Chapter 1: I knew you in another life. You had that same look in your eyes.
Notes:
Chapter title from: Billie Eilish - BIRDS OF A FEATHER
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
It was early in the morning, the sun slowly rising above the horizon, and she and Lan were working on sword forms.
Artoria was dressed in a loose white linen shirt and a pair of black pants rolled up to her knees, with nothing on her feet. She found that she could balance better when she didn’t have anything on her feet.
With a sigh, Artoria thought about how much had changed since she left the Two Rivers a few months ago.
Trollocs attacking, Shadar Logoth, Darkfriends chasing them, Tar Valon, Fal Dara, finding out she could channel, the Eye of the World, and then finding out she wasn’t channeling correctly the entire time, and it was making her sick.
Moiraine had to rush to find an Aes Sedai to heal her because she couldn’t touch the True Source after the Eye of the World.
Artoria’s just glad they’ve found Verin in time; with a shiver going down her back, she remembered in great detail how Verin described the channeling sickness. It sounded like a terrible way to die.
Thankfully, she has been learning how to properly channel, especially since she didn’t want to go to the White Tower to learn. The White Tower will use you, just like they’ve done with every False Dragon. A voice in her mind said, and she pushed it to the back of her mind. She didn’t want to think about that.
It’s been a little difficult for Moiraine to show her, but with trial and error, she’s been making it work. Verin was helping her when she had the time, too. She even said she was a quick study.
If she was prancing around the house for a few days after Verin said that, well, that was between her and the Creator.
The real surprise, if you asked Artoria, was finding out she was the Dragon Reborn. The one prophesied to destroy the world or remake it.
Depending on the Karaethon Cycle translations, it was both. Artoria couldn’t hold in the snort at that thought, and she ignored the questioning look Lan sent her.
She continued swinging her practice sword that Lan had gifted her. It was shaped like a true sword but was made of bundled wood laths, and the laths were bound with cloth.
Artoria is knocked out of her thoughts by a practice sword hitting her in the back of the head.
“Ouch,” Artoria hissed, lifting her hand to rub at the back of her head. “What was that for?” She asked as she turned around to look at Lan and saw him lowering the practice sword.
She could’ve sworn she saw a slight indent on the practice sword, where it hit her in the head, but she was going to ignore that.
“It’s not good to get distracted when using swords, even practice ones,” Lan said and began lifting the practice sword back up, and attacked Artoria with a blur of speed. “What has you so distracted?”
“What makes you think I was distracted?” Artoria asked and countered, swatting his sword away barely before she tried to make a counterstrike that Lan had no problem deflecting.
“You should’ve been able to sense the change in the wind,” Lan replied before he suddenly picked up speed, raised his sword, and smacked it down hard on Artoria’s hand. “And you should’ve been able to block that.”
Artoria hissed as Lan’s practice sword came down onto her hand hard, making her drop the sword. She could feel her hand throbbing. Grabbing her hand, she saw that it was already starting to swell up.
She flexed her hand and inhaled sharply at the pain shooting through her body from the motion.
“You can talk to me,” Lan sighed before he reached over and checked Artoria’s hand. “I know you haven’t been sleeping well lately.”
Artoria couldn’t help the grimace on her face, which she quickly tried to smooth out. But she knew Lan saw it; he never missed anything.
But this wasn’t something she wanted to talk about, especially not with Lan.
As long as she could remember, she’s had weird dreams, but since the Eye of the World, it has gotten worse.
They’ve gotten more bloody. She’s seen battles, seen buildings touch the skies, seen those buildings burn, watched cities fall into the Shadow, and watched as she killed people with the One Power. Over and over again. It was on repeat in her mind.
There has only been one salvation in her dreams: a woman. She could only make out her beautiful green eyes, but it was enough to keep her anchored, even when the dreams crashed into her.
“I-” Artoria stuttered before she cleared her throat. “I don’t want to talk about it.” She looked up at Lan and saw the understanding in his eyes before she hurriedly looked away from his knowing stare and looked down at her hand. It was still throbbing.
“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to,” Lan said, his voice neutral. He started analyzing her hand. “Keep your hand elevated. It should bring down the swelling.”
Lan patted her shoulder a few times before he dropped her hand, stepped away, reached down to grab Artoria’s practice sword, and pointed the hilt in her direction. “You should go and freshen up and head to your lessons with Moiraine before you’re late.”
“What?” Artoria's head snapped up towards the sun, her eyes widening in shock when she saw the position of the sun.
“Thanks, Lan,” Artoria muttered before she snatched the practice sword out of Lan’s hands and took off running. Maybe if she were quick enough, she wouldn’t be late.
⋆༺☽༻⋆
Artoria was, in fact, not quick enough. She tried using the One Power to direct water from the well outside into the tub and kept dropping it instead.
So here she was, late, trying to fix the wrinkles in her blue linen shirt, knocking on Moiraine’s door, and waiting for her permission to enter.
“Come in,” Moiraine called out, her voice muffled by the door.
Opening the door and walking in, she saw Moiraine sitting at her desk in the middle of the room, reading a parchment. ‘ Probably from one of her informants.’ Artoria mused to herself.
“You’re late,” Moiraine said, not looking up from her piece of paper.
“Yeah, I know,” Artoria grimaced before she walked over to the table and plopped down in a chair across from Moiraine.
Moiraine hummed and continued reading the parchment, still not sparing a look at Artoria.
Artoria got bored just looking at Moiraine reading and started looking around the room. It was a simple room, with bookshelves lining the walls and a large table in the middle of the room filled with countless books and scrolls. There were two large windows directly behind Moiraine, bringing in natural light.
Done with her analysis of the room, she looked back at Moiraine just to see her reading a different note now. ‘ Is Moiraine ignoring me? That’s rude.’
Artoria looked down at the table and picked up the book closest to her, reading the title, ‘The Forsaken. Written by Santhra.’ Intrigued, she opened the book and flipped to a random page.
Reading the title of the page she landed on, ‘Lanfear: Daughter of the Night.’ Before she could read any more, Moiraine started talking.
