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Leytera

“Thanks,” Quin said, his cheeks beginning to ease back to their normal coloring.

“Can I get you something? A blanket perhaps?” Leytera asked.

Quin’s gaze snapped up, and Leytera followed his gaze to the man standing with his back to him. Qatar, he’d said his name was.

Leytera bit her lip, staring at the man’s back. He was wet. And shivering. And very, very, very scary.

Oh dear Calanoran shaft. I like you, Quin, but not that much.

No. He wouldn’t.

“Thanks, but I think he needs it more,” he said, nodding toward Qatar. “But he might bite your head off, if you go near him just now,” he added, his voice lowering.

Leytera’s eyes went wide staring at the broad shoulders that somehow looked angry.

He needs it more. He needs it more. He needs it- HE WANTS ME TO GIVE IT TO HIM.

She jumped involuntarily, and stared at Quin, her eyes wide and probably very fearful.

Idiot! He doesn’t need to know you’re a coward.

But Leytera didn’t much like the thought of loosing her head.

“Not literally. I mean, he’s a little ruffled up now; he doesn’t like feeling dumb, and I don’t think getting wet was intentional.”

Leytera bit her lip, her eyebrows raising a notch.

Not sure why I’d give him something he wouldn’t want…

“Ok-ay…” she said, trying very hard not to reel from the strange request.

Give someone a blanket they didn’t ask for and will try to kill me over. Cool. Got it.

Quin inched forward on his rock, restless. “I could do it, if you don’t want to–” he stopped short, working his mouth for a moment. “I mean,” he stammered, “I’m his brother, so I’m used to it.”

His face was turning crimson.

Leytera clenched her fist behind her back to keep from slapping herself.

Great! You’ve gone and embarrassed him. Good job, Leytera. Give yourself a pat on the back.

She shook her head, hoping her annoyance with herself wasn’t too clear on her features.

“You’re so easy to read, Leytera. You’ll never join the resistance when everyone can see how terrified and frustrated and annoyed and lying you are while the enemy is interrogating you!”
Thanks man. Great advice. How do I fix it?
“I don’t know. It’s your face.”

Leytera shook the memory off.

“No, that’s fine. I’ll give him one.”

As she started back to where Niarok and Yila were camping out, she heard Quin’s voice, shaky and with a note of embarrassment, “Then could you–could you come back?”

Leytera smiled and turned back to him.

“Always,” she said.

What?

Oh, whatever. No! She hadn’t meant to say always! Hopefully he wouldn’t take that the wrong way.

“Hiya! I’m Chet Gabe.”

Leytera jumped and spun to the entrance, where a very tall man stood beside an animal with a long neck and… six legs?

Leytera shook her head and continued back to Niarok, who was now standing with his hand gripping his sword hilt.

There was an exchange of words that Leytera tuned out, a little too excited to get the gifting of this blanket over with.

Why did I agree to this?

By now Niarok had removed his hand from his sword hilt, and Ayden was petting the weird animal and talking to the stranger.

The situation looked under control.

“Um… N-Niarok?” she asked, her voice coming out almost as a whisper.

Niarok turned at looked at her, his blue eyes piercing the depths of her soul even as they warmed.

“What can I do for you?” he asked.

That was the most words he’d ever spoken to her. Well, besides threatening her.

“Um… Qatar looks cold and, well, Quin thought he could use a blanket. Do you… have a blanket he could bor… borrow?”

Curse this stutter!

Niarok’s brow furrowed for a moment, and his eyes scanned her face before he nodded.

“I have an extra one. But maybe I ought to give it to him?”

Leytera’s tense body relaxed at the very suggestion.

“C-could you? I’m scared he’d… g-get mad at me.”

Niarok smiled and reached into his pack, producing a blanket from its seemingly endless depths.

Leytera smiled shyly and turned to go.

“Leytera?”

She turned back around, hoping her blush wasn’t visible in the low light.

“Do you need anything?”

“Um… n-no,” she stammered around the thick board that had once been her tongue.

Why am I such a coward? He’s nice!

Niarok nodded once and approached Qatar.

Leytera sat back down beside Quin, who seemed almost relieved that Niarok was the one to give Qatar the blanket.

Silence filled the space between them for a long moment before Leytera felt comfortable using her tongue without it stumbling over every other word she tried to say.

“What happened back there?” she asked, hoping Quin wasn’t too traumatized by whatever had made Qatar wet. “I was too busy getting glared at by Yila.”

She couldn’t help being shocked that she’d actually tried at the humor. Most people said it didn’t fit her girlish personality. Right now, she really didn’t care.

 

Woooow sorry that got so long…