Page 20 of The Heartless Archer

“I don’t think it’s dead.” Noora got up to her feet, dusting off her trousers.

She turned away from him and started to walk, the wolf following her happily. She narrowed her eyes at the way his tongue lolled out of his mouth.

“Where do you think you’re going?” the guy shouted after her.

“Far away from you. Before you wake up a whole grizzly campaign with your shrieking.”

“I did not shriek!”

She turned her head slightly, still walking. “Yeah, you’re right. You were squealing,” she paused a second, “like a little girl.”

The wolf guffawed beside her, a low rumble that reminded her of a chuckle.

The stranger sputtered. “How dare you! Do you always talk like that to—“ he stopped himself.

Noora turned to look at him.

“Do I always talk like that to people, who set a grizzly into my path, risking my life? No, usually I kill those people and do not talk at all.”

He blanched for a moment and it seemed like he was taking her in for the first time.

Noora straightened her shoulders, even though it hurt her back as she scanned him as well.

The golden locks sat hazardous on his head, his skin creeping back to a normal colour, instead of the greenish tint it had seconds ago. She assessed his lithe body, it looked like he had defined muscles, even though he didn’t know how to put use to them.

He was clad in a thick uniform. The blue garment was stitched together with silver lining. Noora guessed him to be a guard of the royal family, maybe an officer if she didn’t regard his courage. But even the most courageous guards run from fewer things than grizzlies.

Discarding his clothing, she looked at his straight nose internally mock gasping when she detected a small bump in it, a flaw. His lips parted slightly, his breath turning slower. They were flushed with blood, his cupid bow dipping delicately.

Noora faltered when she lifted her gaze to his eyes.

She was expecting the ice blue, people in Oy Frossen carried, framed by the colour of pale lashes.

But in this case, it was different.

Pale green eyes, the colour of jade assessed her carefully, wisely, like they were picking up on every tick of her body. The way her shoulders were sagging, so she wouldn’t stretch the slashes on her back, the shift of her hips to take the weight off her left ankle, that she probably sprained during their run. His eyes were framed by lashes so dark she was wondering if he dipped them in coal.

The stranger cleared his throat. “I am sorry I put you into the path of danger and officially express my gratitude to you.” He glanced at the wolf. “And your…pet.”

Said pet growled at him.

“Easy.” Noora held a reassuring hand up, turning back to look at the boy.

“What are you doing out here?”

His eyes darkened at her question but nonetheless answered her.

“I was ordered to come and see if the rumors were true. If the lands in Oy Frossen were rotting and turning to death.”

“Ordered by the king?” she questioned. “Well, officially, he is still the prince.”

Noora narrowed her eyes at him. “And why does he send you?”

She gestured towards his clothes and he looked at her as if she called him to be hideous.

“I am of high value to the royal family.” He lifted his chin in what she assumed was supposed to be an intimidating way. “He counts on me.”

“Congratulations.”

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