“Have you finished reading the books Verin gave you?” Moiraine asked, placing the piece of parchment in her hand onto the table, her blue eyes taking on an icy glint as she stared at the book in Artoria’s hands.
“I have,” Artoria confirmed before she closed the book and placed the book back on the table, giving Moiraine her full attention.
The books Verin gave her were about the Trolloc War, the Aiel War, the history of famous Aes Sedai, and some theories on how the One Power worked.
“Good.” Moiraine nodded her head and reached over, grabbed the book that Artoria was just reading, and placed it on her side of the table.
Artoria frowned at Moiraine. She had a feeling Moiraine would’ve snatched the book straight out of her hands if she were still holding it.
Staring at Moiraine, there was a serene expression on her face like nothing was bothering her at all, but if Artoria squinted hard enough, she thought she could see a bead of sweat going down her temple.
“I have nothing to teach you today,” Moiraine said softly, her tone light, but Artoria was sure she could sense an undercurrent of wariness. “Go and ask Verin if she needs any help.”
“Alright,” Artoria said, confusion clear in her voice. Her eyebrows furrowed as she studied Moiraine’s face, hoping she would get anything else from her, but Moiraine had her full attention back on another parchment.
Sighing, she stood up, dusted nonexistent dust off her clothes, and walked out of the room, looking to find Verin.
⋆༺☽༻⋆
The first place Artoria looked for Verin was the library, and she wasn’t surprised when she found her in there, organizing the books and placing them in the correct spot on the shelf.
Verin looked over at her when she heard her footsteps as she walked into the library.
“What are you doing here in the library?” Verin asked as she placed another book onto the shelf.
“Moiraine told me to ask you if you needed help with anything,” Artoria responded. She looked at the pile of books Verin was putting away, “and it appears you do need my help.”
“You don’t have to help me, dear.” Verin laughed softly. She looked at the piles of books on the table. “But I won’t say no to someone offering help, if I did, I might be here all day.”
“It won’t be a problem.” Artoria picked up a few books and walked towards one of the bookshelves. Reading the spine of a book, she found the correct spot for it and placed it on the shelf.
As they continued placing the books into the right spot, Verin asked a question: “Have you been practicing with Saidar?”
“Somewhat,” Artoria responded, walking back over to the table to grab more books. They’ve made decent progress so far.
She thought Moiraine and Verin didn’t want her to use the power without their supervision, but the more she thought about it, Verin had never given her that impression. “I thought it wasn’t good to practice with the One Power unless there was supervision.” Artoria pondered out loud, wanting to see Verin’s response.
“We’re not in the White Tower. You can channel whenever you want to.” Verin shook her head, laughing softly. She turned her head in Artoria’s direction. “It’s good for you to familiarize yourself with your power, and I imagine you know better than to burn yourself out.”
“I see,” Artoria winced, her mind going back to channeling sickness. She didn’t want a repeat of that.
“With how much power you have flowing through you, it wouldn’t hurt,” Verin whispered in a low voice, but with it only being them inside the library, Artoria heard her.
Artoria could feel her mouth going dry; she had a feeling she wasn’t going to like where this conversation was going.
Verin had a distant look on her face, like she was staring at something in the distance that Artoria couldn’t see. “You’re the strongest channeler I’ve seen in my entire life, and I imagine the White Tower hasn’t and will never see anyone as strong as you.” She turned to look at Artoria, the distant look still on her face, but her eyes were sharp, boring into Artoria’s soul. “Try not to lose yourself in the power and expectations it places on you, remember who you are.”
Turns out Artoria was right, she didn’t like where this conversation turned. “I-” Artoria swallowed, gripping the book in her hands hard. She cleared her throat and straightened up. “I’ll take your words to heart.” She bowed, placing one hand on her heart. “Thank you, Verin Sedai. You’ve helped me a lot since we arrived, and I couldn’t thank you enough for that.”
“None of that now.” Verin reached out and placed a hand on Artoria’s shoulder. “Just remember those words, and everything will be alright.” She gave Artoria a grandmotherly smile and gave Artoria’s shoulder a gentle squeeze before she dropped her hand. “Now, let’s continue placing the books on the shelf. They won’t place themselves.”
It was around lunchtime when they were finished. Verin’s warder, Tomas, came in a little bit after their talk and helped them finish it up. With three people, it didn’t take them long to finish.
They were outside now, sitting down, waiting for Lan, Moiraine, and Verin’s sister Adeleas to join them for lunch.
Verin was reading a book and muttering to herself every so often. Tomas was setting the table up for lunch, and when Artoria tried to help him, he shooed her away and told her to sit down.
Now here she was, sitting down. With her eyes closed, she leaned back in her chair. Artoria could feel the cool air blowing through her loose copper-red hair, the trees rustling, birds chirping, and the feel of her skin soaking in the sun. She could feel her muscles untensing and becoming jelly.
Artoria could hear Adelas footsteps coming near them, but she still didn’t open her eyes. She heard her sit down and strike up a conversation with Verin.
“Now, smoking the fish is the best way to cook trout,” Adelas said, grabbing a piece of trout and placing it onto her plate.
“What about pan-fried trout?” Verin asked her sister with a small laugh. “I remember you enjoying how they cooked their fish in Medo.”
At the name of the town, she could feel something in the back of her head nudge her, pulling strings for her to pay attention.
“Medo?” Artoria questioned as she opened her eyes, giving the sisters her full attention. The nudge in the back of her mind became even more intense. She turned to Verin and asked, “Where is it located? What kind of village is it?”
“To the west of Tifan’s Well,” Verin said, a small smile stretched across her face. “It’s a small village, but it acts as a trading port for the city of Fal Moran.”
Adelas, not liking the rapid questions, narrowed her eyes at Artoria. “Why do you ask?”
“Sister, she’s just curious,” Verin chastised her sister, her small smile fading.
“Verin is right,” Artoria laughed and sent a lopsided grin Adelas way. “I just want to know more about the world around me.”
Artoria wanted to see the village badly now. The nudge was still there, but not as intense as earlier. Something was nudging her in that direction, and she was going to find out what.
Tonight, she will sneak out of the house and make the trip to Medo.
