Page 14 of Garden of Ashes & Hope

"Oh!" I exclaim, excitement momentarily overriding my lingering fear. "Look at this, Mordakus. It's pyla!"

He raises an eyebrow.

I nod eagerly. "It's edible and really nutritious. Here, let me show you."

I carefully harvest some of the leaves, cleaning them as best I can with our limited water supply. "Try it," I say, offering some to Mordakus.

He eyes the leaves skeptically but takes them. As he chews, his eyebrows raise in surprise. "Not bad," he admits. "Your knowledge," he says as I finish explaining the medicinal properties of a particular flower. "It's impressive. Your father must have been a good man."

I feel a warmth in my chest at his praise. "He was the best," I say softly.

Mordakus nods thoughtfully.

"I miss him so much."

To my surprise, Mordakus reaches out, awkwardly patting my shoulder. "I'm sorry," he says gruffly. "For your loss."

His attempt at comfort, clumsy as it is, nearly brings me to tears. I blink rapidly, trying to hold them back. "Thank you," I manage.

We lapse into silence again, but it's different now. More... companionable. As I settle down to sleep, Vincent curled up beside me, I find myself watching Mordakus. He sits near the entrance of our shelter, alert and vigilant as always. But there's something different about him now, a softness around the edges that wasn't there before.

"Mordakus?" I say sleepily.

He turns to look at me. "Hm?"

"I'm still glad I’m your prisoner. I don't think I'd have survived this long on my own."

For a moment, I think I see a flicker of something in his eyes - warmth, maybe? But it's gone so quickly I might have imagined it.

"Go to sleep, Eve," he says, his voice gruff but not unkind. "We've got a long day ahead tomorrow."

As I drift off, I can't help but feel a small spark of hope. Yes, the world is still dangerous and terrifying. Yes, Mordakus is one of them and capable of frightening things. But he's also my protector, my teacher, and maybe, just maybe, becoming my friend.

In the morning, as we prepare to set out, I notice Mordakus watching me with an odd expression.

"What?" I ask, suddenly self-conscious.

He shakes his head, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "Nothing. Just... you're tougher than you look, you know that?"

His words catch me off guard, and I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks. "Oh," I say, flustered. "Um, thanks. I'm trying my best."

As we head out into the uncertain day ahead, I feel a newfound sense of determination. I may not be a fighter like Mordakus, but I have my own strengths; my knowledge, my compassion, my ability to find beauty and use in the plants others overlook - these are my weapons.

And with Mordakus by my side, Vincent in my arms, and the vast, broken world stretching out before us, I think that maybe, just maybe, we stand a chance.

10

MORDAKUS

The journey takes its toll on us all, and tonight, as we finally find shelter from the harsh elements, I can't help but notice how physically exhausted Eve is. Her delicate features are marked with the wear of the road, but her beauty remains unblemished.

The journey takes its toll on us all, and tonight, as we finally find shelter from the harsh elements, I can't help but notice how physically exhausted Eve is. Her delicate features are marked with the wear of the road, but her beauty remains unblemished.

The day fades away, the cold wind replaced by the warmth of our shelter. I've got a fire crackling, casting shadows on the cave walls. The heat does nothing for the chill inside, a constant reminder of the brutality that's become our everyday life.

Eve, wrapped in a threadbare blanket, nestled against the worn-out sleeping bag, looks at me, her blue eyes reflecting the light of the fire. She's exhausted but there's a spark in her gaze, a silent plea, a soft kindling of desire that makes my cock twitch. Her breaths are shallow, her chest rising and falling in a rhythm that plays a tantalizing song under her dirt-smudged shirt.

An image of rutting flashes through my mind, raw and primal, me driving into her relentlessly, her delicate body trapped beneath me, taking everything I give. I growl, the sound echoing in the small space, my body tight with anticipation as I crawl over to her.

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