The night was still young for some, while others were already sunk deep in their sleep, revelling in their dreams, while others stared at the ceiling, trying to find a way to fall asleep.
" Dakran!" she called the man lying beside her on the bed, separated by a few pillows as per her request.
Dakran hummed. He couldn't fall asleep either. Sharing a bed with Maya was more challenging than he had thought. She had left the room when he'd taken his bath and stayed at the door, despite telling him that she could stay.
" I can't sleep. Do you mind accompanying me on a walk in town?" she politely asked, and Dakran turned to look at her. The fire was still burning in the hearth, the soft glow falling on her freckled face.
Dakran nodded " Put your cloak on!" he said as he got up from the bed and walked around and put his boots on, and draped a cloak over his shoulders. As they approached the northern lands, the air was chillier, and the breeze that swept over the land was crisp at night.
Maya draped her cloak as Dakran instructed, and they both stepped out of the inn, walking along the deserted alleys.
" It's quiet!" Maya whispered as she stared at the night sky, but there were no stars or moon, just the lamps hanging outside the houses to provide light.
Dakran hummed " The hour is late, and most folks have gone to bed!" he indulged her in the conversation as they walked along each other.
" Your home. I can't stop thinking about the creatures that ravaged the land. How bad is it?" she curiously asked, but he was sure she was just trying to make conversation to avoid the awkward silence.
"We have tried our best to keep the creatures out of the village, but once in a while, one or two passed the lines of defence around the lake, leaving behind nothing more than scorched earth. Last missive I received from the North, it was before we left Beledren, and it wasn't.." he paused for a moment " let's just say that things haven't improved." he shoved his hands in his pockets, his shoulders slumped and looked ahead, but he didn't seem to look at anything in particular.
They continued walking along each other in silence. Maya had fallen deep in thought " Thank you!" she halted her steps and grabbed his wrist. Dakran turned to look at her, the hood of the cloak covered most of her face, but he could still see those beautiful green eyes shining from behind it.
Dakran nodded " Maybe one day you'll do the same for me!" he rubbed his beard and frowned.
Maya nodded " If you ever get hurt. I'll be there to tend to your wounds!" she replied with a straight face and let go of his wrist.
Feeling the cold breeze, Maya hugged herself and suddenly shivered ." We should go back inside!" Dakran took his cloak off and rapped over her shoulder, wrapping her in it so tight that she could bearly walk.
Dakran chuckled " I'll carry you!" he picked her up in his arms. Maya opened her mouth to speak " I'll kiss you if you dare to fight me!" he warned with a slanted grin, and Maya fell silent, leaning into his sturdy chest. Dakran was as stubborn as she was. He wouldn't stop pursuing her even though she loved another man. She'd wondered what would happen if she couldn't let Sylus go.
Dakran pushed the door close with his foot and placed Maya on the bed, unwrapping her from the cloaks, and hanging them by the bedpost. Dakran's heavy build made her look like an imp compared to him. She couldn't understand what he saw in her. She was sure that there were far more beautiful women out there who happily threw themselves at him. Dakran was a very handsome man. The light of the fire allowed her to glimpse a very muscular body under the thin nightshirt he was wearing. His dark bushy beard hid his face, and he was the only one that hadn't shaved it off.
" Time to rest!" his voice broke her thoughts. She hadn't even noticed he was standing right in front of her.
Maya nodded and climbed into bed. He had taken her shoes off already. She had missed that too. Her eyes followed him going around the bed, the bed dipped when he climbed into it, and he settled on a small portion of the bed, much smaller than hers.
" Why do you want me?" she broke the silence, looking at the back of his head.
Dakran turned around, facing her, resting his head on his arm. He took a deep breath " You're what I've been looking for my entire life Maya!" he paused for a moment and closed his eyes " You're the first woman to tame the rage inside me. When I'm around you, everything fades away. Everything gets silenced, and for a moment I fell at peace!" he opened his eyes to look at her " Just like you I carry with me a lot of pain. My failings to protect my people. People I loved are gone, and I couldn't do a damn thing to save them. Before I met you, I was pretty much like Haren!" he admitted. He grew woeful and pushed himself off the bed," If not worse. I didn't go in search of women, but I drank my pain away each night before I went to bed so that I could sleep. Most of the time, he didn't do much except give me a banging headache when I woke up!" he took a deep breath and rested against the headboard" And then I met you! " he smiled, but it was a pained one which fell of his lips as fast as it appeared " That night...when I carried you in my arms, that was the first time I felt it. Something changed in me, the pain that I carried with me and the anger ...it weighed less, and I could breathe for the first time in a long time!" he rested his head against the headboard and heaved a heavy sigh, closing his eyes.
Maya felt something warm slip on her cheeks. She touched her face and realised she was crying. There was so much pain in his voice. She could feel the pricks in her heart. His loss was far greater than hers, but he never complained. He kept it all in. No matter how many times she had yelled at him to leave her alone, he stood there and listened to her without even getting angry or upset with her.
Dakran picked her up and placed her in his lap, resting her head on his shoulder, gently rubbing her back, and kissing her forehead.
" If you're crying for me, I don't deserve it. So save your tears!" he murmured, taking her hand and gently playing with her finger.
Maya swallowed a sob and looked at him, her fingers brushing the ebony strands off his forehead " Don't say that! You're a good man, Dakran !" his name off her lips sounded like the most beautiful music he'd ever heard, and he hated his name.
" Wait until you hear of the despicable things I've done, and then tell me that I'm a good man!" he snorted and kissed the palm of her hand. Holding her in his arms, he suddenly felt naked, ready to bear his scared soul and show her all the ugliness inside. He knew he didn't deserve her, but he wasn't prepared to let go of the only thing that brought solace to his shitty life.
Her soft smile, caring eyes, gentle touch and kind heart, were all he could see when he looked at her, and he loved all those things about her. She let her hand fall onto his chest above his heart " I'm sure that whatever you did, it was for a good reason! Don't be so hard on yourself!" she looked up at him. Her tears had stopped, but the shine of unshed tears was still there.
" Sleep in my arms tonight!" he cupped her face brushing his thumb on her cheek, and she closed her eyes. She was letting him in, and he was bearly keeping it together. Maya was indeed a good soul, a woman with a golden heart, but she carried her pain. He didn't expect anything from her, but yet here she was, crying for his sake and for the pain he had.
Maya nodded and curled up in his arms. Her head was resting on his shoulder, his arms wrapped around her. He kissed her forehead, slid down the bed with her and buried her deep in his arms.