⋆༺☽༻⋆
It was the hour of the bat, and the moon was hanging low when Artoria snuck out of her window. She waited until after dinner when she thought everyone was asleep.
Artoria was going for a stealthy look tonight. A well-fitted black high-collar coat, which she left unbuttoned, with a white linen undershirt, a pair of black pants, and a black wool cloak.
As she looked down, she saw there was a drop, but she was so used to climbing the cliffs in the Mountains of Mist that she knew she would be fine.
I should’ve put the cloak on when I was already down. Artoria thought when she slipped for the second time on her cloak. She quickly grabbed hold of the wall.
Turns out she wasn’t fine; on the third slip, she lost her footing and fell hard onto the ground.
Artoria just lay there on the ground for a little bit, trying to catch her breath that had been knocked out of her. Her sword wasn’t helping matters either; it kept on poking her in the back. She rolled over and groaned into the grass. Pain was shooting through her back, and every time she slightly inhaled, it shot even more through her.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Artoria muttered quietly to herself when she saw light coming from inside Verin’s window.
Staring hard at Verin’s window, she slowly raised herself to her feet, but she didn’t stand up to her full height; she ignored the pain that shot through her back. She had already wasted too much time.
Tip-toeing in the direction of the stables, which were beside the house. She didn’t fully rise to her full height until she was sure Verin wouldn’t see her if she looked out the window.
When she arrived, she went to the stall where Red, her tall bay stallion, was located. As she walked in, though, he started neighing loudly, his ears folded back. She must’ve spooked him with the frantic energy she was radiating off in waves.
“Shh,” Artoria shushed Red. She reached out and gently placed her right hand on his mane and started patting. He gave a soft, low nicker once he was calmed down. “I’m sorry for spooking you, cal. ”
Walking over to Red’s saddle, which was lying inside his stall, Artoria hefted the saddle up, her back shouting in protest, and walked back to the horse. “I’m trying to sneak into the town next over, so it would be nice if you kept the noise down until we’re out of sight of the house.” She whispered as she placed the saddle pad first. Before she gently placed the saddle on top of the pad, she checked to make sure it was centered.
Red lifted his front left hoof and tapped her leg. “I’ll take that as a yes,” Artoria whispered with a grin as she fastened the girth, making sure it was snug but not too tight to hurt Red.
Artoria looked over at Aldieb in the stall next to Red, and she could’ve sworn Moiraine’s horse was giving her a sidelong look, almost in mirror to the ones she’s had Moiraine send her way. She couldn’t hold in a low laugh at the sight. Shaking her head, she grabbed hold of Red’s reins and started leading him out of the stable.
Leaving the house property and making her way through Tifan’s Well, it was a quiet night. Not too many people were walking through the small village tonight. The only inn in the small village looked to be busy, but that was to be expected.
Artoria finally hopped onto Red’s saddle once they were at the edge of town and got onto the main road, knowing it would lead her to Medo.
The nudge was slowly turning into a pull the closer she got to the village.
As she trotted on the main road, the trees surrounding the road meant it wasn’t illuminated that well. The moon was only half full tonight.
Artoria reached for Saidar and surrendered to a light of a thousand suns. With a flow of fire, she created a ball of fire that swirled above her head to help illuminate the path ahead.
Trotting along the road at night was an interesting experience, especially with no one beside her. It took her back to when she and Mat were traveling to Tar Valon by themselves after everyone got separated in Shadar Logoth.
At the thought of Mat, she could feel a knot rise in the back of her throat. She missed him; if she was honest, she missed them all. They were her family.
Artoria knew Nynaeve and Egwene were doing all right in the White Tower from the letters they sent her. The same could be said about Perrin because of the notes he sent them as well. But Mat? She had no idea.
Coming up to the bridge that leads across the river Mora, she forcefully shook her head. It wouldn’t be good to get distracted while traveling; all she could do was hope she would see them all again.
Once it was in her sights, she nearly fell off Red’s saddle because of the ramp-up in intensity of the pull.
Now that it was in her sights, she severed her connection to Saidar. She watched as the ball of fire fizzled out into nothing. It wouldn’t be needed anymore.
Trying to get a good look at the village, she squinted her eyes, but it wasn’t helping much. She couldn’t get a good look at the village from this distance. She sighed and directed Red to continue trotting.
⋆༺☽༻⋆
Making it into Medo, and finally getting a good look at the village. It reminded her of home. She wasn’t sure why; there were no comparisons to Emond’s Field. Medo was even a tad bit larger than Emond’s Field.
There were wooden houses everywhere, and the streets were lit by countless torches. Two stone docks jutted out into the River Mora, and ships surrounded the docks.
The streets were busy, with people moving around, even this late at night. She could see people moving in and out of inns and taverns.
Overall, an interesting experience so far.
Finding a stable, she walked to it and saw a stableboy sweeping hay out of an empty stall.
“Is there an open stall that I can place my horse in?” Artoria asked when she was close enough. “I can pay.”
“Of course.” The stableboy's eyes started gleaming when he heard the word pay. “Here, let me show you an empty stall for him.”
The stableboy walked towards an empty stall on the far left and stepped inside. Artoria followed him, pulling on Red’s reins.
Walking into the stall, she feels some resistance from Red. She turned around, and she could see from his swishing tail, flared nostrils, tense muscles, and reluctance to move forward that he didn’t want to be left in some random stable.
“Hey,” Artoria reached out and patted his mane. “I won’t be gone for long, I promise.”
Artoria could see Red’s nostrils becoming relaxed and his head lowered. Once he calmed down, she handed Red’s reins to the stableboy who was standing inside the stall expectantly.
The stableboy reached out and grabbed the reins with some reluctance, and with some awkwardness, he said, “He will be fine here.”
“Thank you,” Artoria said and began searching her pockets for her coin purse. Finding her purse, she opened it, reached in, grabbed a few silver marks, and handed them to the stableboy. With a small grin, she said, “This should be enough.”
Ignoring the stableboy stammering, she walked out of the stall and back to the main road.
Standing in the middle of the street, ignoring all the people walking around her. She closed her eyes and fell into the void. Letting the steady glow of Saidar in the darkness ground her.
