Twenty

When Orel gave me my double swords in the evening without saying anything about what Gwenn might have called our training today, I relaxed a little bit, maybe Orel didn’t see me as much of a disappointment but I was trying my best and it was not as if I wanted to cause harm to myself on purpose but when I removed the sword from it scabbard, I felt lightness and knew that I will be better at defense against Gwenn tomorrow than today. I just needed to ensure that I remain light on my feet although I was scared that she might break the sword with hers because they looked too light and so flimsy that I was worried about their survival.

“Don’t worry, they will make it through. The swords are strong and light for easy use, it is a very fine sword.” Orel said from behind me as I jumped up and away from the sword before I did something stupid like show my husband that I could cut myself open with the swords which he brought for me all because I was not expecting to hear his voice behind me.

“Don’t do that again.” I said putting my hand to my chest to calm my racing heart.

“Do what? Talk” Orel asked with his eyes glinting with mischief, he knew exactly what he did.

“How did you know that I was worried?” I asked him as he just shrugged.

“You were biting your lips and looking at the sword so seriously.” Orel replied.

“Okay, you seem to know what I am thinking of.” I said as he snorted.

“Hardly, you were just biting your lips and if it interest you to know, I want to be the one biting them.” Orel said as his gaze shifted to eyes my lips as I fought the urge to lick them, I still haven’t forgotten how he made us more than fashionably late in the morning because he kept dragging me back to the bed.

I said nothing and did nothing other than avert my gaze and when he laughed out, I realized that he made me feel awkward on purpose. “Why.” I asked him.

“When you act shy even though you don’t have any reason to, it just make me realize that you are so interesting to be around, that is why my commanders always try tried best to make you blush. Your reactions are what keeps them interested in seeing your limits.”

“So you bunch just pick on a defenseless girl by almost drowning her in mortification just because you like the way she acts like she wants the ground to open up and swallow her.” I paraphrase and when Orel grinned at me, I glared at him. “And you could not even defend me.” I said with a sniff as Orel laughs.


“Please, I am just as interested in watching your reactions just like them.” Orel said as I returned the swords back to their scabbard.

“So how do I use this sheath?” I asked Orel who glared at the swords.

“You are supposed to crisscross the scabbard in your back.” Orel said as I frowned at him.

“Why am I supposed to?” I asked taking note of his diction as Orel shook his head.

“Because we will have to find a new way for the scabbard to always be with you. I refused to allow you crisscross the swords in your back.

“Why.” I asked confused at Orel words.

“Because, it will pass in between your breasts to hold it to your back and I refused to accept that.”

“Why” I asked again more confused.

“Because dear wife, it will draw men attention to what is mine.” Orel said as I laughed.

“Your display of possessiveness is okay and I like it but you will have to reduce it, there is no other way of putting the scabbard on my back.” I said.

“I know.” Orel replied.

“And I refused to wear it any other way.” I said as Orel breathed.

“Themis…”

“It is just like me telling you to wear a shirt always.” I responded.

“The camp is full of males.” Orel counters.

“That doesn’t mean that there are no females.” I said as Orel shook his head at me.

“Females I rarely come in contact with.” Orel explained.

“Please, Gwenn is always with you.” I snapped at him as I dropped the swords in a part of the tent and marched to the bed.

“She has seen me in even less.” Orel said then paused as he realized that he said the wrong thing and it stroke the fire within me.

“What.” I asked in a quiet voice.

“It doesn’t matter.” Orel said as he approached me to hold me but I jumped out of his hold and far away from the bed to avoid his touch.

“What do you mean that she has seen you in less?” I cried out furiously.

“It doesn’t matter.” Orel repeated.

“Yes it does, it matters to me.” I said but Orel ignored my words as he approached me to wrap his arms around me again.

“What happened is in the past.” Orel said as he embraced me. I let him because I was shocked. He just told me all I needed to hear. He and Gwenn were lovers and that was why she hated me, it made a lot of things clearer but it didn’t make them better. I was annoyed with myself for not seeing it earlier.

Pushing Orel away, I climbed into the bed and turned my back on him. “What are you doing.” he asked confused.

“Nothing, just tired, I want to sleep.” I replied him in stilted words.

“Would not you eat something?” He asked again this time, I felt his hand on my back.

Shrugging off his hand, I replied in a strained voice hoping he would just stop talking to me so I would not lash out at him. “No longer hungry.”

“If it is because of what I said, fine I will tell you although it will make you angry…” Orel started as I cut in with a sharp tone, I didn’t want to hear him say it. If it does, I cannot deceive myself that it isn’t true.

“Don’t, I am not interested in knowing anymore.” I said as Orel was quiet for a while before he replied quietly. “As you wish.”

Orel was not dumb, he knew I was angry, he left the tent after his meal and that was when I relaxed enough to go to sleep, he didn’t sleep besides me that night though. I realized that when I woke up and saw that his side of the bed was cold, he never returned back to the tent.

In anger I waited for daybreak, I left the tent before dawn in case he decided to come back… I was so furious that I matched to the training area and was there hacking my sword at practice target there for a long time, warriors came to train but they stayed clear from me and my wide aim, I actually preferred that. When I was too hungry to continued, I walked to the food tent where I was attended to with swiftness, I ate my meal in the stables close to Tyra and still greeted Stormpacer even though his master was responsible for my bad mood.