The sun was already under when Emrys and Audery got to the door of Mildenhall manor, they had left her uncle mister Albury behind at the tavern. Where he had a lot of work to do, but she had asked him to come by the manor before he would leave town. The thick wooden door decorated with an iron frame opened up and the warmth of the burning fires that were burning inside welcomed them. Emrys was the first to enter, and she followed him.
"Terence will be in his office," he said, while pointing at the door. That was slightly ajar, so he had heard them come in. She nodded and Emrys went towards his own room. She went towards the door, pushed it open, she didn't bother knocking. If Terence was smart, which he was, then he knew that this conversation was coming. He was sitting, his face buried into some paper. But he looked up when she entered the room, his face turned from a frown into a large smile.
"You are back, thank the Gods." He said, while standing up. Rushing towards her side and wrapped her in his arms. "There are no words to describe how worried I was." She slightly pushes him away, looking him straight into his sapphire blue eyes. What in Huibin's name was wrong with that Sophia girl, blue was a beautiful colour. She closed hers for a brief second and then took a deep breath.
"Terence, you know that what you did is not sitting right with me. You promised me freedom, and that those not mean you following me everywhere I go." She said, he wanted to interject. But she stopped him by raising her hand, like she had done while she had discovered him inside the forest. "No, let me finish. Emrys has told me why you did, what you did. And before you are going to say that it was not his place to tell me this, I agree. But he did it because he cared about you, and wanted to let me know where you were coming from. But here it comes, and I know you do not like to hear this. I want you to promise me, that you will never follow me, not when I am out on a job. I am not Sophia, I know how to take care of myself." She knew that their meeting contradict that statement, but those were special circumstances. "I know how to handle Goblins, servants of Dakara, and I am pretty much sure how to handle druids. I can fight, what I can not do when I am out there is worry about Emrys and you. It will break me, to know that you are also there with us and I do not know where you are, or if you are in danger." Terence's gaze soften.
"So you were worried about me?" He asked, and she nodded.
"I was, I didn't know how far gone the servant of Dakara was. I didn't know if there were any goblins nearby, I didn't know anything besides what happened inside the camp and the road we had taken before that. I know that I was the one sending you back, and that was slowly killing me inside. So please, if you love me, do not put me through that again. And If I spot you again, I am going to triple the babysitting fee." She said, his mouth fall opens for a split second. But he smiled after that.
"I do love you, and I am sorry. I was not thinking clearly," he said. "How was your trip?" She smiled and started to tell him everything, about the Ghast and the Ghouls, their fight with the walking plants and then about the First Druids request. "A fourth night, alright, that means two weeks. And I am going on a gut feeling here that he will not be the only First Druid that will visit. Almost every trail has its own circle, and almost all of them have stated that the Faded forest is their domain. Only the First Druid of the main road, has allowed travellers to pass through." She nodded and lay her head on his chest. The rhythm of his beating heart sounded almost like a lullaby. She was feeling that she was drifting off. "Wow, I can see that you are tired. Am I allowed to carry you upstairs?" She nodded. "To your own room, or are you sleeping in mine?"
"I really do not care, as long as I am able to close my eyes." She said. He picked her up, as if she weighted nothing, and took her to his own room. She only didn't notice which room it was, because she fell fast asleep in his arms.
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As always, the morning came without warning, Audery slowly woke up. Realizing that her head was not laying on a pillow, otherwise, the pillow was very muscular and moved up and down. She opened her eyes, currently she had wrapped herself around the still sleeping Terence. In her dirty clothing, he hadn't called for a maid to undress her and dress her in night clothing. He only had removed her boots and weapons, she smiled. He was so sweet and carrying, she loved him for that. She then thought about all the things he had done for her, to this point. Those were so much, he had given her clothing, care, food, weapons, a roof over her head, the first job. He had been a friend, his little brother was now her partner, and she couldn't imaging it any other way. And now that she thought about it, she almost thanked Anthony for robbing her, leaving her. She otherwise would never come to Spheros, because he never liked the cold that much. With a sigh, she slowly pushes herself off Terence, but he wrapped his arm around her.
"No, please, stay for just a moment longer," he murmured, still half a sleep. She wanted to chuckle.
"But I stink, my lord. It will be better if I take off this dirty clothes and have a bath," she countered. He raised his head with a crooked smile on his face.
"If you want to undress, then there is no need for you to leave at all." He said, his sapphire eyes were not clear. So he either was drunk of sleep, or simply drunk. But that comment came as a surprise, and made her cheeks burn up. He then blinked a few times with his eyes. Clearly realizing what he just had suggested. "Oh, no, did I say that out loud?" She slowly nodded, and he slapped his free hand in front of his eyes. "I am so sorry, I didn't want for you to hear that."
"But you meant it?" she asked, and he nodded.
"Of course, I meant it. I want to be your man in every possible way, but I know that there is a fine line in wanting that stuff and saying it out loud. And know this, I will never pressure in to anything that you do not want or are not ready to give." He said, his arm that was wrapped around her dropped on the bed. "I can not believe that I said that out loud, how can I be so stupid." She moved herself up, so that she was now at eye level with him. When they were laying down, it was easy to do. She was not sure what she was thinking, but now that he had told her that he wanted her... She just realized that she wanted him too.
"You are not stupid to voice your desires," she said. "This means that you feel comfortable enough to do so." She placed her lips on his, before he could say anything. She kissed him with a passion, she didn't know she had in her. When she broke off the kiss, she was out of air. His eyes sparkled, and the crooked smile was back. "I might need some help with my clothes, are you willing to help me with that?"
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