As always, she could feel the pull of Saidar a lot harder to resist when she was in the void. With a great deal of willpower, she forced herself not to draw on the power.
Instead, she started listening to the other pull at the back of her mind and started walking. Letting it guide her steps.
Artoria was so lost in the pull that she didn’t even realize she made it to the location where the pull was coming from until she walked right into a door face-first, nearly falling onto the ground in the process.
“Blood and ashes,” Artoria cursed and reached for the wall so she could lean on it. She rubbed at her forehead as she was leaning on the wall. She could feel a bump rising.
She felt the hair on the back of her neck standing on end from all the stares she was getting. She tried to ignore it and focused on the pull instead. It was coming from inside this building.
Whatever this building was , Artoria thought and looked up, and she saw a sign above her head. There was a white half-moon, and underneath the moon, she read ‘The Half Moon Inn’ in white lettering, on a piece of wood painted in black.
The pull was becoming insistent, she was at the right location. “An inn?” Artoria questioned in a low voice, dusted nonexistent dust off her clothes, and started adjusting her coat. Hoping to look presentable.
Still ignoring the stares, she opened the door and walked into the common room. It was a large room with wooden benches filled with people placed throughout the room. In the center, attached to the ceiling, she could see a chandelier of candles, lighting up the entire room.
Artoria spotted a fireplace aligned with the left wall, with two windows framing it on both sides. Looking to the right, she saw a set of steps that must have led upstairs, and to the left of the steps, a counter where a beautiful woman with hair as dark as the night that fell past her shoulders was standing behind.
The woman was looking at something on the counter, but at the sound of the door opening, she looked up and locked eyes with her.
Artoria forgot all about the pull once their eyes locked, her breath hitching. She knew those eyes, but she couldn’t place where she knew them from. But she would know those eyes anywhere. Almost like it was an integral part of who she was.
Needing to be closer to the woman, she walked to the counter.
As she got closer, she got a better look at the woman. She was beautiful, that’s all Artoria could think of. Her eyes had to be the most lovely shade of green she’d ever seen in her life. They reminded her of sunlight through the trees, two of her favorite things coming together.
Artoria could see that the woman's eyebrows were knitted, she had an intense look in her eyes, and it was almost like she was searching for something in Artoria. Something Artoria wasn’t sure she could give her.
After a while, the intense look in the woman’s eyes slowly faded, leaving behind a look of loss. ”I see,” the woman whispered in a low tone. Her eyes had hints of glossiness, but when the woman blinked, it was gone.
The woman noticed that Artoria was just standing there, rocking back and forth on her feet. “Sit, please,” She gestured to the wooden stools in front of the counter. “Could I get you something?”
Taking a seat, she was surprised by how comfortable the stool was. “Um, Sure.” Artoria sent the woman a half smile. Trying to shake the familiarity that was rushing through her by being in this woman’s presence. “You can choose.”
The woman smiled and started fixing Artoria a drink. She grabbed a pitcher of something that was under the counter, grabbed a mug, and started pouring.
Placing her elbows onto the counter, Artoria still couldn’t shake the familiarity away. “Have we met before?” She asked the woman, and she could see the woman pause for a moment before she continued pouring the drink.
A hint of amusement was clear in her eyes as she placed the mug in front of Artoria. “Not in this life,” The woman said, her mouth curved into a smile, her hand lingering near Artoria’s before she moved it away.
Artoria raised an eyebrow. In this life? That was interesting wording, she couldn’t tell if the woman was joking or not, either.
Having a feeling she wouldn’t get a straight answer, she sighed and reached for the mug, taking a sip. The drink had a sweet taste to it, and she could barely taste any of the alcohol. It was not something she would normally go for, but overall, she was enjoying it.
“Do you like it?” The woman asked, her eyes flickering around Artoria’s face.
Artoria placed the mug back onto the counter. “It’s not something I’ll normally drink, but overall it’s not bad.”
“I’m glad you like it.” The woman grinned, and the corners of her eyes crinkled.
Artoria could feel her heart start to beat quickly. “Well,” Placing her chin into her palm, she studied the woman, taking in the sparkle of mischief in her eyes. “Could I get a name?”
The woman opened her mouth and was about to answer, but she closed her mouth and sighed. “Selene.”
“Selene,” Artoria tested. “It’s a beautiful name. Like the moon, right?”
Selene raised an eyebrow, her eyes flickering with an unknown emotion. “I’m surprised you know what it means. I thought the meaning was lost to history.”
Artoria opened her mouth, but she suddenly shut it. What did Selene mean by lost to history? She thought and then frowned. That’s the only way I could’ve learned what it meant. Before she could think any longer about it, she felt Selene’s hand on hers, sending an electric current through her.
Selene was gazing at their hands with a small smile. “Could I get the pleasure of knowing your name as well?” Selene asked and looked back up to stare into Artoria’s grey eyes. “It’s only right.”
“Artoria.” She answered with a small smile, staring deep into Selene’s eyes, feeling her heart up in an intensity of pumping blood.
Selene shook her head with a small laugh and squeezed Artoria’s hand. “I wish I could say your name had a beautiful meaning, but unfortunately, it does not.”
“Wait.” Artoria frowned at Selene. “What do you mean?”
“Your name means bear-like.”
Artoria takes her hand out of Selene’s to groan into her hands. “Seriously?”
“It’s not that bad,” Selene said, but Artoria could hear a small chuckle as she patted Artoria’s shoulder. “It has other meanings too.”
“I don’t want to hear them.” Artoria groaned, peeking through her fingers to stare at Selene. She could see the amusement all over Selene’s face; her eyes were sparkling with it.
“If you say so.” Selene laughed, reached out, and pried Artoria’s hands away from her face. She didn't let the hands go, but she kept her grip loose enough that if Artoria wanted, she could free her hands. “Weird meaning or not, it’s still a beautiful name.”
Artoria swallowed hard, she wanted to continue hearing that laugh. It wasn’t a want, it was a need. She corrected. “Thank you.”
