After a few minutes, they reach the camp where the other hunters, Osvald and Trevent, are gathered. Osvald glances up first, his weathered face creasing with concern at their approach.
"I doubt a deer has you that worried," Osvald says, setting down his warm drink. "What happened out there?"
Eska exchanges a glance with Valen before heading into a tent with her arms still crossed.
Valen follows her with his eyes before speaking. "We ran into something… different. We were ambushed by a pair of blueish argalias, but not like the native ones. Their carapace is much tougher and they were much more aggressive."
Trevent stands as he listens, "Were they sick?"
Valen shakes his head. "Not sick. They didn't seem to struggle. We're not sure what it is. For now, treat it as a new threat. Eska was able to cut behind the legs to take it out of the fight. Keep that in mind if we run into another group."
Osvald glances toward Eska's tent before turning back to Valen. "Is she alright?"
Valen sighs, dragging a hand through his hair as he moves to the fire and sinks onto one of the logs. "I lost my temper after the fight," he admits.
The hunters exchange surprised glances. "Not to be rude, Valen, but it's been… unusual seeing you like this today," Osvald says, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "If anything, it's a bit amusing."
Valen frowns. "What part of this is amusing?"
Osvald chuckles lightly. "We've just never seen you like… this," he says, gesturing vaguely at Valen. "You've always been the serious one. I don't think I've ever seen you let anyone act the way Eska does around you, let alone be playful with someone."
"The way she acts around me?" Valen asks, his brow furrowing as he sits up straighter.
Osvald nods, his grin widening. "The way she nudged you at the Corps… Or how you tried to hide your laugh when she fumbled her way into the room earlier."
Valen's eyes widen slightly, his gaze dropping to the ground. He sits in silence, thoughts swirling as the hunters share knowing looks.
A few moments pass before Osvald shifts, as if to say more, but Valen finally speaks. "I've never lashed out like that," he murmurs, still staring at the ground. "Not even with trainees."
Osvald exchanges a glance with Trevent, who stands with a small, knowing smile and quietly heads to his tent.
Osvald steps closer, resting a firm hand on Valen's shoulder.
"You don't get that angry unless you care," he says simply before walking back to his tent, leaving Valen alone with his thoughts by the fire.
Valen sits by the fire, staring at the faint glow of Eska's tent against the darkened camp. The flames crackle softly, the only sound breaking the heavy silence.
His mind churns, replaying the fight over and over.
His hand drags through his hair, the weight of his frustration settling deep in his chest.
She had faced that argalia without hesitation, it was neutralized. What else was he looking for?
His gaze lingers on her tent. The flap is closed and it's silent inside. Is she asleep? Still angry? He frowns, his jaw tightening as he debates what to do. Maybe he should leave it, let her have space.
Then it hits him—he's still thinking about it, still turning it over in his mind. A memory surfaces, uninvited. Words spoken long ago. "If you have to think it over, aren't you doubting?"
The voice is clear, belonging to a tall woman, her angelic figure faint in the haze of recollection. She's speaking to a child—him, years ago.
Pushing to his feet, he crosses the camp with slow steps. He stops in front of her tent, staring at the closed flap.
For a moment, he hesitates, his hand hovering near it. What if she doesn't want to hear him? What if she shuts him out? He takes a steadying breath and clears his throat softly.
"Eska," he calls, his voice low but firm. "It's me. Can I come in? I… I need to talk to you."
There's a long pause and the silence feels almost unbearable. Then, finally, her voice comes from inside, quiet but audible. "Come in."
Valen ducks into the tent, the faint light of her lantern casting warm shadows on the fabric walls.
Eska sits cross-legged on her bedroll. Her yellow eyes meet his, unreadable and guarded. For a moment, he feels unsteady, his usual composure shaken.
"I…" He starts, falters, then forces himself to meet her gaze. "I came to apologize. For earlier. I was out of line and I shouldn't have—" He exhales sharply, shaking his head. "You didn't deserve that."
Eska watches him in silence, her expression softening just slightly. When she doesn't interrupt, he continues, the words spilling out. "You were right to do what you did. You handled it and you did it well. I'm sorry."
Eska's gaze softens but drops, avoiding him again. "You don't have to keep apologizing, Valen." She says with a gentle voice. "I get what you meant—"
"No, it's not that, I—" Valen pauses, his frustration flickering in his eyes. Finally, he sighs and relents, his voice quieter. "I was worried."
Eska tilts her head, her yellow eyes soft as they meet his. "Worried?" she repeats, no judgment in her tone, only curiosity.
Valen's gaze drops to the ground, the words catching in his throat. "It's… difficult to explain," he admits, his jaw tightening. After a moment, he straightens slightly and forces the words out. "But you need to know—I do trust you. I want you to understand that."
For a heartbeat, Eska says nothing and the weight of her silence feels like a vise closing around him.
Then she stands and takes a small step forward. Her voice is softer now. "It's okay, Valen. I get it. You're used to making sure everything goes right. But I'm not a trainee and I'm not helpless."
She moves closer, stopping just a foot away, forcing Valen to look down into her face. Her brows knit together as she studies him, her voice tightening with emotion. "Do you know how scared I was?"
Valen's head jerks up, surprise flashing across his face. "Scared?" he echoes, his voice quieter now.
Her eyes glimmer and she nods, her voice trembling as she continues. "Last time I broke my run-away rule, I woke up in the city's infirmary. I was barely alive, surrounded by strangers, with the constant threat that I'd die at any moment—and that I'd never see mom again."
The raw fear in her expression hits him like a punch to the chest.
He opens his mouth to respond, but nothing comes out. The weight of her words—and the pain behind them—holds him still.
Eska takes a shaky breath, her arms crossing over her chest as if to shield herself from the memory. "So, yeah, I was scared out there. But I still did what needed to be done and I'll do it again as many times as it takes."
Her gaze locks on his and for the first time, Valen feels the depth of her resolve—and the vulnerability she rarely lets show.
"I just need you to believe in me," she says, her voice trembling slightly as she speaks. She turns her head, her gaze falling to the side as if the light is suddenly too bright. Her yellow eyes glimmer, barely visible beneath her lashes, as she adds in a quieter tone, "That's all."
Before Valen can even think, his body reacts. He steps forward, closing the small distance between them and his arms wrap around her in an almost instinctive motion.
The embrace is firm but not forceful, as though he's trying to shield her from her own words.
Eska stiffens for a brief moment, clearly caught off guard.
Then, slowly, she begins to relax. Her tense shoulders ease as the initial surprise fades. Her arms remain crossed, caught between them but she doesn't pull away.
Instead, her head leans slightly against his chest and a quiet, shuddering sob escapes her lips.
For the first time in what feels like forever, Eska lets her walls crack, her quiet sobs filling the space between them.
Valen doesn't move, doesn't say a word.
He just holds her, as Eska's quiet sobs shake against him. The minutes stretch, the sound of her muffled cries mixing with the faint crackle of the fire outside.
He doesn't rush her, doesn't try to fill the silence with empty words. He simply stays there, anchoring her in the storm.
Eventually, her trembling slows, her breathing steadies and she shifts slightly, pulling back.
Her red-rimmed and shining eyes avoid his, as she wipes at her face with a quick swipe of her sleeve.
Valen blinks, the weight of what just happened settling over him. He hadn't planned for this, hadn't expected her to trust him enough to break like this in front of him.
The realization leaves him still, unsure of what to say, but certain he's just witnessed something far deeper than words.