go."
She swallowed once more and offered him a weak look of agreement as her cheeks flushed with guilt at the lies she had been forced to tell Garrett. Her heart broke at the deception, but Kenward had been clear that he must remain ignorant of her true identity. She counted herself lucky Kenward had allowed Garrett to accompany them at all.
She cast a look around, finding the warrior in question trailing a good distance behind them, as usual. Kenward had been staunchly opposed to her involvement with Garrett from the moment she met him almost two years ago. He had fallen fast for her, but she had been much more reluctant to reciprocate his attempts at romancing her. Kenward's warnings always whispered in her ears, telling her it didn't matter how charming the sandy haired young man with bright eyes happened to be. Nothing could ever come of their affections for one another. She had told herself this over and over again, but in the end, his draw had been too strong.
She'd tried to hide her blossoming relationship from Kenward, but to no avail. Her secret relationship hadn't been news to him. As her Cyneward, his job was to watch, but not to intervene. As her surrogate father, his job meant protecting her from heartache as best he could. Unfortunately for him, the two roles he tried to balance tended to contradict one another, something Terrena had watching him struggle with since they had fled from Anscombe almost eighteen years ago.
" He’s letting me go to the festival, you mean," she corrected, the humor leaving her face as the guilt from her deceptions once again weighed her down. "You're free to come and go as you please."
"That is most definitely not the case," he murmured as his soft cerulean-blue eyes sparkled at her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, linking his fingers together so they rested on the curve of her lower back. "I am forever bound to you as you are aware."
Her honey skin flushed at this as she ducked her chin. She didn't doubt his words in the slightest. Garrett had not let the troubles usually following Terrena sway him from his desire to stay with her. He had followed them with patience and without question as they moved from town to town, Kenward always insistent they never stay in one place for too long.
He tapped his finger against her full bottom lip. "There's that beautiful smile. I knew you wouldn't stay mad at me long."
She leaned forward, taking advantage of their somewhat matched height to kiss him. "I hate when you're right. If anyone asks, though, I took you down easily."
He liberated her from his embrace and took her hand, his free hand rubbing his cheek. "No worries. I am fairly certain I am going to have the marks to prove your fighting skills are far above and beyond mine."
"I'll prepare a cool cloth for you when we get home," she offered as they made their way from the clearing just beyond the edge of the town they currently resided in.
She turned her head so as to hide the pain and longing she felt. Her affinity for the Earth element allowed her healing skills beyond those who trained for years, but to display her abilities would threaten to reveal her true identity.
"The wound isn’t serious, Terra," he said, mistaking her sadness for guilt. "I promise, I will survive. Besides, a bruised face makes me appear more manly. I can tell people I defended you from a terrible creature, and they will be in awe of my bravery," he puffed his chest out, but deflated quickly as she laughed. "What? My story is perfectly believable."
"I’m certain it is, but, unfortunately for you, I have every intention of bragging about my superior fighting skills."
She guffawed as he pulled her into his arms, tickling her in retaliation before she squirmed free and broke into a run as their house came into view. He raced after her, their laughter singing to the trees they wove their way through. They both leaned against the back wall, catching their breath as they stared at each other as
She swallowed once more and offered him a weak look of agreement as her cheeks flushed with guilt at the lies she had been forced to tell Garrett. Her heart broke at the deception, but Kenward had been clear that he must remain ignorant of her true identity. She counted herself lucky Kenward had allowed Garrett to accompany them at all.
She cast a look around, finding the warrior in question trailing a good distance behind them, as usual. Kenward had been staunchly opposed to her involvement with Garrett from the moment she met him almost two years ago. He had fallen fast for her, but she had been much more reluctant to reciprocate his attempts at romancing her. Kenward's warnings always whispered in her ears, telling her it didn't matter how charming the sandy haired young man with bright eyes happened to be. Nothing could ever come of their affections for one another. She had told herself this over and over again, but in the end, his draw had been too strong.
She'd tried to hide her blossoming relationship from Kenward, but to no avail. Her secret relationship hadn't been news to him. As her Cyneward, his job was to watch, but not to intervene. As her surrogate father, his job meant protecting her from heartache as best he could. Unfortunately for him, the two roles he tried to balance tended to contradict one another, something Terrena had watching him struggle with since they had fled from Anscombe almost eighteen years ago.
" He’s letting me go to the festival, you mean," she corrected, the humor leaving her face as the guilt from her deceptions once again weighed her down. "You're free to come and go as you please."
"That is most definitely not the case," he murmured as his soft cerulean-blue eyes sparkled at her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, linking his fingers together so they rested on the curve of her lower back. "I am forever bound to you as you are aware."
Her honey skin flushed at this as she ducked her chin. She didn't doubt his words in the slightest. Garrett had not let the troubles usually following Terrena sway him from his desire to stay with her. He had followed them with patience and without question as they moved from town to town, Kenward always insistent they never stay in one place for too long.
He tapped his finger against her full bottom lip. "There's that beautiful smile. I knew you wouldn't stay mad at me long."
She leaned forward, taking advantage of their somewhat matched height to kiss him. "I hate when you're right. If anyone asks, though, I took you down easily."
He liberated her from his embrace and took her hand, his free hand rubbing his cheek. "No worries. I am fairly certain I am going to have the marks to prove your fighting skills are far above and beyond mine."
"I'll prepare a cool cloth for you when we get home," she offered as they made their way from the clearing just beyond the edge of the town they currently resided in.
She turned her head so as to hide the pain and longing she felt. Her affinity for the Earth element allowed her healing skills beyond those who trained for years, but to display her abilities would threaten to reveal her true identity.
"The wound isn’t serious, Terra," he said, mistaking her sadness for guilt. "I promise, I will survive. Besides, a bruised face makes me appear more manly. I can tell people I defended you from a terrible creature, and they will be in awe of my bravery," he puffed his chest out, but deflated quickly as she laughed. "What? My story is perfectly believable."
"I’m certain it is, but, unfortunately for you, I have every intention of bragging about my superior fighting skills."
She guffawed as he pulled her into his arms, tickling her in retaliation before she squirmed free and broke into a run as their house came into view. He raced after her, their laughter singing to the trees they wove their way through. They both leaned against the back wall, catching their breath as they stared at each other as
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