Artoria got lost in Selene’s eyes before suddenly she heard a loud crash behind her, releasing her from the moment. Turning around, she saw it was a drunk man falling onto the ground and dropping his mug in the process.
Selene, with a tight-lipped smile, stared at the man with a hard look in her eyes. The man, sensing the stare, scurried away.
“Is this your inn?” Artoria asked as she watched Selene raise her hand to one of the barmaids, and the barmaid rushed to start cleaning up the mess.
Selene snorted and picked up Artoria’s mug and downed it. “Unfortunately so.”
“That bad?” Artoria asked as she licked her lips, watching as Selene completely drained the drink.
“Only sometimes.” Selene sighed before she placed Artoria’s mug on the counter. It was empty.
Selene’s eyes burned with emotions, and the corner of her mouth lifted. “Do you want some more?” She gestured to Artoria’s mug.
“Sure.” Artoria smiled widely as she watched Selene lift the pitcher with her supple hands and start pouring into the mug. Selene finished pouring and raised the mug, and took a drink.
Artoria felt heat rise through her as her gaze was hyper-focused on Selene’s throat as she swallowed down the drink.
Catching what she was doing, she cleared her throat and smoothed her face out. Light, I’m acting wool-headed, but it was hard to control herself around this woman. It must be the familiarity I’m feeling that was causing this. Nothing else.
“I’ve been meaning to ask,” Selene said over the mug before she took another mouthful. After she was finished, she placed the mug down and asked, “Is that a bruise on your forehead?”
“What?” Artoria’s eyes widened, and she reached up to her forehead, and sure enough, there was a bump. One that still hurts, she thought as she felt pain rush through her, and she pulled her hand away with a hiss.
Once again, she was so caught up in Selene that she forgot something. She had a feeling this would become a common theme around her.
“Let me see,” Selene offered softly. She gently reached up to grab Artoria’s face and moved her face closer to study the bruise. Her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. “How did this happen?”
“I may or may not have walked into your inn’s front door.” Artoria coughed and scratched the back of her neck. She flushed in embarrassment when she heard Selene’s laugh.
“You’re a clumsy one, aren’t you?” Selene joked with a small smile on her face. “I have a salve I can rub on it. Let me go grab it.”
“You don’t have to,” Artoria stumbled over her words, but was quickly stopped by Selene’s hand on her face, tightening.
“Nonsense.” Selene stared deep into Artoria’s eyes. “Let me help you.”
Staring deeply into each other’s eyes, Artoria could see the sincerity in Selene’s eyes, so she caved in. “Okay.”
Artoria watched as Selene stood up and walked around the counter towards the steps. She could finally get a good look at what Selene was wearing. She was wearing a light blue dress with silver half-moons covering the entire dress. It looked to be made of silk.
Watching Selene take the last few steps and disappear. Artoria turned back to her mug and watched the swirling contents inside the mug until she felt someone sit down next to her.
Artoria turned to look at who sat down next to her, and she saw a dark-haired man dressed in simple clothes. He was currently eyeing her up and down, and she could see the interest in those brown eyes.
The wrong color. They weren’t green. Artoria thought. Shaking her head with a groan, she could feel irritation slowly rise through her. “Could you not?”
“I haven’t said anything,” the man laughed, still eyeing her up. He was looking at her like she was a piece of meat.
“You didn’t have to.” Artoria retorted. She raised her mug and took a drink, hoping the taste would distract her.
The man, not taking the hint, leaned in closer. “But I could make it worthwhile.”
Artoria clenched her jaw and slammed her mug onto the counter. She stood up from the stool and turned to stare at the man. She could see his entire demeanor slowly change when he saw how tall she was and finally got a good look at her eyes.
“You’re an-” The man stammered, but Artoria was done listening to him.
She could feel Saidar calling out to her, begging her to let it in. She listened and drew fire from one of the nearby candles, directing the flows of fire into threads swirling around her. Before she could make use of it, she felt a hand on her back. A familiar touch, she leaned into it.
“You heard the lady.” Selene sneered, her jaw clenched tightly, and her eyes blazing with anger. “She’s not interested.”
The man had already started backing away, he must’ve felt a prickle on his skin when she started channeling, and at the sound of Selene’s voice, he was bumping into tables to get out of the inn.
They ignored the bumbling man entirely, instead staring at each other. Green meeting grey.
Artoria noticed now that they were both standing that she was a little bit taller than Selene.
Watching as threads of fire started reaching out for Selene, when they reached her, they started swirling around her, almost in harmony. One flow splits from the rest and caresses Selene’s face. Artoria could see Selene shiver, and the hand on her back tightened. Selene must’ve been cold.
Artoria didn’t want to release her hold on the source, but she knew it wasn’t good for her to hold onto Saidar for too long, or so Moiraine kept on telling her. The feel of the source was hard to step away from, but with some difficulty, she slowly released her hold.
As Artoria watched the threads flowing around Selene like water, she concluded that she liked seeing the source surround Selene. It fit her, almost like it belonged. But all great things must come to an end, so as the threads started to fizzle out, she mourned their loss.
Selene inhaled sharply, and suddenly she was pulling Artoria towards the steps. “Let’s head upstairs,” Selene said. “So I can help you with that bruise in peace.”
Selene still had Artoria’s hands in hers as she went up the stairs, so up Artoria went. Following her like the sun and the moon follow each other in their orbits. Always reaching out for one another.
At the top of the stairs, there were long hallways on both sides. With countless doors leading to rooms. Selene went right and started walking towards the door at the end of the hallway.
Making it to the door, she opened it and stepped in. Not before she pulled on Artoria’s hands, dragging her in.
It was a cozy room, but Artoria couldn’t see much of Selene’s personality in the room.
There was a big bed in the middle of the room, leaning up against the wall with black covers. A window in the wall, next to which the bed was placed, brought in moonlight. She could see two wooden bookshelves, filled with books, surrounding the right wall, with a window in between them.
There was a table sitting in the left corner of the room, with a few chairs around it. That was sporting a tray of candles, and Artoria couldn’t hold in a smile when she spotted half-moons on the candles.
To her right, by the door, she saw a soft grey couch with a small table in front of it. “Sit,” Selene demanded, pushing Artoria’s shoulders in the direction of the couch.
