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ZaiWin parted the curtain and froze where he stood. Good thing he had taken the time to get their story together, before he'd left the bedroom.
Sitting on one of the stone benches, with a threatening scowl on his face, was ZenTar. And, by the looks of it, even though it was still considerably early, he'd probably been waiting for him for quite some time now.
"Morning," ZaiWin simply greeted him, stepping into the small room, and ZenTar's frown only deepened.
"I waited for you."
"Hmm. Yeah. Sorry about that. I guess I was probably more tired than I initially thought. I ended up falling asleep."
"And the kid?" ZenTar asked, peering towards the passageway leading upstairs as if expected to see him there, and ZaiWin crossed the room to sit on another stone bench.
"He's getting dressed. He'll be down in a minute."
ZenTar's green eyes immediately turned to him and ZaiWin sighed inwardly. He knew that expression all too well. He would probably be severely scolded for what he'd done during the next few days.
"Where did you go?" the older man asked, still clearly angry about his disappearing act, and ZaiWin took a deep breath, reading himself.
"Nowhere special, really. Just passed by the First Settlement, then dropped by Dryriver."
"And he exhausted himself like that how?"
"Apparently Snow can't stand to see something wrong without trying to fix it. He cleansed the entire Dead Forest."
ZenTar's eyes widened in surprise at that.
"And he even managed to find water. You could say that the river that used to cross Dryriver won't be dry anymore."
"The entire forest …?"
ZaiWin couldn't help smile pridefully at ZenTar's incredulous tone.
"No more darkness or corruption. Now anyone can go there. Of course there's not much to see, yet. Snow wanted to heal the land as well, but by then he was barely standing on his feet. So it's still mostly a dead forest. But maybe, in time, nature will reclaim it once more. Most importantly, the people of Dryriver won't be lacking water anymore. They can even supply other surrounding villages."
"How does he do that? I mean. I understand how he cleanses and heals everything around him. He is a Celestial, after all. But how is he making water appear wherever he goes?"
"Snow says that the water has always been there. He's just listening to the land."
"Listening to the land?"
ZaiWin nodded, a persistent smile on his face.
"He knew the instant we stepped into Nox's lands. I guess that stuff about Celestials establishing a close connection to the land of their Chosen Ones it's true after all."
ZenTar seemed to ponder on his words for a moment, but it didn't take long before his angry scowl returned.
"Still! Are you freaking out of your mind? Going out like that, in a moment like this?! What if someone recognized you? What if assassins sent to kill you have already crossed the border?"
"I took all the necessary precautions."
"How was I supposed to find you if something went wrong?" ZenTar went on, completely ignoring him. "Can't you see just how irresponsible that was?"
"I wanted him to see a bit of what Nox really looks like," ZaiWin declared and ZenTar shut his mouth, still frowning angrily. "He is Nox's Tien'Elhar, after all. He'll be training and studying under VinWei's care for the next few days. Then we'll have to leave here again. And let's face it. There's a high probability that none of us will be able to return. I just felt that I … owed him this much."
ZenTar crossed his arms.
"Still! You should have told me!"
"And you would never have let me go."
"Of course not! Right now it's just too dangerous!"
"Reason why I had to take matters into my own hands."
"If you were five years younger I would spank your butt until it turned bright red!"
ZaiWin smiled. He'd heard those same words many times before, but nothing even similar had ever happened.
"Good thing I'm not, then."
ZenTar sighed in resignation and looked at him with a serious expression on his face.
"So this means you've really accepted it. This whole thing with the kid," ZenTar clarified and ZaiWin faced his green gaze unwavering.
"I have. Snow is my Celestial, and I'm his Chosen One," he openly declared and ZenTar couldn't help just sit there, staring at him, wondering if he'd heard him right.
In all the years they'd lived together ZenTar had never heard ZaiWin declare possession over anything. As a child, if someone gave him something he'd accept it. If someone took it from him he'd just stand there, his expression empty, as if whatever he had held had never existed in the first place.
The soft sound of footsteps captured his attention, and ZenTar saw Snow stop by the entrance, just like ZaiWin had done. He looked a bit startled, for a moment, but then he quickly averted his gaze with a clearly guilty expression on his face.
ZenTar sighed and got to his feet.
"Let's go. VinWei is waiting for us. And so is breakfast," he declared, and couldn't help follow ZaiWin with his gaze, as he quickly made his way to the boy and gently patted his head.
The boy's tense countenance immediately relaxed, a bit of color shading his pale face. They didn't exchange a single word, didn't even looked at each other, and yet he could clearly feel it. They'd become so close that it was almost unsettling.
Averting his gaze, ZenTar made his way to the door and stepped outside, taking a deep breath. Even the air around them felt kind of different.
They made their way to the small cave, where VinWei and ZenTar had taken residence, in silence. But the instant they stepped inside VinWei practically flew at them, eagerly grabbing Snow's hands, her purplish eyes showing deep concern.
"Snow! Are you all right? Zen told me you had exhausted yourself again! What did that idiot make you do this time?" she unloaded all in one breath, and Snow took a step back, delicately trying to free his hands, clearly unsure of how to reply to all those questions.
"He's fine," ZaiWin answered for him in a condescending tone that immediately earned him a deadly, piercing glare.
"And you! How many times do I have to tell you that you can't allow him to exhaust himself like that?" VinWei demanded angrily, and Snow looked anxiously from her to him.
It wasn't ZaiWin's fault. He'd been the one to stubbornly do as he pleased. It was hardly fair that she should scold him like that.
