We left the deserted village behind, and I watched it shrink into the distance until the night swallowed it whole.
It didn’t take long for us to pass through another village. It was full of life. Many elves lined the streets to watch us pass, some waving, others turning their backs. I saw the glint of jealously in their eyes when we passed. It was not common for elves like us to be called personally by King Dalior. I also noticed the lack of younger faces amongst the crowd. I could only guess those born eighteen moons ago had already left for Olderim.
The whispers in the wagon had stopped, instead swapped for the occasional snore or grunt from the many who slept. I glanced over the faces, taking note of Illera who’d also fallen asleep, her head bent back and tilted up to the sky. There was movement from the opposite side of the wagon. A shadowed elf clambered over the sleeping bodies in my direction. My heart dropped when he stepped closer into view. I hoped he’d not do this.
“I’m glad to see you’re up!” Petrer whispered. He stepped over one elf who’d decided to make space on the floor of the wagon to sleep, then squeezed into a space between the two sleeping elves in front of me. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and forced a smile. Illera would be better company.
Petrer looked like a giant next to the elves beside him. It would be impossible to ignore that he’d been blessed with the body of a God. In comparison, I looked miniature. The only muscle I had was on my arms, thanks to the bow work and labour on Fa’s farm.
I drank in his familiar features, his plump lips and obsidian eyes. The top two buttons on his faded shirt were unbuttoned, revealing his defined chest and the tuft of curly black hair nestled between his pecks. I couldn’t hold his eye contact. I wouldn’t. I caught his wide smile, but quickly looked to my hands and began fiddling with my dirtied nails.
“Not tired?” I asked.
Petrer ran a large hand across his shaved head, “Not really.” His yawn suggested otherwise. “I’ve been waiting for you to wake. I thought this would be the best place to catch you since I’ve had the hardest time finding you these past two weeks. A sane person would think you’ve been avoiding me.”
You’d be correct. “Fa’s been keeping me pretty busy.”
“Is that it? When has that ever stopped you for finding the time for me?”
“I didn’t think Olderim was this far away from home,” I said. Changing the subject was the best option.
I had to stop myself from melting when Petrer chuckled. “If I see another mountain or hill in the next thirty moons, it would still be too soon.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’ve never been one for a pretty view.”
“What do you mean? I’ve come to sit opposite you, of course I enjoy a pretty view.”
I cringed. If he had said that two weeks ago, my response would have been much different.
I looked to my feet, trying to hide the creep of red that had crossed my face. “Have you tried sleeping? I managed to sleep well, even if it was only for a moment,” I said.
Petrer and I had grown close over the past winter. We’d found many ways to waste those cold dark days: hunting, talking, and spending endless nights with our bodies intertwined. Memories that now only made me cringe with distaste and regret. We were better off as friends; at least that’s what I’d repeated to myself over the past two weeks.
“The only thing that has fallen asleep is my arse, it’s so numb!” Petrer replied, wiggling in his seat.
“Shouldn’t be long now,” I replied, pushing the thought of his bare arse from my mind. “I can smell salt in the air.”
Petrer’s nose twitched and he nodded, “So, do I. I can’t believe I didn’t notice it before!”
I’d not seen the sea for years, but I still recognized the smell. It brought memories of my last visit to Olderim with Fa many moons ago. I longed to see its aqua hues and bubbling froth, the shadows from schools of fish swimming in the ocean’s belly. I took a deep breath, welcoming the unfamiliar scent, and my stomach flipped with anticipation.
“How about I go and see...” Petrer whispered, rubbing his jaw with his thick thumb. “It would only take me a moment and I’d be back before I’m noticed.” He nodded at the guards.
It was pointless telling Petrer what to do, he was never one to listen. “Why ask me? You’re going to do it regardless of what I say.”
Petrer smiled a gorgeous, large grin and leaned back with a wink. “You know me too well...”
I wish I didn’t.
I was used to seeing the dark shadows snake from his body, engulfing him in their embrace. But no matter how many times I watched it, it still fascinated me.
Sweet apples and burnt wood coated my nose as the smoke concealed Petrer, shadow and skin blended together. It was the only sign of a shift I’d still not gotten used to. It took seconds for the smoke to then vanish, leaving a raven that hovered inches from my face. Its beady black eyes bore into mine, the same eyes I had peered into hundreds of times. Petrers.
The sheen from his black feathers caught glints of moonlight and he kept eye level with me, turning his head side to side. I nodded and Petrer shot up into the night, blending in with the black around him. Even with my heightened sight, I struggled to keep track of his blurring form. The guards didn’t stir, not showing any sign that they knew one of us was missing. Although I was sure they’d been listening in the entire time.
Minutes passed before I felt the faint burst of wind beneath Petrer’s wings, signalling his return. One moment he was invisible to the night the next he was shooting for the wagon, cutting through the dark.
Silently, he unravelled in a plume of smoke and sat before me like nothing had happened, not a feather or beak in sight.
“Three miles or so north,” Petrer whispered.
His words caused a mixture of excitement and anxiety to whirl in the pit of my stomach. I sat on my hands to stop them from shaking. Adrenaline raced through me. “It’s even closer than I thought! What did it look like? Did you see the water?”
“It was hard to see much beyond the wall, but yes, I saw it, the ocean I mean. It’s pretty hard to miss,” Petrer said, resting a hand on my knee, “Something that is also hard to miss is how I’ve not kissed those...”
He leaned forward, but I turned my head when his mouth came close to mine. His lips brushed against my cheek and I closed my eyes.
In truth, I wanted nothing more than to experience the familiar sensation of Petrer’s mouth crashing against my own, but I couldn’t.
Before I could come up with a response, we were both interrupted by a call from the end of the wagon. Illera awoke and shouted as she pointed towards two specs of light in the distance.
Her call was loud enough to wake everyone who was asleep. Half of them began scrambling to get a better view. With the newly gained space, I stretched my legs out and groaned in pleasure. I recoiled when my foot bumped against Petrer’s foot, although part of me wished I kept it pressed against him.