Artoria, before she sat down, unfastened her cloak and removed it from her shoulders. She folded the cloak and placed it on the back of the couch. Unbuckling the front straps of her sword scabbard that was around her chest, she grabbed her sword and gently leaned it against the table in front of the couch. She could feel Selene’s stare on her the entire time before she moved over to the table in the corner to grab what she needed.
Finally sitting down, she couldn’t help but lean back fully into the couch. It felt like she was falling back into a cloud. She watched as Selene grabbed stuff off the table, but she couldn’t get a good look at what.
Selene made her way back over to the couch and placed the items she acquired on the small table in front of the couch. She sat down right beside Artoria on the couch.
Artoria could feel their legs brushing, and feeling Selene’s body warmth, a shiver went down her spine.
Selene had a container in her hand, and she began to unscrew the lid. An earthy smell emanated from the container as soon as the lid was lifted. She dipped her left hand into the container and, with her right, gently grabbed Artoria’s face.
Artoria couldn’t help but lean into the feel of Selene’s hand on her face. Her touch was soft, and her skin was smooth.
“This should help,” Selene muttered, her eyebrows furrowed as she concentrated on her task. She placed her salve-covered fingers softly on the bruise.
As soon as the salve was placed on the bruise, she could feel the pain slowly going away. “That works fast.”
Selene had a small smile on her face as she continued to rub the salve onto the bruise, making sure it covered the entire bruise.
When Selene was finished rubbing the salve in on her forehead, she reached out and grabbed Artoria’s right hand.
Artoria hissed when Selene grabbed her hand. Looking down, she saw the bruise from Lan’s practice sword. She could see the swelling had already gone down, but there was still a big purple bruise.
“Sorry,” Selene apologized and sent Artoria a small smile. “This should help it as well.” She gently rubbed the salve onto the bruise.
Artoria's eyes widened in shock as she watched the bruise disappear the moment Selene started rubbing the salve in.
“There,” Selene said, as she finished rubbing the salve in. “It should all be healed now.” She placed the salve on the table and stood up, walking over to the table in the corner. Where a silver basin was located, she dipped her hands inside and washed the salve off her hands.
“How did it heal that quickly?” Artoria asked as she examined her hand. There was no bruise in sight. Reaching her right hand up, she didn’t feel any pain or bump on her forehead.
I think I’ve seen Nynaeve use salves like this back in Emond’s Field. Artoria thought, reaching for the container on the table, and started examining it. It looked like a normal container to her.
As she unscrewed the lid and squinted at the salve, hoping her examination would reveal the answers she was seeking. When her examination revealed no results, she sighed heavily.
“A woman never reveals her secrets.” Selene laughed softly as she watched Artoria’s examination while drying her hands off with a piece of fabric.
Finished with drying her hands, Selene walked back over to the couch and sat down as close as possible to Artoria.
Artoria placed the container back onto the table and looked out the window by Selene’s bed. The moon was setting low. She could feel her lack of sleep in the past couple of days finally catching up to her. “I should be heading home.”
“Where is home?” Selene asked, her eyebrow raising.
“Tifan’s Well,” Artoria answered and stood up, adjusting her coat, and reached for her cloak. Before she could even grab the cloak, Selene grabbed her shoulder, halting her.
“Nonsense,” Selene said, her face formed into a frown. “You’re clearly already tired. What if something happened to you while you were traveling back home?” Selene asked, and she tightened her grip on Artoria’s shoulder. “Stay here for tonight, and in the morning you can head back to Tifan’s Well.”
“Here?” Artoria’s mouth went dry. She stared into Selene’s green eyes in shock. “This room? Your room?”
“Yes, in this room,” Selene said, and her mouth curved into a smile. Her eyes flickered to the couch. “I can sleep on the couch.”
“No, I won’t take your bed away from you.” Artoria had an idea, she gazed at the bed, which was big enough to fit two. “Why don’t we sleep together?”
“Forward, aren’t we?” Selene teased with a small laugh, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
“No-not like that.” Artoria stammered, her cheeks turning pink. “I meant share the bed, nothing else.”
“I know what you meant, don’t worry,” Selene reassured before she released Artoria’s shoulder and stood up. “I’ll give you some privacy. I’ll be back in a moment.”
Selene walked out of the room, leaving Artoria in the silence her presence had left.
“Let’s sleep together.” Artoria mocked before she groaned loudly, placing her head in her hands, wishing the ground would rise and swallow her whole. “Blood and ashes, why did I say that?” Raising her head from her hands, she shook her head, hoping to shake the embarrassment away.
With a sigh, Artoria stood up and shrugged out of her coat, folded it up, and placed it with her cloak on the back of the couch. She untucked her shirt, reached down, and started taking her boots off.
Walking over to the silver basin, she cleaned her hands, and then she started washing her face. When she was finished, she looked over and saw a pitcher lying on the table. Which she grabbed, lifting the lid, and sniffed. She couldn’t detect much of a smell.
It must be water, then. Artoria thought as she poured the water into a mug she found on the table.
As she was taking a sip, she was gazing at the bed. Selene hadn’t come back in yet, so she was probably doing her nightly routine as well. She finished the water and placed the mug back onto the table. It was now or never.
The bed won’t hurt you, Artoria sighed, and hesitantly walked towards the bed. She poked at the covers and was pleasantly surprised at the feel of silk on her skin. Selene must have money. A lot of it. Pulling back the covers, she gently lowered herself onto the bed.
The bed's softness reminded her of freshly spun wool, and she couldn’t help but stretch out across the bed. Her muscles relaxed from the combination of the soft-as-silk bed and the warm cocoon of blankets she had wrapped around her. She was in a cloud.
Artoria stretched out like a starfish, so unaware of everything around her, flinched at the sound of Selene’s voice. “I see you’re enjoying yourself.”
“This has to be the softest thing I’ve ever lain in,” Artoria murmured as she moved her body back to the left side of the bed and watched as Selene blew out some of the candles. “I don’t think a wool pile, freshly sheared, is as soft as this bed.”