But ZaiWin merely shrugged, looking completely relaxed, and made his way to the table where their breakfast awaited them.
"You …!! Really!!" VinWei fumed, his dismissal aggravating her even more, and ZenTar sighed, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"You're wasting your breath. Believe me."
VinWei immediately turned her angry glare towards him, as if he were the one to blame for all that, and ZenTar quickly retrieved his hand, taking a precautionary step back.
"Leave them be, Snow. Come," ZaiWin called him, and Snow quickly navigated around the two of them to join him at the table.
Completely ignoring them, ZaiWin broke a piece of bread and placed it on the boy's plate.
"Eat."
"ZaiWin!" VinWei still bawled furiously, making Snow shudder, but ZaiWin ignored her again, cutting slices of white cheese and also placing them on Snow's plate.
"Come, come. Let's get some breakfast first," ZenTar said in an appeasing tone, gently pushing her towards the table, and VinWei turned against him again.
"He never listens to what other people have to say!"
"Yes, yes … I know," ZenTar replied making sure she sat down.
"He's an egotistical asshole!"
"You're absolutely right. Here. Have some bread. You'll feel much better in no time."
"And he is rude!" she went on, as if the person she kept criticizing wasn't sitting right there, in front of her.
ZaiWin, on the other hand, was calmly peeling an apple as if he couldn't hear her.
"This is all your fault, you know? You spoil him too much! Always allowing him to do as he pleases!" VinWei persisted, this time scolding ZenTar, and ZenTar sighed, nodding.
"Just eat something, all right?"
With a scowl, VinWei grabbed the piece of bread he'd given her and bit into it with a vengeance.
"Don't worry. She's always in a foul mood first thing in the morning. She'll be fine once she's gets something in her stomach," ZaiWin whispered, leaning towards Snow who was looking at her with a startled expression, and VinWei frowned.
"I heard that!" she retorted, her cheeks round from the bread she'd stuff in her mouth, and ZaiWin straightened his back, returning to his apple, completely ignoring her again.
"So, I explained Snow your crazy plan," ZaiWin said in a calm tone, as if continuing a conversation that had never taken place. "And he agreed to give it a try."
ZenTar and VinWei both looked at the boy with surprised expressions on their faces. Her irascible mood completely healed, VinWei was the first to recover, quickly swallowing her food before she spoke.
"But that's great! There's a lot I have to tell you! But don't worry! I'll be there right beside you the whole time!" she declared in one breath, her purplish eyes glowing enthusiastically, and Snow nodded awkwardly.
"Win!" a girl's voice called, and Storm stumbled into the room breathing heavily, as if she'd run the entire way there.
"Here you are!" She quickly crossed the room and unceremoniously held ZaiWin's hand, trying to pull him to his feet. "You have to come with me! You disappeared the entire day, yesterday, and it almost turned into a blood bath!"
Snow's gaze fell on that feminine hand holding ZaiWin's, and it was all he could do to remain seated and not jump to his feet to push her away from him. He knew it was silly, idiotic even. But he just couldn't help feeling deeply annoyed at the obvious familiarity they shared. He really didn't like that girl!
ZaiWin frowned, easily resisting her attempts to drag him away, and looked up at her.
"What are you talking about?"
"The land around the waterfall! It's the richest land any of us has ever seen. And so they all started arguing about what to plant there. They even drew knives and everything! You have to come with me and settle what we should plant before they get there! Or they'll spend another entire day arguing and threatening to kill each other!" Storm explained and ZenTar sighed, shaking his head in silent condemnation. "You know how they are. One small disagreement and they immediately revert to their old ways of solving problems."
And that's why he disliked having to stay in that damn village, ZenTar thought but kept his opinions to himself.
ZaiWin sighed again.
"Fine. But if you want to know what you should be planting you'll do better asking Snow to go with you."
Everyone gaped at him in disbelief, Snow included.
"He's much more capable of advising you about these kinds of things than I'll ever be. Right?" ZaiWin asked, turning to the boy, and Snow blinked, fearing he might not be hearing right. "Do you mind going with Storm and lending them a hand?"
Snow automatically shook his head, before he could even think about what he was agreeing to.
"Great. That settles it, then," ZaiWin declared with a small smile that immediately left a warm feeling in Snow's chest.
"But … I came to get you!" Storm insisted, clearly disagreeing with ZaiWin's decision, and Snow immediately stood up, frowning at the clingy young woman.
"I'll go with you," he declared. As if he would allow her to argue her case any further and risk ZaiWin changing his mind! He'd rather have to put up with her stupid comments than let him go with her!
Even though he had whispered those words like he always did, ZenTar and VinWei still gaped at him. It was the first time they heard him openly declare something he'd decided to do. And the cold, unwavering way he kept staring at Storm clearly stated he was not happy about something.
"And what exactly can a brat like you do?" Storm sarcastically demanded and ZaiWin patted her hand.
"Why don't you take him with you and see for yourself?"
Scowling, obviously annoyed at how things had turned out, Storm pulled her hand from ZaiWin's and averted her gaze with a snort.
"Come along, then! Let's see if you're really able to solve this problem!" she stated, clearly doubting his usefulness, and Snow straightened his back and followed her outside, his expression no more annoyed than hers.
ZaiWin watched them go with an amused smirk on his lips and went back to his food.
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I love ZaiWin's and Snow's silent dynamic. 😊 Although I can understand why Zen doesn't find it amusing 😔