"The mind may counsel caution, but the heart rarely listens."
—Elurian Proverb
Iwatched Kailin disappear into the shadows between the fires, her arms full of empty canteens. She'd practically fled from our group, and I had a sinking feeling that it had something to do with me.
Had I offended her in some way?
Trying to remember everything I had said since we'd entered the cave, I couldn't come up with a single thing, but I should have said something when she'd returned refreshed from the pool.
Maybe she'd expected a compliment?
She probably had, and I should have realized that and said something.
"I should help her carry those back," I said, rising to my feet. "They'll be much heavier once they're filled."
"Of course, they will be." Codric's knowing smirk made me want to kick his foot. "That's very thoughtful of you, cousin."
I ignored his tone. "I'll be right back."
"Take your time," he called after me. "No rush at all."
I shouldn't follow Kailin. She'd made it clear that she wanted to be alone, and going after her was probably a mistake. But I had to find out what had made her flee like that, and whether it was my fault. And if I was being honest with myself, wanting to be alone with her played an even bigger role in my less-than-gentlemanly behavior.
As I walked deeper into the cavern, I could hear snippets of Morek's new story—something about a wolf and the moon.
He was probably spinning another tale of impossible longing, and I wondered whether his muse was the pretty girl whose name I had forgotten.
I found Kailin kneeling beside the stream that ran along the cave wall, filling canteens from the clear running water. Regrettably, we weren't alone. Several other pilgrims were there, some refilling their canteens, while others sat on rocks near the water's edge, tending to blistered feet. The scene was remarkably domestic considering that we were in a vast cave located inside a sacred mountain.
She must have sensed my approach because she turned to look at me, her expression more exasperated than surprised. "I really don't need any help, Alar. I could've managed by myself."
"I know you could, but these canteens will be much heavier once they are full. I thought you might need help carrying them back." I moved to stand beside her and slid my hands into my pockets. "I'm just thankful that we don't have to worry aboutanyone jumping in for another swim since stripping naked is no longer allowed."
Color rose in her cheeks, but she smiled. "It was painful to watch you and Codric walking back looking like a pair of icicles."
Was that why she'd fled?
Some people were so empathetic that they felt the pain of others, but I didn't think that Kailin was one of them. Not after I'd seen her helping the wounded at the town square. She wouldn't have been able to function.
Could it be that she cared so much about me that she'd felt my pain?
My chest expanded at the thought, and I reached with my hand to her shoulder but retracted it at the last moment. Something told me that Kailin wouldn't welcome the gesture of familiarity right now.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I didn't realize that you were so affected by our discomfort. Still, I maintain that it was worth it just to prove that we're not a couple of soft Elurians."
"No one thinks that anymore," she said. "Not after today."
I was surprised by the conviction in her voice, but she was back to filling canteens, and when she bent over, her golden hair fell forward, hiding her face. I couldn't see her expression.
"It will go much faster with the two of us splitting the task." I gathered two canteens from the pile beside her.
The stream water was freezing, numbing my fingers within minutes, and Kailin had been at it for longer than I was. Her hands were growing red, and she was clumsy as she struggled with the caps.
"Here," I said, reaching for her hands before I could think better of it. "Let me warm them up."
She hesitated for a moment before allowing me to take her hands in mine. Her fingers were like ice against my palms as I gently rubbed them between my own.
"Better?" I asked, my voice coming out rougher than I'd intended.
