Gavin stared at me like I was crazy. He shook his head at me and leaned against his horse.
I sighed and continued treating his wounds. He looked so out of it, like he just wanted to sleep for ten years. Not that I wouldn't too.
Gavin was never trained the way I was. He didn't know how to survive in unfamiliar territory. He didn't know how to defend himself with a sword, or what to do when you're attacked. He was a hunter-gatherer, which wasn't a bad thing, but it would prove to be his weakness farther into the journey.
Which reminded me, where were we journeying to? I knew of some places we could go outside of the territory but most of them were on the other side of the kingdom.
But at the same time, I felt like something was telling me to continue going this way. That there was something that would help us in the long run. I didn't know what it was but it was ultimately deciding Gavin and my's fate.
Once I was done treating Gavin wounds, I mounted Topaz and watched Gavin stumble about. He was exhausted, which made me sympathize for him.
"Gavin, why don't you ride Topaz with me? You can sleep along the way," I offered. Gavin looked like he was about to refuse but I already dismounted Topaz, letting Gavin get on first.
Gavin sighed and slowly got on him. I tied his horse to Topaz's reins and mounted Topaz again. I grabbed the reins and gently wrapped my arms around Gavin's waist, letting him rest his head against my shoulder.
I lightly kicked Topaz and started him in a gentle walk. Gavin fell asleep almost immediately after we started moving, Topaz's gentle rocking lulling him to sleep.
I smiled at Gavin and felt my heart beat a little faster and my stomach turn at the sight of him resting against me. There was no doubt in my mind now that I was falling in love with him.
But, I was still scared to fall in love. My father had always told me love was a horrible emotion that confused every mortal. That it played with your feelings and it ended up hurting you more in the end.
For now, I decided to keep these newfound feelings to myself. Even though I wasn't all to subtle about my feelings, keeping them to myself would give me time to think through what I was feeling.
If only I knew how hard that would be.

It was the afternoon when Gavin woke up. He gave a tiny yawn that made internally melt and nuzzled a little deeper into my chest.
"How long has it been?" He asked me in a deep and raspy tone. The smoke inhalation was taking its toll on him.
"A few hours. I didn't want to wake you. You seemed pretty exhausted," I told him, hearing my own voice become raspy as well.
"Thanks for that. How's Boomerang?" Gavin asked me, opening his eyes and rubbing them.
It took me a moment to realize Boomerang was his horse. "She's fine. She is feisty one though," I smirked. Gavin smiled too and nodded, stretching his arms out.
"Yeah," Was all he said.
We eventually stopped when Gavin said he wanted to hunt a little bit. I let him, figuring it would do us good to get some food into us.
I wandered around the hill we decided to stop at. It had an amazing view that you could see for miles from.
I scanned the horizon, wondering if I could make out anything that could help us. As far as I could see, there was trees, hills, and nothing more.
Until I spotted a tiny gray dot.
I cocked my head at it and rubbed my eyes, wondering if the lack of sleep I had was making me hallucinate. But it was still there.
"What are you looking at?" Gavin asked me suddenly, startling me. I jumped back and whipped out my sword, pointing it to his neck.
"God dammit, don't do that," I growled at him, sheathing my sword again.
"Sorry. But what are you looking at?" He asked me, looking in the direction I was staring off in.
"There's something down there. Something..." I trailed off, getting lost while I tried to recall the many history lessons I was given as a child.
"Okay, if that's what you say," Gavin said, walking away to start roasting the rabbit he caught.
I noticed how tentative Gavin acted while doing things now. He was more alert than normal, which made me worry. I silently prayed that his ear really would heal because a hunter being deaf in one ear wasn't the best combination. And everyone knew I wasn't a hunter at all.
And even if he didn't admit it, I knew he was just as worried as I was.

It was beginning to get dark by the time Gavin and I finished our meal. I looked over to where I saw the mysterious gray dot. It was now darker and blended in with the trees, but I knew it was there.
"Okay, you keep staring off in that direction. What's up?" Gavin asked me. He set down the knife he was sharpening and gave me a patient look. I sighed and gave the dot one last glance before turning back to him.
"There's something out there. I think we should head that way and check it out," I told him. Gavin nodded slowly and started sharpening his knife again.
"What do you think it is?" He asked me.
"I don't know. We're too far away to tell yet. But if my instincts are correct, and they usually are, then it's something that'll help us," I told him.
"Alright. So, we'll head that way tomorrow?" Gavin asked me. I nodded and continued to watch the sun set behind the trees.
Unconsciously, I stood up and unsheathed my sword. I ran my hand against the cold diamond that the sword was made out of.
All my years of experience was in this sword. All the years of being a knight and protecting the citizens.
I still found myself wondering if I made the right decision about escaping with Gavin. I just left a kingdom that needed me now more than ever. I trusted Jack to take care of them, but even Jack slipped up. For all I know, they could be getting attacked right now.
Gavin noticed my discomfort and set his knife down again. He came over to me and gently unclasped my hand from around my sword. I didn't realize how hard I was gripping it until he rubbed my arm to get me to loosen my grip.
"You okay?" He asked me gently.
"Just thinking," I told him, running a hand through my hair. Gavin nodded and sighed.
The next thing I knew, Gavin was pressing his lips against mine. I didn't even see him get close to me, or when he wrapped his arms around my neck, but he was kissing me now.
I dropped my sword and rested my hands on his waist, kissing him back. We pulled back for a moment to gaze into each other's eyes before pulling back in and continuing to kiss.
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Author's Note:
Sorry for the filler chapter and all the mindless thoughts. I needed to update and this is what I came up with. Next chapter will be more exciting... Maybe.
Thanks for reading! I really hope you guys are enjoying. And if you are could you let me know? It means so much when people leave me feedback.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed!