Page 12 of An Arrow to the Heart

She would have noticed them. Wouldn’t she?

However small the chance though, she knew she needed to explore this possibility.

CHAPTER TEN

-Ardál-

He’d spent the following days getting himself comfortable in the space, although he still felt strange being in someone’s home like this, he had to admit he really liked being here. Sylvie seemed to be gone the majority of the time, either out seeing her patients in the surrounding villages or out tending to the homestead. He felt awful for he wanted nothing more than to help out. So he’d spent his days cleaning and tidying. The first time she’d arrived home to find him having cleaned the kitchen, she merely stopped in her tracks for a short moment, gave a little smile, then continued what she was doing. He took that as a sign of her being okay with his cleaning the place. But despite them now eating together around the kitchen island, they hardly spoke, and when they did, conversation was mostly contained to his injury and sometimes, if he was lucky, news from within the village.

After yet another day of boredom and before he knew how, he had found himself leaning against a doorframe watching Sylvie. She was in the small room opposite the washroom, it was the first time he’d noticed the door open so he couldn’t help himself but take a peek and when he found her within the room, he couldn’t help but be enthralled by her.

“What is it you need Ardál?” Sylvie asked sharply, for he was clearly annoying her with his hovering in the doorway. Her long curls loosely plopped on the top of her head, only just about secured with a small piece of green-tinged fabric, stray strands of silver blowing every so slightly in the gentle breeze that came from the open window. She was wearing her usual style of dress, her waist pulled in by a brown leather corset, showing off those gorgeous curves, and as usual she was bare-footed. He’d noticed that she rarely wore her boots, seeming to only reserve those for when she left for the village.

“Nothing,” he said quickly.

“Then why are you hovering around like a fly around shit,” she said and he couldn’t help but let out a laugh at her bluntness. She turned to face him now, face stone cold, eyebrows raised.

Yup, he had definitely annoyed her with his hovering but he decided to be brave as he said, “well, it’s just I know little to nothing about you and you know nothing of me.” And truth be told he wanted to know everything about her.

“I’m a healer, you got yourself hurt and in need of a healer, that makes you my patient. What else is there to know?” She said as she turned back to her potion making, or whatever it was she did with all the ingredients and glass jars. He did note though that she answered his question with a question which only led him to deduct that she was willing to have a conversation. That was a step in the right direction, he could play this game. So he asked, “have you lived here long?”

“Why? Are you looking to buy?”

“No,” he said rather sheepishly, he hadn’t expected her to say that. He needed to ask better questions, so he thought a moment before asking, “have you always been a healer?”

“Heavens, are you still here?” she said following his silence, pretending that she thought he’d left the space, but he knew that she was well aware that he was still there.

Gods, her ability to answer every question with a question stirred something within him.

“You didn’t answer my question,” he said, this time his tone a hint more assertive.

“No,” she said without a pause, no question attached. Okay good he was getting somewhere.

“How long have you been a healer?”

“A long time.”

“I don’t see signs of anyone else living here, do you live here alone?” He had wondered about it since he had first been of sound mind. It was rare for a female to be living alone in the woods, the world was full of dangers after all. Though he supposed she could clearly take care of herself. His chest ached when he first noticed that she wore a dagger strapped to her thigh, oh how he’d give anything to be that dagger.

“Yes, I live here alone if you don’t count the animals.”

“So you’re not in a relationship with anyone?” The question slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it. This was dangerous territory, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to know the answer. Perhaps he could stop pining over her if he knew she had a husband or a wife or anybody at all. And sure enough, she paused what she was doing to once again turn to look at him, he felt naked before her gaze for it was so intense. She seemed surprised by the question, like she hadn’t considered that he’d want to know.

“No. I’m not,” she said, still holding that gaze, before she quickly added as she turned back to her work, “never found anyone worthwhile sharing my life with. Easier to just have lust filled nights when the notion strikes.” For a moment Ardál found himself startled by her honesty and before he could ask another question she asked him, “what about you? No one to share your path with you?”

“No. Just Phelan. Truth be told.. I suppose I’m similar to yourself in that I’ve never met someone who made me want to stay.” He decided he needed to change the subject before his mind clung too deeply to the revelation that she wasn’t romantically attached to anyone. So he asked, as casually as he could muster, “I’m curious, and please don’t,” he hesitated, “take this as an insult, but how old are you? I mean you aren’t human so you clearly don’t age as I do and I’m just curious,” he said hurriedly. Then, on second thought added, “I shouldn’t have asked, sorry, I know it’s none of my business and one should never ask a lady her age.”

Fuck.

He’d overstepped, he sucked his teeth as he tried to think what to do. He regretted his question immediately.

She must have noticed how he now squirmed waiting for her next words for a small smile appeared on her face, and that smile nearly broke him.

“How old do you think I am, and for heaven's sake please stop calling me a lady. It makes me sound like some old woman,” she said, with a curious smirk, not at all angry at his question.

“Um, well see that’s why I ask because I’ve no clue, you look like you’re a handful of years younger than me maybe, but intuition tells me you’re older.”

“How old are you?” She asked him.