“You laid in a wool pile before it could get clean?” Selene laughed and walked over to the bed, climbing in. As she was all settled, she leaned onto her back and stared at the ceiling, her dark sea of hair fanning across the pillow.
“Hey now,” Artoria laughed and turned to look at Selene. “I was a child. I didn’t know better.”
Selene was wearing a white nightgown, and the top part was half-unbuttoned. Artoria quickly looked away and stared at Selene’s face instead, her cheeks warm. By Selene’s quirked lips, she clearly saw where her eyes went.
Selene sighed and closed her eyes, and Artoria couldn’t help but continue staring, her eyes drawn to Selene like magnets.
The longer she stared, the more she could feel a painful stiffness beginning to form in her neck. Hoping to remedy that, she moved away from facing the table to facing Selene.
No matter how Artoria tried to tear her eyes away from her, she couldn’t. She was stunningly beautiful in Artoria’s eyes, with the moonlight shining through the window on her, making her hair almost shine in the night, she looked like a goddess in human form. Slowly raising her hand, she brought it to Selene’s face, needing to feel the warmth of her skin.
Selene opened her eyes when she sensed her moving, but she didn’t stop her. She just stared at the hand, emotions running wild through her eyes.
At the first touch, Artoria felt a feeling she only felt when she touched the source, a tingling. Selene’s skin was smooth and soft as the silk sheets they were lying on.
Artoria caressed Selene’s cheek with gentleness, with reverence. It was like she was touching something sacred, in her mind. Spotting a few stray strands on Selene’s forehead, she brushed them aside. Light, even her hair was soft.
Her heart was racing with the need to see her fully; she wanted nothing to block her view of seeing Selene in all her breathtaking beauty.
The moonlight shone a little brighter on them, but they didn’t notice, gravity keeping them in orbit around one another. To the point where they could only focus on each other, nothing else mattered.
Selene leaned into her palm, her eyes closed. She released a sigh and opened her eyes, green met grey, and the world slowed. “Go to sleep, please.” Raising her hand, she placed it on Artoria’s, halting her movements. “Before you start something.”
Artoria’s eyes flicked between Selene’s, taking in every emotion she could see, and she swallowed hard when she got a good look. Anger, sadness, and the main one, loss. Oh, that last one hurt her the most, she could feel it deep in her bones. Making a promise to herself, she didn’t want her to feel those things around her, she wanted her to be happy. Her first step in accomplishing that goal was respecting her wishes.
Wrapping her hand over Selene’s, she raised her hand to her mouth and placed a kiss. “Alright.” She released her hand, moved the blankets tighter around her, and closed her eyes. “Sleep well, Selene.”
As she slowly became unaware of her surroundings, and darkness slowly crept in, she thought she felt a touch on her forehead, and now a tingling sensation ran through her body, similar to the one embracing the source always leaves.
Not thinking much about it, Artoria let sleep claim her, not hearing the soft words Selene whispered to her.
No, not Selene.
Lanfear
“With that on you, your dreams should be peaceful tonight.”
“You’re nothing like I was expecting, but you’re a pleasant surprise nonetheless…”
⋆༺☽༻⋆
Notes:
Old Tongue
Cal - RedI know that Tifan's Well and Medo aren't that close together.
I mean, I assume not... we've never really gotten an estimated location for Tifan's Well. Only that it was "deep within the grassy plains of Arafel." I've taken a few creative liberties and made Tifan's Well and Medo a few minutes apart on horse.
It wouldn't make sense for Lanfear to hide inside Tifan's Well, at least not to me. It would be too suspicious, compared to her hiding out in a town close to it.
Thank you for reading my ramblings. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
Since the image isn't popping up in the chapter, here's what I imagine Selene's room layout to look like. (Imagine there is a wardrobe somewhere in the room.)
https://imgur.com/a/tvLGik0
Chapter 2
Notes:
I'm sorry it took me so long to update. This chapter was the bane of my existence, and I had a difficult time writing the end. So it all accumulated into it taking a while for me to update. I hoped the chapter size makes up for it 🙏
Alright, enough rambling from me. I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Chapter title from: Dhruv - moonlight
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
“You’re late,” Lan said as he went through the motions of his morning routine. “Again.”
He said nothing else, but Artoria knew after they were finished with the routine that he would make her run a few laps around the village a few times as punishment for being late.
Artoria grimaced; she didn’t have anything to say to that. But she would do whatever punishment he threw at her. She knew he had to be getting annoyed with her being late over the past few weeks; his punishments had started to get a little harsher, but nothing that she couldn’t handle, of course.
Sneaking out into Medo every night and most of the time not coming home until late at night. It was messing with her routine, but she couldn’t stop herself. She had to see Selene.
The past few weeks getting to know Selene have truly been an experience. She could even say, a wonderful one. The weird feeling of familiarity remained, she had a feeling it wouldn’t be going away. But it wasn’t a problem, she had started getting used to all the emotions she felt around Selene.
Artoria placed her waterskin down, caught the practice sword that Lan threw at her, and started swinging her practice sword, mimicking Lan’s movements.
As she got lost in the motions, she remembered the disappointed look on Selene’s face last night when she turned down staying the night.
It killed her to say no, but she didn’t want Selene to witness her waking up after one of her nightmares. It was never pretty. She was always out of it when she first woke up, trying to calm her breath, figure out where she was. Who she was.
Artoria got lucky the night she stayed with Selene. Instead of a nightmare, she had a peaceful dream. She smiled as she remembered the dream.
A garden, a familiar garden, but she couldn’t place where she’d seen it before. The familiar green-eyed woman was there, wearing all white. They were lying down in the grass, enjoying the sunlight and the smell of flowers wafting towards them from the wind. She couldn’t remember if they talked, but she still remembers the emotions she was feeling. Happiness and contentment.
The woman had shown up a few more times in her dream since that night. She looked different, or felt different? She couldn’t place it.
“We’re finished.” Lan said, knocking Artoria out of her thoughts, “Go and run four laps around the village, and when you’re finished, you can head to Moiraine. You still have your lessons with her today.” Lan held out his hand, expectantly, for the practice sword. It was one of his.
