Page 7 of Between Realms

“I like Wyn. It’s short and to the point, like me.” I tilt my head and smile at my own joke.

“So…Wyn, it’s getting late. Do you intend to walk the entire night?” His eyebrows raise in jest—an unusual trait for an elf, but especially odd to joke with a stranger. “Or were you planning on sleeping on the roadside?”

The bear is still gone from sight, but that doesn’t necessarily make me feel any better. What if the bear realizes it passed up a tasty meal? What if there are more ghouls waiting to attack? Or something more dangerous lurks out there? I need to rest soon, and not knowing if I’m going to be eaten in the middle of the night will certainly hinder my sleep. I can’t even seek refuge in the trees. Bears are experts in climbing. And ghouls can climb, too.

“I know I shouldn’t nap on the roadside. I’m mortal, not stupid.” I sigh, irritated by his insinuation that I might be. “I had hoped to reach Crowland before dark, but I haven’t traveled anywhere before. How much farther do I have to walk?”

“Crowland is a stretch too far formeto reach on foot tonight,” he states simply.

I bite my lip and mumble my frustration, “I left as soon as I received my summons. I suppose I don’t walk as fast as Merlara, since she figured I could reach Crowland by nightfall.” I breathe in slowly to calm my nerves. “I wish the royal court would have allowed me more time to plan.”

“Why didn’t your keeper accompany you?” Oakes asks.

I glance back in the direction of Betonie and explain, “My letter said I was to arrive alone.”

“She didn’t insist upon coming with you until you reached the gates?” Oakes shakes his head in disbelief.

My energy drains away at the realization. Why didn’t Merlara insist on coming? To ease my pangs of rejection, I make an excuse for her not offering. I remind myself that she had much to do, and she would be hard pressed to get her order complete in time with my absence. “I didn’t want to make things more difficult for her by asking.”

“More difficult? Were you much trouble to begin with?” Oakes smiles, but there’s also a genuine interest in my answer.

“Well, no. I work hard every day. I serve loyally. Maybe I wasn’talwayspleasant in my youth, but—”

“You don’t strike me as a terror,” he states, gazing down at me like he can see right into my soul. Perhaps he can.

I blush. “Thanks.” I check behind me and pucker my lips with worry. “However, right now, I’m concerned about what to do now if I can’t make it to Crowland. I never heard of a ghoul coming after the living! What if it wasn’t the only one in this forest? And I’ve heard bears will attack people in their territory, following someone for miles,” I say, in a rush like a confession. My anxiety about this journey reaching a new height. “I fear I won’t make it to Ryven Castle alive.”

“I’m sure you will make it.” Oakes then says thoughtfully, “The bear was inches from you, but didn’t harm you. Still no idea why it didn’t?”

“Maybe I wasn’t appetizing enough.” I shrug off the seriousness of the confrontation and hurry to keep pace with Oakes’ long legs. “None of it makes sense. The bear killed the ghoul that was attacking me, and afterward, I told it to leave me alone. It sniffed me instead of taking a bite and walked off.”

“Strange behaviors today… A ghoul attacked the living, and a bear attacked a ghoul—to save you, of all things.” Oakes lifts his eyebrows slightly. “Did you notice any other beings about?”

“No one, except a few flower faeries not too long before the incident.” I glance around to see if I can spot more. “I didn’t even know you were nearby, so obviously my senses aren’t very keen.”

“I get the sense that you are still afraid of the bear?”

I swallow down my nerves and nod. “I’m more concerned about why the bear would do what it did, and if it’s still following me because he was saving me for a later meal.”

“It would have harmed you before if that were its intent. No, I believe it meant to rescue you. Perhaps you elicit a protective nature in others. I thinkImight be under your spell already.” Oakes smiles, his perfect teeth and sharp canines on display. “I wish I would have met up with you earlier so I could have assisted you.”

“That’s kind, but it would have upset me if you’d been hurt.” As I say this, I realize how true the words are. I don’t know this male, but I know I never want to see him in harm’s way. “Especially on my account,” I add.

“If it meant you were unscathed, then that’s all that matters.”

It is odd for an elf to say such a thing to a stranger, a human, but I suppose he could just have a kind heart. Then I wonder if Merlara would risk herself to protect an unknown human.

“Would you like me to accompany you to Ryven? Many creatures might not think twice about attacking you, but they wouldn’t risk challenging me.”

“Well, I…” I stumble over my words. I worry about so many things. Will my attraction only grow with his nearness? Will I get myself or him in trouble by allowing such a thing?

And why does this elf want to keep me safe?

My intuition senses no ill-intent, but I’m unsure. “I… I’m supposed to arrive alone.”

Oakes ignores my comment. “Are you worriedImight attack you?”

“I suppose if you were going to, you would have done so by now. And it isn’t as if sayingnowould stop you from hurting me.” I shake my head. “I’m not frightened of you, but if I turn out to be wrong, try not to hold it against me.” I quirk my lip.

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