He shifts once then stretches out against me, nuzzling my side with his massive snout.
I stroke his thick fur and whisper, “Thank you.”
Vaelen closes his eyes.
I let out a breath, easing back into the furs. Closing my own eyes, I fall away into sleep.
CHAPTER 16
AUREN
The fire has burned down to embers as dawn begins to approach. Instead of sleeping in my own tent, I slept outside of hers. I wanted Vivienne to feel safe, and I wanted to make sure I was close enough to hear her if she needed anything.
Last night, I felt the strange pull again through our bond. It was the same as when she had her nightmare at the inn, but when I asked, she denied having any bad dreams. And yet… I know what I felt, and I cannot quiet my concern.
Goblins are powerful beings and I dislike the idea of their magic being able to touch her in her sleep.
Sighing heavily, I run a hand roughly through my hair, trying to push my thoughts aside. We’re wed. The bargain has been settled. And perhaps I’m wrong… maybe what I sensed wasn’t the result of some sort of dark magic, but simply her fear of the forest. Vivienne has never camped before, and it’s only natural that she’d be afraid. The unknown can be terrifying for anyone.
Her worry about the woods is not entirely unfounded. I’m used to camping, but I also know the night can hide any manner of things, and I’m thankful for Vaelen’s presence.
He emerged from her tent less than an hour ago. Even now, I sense he is somewhere just beyond the firelight, patrolling the perimeter.
My blade rests across my knees, but my attention is fixed on the pale stretch of canvas that shelters my wife. I considered waking her before dawn to get an early start on our travels, but yesterday was a bit difficult for her, though she will never admit it.
She learned how to set up camp and start a fire, while masking her fear of the forest behind sharp words and the stubborn tilt of her chin. Given her worry, I was pleased when she was finally able to sleep through the night. She trusted me and Vaelen to stand between her and the darkness.
The tent flap stirs and I look up as Vivienne steps outside. She appears tired, moving slower than usual, stripped of the careful precision she wears like armor. Her silken hair falls unbound around her shoulders in copper waves. She looks softer like this. Unshielded.
“You’re awake,” she says.
“I am guarding.”
She arches a brow. “That doesn’t require staring at my tent.”
“It does if I am guarding you,” I reply with a slight grin.
She huffs, folding her arms, but she does not retreat back inside. Instead, she crosses the small space between us and lowers herself carefully onto the ground beside me, her back resting against the log, drawing her knees to her chest. “Thank you,” she says a bit hesitantly.
Hope sparks. This is progress. “How did you sleep?” I already know the answer, but I ask anyway to encourage more conversation.
“I’ve slept better.” She arches a brow. “And I certainly would have had a more comfortable night in an inn.”
I chuckle. “You’re lucky I’m not an Orc. Many of their clans are nomadic. They live in tents all year round.”
She gives me a deadpan look. “I would simply die.”
I laugh.
“Did you sleep?” she asks.
“A few hours.” I shrug. “I do not require much.”
“That’s unnatural,” she mutters.
“Or efficient.”
She rolls her eyes, though I believe it’s more for show than anything else, judging by the way her lips twitch slightly.
