Shayn swallowed his feelings and looked back towards the embers. Simone's golden hair shined beautifully in the firelight.
It seemed he and Kyler weren't the only ones who tended to open up more readily in the semi-darkness of the fireside. Simone's face, with shadows dancing in the flickering light, had revealed far more than she likely meant to.
And probably more than she knew.
He'd figured she was scared, but the way her stare into the fire was interrupted by occasional fearful glances toward her tent spoke volumes more than her words could. He pretended not to notice that, fixing his gaze mostly into the campfire itself.
Shayn was glad that the men had decided to set up a watch tonight, and that Shayn would take the first. Walter was always awake ridiculously early anyway, and Kyler looked exhausted.
The younger brother decided he might hold out longer to give the elder more rest. Though Kyler hadn't actually done a lot of the riding and work associated with Simone's rescue, the emotional toll of feeling useless weighed heavily on him at times like these.
It made Shayn sad. Kyler wasn't useless. He was kind, and steadfast, and an amazing brother. Whereas Riley had taken over as more or less in charge of the workings of the farm when their father had died, Kyler had been more free to stay in his role of simply being a mischievous, playful, but ultimately kind and caring person.
The responsibilities he carried were proportionate to his age, and he bore them well. Shayn had learned a lot from his example on how to be a kid, growing up slowly. Riley had grown up too quickly in one sense, and never grown up at all in another.
Shayn grinned at the thought. The eldest among them was likely to behave as the least mature in private settings until the end of his days.
The time in the wilderness with Kyler had brought many nights such as these. Brothers, baring their hearts to each other in the relative anonymity of the night. Of course, there was no anonymity at all, but it felt more private, more shielded, to say the deepest things of the soul without the bright light of the sun on your face.
Simone, obviously, was the same. He glanced toward the tent flaps where she'd just disappeared. He missed her presence slightly already, though he knew she needed rest far more than she needed his pestering.
Pestering which he'd gallantly kept to an absolute minimum tonight. Her face had been too vulnerable. The vision of her gaze as her blindfold was removed flashed before his mind's eye. He'd not forget that look anytime soon.
It was one of reflex, uncontrolled and not curated in any way. He thought for sure her prim and proper walls would go back up as soon as she was safe.
Apparently, she didn't feel safe quite yet, for her walls were still down.
And with her walls, fell his. He didn't like that they were tied together so closely. When had that happened? Normally they riled each other up, irritation breeding irritation. Did kindness and vulnerability between them work the same way?
He wasn't sure how to feel about that.
Could she so easily move past his initial dislike of her? Did she have the power to worm her way into his good graces? He tried to conjure the image of her flashing, challenging expressions. He'd seen it often enough in the library, and in the town where they'd first met.
She was easily provoked, at least by him. Was she as easily charmed? If her mood so quickly changed his, was the reverse true as well?
Now there was an interesting thought indeed, and one he didn't know whether to explore. She was beautiful, of that there could be no doubt. If he set out to charm her, was he in danger of charming a woman who had such power to irritate him forever?
Then again, the fear in his belly, the rage at her being hurt… perhaps he'd already been pulled in deeper than he realized. He frowned. It couldn't be too late to get out.
When they got back to Klain, he had plenty of time in his life to find a woman who didn't have the ability to annoy him past the point of his being reasonable. That was no way to live a life, was it? To be around someone who, at any moment, could make a comment that got so deeply under your skin that your self-control was at risk?
He stared into the fire, his contemplation deepening. The subtle relief on her face when he said he would stand watch had moved him. She was afraid, and she trusted him to keep her safe. And why shouldn't she? He'd saved her from a runaway horse *and* from bandits as well!
Of course he was trustworthy!
But she was the least likely person to acknowledge his good qualities… until now. And for that reason, her trust meant more. Her good opinion was more valuable.
With a sigh, he looked over to the wagon. Jerry was still tied up in the back, snoring loudly. Almost louder than Walter. How could the man sleep so soundly while tied up like that? It was a complete mystery.
The sky was a blanket of stars.
He felt a pang of guilt for them not finding Victoria before the sun had gone down, and they'd been forced to camp for the night. Walter said the trail had gone cold and disappeared. The halflings were good at hiding their trail.
Shayn had been told tales of their using magic, but he thought that had ended long ago. Then again, now there were sparkles in the air that released otherworldly creatures. The halflings could very well have found some way to use this to their advantage.
A shooting star caught his attention. His mother had always said you could make wishes upon such things, and he wished for Victoria's safety and Simone's peace of mind.
Was that two wishes? Did he only get one? Perhaps he could find a second star… but the concept itself was silly. He would wait until morning, and make sure Victoria was safe himself.
No use depending on stars for what a person is capable of themself. At least, he hoped he was capable of finding her.
The halflings were clever from what he knew of them. He'd never met one, himself. That he knew of, that is. With a sigh, he patted his sword next to his side. They had questioned Jerry closely over dinner about the possible locations the halflings may have taken Victoria, but he was adamant.
There was only one halfling that ever met them, in the same place. They went there and waited, and the small man would appear to take custody of his half of the spoils and provide them with more herbs to put unsuspecting travelers to sleep, not that there were many travelers.
Usually the bandits had to roam far and wide, raiding the nearest village by putting the occupants of a home to sleep and taking their things. Those settlements lacked enough fighting men to hunt down the bandits and tend their livelihoods.
This time, his boss had given the halflings the two other horses, and a portion of what had been stolen. The halfling had been angry about the kidnapping, which hadn't been part of the plan and made them more likely to be pursued. Boss had left Victoria behind for the halflings to deal with.
Clearly, the little man had somehow taken Victoria with him, for she wasn't in the copse of trees where the deal had happened, but there were very few signs of where he might have taken her. The horses' familiar tracks had led the party out of the trees and then faded over the rocky terrain leading towards the mountains.
Simone had confirmed what she could of Jerry's story. She had kept a wary distance from the man, with a look in her eyes that made Shayn want to throttle the man for good measure.
The tracks of the wagon Jerry's boss had driven away were readily followable, but Victoria's life was far more important than their supplies. The bandit had seemed forthcoming in his confessions, aside from downplaying his role in the whole affair.
Certainly, he'd been eager for some food cooked by a woman. Apparently Omar had been responsible for meals and had failed miserably in making edible victuals. While Simone's cooking still wasn't perfect, it was apparently far better than what the bandits had been eating.
Questioning him between feeding him spoonfuls had been extremely effective in persuading him to talk about anything and everything. Man probably would have sold out his own mother for more, but they had to ration everything, Shayn had pointed out, because most of their food had been taken.
It had been the first time Jerry seemed to show genuine regret for his actions.