I'm just saying... I don't know what i think about this chapter, but I tried to dress it up a bit!! Also, do you guys think its dragging a bit or getting too long? Let me know what you guys think; I dont want to make you guys bored or irritated with this! Blessings, A. R. And sorry for typos! -----------------------------------------------------------      Laurel froze, trying to process what he had just said. Her? At risk?      She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, trying to slow her scattered thoughts.      “Okay, seeing as we might be here for a while until the guards are no longer scrutinizing this place, you might as well explain what you mean,” she suggested. Dylan blanched, then blushed bright scarlet, brighter than his prey mark.      He sighed, then nodded, sitting down at the table. “Fine.”      Laurel stiffly sat down across from him, daring to look him in the eye. He held her gaze for a few seconds before looking down.      Laurel tried to remain as calm as possible. “You said that I might be at risk. How?”      Dylan shut his eyes and exhaled. “Because I’m paying more attention to you than most rabbits, which is suspicious as it is. Someone might get the wrong idea and- well, who knows? Your dad made me promise to help you join the Cause as well as to keep you safe. I just don’t want to jeopardize that.” He explained, fiddling with the hem of his cloak.      Laurel tried to keep from blushing, but she had to have straight answers. “Get the wrong idea how?”      Dylan cursed under his breath. “You aren’t making this any easier, Laurel!”      “No I’m not, but joining the Cause and risking ones life isn’t easy either!” She shot back, her eyes glowing in anger.      They stared each other down, the silence thick and tense. Laurel didn’t dare look away. She had to hold her ground. She had to know. Why? She wasn’t even sure herself; maybe it would help her understand things in the future, or could help the resistance somehow?      Dylan finally sat back, sighing, as he rubbed his eyes. Laurel realized with a scowl that he had a crazy day himself. Great job for springing this on him, she thought sarcastically.      “The wrong idea… that I might be sweet on a doe.” He muttered, folding his arms on the table and slouching forward.      Laurel’s jaw dropped. What?      Dylan. Sweet on a doe… wait. Her?!      The thought struck her first as funny. How could Dylan possibly be sweet on her? She was a servant for goodness sake! And he was a lieutenant under Garten Longtreaders Administration. Laurel almost laughed, but something else hit her.      A sense of complete confusion. But also… a sense of a minimal understanding.      She didn’t know what, but what Dylan said, it sounded… normal? No, not normal. The chances were barely there; but if there was no chance, then why did she still feel these conflicting emotions?      Laurel pressed her mouth shut, closing her eyes. Breath. In. Out. In. Out.      “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t…” Dylan stammered.      Laurel inhaled a sharp breath and opened her eyes. “No, it- it’s fine.”      “No it’s not fine,” Dylan answered, finally making eye contact with her. “Your dad told me to look out for you, and I don’t want others thinking I’m going to use you. I don’t need to rile up other bucks who… have their eye on you.” He finished, his voice dropping low and almost sheepish.      Laurel thought the world would cave in. This was ridiculous! Bucks sweet on her? Dylan? What did everyone think she was, just a doe waiting for a buck to sweep her off her feet? That wasn’t what she expected as an outcome for her life. She felt that right now, her life-long goal was to fight for the Mended Wood. For her family.      Looking up at Dylan, she tried to overcome the uncomfortable silence.      “Dylan, there isn’t any bucks. No one pays attention to me, no one will get ideas that could cause suspicion.” She said softly, wondering why she felt she had to tell him this. This conversation is going down hill, she thought.      Dylan just nodded, but refused to meet her gaze.      They sat there, neither saying a word for who knew how long. Laurel had no idea if she should have bothered asking Dylan all these questions. She would have had peace of mind without being aware of these things. Also, if she were cornered by Administration bucks and officials, she would be oblivious and help her case.      But now, what had she gotten herself into? Unearthing all these thoughts, being at risk, unusual attention, it made her even more bewildered.      She stole a glance at Dylan and thought she could decipher some perplexity in his usually unreadable expressions. Perplexity and… relief? She didn’t know anymore.      