Kael spent weeks in the healer's house, and what started as a grudging visit gradually changed. The tranquil rhythm of life in the modest house gave him a weird comfort even if his body was beaten and secrets depressed his mind.
Under the careful treatment of the healer, Arin, still feeble, showed indications of recovery. Usually hovering close, Yue's keen eyes tracked every motion her father made while he prepared medications, changed bandages, or applied salves. Though her questions often contained an edge of resistance that Kael found strangely familiar, she was eager to learn, and her curiosity was unbounded.
At first, Yue's contacts with Kael were minimal, her mistrust clear in the way she avoided looking at him or spoke to him only when absolutely needed. But her mistrust eased over the next few days. She started to stay longer in his company, observing him with a mix of inquiry and caution.
For his part, Kael was unsure about her. Though Yue was fiercely independent and sharp-tongued, beyond her fiery façade, he could not quite identify someone. She seemed to carry traces of a recollection he could not completely understand, and it unsettled him.
——
One afternoon, Kael sat on the porch, gazing across the woodland. The healer had advised him to refrain from heavy exercise, yet sitting idle for so long made him agitated. Arriving with a wooden tray loaded with a steaming bowl of broth and a cup of tea was Yue. She put it next to him silently, then stopped before settling down a few feet away.
She broke the quiet and stated, "You're healing faster than I expected."
Surprised by the effort at communication, Kael looked at her. He said, "Your father is a competent healer."
Yue nodded and bent her legs towards her chest. He is. But he adds it's more than just his ability. You are distinct. more robust than most.
Kael turned aside and stiffened his jaw. I have had to be.
The weight in his voice stopped Yue. She watched him for a minute, her piercing eye softening. "Arin told me you both come from the Dark Sect," she remarked gently. "What's it like?"
Kael's hold on the bench's edge got more firm. "It's not a place anyone chooses to be," he replied straightforwardly. You survive, or you do not.
Yue wrinkled, the venom in his voice tempering her interest. Is that the reason you are here? To flourish?
Kael's gaze met hers, momentarily shattering the protective barriers he had constructed around himself. His voice low, he said, "I don't know why I'm here." But survival has always been the only thing I know.
The integrity in his comments startled Yue. She turned away, her face blank. She responded gently, "It doesn't have to be the only thing."
Kael answered nothing, yet her words stayed long after she had left.
——
As the days passed, Yue found herself drawn to Kael in unexpected ways. Though he was silent and usually sullen, she found a depth in him that fascinated her. During her free time, she started looking for him and asked enquiries about his travels, background, and the world outside their small town. Kael's responses were sometimes sharp, but over time, they began to reveal more as his defences gradually collapsed under Yue's relentless investigation.
One evening, as the sun sank below the horizon, Yue walked up to Kael carrying a little wooden box. She said, passing it to him, "I thought you might want this."
When Kael opened the box, he discovered a basic carving knife and a block of wood. Looking at her, he seemed perplexed.
"You always fix your eyes on the forest," Yue said. "I considered maybe you..." Not sure, might want to carve anything. When I get restless, it helps.
Kael's face relaxed, and for the first time a small smile pulled at his lips. "Thank you; your voice is quieter than usual."
Trying to hide her own astonishment at his thankfulness, Yue shrugged, Don't bring it up.
—/-
Arin's recuperation was slow but consistent; he frequently watched Kael and Yue's exchanges with a disinterested look. Arin leaned over to Kael, his voice quiet, one evening as Yue was helping her father make herbs.
She likes you, he added, grinning.
Kael cast a cautionary glance at him. "Don't start," says
Arin laughed and winced a little while changing his bandages. "I'm merely stating. She's different with you. thus softer. She lacked it, not something I expected.
Kael turned to see Yue giggling at something her father had said. Something he couldn't quite name—something he wasn't sure he wanted to name—peaked in his mind.
---
Kael stayed tormented by the shadows that had followed him in the forest, even with their developing close relationship. He dreamt of dark forms and whispered threats at night, their sounds like poison pouring into his brain. Often waking in a cold sweat, his body stiffened and his heart accelerated.
Yue came upon him seated on the porch one evening with his head in his hands. She walked softly and approached warily.
Sitting next to him, she asked, "Another nightmare?"
Kael first ignored her, staring at the ground. Lastly, he nodded. "They don't stop."
She paused, then rested a hand on his arm. "You are not alone," she remarked gently. "You don't have to face whatever you are facing by yourself."
Kael stared at her, his eyes full of a sensitivity he hardly displayed. "Thanks," he whispered, his voice barely audible above a whisper.
Kael sensed a flutter of something different than anxiety and suffering for the first time in as long as he could recall. Though thin and delicate, it was there. And it was plenty to keep him moving.