Chapter Nineteen

Rayne patted her horse's neck with relief. While training and being cooped up inside the tower for days on end, she couldn't check the welfare of the horses, but Gideon was right to be reassured that they were being well cared for. She looked around at the snow covered pine trees, the sun glistening off the snow. It felt like they had just arrived here, and yet so much had happened since then. She swept her eyes over to Gideon and Xerath who were going over the map. She eyed Gideon with interest now that they pushed past the physical boundaries. He cleaned up, but kept his hair slightly long, easily swept back with his hand when it dangled in front of his face. He even let a goatee take shape and continued to properly take care of it. He didn't look like the knight she met back at the tavern. Speaking of the knight, he set aside his armor indefinitely. After training in the combat gear Xerath acquired for them, he took a liking to the new fit.

Gideon peered over to her out of the corner of his eyes as Xerath talked, giving her a smile and a wink. She rolled her eyes at him, turning away to hide the blush that rose into her cheeks. It was apparent that she grew a liking to the man, but she wouldn't share that sort of information. Yet. She waved a hand over her eyes. It started in full view know the right side before disappearing on the left. No matter what she did, her sight hadn't fully returned. She clenched her fist, feeling frustrated when snow crunched behind her and she glanced up to see the troll approaching her with a bag in its hand. She peered closely at it, cocking a brow.

"It looks like a normal bag." she said, and Xerath looked over when she said that.

"Oh good, he remembered to bring it." he walked away from Gideon and took the bag from the troll. He opened it in front of Rayne, and as she peered inside, there was a void. Her brows knitted in confusion, making Xerath laugh, "This type of bag will hold any number of items of any size and weight without reaching a set capacity." he said, looking around and picked up a stranded branch that was thin, but far longer than the allowed length of the bag. He dropped it in and the stick fell into the bag. She looked inside again. still seeing the void. "All you have to do is call upon the item that you desire and it will come forth to you. Tree branch." he called out, the bag giving off a dark purple glow at the entrance. Xerath reached in and pulled out the tree branch with ease.

"That will come in handy." Gideon said, regrouping with them. Rayne closed up the bag and tied it to her waist. She looked up at the two men. Gideon was grinning with his arms crossed, and Xerath nodded solemnly. She never would have guessed that the road would twist the way it did.

"When this is all done and over with, I want answers, Xerath." she said to him, and he inclined his head thoughtfully.

"You'll get your answers in due time. Now go. I lowered the weather barrier around the mountain so that you may pass without delays." he shooed them away. Rayne and Gideon took their horse's reins and descended the mountain through the cave that once entered from.

Xerath had kept his word. As they exited the cave mouth, the sun happily greeted them with its warmth, and plains stretched for miles in front of them. In the distance to the southwest was the outline of Arakhora. She could almost feel the distain on Mel-Darions lips when she gets around to voicing her relations with Gideon.

"If we double time it, we could reach the cave by midnight." Gideon said, riding up alongside of her. She glanced down at her horse. "They can handle it." he spoke out her concerns and she looked over to him. His stoic form returning as he focused on the task ahead.

"You're right." she said.

"Can you repeat that for me?" he asked, leaning in closely to her. She glared at him, pushing him away. He chuckles, "Normally it's the other way around." he says, snapping his reins and sends his horse into a sprint. She turned her gaze to the East, a feeling of ominous pressure weighing down on her from that direction. She snapped her reins, and took off after Gideon.

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Night fell upon them as they stopped their horses. Rayne felt out of breath just as much as her horse was, and yet the mountain was still miles away. They had pulled off to the side of the road where it dipped into a small clearing with trees wrapping around it as closure.

"I don't remember it being so far out. You said we would get there if we rushed it." she turned toward Gideon who dismounted to check on his horse.

"I did, but just like you said, it's a lot farther than we anticipated. We'll camp for now." he said, pulling a bed roll off the back of his saddle. Rayne returned her gaze to the mountain in the distance, gripping her reins tightly. It's so close now.

"Rayne." he called out to her, and she shook her head, dismounting. "I know how you feel, but we can't rush into a cave with a dragon dwelling inside." he said as she took down her bed roll. She squinted her eyes in the darkness as she tossed the roll down.

"I'm going to go get firewood." she said, walking off before hearing him argue. He let out a sigh as she disappeared into the trees, laying out his bed roll and fastened their horses to nearby trees. He nodded in content.

"We're out of sight of wandering travelers and bandits." he said, pulling at his collar slightly to loosen it. He picked up loose branches and started a pile near the center of the small clearing when Rayne walked back over, a pile of branches in her arms. She knelt down and dropped them on the pile, then removed her tinderbox and lit it. Gideon threw on leaves to help speed the process.

