More Than You Know

“Partners?”

Lunarin nodded reluctantly and held out his hand. Rai smirked in satisfaction and took ahold. Her grip tightened as the ground beneath them started moving. Her eyes sparkled in excitement as the flat land they had been standing on fell away tumbling down in a steep slide. “Are you doing this?” Rai’s words were shouted and nearly lost in the rush of wind. He didn’t let go as they slid rapidly down heading towards a river. He tugged sharply and pulled her into the water letting the current carry them away as the landscape reformed around them.

She panicked in the water and thrashed about looking for a way out but his hand grabbed at the back of her shirt yanking her back. He held her above the water until they were a safe distance from the rockslide. He pulled her from the water and let her go. She gasped and he watched as it seemed steam was coming off of her. “Hey, are you ok?”

She glared at him. “I don’t swim.” 

Lunarin smiled. “Your parents didn’t teach you?”

Rai rolled her eyes at him, now completely dry. “What, on the lake of ice?” She stood and placed her hands on her hips, looking down at him playfully. “What’s it like to take forever to dry?”

“Lake of ice? As soon as you touch it, doesn’t it melt?” Lunarin stood and started gathering sticks to make a fire.

She watched him smiled wickedly as she started to light the sticks while he was carrying them. “It doesn’t work like that. Besides, Aemon was stronger than me. I’m lucky I was able to warm the room for mom and I.” 

Lunarin dropped his lit torches into a haphazard pile. “If you’re going to do that, can you collect the kindling then?” She shook her head no and he sighed, kicking the sticks together before she turned up the flames. 

“You know you didn’t have to collect anything right?” She plopped down close to the flames. Lunarin watched curiously, thankful that he was finally starting to dry. “I don’t need an object to burn…the fire can just exist.”

“Good to know.” Lunarin sat further back and warmed his hands. “I figure from here, the plan is  get to the castle and meet with the king.”

“Boring.” She flopped back into the sand and stared up at the clouds. “Do you think it’s weird we’re opposites?” She could feel Lunarin’s eyes move to her. “You have black eyes and golden hair and I have black hair and golden eyes. Spooky.” Lunarin smiled softly and remained silent. “You never answered me. Did you do that back there?”

Lunarin shrugged. “It was the quickest way down.”

“Bullshit.”

Lunarin laughed and stood, offering his hand to her once more. “I did, yes. Come on, we’ve got to get moving.”