‘…and then at the
top of the stairs…’ I stopped dead in my tracks. My hand only centimeters away
from the handle. All the memories past that point came rushing back to me. The
mood I was in, the way I acted toward Hunter, and even the things I had said.
I stood there, arm outstretched and
poised to grab the handle and open the door. I stood there for what presumably
be minutes, but it felt like it was hours. With all my recent memories in tack
my mind started to race. ‘Should I face him? Is he still mad? Should I just go
back to bed?’ I finally decided that I was already here and should resume my investigation.
I found my composure and wrapped my hand around the iron ring and opened the
door.
I slowly opened the door in
attempts to not be noticed but to no prevail. The hinges were old and with every
centimeter the door swung a creak would ring out. I opened the door fully to an
immense heat. It was the smithery after all. Rows upon rows of tools used for
various pieces of equipment lined the walls. A giant furnace rest at the far
end of the room blazed red hot with coals. Next to that were barrels filled
with some sort of liquid and close to the center was an anvil. This was the
epicenter of all the clanging.
Hunter
was at the anvil with his back to me, hammering on a red hot straight sword he
must have just recently pulled from the blistering heat of the furnace. At
first glance it seemed as if he had not heard the door open but I knew very
well that even through all that clanging, anyone would have heard the creaking
of the opening of that heavy door. He must have known it was me.
I entered the room and with my
usual light footsteps, climbed down a small flight of stairs leading to the
ground floor of the smithy. Glancing around the room I tip toed up to about 5
feet behind Hunter and stopped, noticing that the clanging had stopped. Hunter
now sat there at the anvil looking down at the still red blade with a hammer in
his right hand. “Another sleepless night huh, Silvernia.” His voice was quiet
but had a slight hard tone to it. Even in the blistering heat of the
surrounding room, a cold chill ran down my spine at the sound of my full name.
He rarely ever used my full name. Something was definitely on his mind. He
always addressed me with shortened versions of my name. Silver, Silv, and when
he tries to be cute, Silvy. My full name was not used unless he was in a
serious mood.
“With all the ruckus you’re making,
it’s amazing anyone can” I chuckle in a cheerful tone trying to help lighten
the mood. Hunter just sat there looking down at the blade now turning back to
its metallic hue from cooling down. I took a step closer toward Hunter realizing
that my playful banter had no effect. “Why are you still up at this hour
anyways? Why not come to bed?” A soft sigh escaped his lips. “due to my recent
sick day I had, the orders just piled up. I need to catch up.”
“That
makes sense, but everyone needs a break. You will work yourself to death.” I
walked up right behind him this time and soothingly place a hand on his back.
“Come upstairs and sleep with me” He shrugged off my hand rather forcefully. I
could almost feel his glare as he looked at me through the corner of his eyes.
“Why not find some other Dog to come ‘sleep’ with you” I took a step back
“Hunter, I…” It was at this point that something seemed to snap within Hunter.
He jolted out of the stool he sat upon, knocking it backward and turned to face
me “You what?” I have never seen Hunter like this. His back was toward the only
source of light in the room. The red glow outlining his silhouette. The only truly
defined feature I could make out were his eyes, but even them seemed almost
red. His giant figure looming in front of me clutching the hammer still in his
hand. It was intimidating, which was unusual for Hunter. But I was well known
for not showing fear even in the most dire situations so I kept my composure.
“You thought that I was just like all of the other drunken blokes that come in
and fraternize with any girl they see. That my only intention is to lay with
you?” As I stand there listening him, the only objection I could respond with
was a whispered “not at all.”
After a few moments of tense
silence, Hunter gave a long drawn out sigh and looked off to the side,
revealing a bit more features of his face. I could visibly see his body loosen
from frustrated state he was recently in as he spoke with a much softer tone to
his voice. “Since that day that I first lay eyes upon you, I knew I had this
interest in you. I had the strangest urge to hear your tale, to understand you.
Every day after our first encounter, there was some part of me that questioned
if you were going to return that day. I would open up the Hearth and as the day
proceeded, my eyes would dart to door every time it opened to see if it was
you. As the days went on, my hope faltered and I started to question if I was
ever going to get to see you again. But you inevitably did. And I praised Loren
for my chance to sate my interest. Then you started staying at the hearth and
my want to interact with you only grew from there. I started to feel unease
whenever I saw any of the men who came in for drinks talking to you. A feeling I
have never had before. At that point I started to think deeper into the
situation. About my interest. About you. About… us.” There was a slight break
in his voice between those last two words Hunter spoke. I didn’t know what to
think. “I… I just need some time to think about things okay?” I knew what he
meant by this and I obliged to his wish. I gave slight nod and turned around
for the door.
“And, Silver?” I stopped at
the top of the small staircase leading up to the door and turned toward the
sound of Hunter’s voice. “I’m sorry.” There was a deep sincere to his voice and
I gave a small smile in acknowledgment. “I am too” I responded in kind. I
slowly closed the creaking door behind me and silently made my way back up to
the massive bed I was so use to. Though when I got back under the covers I was
as far from sleep than I’ve ever been. I lay there staring at the ceiling
listening to the clanging that had resumed during my walk back to the bedroom,
knowing very well that an uncountable number of things were running through Hunter’s
mind. But only for the fact that my mind was drowning in thought as well.
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