Pointing towards the archway in the trees, he simply nods at me, following close behind. Stepping through the arched branches, the forest falls away. The meadow opens wide and sudden, a sweep of tall grass rippling a golden green. The afternoon has mellowed into those soft, honeyed hours where everything feels gentler. In the distance, Greyhollow looms above the treeline. From here it looks different.
“It looks smaller.” I murmur.
“Looks well-defended to me,” he says with a teasing grin. I let out a small laugh, shaking my head at his response. I turn to see he’s taken his helmet off. He settles down into the grass, resting his elbows on his knees as he takes in the view. I sit beside him, staring out into the vast expanse of raw nature. It’s stunning. I glance down at his sword, laid out in the grass. It may be the first time I’ve seen it this far away from him.
“Do you ever wish you didn’t have to carry that around with you everywhere?” I ask, gesturing at the sword. He takes a while to respond before looking at me.
“I wish it weren’t necessary to carry it.”
“But what are you protecting, if all the people are gone?”
“We are oath bound to this duty, even if there is no threat. We still guard our castle. I used to tell myself it was in case the gates opened and an enemy stepped through once more.” He looks at me then. “But then you arrived, covered in dirt and with a face full of fear.”
“Hey, I could have been a threat!” I’m not even fooling myself with my words. He smiles then, facing forward once more.
“Hawthorne, you couldn’t even lift my sword above your head. Let alone be a threat to an entire realm.”
“Do you really want to make that bet? After I read Sword Handling Volumes one and two.” He rubs a hand across his jaw, hiding a smile. “If I can do it, I get one free pass to do something I want to do,” I say with a mischievous tone. His gaze flickers from me to the sword.
He absolutely thinks I have no chance.
“Define ‘something’,” he says mildly.
“I’ll know when I want to claim it.” He pauses before giving me an answer.
“Fine, deal.”
I let out a small triumphant sound before rising to my feet and rubbing my hands together as if trying to conjure up some unknown strength from somewhere.
“This should be entertaining.” He says as he rises to his feet, not to help but to watch.
“That is deeply offensive. I may surprise you.” I bend and grip the hilt. It’s heavy, extremely heavy. Trying not to show my obvious struggle, I adjust my grip before straightening and lifting it off the ground. The blade dips forward as I stumble slightly. Rowan moves towards me on reflex, but I find my balance, gritting my teeth and pushing upward.
“Is it above my head?” I strain out.
“Not even remotely,” he laughs. I huff before adjusting my grip and attempting to lift it higher. The blade tilts again, and I lose my balance, stumbling backwards. Rowan is there in an instant, one hand steadying the flat blade and the other catching my elbow.
“Careful, Hawthorne.” He doesn’t take the blade from me, just steadies it in my arms. His hand remains over mine on the hilt. “If you angle your wrist,” he says quietly near my ear, “the weight distributes better.” He helps me raise the sword higher, steadying it above my head for one glorious second.
“That counts!” I shout quickly. I feel his lips tilt into a smirk by my ear.
“Rowan, say it! That counts!” I beam.
“It counts.” He catches the sword before it falls as I spin to face him.
My grin widens.
“One free pass,” I remind him.
His eyes darken slightly with amusement.
“Be careful how you use it, Hawthorne.”
Chapter 16
Elodie
I’m sitting with the tattered notes, scratching my head when Kael enters the glasshouse.
