The Thaw

Brone's P.O.V.

By the glory of Akhael, the cold season was showing signs of coming to an early end. It was just warm enough during the day to thaw the top layers of ice and snow, only to refreeze come nightfall. Snow had given way to rain, which transformed into sheets of ice over what was left of the blank powder, leaving the reflection of the morning sun blazing against the glossy surface at dawn.

Adira stood next to me, eyes alight with amusement as she watched the pups while they trampled through the snow and ice, oblivious to everything but nipping at each other and fighting over sticks, their pawprints cutting through the warm glow of the sun against the slick ground.

I wanted to wrap this moment up and carry it around with me so that I could open it and replay the way her nose wrinkled when she laughed. I found myself staring at her more as the days warmed, trying to burn her into my mind so deeply that I could recall every detail of her, even when she was gone.

‘Of course, maybe she doesn’t have to leave… her speech is good, but she could always do with some more practice before she goes. I should keep her-’ I froze at the thought, scowling at myself as I realized the turn my thoughts were taking.

‘Keep her here? Like she’s an animal? Akhael’s fire, she’s a woman! She hardly belongs out here on the mountain, less so with a wanted criminal!’

That’s right, I’d made up my mind already. We’d leave for Etaiel the following day- weather permitting- and I’d convince the innkeepers down below to house her in exchange for work. We couldn’t afford to stay up on the mountain forever, no matter how much I wanted to. Supplies were running low, and we were coming out of the cold season by the skin of our teeth, even with my hunting every day. The blighted in the area seemed to have run off or consumed most of the birds and game.

I glanced at Adira as she tumbled onto the ground, swarmed by eager pups,

‘It hasn’t been easy with the extra mouths to feed and canceling my last supply run. I’ve been tightening my belt… but she doesn’t need to know that. Just need to let her go. It’s better for both of us.’

As if sensing my thoughts had once again drifted to our upcoming trek to Etaiel, Adira gave me a worried look.

“You are so worried for going down?” She asked gently, her brows knitted together.

We’d had a few conversations about the journey down the mountain and the potential dangers we could face. I’d mentioned that going down could take as long as three days on account of the denser forest on the settlement-facing side of the mountain, how dangerous it could become should we run into blighted, and how we’d need to haul essentials on our backs in case we needed to abandon the sled in an emergency.

She’d listened intently and seemed determined not to make herself a burden. She even went as far as carefully crafting a pack for herself and rationing supplies for both of us, admittedly with a bit of direction from me, as she had never descended the mountain before.

What we hadn’t discussed was what would happen when we reached Etaiel. I’d avoided mentioning that she wouldn’t be returning with me; on her part, she seemed excited to meet new people. It would be selfish of me to ask her to come back with me.

“It’s nothing,” I dismissed, “Just thinking of how difficult it might be to keep track of the pups when we go down.”

She nodded sagely, her mouth splitting into a wry smile as she again glanced at the dogs.

“We will have to keep them close. Maybe tie them to Sila?” She joked.

I forced a smile, trying my best to push away the dark cloud of my thoughts, “Not a bad idea.”

Adira's P.O.V.

I fidgeted restlessly in the bed Brone had built for me in my room. My nerves were getting the better of me. I was both thrilled by the prospect of descending the mountain and terrified. Brone had made it no secret how dangerous the descent could be if we were to run into blighted, which had fortunately not happened since he and Romal had been attacked at the beginning of the cold season.

But it wasn’t just the potential of facing blighted creatures that made me nervous; what would the people of Etaiel be like? Were they like Brone? Kind and warm, if a bit rough around the edges? Or… would I come across more like the men who’d held me captive on that boat?

And then there was another matter that made sleep elude me: a recurring dream that left me equal parts puzzled and anxious. For weeks now, every night, I had visions of a white-haired man whose eyes seemed to follow me, warning me. But by dawn, when I woke up, the details always became fuzzy and left me with only a sense of urgency that I couldn’t quell.

I… didn’t tell Brone about that, however. He clearly had enough on his mind without my burdening him further over something as silly as a hazy nightmare.

Still, disregarding all of that, I was simply looking forward to getting this trip over with so that Brone and I could return up the mountain and resume business as usual. All this time together with only each other as company had taught us to collaborate well together, and I was becoming more adept at his language by the day. We seemed relatively in tune with one another, and I found myself wondering if it was just the fact that we were isolated together or if there was something more at play, though I never dared to voice it.

“Adira.” Brone’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I sat up in bed to see him leaning in the doorway of my room, studying me closely. “I can hear you tossing and turning from out here. Something on your mind?”

‘Now you’ve done it…’ I chastised myself mentally.

“Ah… it’s- I’m just a bit cold, is all…” I lied, trying not to give him any reason for concern. I’d seen it in his eyes over the last few weeks, how the upcoming journey seemed to weigh on him, and I couldn’t help but feel it was my fault. Why else would he be so distraught? He’d made this trek many times before- he’d told me he’d been living on this mountain for six years! It was because he felt responsible for me that he seemed so hesitant over the trip, I was sure of it, and I refused to burden him further.

Brone eyed me for a moment before approaching, his looming frame making the small room feel even smaller as he stood in front of me. I had to crane my neck to meet his gaze, something I seemed to have more and more trouble doing lately when caught in moments like this with him.

Memories of his shirtless body flooded my mind, and I couldn’t help but drop my eyes from his and focus on something, anything else. It was like I was afraid he was going to read my mind.

“You can take my bed… if you want. It’s next to the fire. I should have thought about that when I built this room for you…” Brone spoke after a moment, lowering his large body to sit next to me on my bed.

“Oh! Oh, no! You don’t have to do that!” I answered quickly, meeting his eyes again. “I-I’m fine, really! I like my room. Just, Sila or Romal are usually in bed with me, and they help keep me warm… but since Sila had her pups, I guess I haven’t had their body heat to help out.”

He let out a rough laugh at that, casting his gaze through the open door to look at the aforementioned hounds who seemed to be having trouble settling their four troublemakers.

“I see. I’m sure the lack of a hairy beast does make a difference.”

Brone seemed to pause for a moment, and like so many other times lately, I swore I could see something behind his eyes when he looked at me, but I’d yet to decipher what it was.

His hand reached up, calloused fingers brushing softly against my cheek, and I felt myself stop breathing, if only for a moment.

“Adira… let me just…” His voice faltered, and I couldn’t stop myself from looking down at his lips. The moment between us stretched, with nothing but the sound of our breathing and the crackling of the fire in the next room.

I bit down on my lower lip before feeling the pad of Brone’s thumb brush against the sensitive skin, tugging it free from between my teeth before soothing it with a gentle stroke.

“Don’t… don’t do that. You don’t know what it does to me.” He spoke again, his voice coming out lower than usual, hoarse with some charged emotion that felt heavy in the air between us.

I looked into his eyes once more, noticing for the first time just how close we were. His thigh was pressed against mine, his hand still cupping my face, and he seemed to have leaned down just enough that I could feel the ghost of his breath dancing across my skin as he spoke.

“Brone…” I said his name softly, unsure of what else to say. This, whatever this was that was happening, I didn’t want it to stop, but I didn’t know how to voice that. His name was the only word that would come out.

Something in the way he looked at me intensified, making my heart flutter, and the fire he seemed to set within me burned hotter until I was gripping at the blankets beneath my palms to try and ground myself.

“Say it again.” He rumbled, his hand on my cheek, moving to tangle his fingers in my hair and hold my head in place so that I couldn’t look away. “Say my name again, sweet fire. Like you mean it.”