"What's the plan exactly?" he asked as he sat beside the fire. Rayne grabbed another bag from her horse and sat across from him. She rummaged through it, pulling out rations and tossed him one. He let it hit his chest before picking it up.

"We're going to arrive, walk in, introduce ourselves, have some tea and walk away with the sword and new friendship." she said, and he looked at her over his food.

"You know, it's still hard to tell if you're being serious or not." he said as she dug into her food.

"I don't have a plan."

"That's not the Rayne I know. The Rayne I know always has a plan." he said, and she sighed.

"I don't have one now. I can't predict what will happen when we get there. The dragon may have appeared friendly in my dream, but it might not be in person." she said, finishing her food quickly and lay back with her head on her bed roll. Gideon watched her lay down and turn away from him, sighing as well.

"I'll take first watch. Get some sleep." he said, but she didn't reply. She gazed off into the darkness that surrounded them, reflexively touching her left eye. She hoped, she prayed for it to return when she was in dire need of it.

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She awoke to rain pelting against her face. She groaned, sitting up and rubbed her neck.

"Gideon, why the hell didn't you...?" she stopped, looking around her and noticed she wasn't in the same place as before. She jumped to her feet as the rain came down. "Gideon!" she yelled out into the night, but only the sound of rolling thunder replied. She lifted her hood over her head to block out as much rain as possible when a shadow figure in the distance caught her eye. She couldn't see the face, but he or she was carrying something. When Rayne followed the person with her eyes, she noticed a familiar building that the person was running to. The temple she was raised in was standing proudly and unscathed from the fire she had witnessed before. Lanterns hung beside the door way.

Rayne stuck to the shadows easily as she crossed the field and tucked herself against the wall of the temple. Once the person got closer, the sound of baby cries made her peek around the corner. The being cradled a baby in a blanket to their chest, humming softly to it as they stopped at the door. She pounded on the door.

"I'm sorry, Rayne..." a woman's voice drifted to her on the wind and Rayne felt her heart drop. "I wish I can tell you everything, but you will be safe here." she spoke sweetly to the child when the door opened and her mentor answered.

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"Rayne? Rayne?" Gideon's voice rocked her awake, his hand gently shaking her shoulder. She sat up quickly, looking around them, but it was the clearing they were occupying. It was still dark, and the fire was burning low. "Rayne, are you crying?" he asked, and she looked at him confused. She touched her face, feeling the tears that he mentioned. Everything rushed at her all at once and she stared at Gideon, tears flowing again.

"Why won't they stop? I can't get them to stop." she said, and Gideon brushed away the tears, but they continued their flow. He took her into his arms, letting her sit between his legs and hugged her tightly.

"You must've had an unbearable dream to react this way." he said, and Rayne pulled back, looking up at him.

"I dreamt about my mother, and watched her abandon me at the temple." she said. Gideon stared at her in shock, trying to process what she was saying.

"Your mother? Are you sure?" he asked, and she nodded. She wiped at her eyes, but the tears wouldn't stop.

"I hate crying. I want them to stop." she sobbed, resting her face in her hands, her body shaking. Gideon frowned at the sight of her.

"Rayne, I'm here now. We'll figure this out together." he said softly, stroking her hair. She felt her body relax beneath his touch. She never cried in front of Mel-Darion, or any one else aside from her mentor... and Ravnyk.

After almost an hour of sobbing and getting herself under control, the tears finally finished and she wiped her face, sniffling. She pulled away from Gideon, unable to meet his gaze. He probably thinks she's such a child for crying the way she did.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly, pushing her hair behind her ear. She looked up at him in surprise.

"You're not... ashamed?" she asked, and he raised a brow at her.

"Why would I be? Do you feel that way?" he asked, and she dropped her gaze from him.

"I have spent so long building these walls to keep my emotions at bay. It was the only way to get a job done, to not get attached to anyone." she said, and he nodded slowly, listening to her.

"You still have those walls up, and I'm not going to tear them down." he said, and she looked up at him, "When you want to be open with me on everything, I'll be here, waiting. Until then," he rested his hand on her cheek, "I'll be content with just this." he said, moving his hand behind her head, bringing her face closer and locks lips. Before, she would have pinned him with a dagger to his throat for even daring such a move on her. But now...

She found the lacings to his armor and loosened them, helping him out of it as he pushed off her cloak. He laid her down on the grass, working on her clothes as she explored him. She knew every inch of him by now, yet each time they get like this, it felt new. Refreshing. Gideon pulled away from her lips, looking down at her, the flames of the campfire dancing in her eyes.

"Say it." he commanded of her. She reached out to him as he leaned over her readily.

"Gideon..."