‘Why are we stopping here?’ Thorne asked, towering over all the imps like an iron giant.

  ‘Well, I’m not travelling like this,’ Lily waved at her light outfit and shook her empty purse at him, ‘For a second longer!’

  The line was short, in both kinds of ways. This bank was a favourite of hers, a safe space for her kind, though she hadn’t been here for some couple centuries. She watched as the last imp waddled away and she finally bent low to meet the accountant.

  ‘Ah, Miss Starbloom, it’s been a while,’ the elderly imp looked up at her, adjusting his glasses, ‘Your usual amount then?’

  ‘Haha, far less this time Fenrick.’ She answered, ‘I’ll take just two hundred.’

  Fenrick nodded, clapping his hands.

  ‘Special order, special order!’ he squeaked, Lily winced at the sound. Two other imps jumped out from back, carrying a money bag the size of her head. It brimmed with the sound of coins.

  ‘Thank you, Fenrick,’ she said, signing the document quickly. She picked up the bag with some difficulty and held it out to Thorne

  ‘Now, you, make yourself useful,’ she dropped the bag in his hands, he reluctantly carried it.

  ‘Do we really have the time for this…?’ he asked, sounding worried.

  ‘Just an hour, an hour… okay?’ she said, patting his chest-plate with her hands, ‘Relax yourself for that long.’

  She ran out the bank, Thorne trailed behind her. Her first stop? The clothes market.

  Lily breathed excitedly; she finally could stop itching her legs. She was quick, finding pants with pockets and a nicer belt. Finally, she was safe from halfway up, she tugged at her boots so they wrapped around her pants.

  ‘I still don’t really understand this,’ Thorne grumbled as the bag got lighter and lighter.

  ‘Don’t stress your pretty head,’ Lily winked at him, posing with her ox-hide leather gloves, ‘Just keep on following me.’

  They bought cheap jewellery and bracelets; she even made a point of trying to get Thorne to wear an accessory. He was unphased by her endless attempts and denied her each time, much to her dismay.

  Still, she did buy something for him.

  She was running fast, the world seemed to fly by her as she jumped from stall to stall. Suddenly her hood flew off, drifting to the wind.

  And everyone’s eyes were on her.

  She breathed softly.

  Thorne straightened up; she heard the scrape of metal behind her. He looked around, an intimidating figure in a crowd.

  No one said anything.

  ‘Knife ears!’ someone sneered. There was murmuring, a child crying. And the crowd began to chant though not in unison nor with any sense. It was the sound of violence. They surrounded her, ready to eat her up and spit her back out. And it terrified her. It was like Lily was a child all over again, watching her world burn down in front of her. She cowered, lowering her watery eyes.

  Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

  Lily’s thoughts raced, she started thinking how she was going to escape. And, she cursed herself, she couldn’t figure out how she was going to take Thorne with her.

  But she didn’t need to do all the thinking.

  Thorne slammed his scabbard into the ground. The crowd grew silent again. He stared at them or that’s what Lily thought he did, she couldn’t see his eyes. They dispersed again, some throwing rude glances back at her.

  Thorne put an arm around her face, covering her eyes. His chest-plate pressed into her back, and she found comfort in it even though it hurt. She held back tears; her legs shook violently, threatening to drop her.

  ‘Let’s leave now.’ Thorne said and Lily sniffed a choked out ‘Please.’

  He scooped an arm under her legs and picked her up, he didn’t say another word. And she let him, closing her eyes to shut out the never-ending staring eyes. She put her face against him and tried to forget.

  She knew they were close to the exit, so she’d only have to bear this feeling a little longer with a straight face.

  For the longest time, she listened to the crunching of Thorne’s feet against the rocky ground. She counted them, lost track and began again. The people’s voices became quieter, disappearing further and further behind them both.

  Lily hated remembering. So, she didn’t. And maybe that wasn’t the smartest thing to do but it was the only thing she could do.

  So, she sobbed in his arms like a child.

  Thorne didn’t say anything. She figured he was good at that but she also really wished that he would. It was quiet beside the sounds of her sniffling and that made her feel really small.

  ‘Say something.’ She breathed.

  Thorne paused, looking down at her, ‘Hm,’

  ‘Say something’

  Thorne looked off into the distance, the sun standing high over him. The summer was ruined, she didn’t like it so much anymore. He thought for a while, finally saying,

  ‘I’m sorry.’

  And that was enough to make her burst into tears all over again.

  ‘P-Put,’ she tried to speak in between gasps of air, ‘me d-down,’

  He obliged, and she stood on shaky legs.

  ‘I have to lead you s-still,’ she said, half laughing, half crying. She was ridiculous.

  She cried in her hands, standing up in the burning light of the sun. Thorne put a hand on her shoulder, gripping it loosely.

  ‘I’m sorry’

  ‘There y-you go,’ she wailed, ‘Saying that a-again,’

  She beat her hands against his chest-plate, ‘It’s n-not even your f-fault,’

  ‘So, w-why do you keep a-apologising,’ she hiccupped and hated herself all the more for it.

  Thorne silently placed an arm to her back and another beneath her feet. He picked her up again, she cried more into his chest. Why did he of all people have to see her like this? It was all so embarrassing and stupid. She should’ve never left that stupid grove on this stupid adventure.

  How she hated people.

  And how she loved…

  Ah.

  She closed her eyes, mumbling various angry phrases in elvish. She didn’t want to think about it. No, not now. Not just yet.

  It was still far too soon for that kind of thing.

  Not that she knew what that meant.

  She was so embarrassing.

  She let the warm weather lull her out of reality, feeling Thorne rock her in his arms as he walked in that same stupid, rigid pace. It’s like he’d never spent any time running from his problems. Maybe, with a sword like that, she wouldn’t have to be the one running. But that was dumb, she’d never fought for anything. Her arms were soft and her eyes gave away her feelings before she could even open her mouth.

  Lily was no stranger to being afraid but she did hide from the feeling. That’s why she hadn’t left the grove in so long. Ever since her grandmother had died, she couldn’t bring herself to go alone.

  Her excuse to leave had shown up all on his own, stumbling and tripping into her life. Which is why she had left so quickly, she didn’t want to have the time to think it over and run away.

  ‘Is she for sale?’ a voice rung out, breaking her from her dreams. She wanted to scream, wanted to cry, and wanted to do this louder then anyone ever had. She was a person, wasn’t she?

  ‘Are you?’ came Throne’s response. His voice vibrated against Lily; she felt its warmth.

  The voice gave a few confused noises before moving on, fading out of hearing distance. Lily wished she’d never hear it again, that she could live in silence for the rest of her life. But then again, she’d wouldn’t be able to hear his voice. And how he’d keep her safe.

  There was that giddy feeling again.

  And she didn’t want to let it go.

  And she didn’t even know what he looked like.

  Lily sniffed.