Ello mate's!! Sorry its taken so long, had a bit of an imaginative slump... but I'm back!! Lol...

Hope y'all enjoy it!!

God bless,

A. R.

Sorry for typos!! also if you dislike the cliffhanger so much, dont worry: next chapter is tomorrow! (Hopefully)

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Laurel woke slowly, immediately taking care to not move around too much. Her injuries throbbed dully and her whole being ached. But she felt that she had to move around and start to get her strength back. For what, she wasn’t sure… she hoped she would get some idea of what remained in her shattered life.

Inhaling deeply and steeling herself against the pain, she rolled onto her side and pushed herself into a sitting position, hissing through clenched teeth. After pausing, she looked around her room and smiled at the sight of Harmony curled up at the foot of her bed, most of the blanket wrapped around her. She was still sleeping peacefully, her breathing quiet.

Laurel swallowed and turned to look at her door, wanting to get to the kitchen and get something to drink. Then maybe cook up something for breakfast…

Her stomach growled impatiently and she mentally counted to three before pushing herself off the bed. Her head swam and nausea overwhelmed her. But she couldn’t sit and do nothing. She had to do something.

Bracing herself by placing her hand on the wall, she made slow steps towards the door and after a tedious and painful minute, she made it. Laurel took another deep breath before continuing down the hall, one hand on the wall, her other pressing against her incision which felt itchy and uncomfortable.

Keeping her eyes trained on the floor before her, she inched forward, step by step, her goal being the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” A voice asked urgently, worry evident in the tone.

Laurel looked up and saw Dylan standing in the doorway of the hallway, his eyes full of concern. He stepped forward and offered her his arm which she took gratefully.

Dylan looked down at her, his expression calm and intent. “How are you feeling?” He asked softly.

Laurel gave him a small smile. In truth, her head ached and she felt cold. But she didn’t want to be put back to bed. Not now. “I’m okay.” She answered, her voice a hoarse whisper.

Dylan watched her for a few seconds, trying to figure out if she was telling the truth or not.

Laurel spoke again before he could suggest putting her back to bed. “I need to be up and moving. Please,” she asked, looking at him imploringly.

Dylan sighed quietly. “Fine. But your not doing anything.”

Laurel met his gaze, trying to keep her frustration minimal. She didn’t want to be cared for like a child. She didn’t want to be pitied because of what happened. But when she saw the pleading yet stern look in his blue eyes, her anger and stubbornness melted away.

“Okay,” she answered back, looking down at the floor.

Dylan nodded and helped her to the living room and onto a chair. Once he was sure she was comfortable, Dylan went to the kitchen and began to rummage around.

Laurel gripped the wooden armrests of the chair and peered behind her towards the kitchen, trying to decipher what he was doing. His back was to her.

“Dylan,” she began quietly, knowing what she wanted to ask, but unsure how to ask it.

He turned and gave her a small smile, picking up a mug of hot tea and bringing it to her. He pulled up a chair across from her and sat down. The house was quiet, save the crackling of the fire in the fireplace.

Dylan leaned towards the fireplace and put a piece of wood on it, not seeming to mind that the timber was a rare luxury, and cost quite a sum. As she sipped her tea, Laurel wondered how they even got the timber. But somehow, she knew Dylan had something to do with it.

He sat back in his chair, staring into the fire. The fire danced and twirled in the reflection of his eyes, and seemed to mirror a hollow sadness.

Laurel took another sip of tea before speaking. “How are you? In all of this. I know that I’m not the only one impacted in all this,” she said quietly, wanting to know if he was in a risky position or not.

Dylan crossed his arms and leaned back, sighing. “I'm not great, but I’m not terrible either.” He frowned and his eyes dimmed. “I feel guilty.”

Laurel watched him for a moment. “For what?” She asked quietly.

He didn’t respond for a minute. When he did, his voice sounded slightly guarded. “It doesn’t matter, Laurel.”

She frowned and looked into the fire, trying to find the words to say. “Is Vitton upset with you for intercepting?” She asked.

Dylan turned to look at her, and she was scared about finding out what sort of emotion was in his expression. “What?” He asked, sounding a little bewildered.

Laurel felt tears prick her eyes. “Dylan, I want to know if you’re at risk or not. I lost my mom, and I nearly lost my life. I… I couldn’t bear… losing a friend too,” she whispered. “I need to know what part of my life still remains.”

Dylan was quiet for a long while. He handed her a handkerchief and she wiped her eyes. Dylan then got to his feet and went to refill her mug of tea. Coming back, he gave her the mug and sat down.

“Vitton's given me four days off before I return to duty. He wouldn’t let me quit, so I’ve got a few days to help straighten things out.” He explained.

Laurel nodded, her heart thankful that he was alright for the time being. “He wouldn’t let you quit? When did you say you wanted to?”

Dylan’s face flushed slightly and he hung his head. “When I was taking you to the doctor, I told Vitton I was done. But he wouldn’t let me.”

Silence hung thick, besides the crackling of the fire. Laurel watched him curiously, not sure what she felt. Sadness. Guilt. Confusion. Agony. All these she felt very clearly. But there was still something else. But she didn’t know what its name was.

She didn’t know what to call it. But whatever it was, it was close. It clung to her. It was a part of her. It was eating at her.

She blinked her eyes quickly, hoping to keep her emotions at bay. Laurel inhaled deeply and winced as her whole torso ached. How long would she be this uncomfortable?

Dylan turned to look at her, a small light in his eyes. “Laurel, are you feeling well enough to go somewhere?” He asked, a slight hesitation in his tone.

Laurel looked up at him and nodded before she could process the whole idea. Go somewhere. Out of the house.

“Yes.” She answered quickly, her heart shaking with happiness. She didn’t know why. But she hoped she would find out soon.

That night, Harmony left but promised to check in on Laurel in the morning. She had given Laurel a hug and a peculiar look at Dylan before leaving the house. As soon as the door clicked shut, Dylan got up and went to retrieve some cloaks.

“You sure you’ll be up for this?” He asked as he helped her with her mantle.

Laurel nodded and clenched her jaw against the itchy, hot pain in her middle and how sore and tender her face felt.

Dylan finished putting on his cloak before dimming the lamps so that they would last until they returned. Then he tied on his prey mark and checked his sword before opening the door and helped her into the dark night.

The air was strangely cold, and Laurel was slightly surprised to see her breath take on cloudy forms as it dissipated into the air. She tried to keep her shivering minimal and tensed as much as her aching body would let her.

Dylan offered her his arm which she took gratefully, and he led her down the road.

He was quiet, not saying a word. He hadn’t told Laurel where he was taking her or why. He hadn’t even told Harmony that he planned to take Laurel out after curfew.

Laurel looked up at him in the dark, wondering what he had planned. What he wanted to show her. And why.

He continued to lead her towards the gate that opened into the wider part of Akolan, the road and space between each district, and towards a tall shadow that sat quietly. Laurel didn’t realize what it was until they were standing right beside it. The massive form, the tilt of the head, the small chirrup it made.

It was a hawk.