She looked over at the door, hoping to somehow save them both from further embarrassment.      “Do you think it’s safe to cross the gap?” She asked.      Dylan stood up and reached for his satchel. “I think so.” He sounded relieved by the suggestion.      Laurel nodded and got to her feet, adjusting the cloak around her shoulders and making sure her Prey mark was still in place. Dylan gave her a confident look- though nervous- before opening the door and stepping into the dark streets of the lepers district.        Dylan and Laurel paused at the gate, Dylan peering into the shadowed night.      “I think we are clear.” He whispered, motioning her to get ready. “Run straight to the wall of that district,” pointing to the left, “and take off the cloak and leave it on the ground. If you get caught, just say you were working late and lost track of time. Seeing you without a cloak will make it less unusual.”      Laurel nodded and swallowed a mouthful of air, trying to calm her conflicted heart. She didn’t know how she would silence all these extra thoughts and emotion, but somehow she would.      Dylan snapped his wrist forward and they bolted. Running side by side across the dark chasm, they raced to the cover of darker shadow by the 6th district wall. Laurel lifted her hands to cushion herself from colliding with the wall and felt the stone cut and grit into her hands. She winced.      Dylan wasted no time as he removed his cloak and stuffed it into his satchel, quickly helping Laurel – without asking- with hers. Once he had it, Laurel tried to calm down before heading home. Dylan gave her a nod, but said nothing, as he slipped the satchel over his shoulder.      “Good night,” he mouthed, performing some odd ritual of sorts. He raised his hands to touch his ears, eyes, and nose, in revered succession. Laurel must’ve looked confused, for Dylan quickly shook his head and turned, walking confidently into the open space. If only I could be that straightforward, she thought with a smirk, turning to go home.      Laurel stayed close to the shadow of the sixth district as she headed home, not wanting to be caught. Dylan had only told her that if she were caught, to say her master made her stay late to work. Seeing her without a shawl in the cool mountain air would be proof enough that she was to be home before sunset. At least, she hoped it would be proof enough.      Laurel was now directly across from her home district, the third. Taking a breath, she began to walk across the wide road.      She was nearly there. She began to feel confident. Maybe I wont get caught…      “Halt.” A voice growled menacingly. Laurel nearly choked, stopping abruptly and holding her breath.      “Hands where I can see them,” the voice instructed. Laurel slowly raised her hands, hoping that she would remember the bluff. If she stumbled over her words, she’d be done for.      “What do you think you're doing out here after curfew?” Another voice asked. Laurel tried to steady her uneven breathing.      “I-I was working… my-my master made me stay late to c-complete some work and I didn’t finish till now.” She explained, hoping she sounded confident. Her quivering legs said otherwise.      The voices behind her snorted, then came around in front. Laurel slowly looked up at them.      The one smacked her across her face. “Is that so? Then why ain’t your Prey mark on?”      Laurel looked down and all the blood drained from her face. It wasn’t there. It must’ve slipped off when she removed her cloak. She looked up in horror at the two bucks, their gloating, selfish, and sneering grins making her sick to the stomach. They could do whatever they wanted.      “Ma'am,” a voice interrupted. A familiar voice. Low and *almost* gentle. A mask.      Laurel turned and saw Dylan, a long spear in his hand. She was amazed at how fast he was able to change personalities in so short a time.      He looked at her with no expression whatsoever. He looked over at his colleagues who glared and grunted.      “Lieutenant, you’re interrupting our work.” One snarled.      Dylan raised an eyebrow. “Am I? Last time I checked, I’m in charge of you idio.ts and am able to do what I please. Including your work.”      Turning back to Laurel, he withdrew a red scarf from his pocket. “I found this on the road as you left your master’s. Don’t lose it again.” He warned, a hint of warmth in his rebuke. Laurel dumbly nodded, tying the scarf around her neck.      “Good night,” Dylan said, motioning with his spear towards the third district. Laurel nodded, taking Dylan’s cue, and mustered all the courage she could to walk briskly but confidently into the district. She heard the two soldiers bickering and cursing behind her, and a few landed punches, followed by silence.