Katheryn felt an unfamiliar lightness as the group continued their journey through the forest.
It was a stark contrast to the tension and drama of the previous days, and she welcomed the reprieve with open arms.
Athanasi rode beside her, the mischievous glint in his eye a clear warning that his teasing was far from over.
"So," he began, his voice carrying a playful lilt, "are you sure you're not secretly a witch? You have this uncanny ability to turn even the most stoic men into fools."
Katheryn arched an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her lips. "If I were a witch, I'd have turned you into a toad by now. It'd be a vast improvement."
Athanasi barked out a laugh, clutching his stomach dramatically. "Touché, Prophet-Witch. Touché."
Samo, riding a few paces behind them, watched the exchange in silence. Though his face remained composed, his eyes betrayed a flicker of amusement.
"You two sound like siblings," Samo remarked finally, his deep voice cutting through their banter.
Katheryn glanced over her shoulder, grinning. "And you sound like a grumpy old man."
Athanasi burst out laughing again. "Careful, Katheryn. You'll hurt his delicate feelings."
Samo shook his head, though a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
"I'm more worried about your bruised ego, Athanasi. It's not every day someone bests you in wit."
"Ah, but I let her win," Athanasi quipped, feigning injury.
"Let me win?" Katheryn echoed, her tone dripping with mock outrage. "You couldn't keep up if your life depended on it."
Their laughter rang out, blending with the rustling of leaves and the occasional birdcall. Samo stayed mostly quiet, observing them with a warmth in his gaze he hadn't felt in a long time.
Despite himself, he found their antics entertaining.
The teasing shifted gears when Athanasi, ever the instigator, brought up the previous day's banter.
"By the way, Katheryn, have you recovered from learning Samo's a virgin?"
Samo's head snapped up, and he shot Athanasi a warning glare. "Enough, Athanasi."
Katheryn stifled a laugh, her cheeks warming. "Oh, come on, Samo. It's just a joke. Relax."
Athanasi leaned toward her conspiratorially. "He's not mad because of the joke. He's mad because it's true."
Samo groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I swear, one day I'm leaving you in the woods."
The duo dissolved into laughter again, and for a brief moment, Katheryne felt as though she had no cares in the world.
---
By midday, they stopped to make camp near a small clearing. Athanasi decided to head off on a solo hunting trip, leaving Katheryn and Samo behind to set up.
As they worked in companionable silence, Samo finally broke it, his voice low and uncharacteristically hesitant. "Katheryn... about everything that's happened. I wanted to apologize."
Katheryn paused, her hands hovering over her notes. "For what?"
"For being rough on you," he admitted, meeting her gaze for a fleeting moment before looking away. "I know I haven't made things easy."
She smiled softly, the sincerity in his tone catching her off guard. "I appreciate that, Samo. And... I hope we can move past it. Maybe even be friends?"
Samo's lips twitched into the faintest of smiles. "Friends," he agreed, though a part of him yearned for something more.
As they worked to build a fire, their hands brushed more than once, the contact sending a jolt through both of them.
Samo guided her movements, his larger hands covering hers as he showed her how to arrange the kindling.
"You're getting the hang of it," he murmured, his voice steady despite the butterflies in his stomach.
Katheryn nodded, biting her lip as she focused on the task, the proximity was making her heart race, but she refused to let it show.
Once the fire was lit, they both leaned back, the tension between them almost tangible.
"I'll... go check on the horses," Samo said abruptly, standing and striding off before she could respond.
Katheryn exhaled, running a hand through her hair. "Get it together," she muttered to herself, busying her hands with her collected herbs until Athanasi returned, his triumphant call announcing his success.
---
Night fell swiftly, and the three of them gathered around the crackling fire. Athanasi had managed to catch two rabbits, which now roasted over the flames, their savory aroma filling the air.
Katheryn sat cross-legged, enjoying the warmth of the fire as she chewed on her share of the meat.
The quiet was peaceful, but curiosity soon got the better of her.
"Do either of you know any scary stories?" she asked, breaking the silence.
Athanasi smirked, his eyes gleaming in the firelight. "Scary stories, huh? Are you sure you can handle them, Witch?"
Katheryn scoffed. "Of course. Try me."
Samo raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking in a rare smile. "You might regret asking that."
Athanasi leaned forward, his voice dropping into a conspiratorial whisper. "There was this one time, years ago, when Samo and I were hunting in the mountains. We were young, and stupid....and we accidentally killed a doe, not realizing she had a fawn nearby."
"The mountain god didn't like that," Samo added, his deep voice lending weight to the tale.
Katheryn leaned in, intrigued despite herself. "What happened?"
Athanasi continued, his tone dramatic. "The sky darkened, and the forest turned deathly silent, we couldn't find our way down the mountain, no matter how hard we tried...It was like we were trapped in a maze."
"And then we saw it," Samo said, his voice dropping to a near whisper.
"A deer with antlers as wide as a grown man... but its face was that of a woman. Pale, with white eyes that seemed to pierce right through you."
Katheryn's eyes widened, her pulse quickening. "What did you do?"
"We ran," Athanasi admitted with a grin. "As fast as we could. But everywhere we turned, there it was, staring at us."
As if on cue, a distant deer call echoed through the forest. The three of them jumped, their eyes darting toward the darkness beyond the firelight.
Katheryn's heart pounded in her chest, and for a moment, the only sound was the crackling of the fire. Then Athanasi burst out laughing, the tension breaking like a snapped string.
"You should've seen your face!" he teased, pointing at Katheryn.
She swatted at him, her cheeks flushing. "Not funny!"
Samo chuckled softly, his rare smile making her forget her annoyance.
The mood lightened as they shared more stories, laughter and banter carrying on into the late hours. Eventually, the fire died down, and they settled in for the night, exhaustion overtaking them.
---
Katheryn found herself nestled between the two men, their backs turned to her.
The forest was quiet now, the earlier excitement giving way to a soothing stillness.
Samo, however, couldn't sleep, he turned carefully, his gaze falling on Katheryn's face, illuminated by the pale moonlight, she looked peaceful, her features soft and serene in slumber.
Athanasi stirred, peeking over his shoulder and catching Samo's gaze. A knowing smirk tugged at his lips, and he shook his head, muttering under his breath. "Mad man."
Samo rolled his eyes but didn't look away from Katheryn.
The warm fire casted flickering shadows over Katheryn's peaceful face, and his mind wandered to the day he saved her from the lake.
The memory was vivid, etched into him as if it had happened just moments ago, he never planned to go to the lake that day, not at all, but something had pulled him, an unexplainable force tugging at his very core.
It was as though the three sisters of fate themselves had woven an unbreakable thread, a direct line leading him to her.
He remembered the eerie stillness of the forest that afternoon, the way the breeze had whispered through the trees as if urging him forward.
The lake had shimmered under the sun, its surface rippling faintly, but his eyes had been drawn to the pale figure floating just beneath the surface, even before he saw her, he felt her—an inexplicable connection, like gravity pulling him closer.
When he dove into the water, it wasn't just instinct; it was something more profound, it was as if he was given an order.
Lying there now, Samo traced the invisible thread that seemed to tether them, an undeniable bond that only grew stronger.
He exhaled softly, his chest tightening with emotions he wasn't ready to confront.
Closing his eyes, he let the rhythm of Katheryn's breathing lull him into sleep, his dreams filled with tangled threads of fate and a woman he couldn't seem to let go.