“Oh, right,” Artoria murmured and handed the practice sword to him, and watched him pack up his things, before heading back towards the house. Most likely to freshen up and help Tomas with the garden, she thought.
Artoria decided to take stock of her body, and it felt as though she was trying to walk through wool. The lack of sleep must be catching up on me, she thought, and even her thoughts started to have a sluggish feel.
The feeling was only going to get worse, but Artoria wouldn’t complain. She hoped that, once she finished her lessons with Moiraine, she could go and take a nap somewhere in the woods and afterwards head into Medo to see Selene. That sounded like a good idea. Her lips curved into a smile as she thought about Selene.
Before she could get too lost in thoughts of Selene, she forcefully shook her head, and her dry throat had her reaching for her water skin and raising it to her mouth. When her dry mouth wasn’t bothering her anymore, she lowered the waterskin from her mouth and sighed in relief before she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
Artoria looked up towards the sun, which was now high in the sky, and had a feeling she would need her waterskin on her run, so she strapped it to her belt. When it was tightly secured, she took off running.
⋆༺☽༻⋆
Artoria walked through the hallway, tucking in her white linen shirt, and she couldn't help but think about how even more sluggish her body was feeling after the run. She knew it would drain more energy out of her, but she was thankful the bath had made her feel better.
I think I’m starting to get better with directing water flows, Artoria thought with some happiness. She had noticed that when she used flows of water, it would wobble or not let her direct its flow. Realization came to her after a few too many times it didn’t work. It didn’t come as naturally to her as fire. Maybe she should ask Moiraine and Verin; she had a feeling they would know why.
As she turned the corner, making her way to Moiraine’s room, she almost walked into Lan. He placed his hands out, halting her before they could collide.
“Perfect. I was looking for you, sheepherder,” Lan said. “Moiraine said that she will be unable to continue your lessons today. You’re free for the day.”
“Alright,” Artoria muttered as she finished tucking her shirt in. She looked up from her shirt and met Lan’s eyes. “And thank you for informing me, Lan.”
It was normal for Moiraine to halt their lessons when she had informants over, but for her to halt the lessons for an entire day? Must be someone important she’s meeting with. Artoria thought with a frown.
Lan nodded his head, maneuvered around Artoria, and headed down the hallway. Not making a single sound.
“That was weird…” Artoria mumbled to herself as she watched Lan’s retreating form.
If she had to guess, he was unhappy with Moiraine, but she could never get a proper read on Lan. He always kept a tight lid on his emotions. She didn’t know if it was a Warder or Borderlands thing. Probably both.
Artoria hadn’t planned for Moiraine to be busy; now she needed to figure out what to do. She could head into the woods and take a nap, or she could go and see Selene.
Looking up to stare at the ceiling, she started counting the bricks. She thought about it for a few moments and decided to go see Selene. She could finally take Selene out and show her the waterfall she had found a few days ago.
Maybe pack some food for them, and they could spend the night eating under the stars while they were there. She had a hunch that Selene would enjoy it.
Hopefully, Artoria thought with a frown. Not letting these thoughts discourage her, she shook her head and headed to her room to pack her saddlebags.
⋆༺☽༻⋆
Now here she was, walking into Medo, with a trotting Red trailing behind her. She was wearing a plain high-collared red coat that wasn’t buttoned, so you could see the white linen shirt she was wearing under it. A pair of black pants, her sword in the sheath attached to the sword belt around her waist, and her favorite black wool cloak whipping around her in the wind.
The port village looked lively today. She could hear people yelling from the docks, offloading cargo from the ships that were docked there. The market was booming with traffic, and people were buying goods left and right.
None of that mattered to her, she had a goal in mind. She walked in the direction of Selene’s inn. She ignored the people around her as she dodged around someone who nearly bumped into her.
“You’re going to enjoy this, cal, ” Artoria mumbled quietly to Red. All the response Artoria received was a sniff as he continued following her. “You can’t tell me that you’re still mad about me leaving you in that stable all night.”
When Artoria didn’t get a response, she scoffed. He wouldn’t be feeling the same way when they made it to the inn. The past few weeks, Artoria has been leaving Red inside the Half-moon Inn's stables, hoping Selene’s white mare would keep him company. Keep him company, she did. When Artoria would head to the stables to get him, she would find him nuzzling the white mare, and she would ignore him completely.
As she arrived at Selene’s inn, she directed Red behind the inn, where the stables were located.
When the stables were in sight, she let go of Red’s reins and watched as he galloped towards the white mare, and the mare, seeing him run in her direction, turned the other way. Ignoring him completely.
Artoria couldn’t contain a laugh as she walked into the stable, watching as Red tried getting the mare's attention by neighing loudly but failed to do so. “Maybe one day,” Artoria said, grabbing hold of his reins and with her other hand opening the gate to the stall next to the mare.
She led him inside, and when he was calmed down enough, Artoria started unfastening the buckles that connected the saddlebags to the saddle. It shouldn’t hurt Red to leave the saddle on for a few moments.
She hefted the bags onto her shoulder, walked out to the stall, and started moving towards the front of the inn. The bags weren’t too heavy, but she could already feel her tired body protesting at the weight.
As soon as she stepped into the inn, she looked towards the counter and frowned. She didn’t see Selene. It was earlier than she normally came, but she thought Selene would be here since it was her inn and all. She headed towards the counter and ignored the sidelong look the guy behind the counter sent her way when she placed her saddlebags onto the counter.
“Do you know where Selene is, Artin?” Artoria asked, peering around the common room. Still not spotting Selene, she turned back to stare at Artin and saw the sidelong look turn into a glare.
“My name is Artulin.” He gritted out between clenched teeth, his eyes blazing with anger. “And she’s-”
“Right here,” Selene announced. Her eyes glinted with amusement as she walked closer to the counter. She was wearing a beautiful blue silk dress, with white half-moons embroidered over the neckline and sleeves. “You can help the customers now, Artin.”
Artoria could feel her heart start to race at finally seeing Selene. Green met grey, and everybody else disappeared.
“My name is Artul-” Artulin started, once again glaring at Artoria like she’s the one who caused all of this.
Selene ignored him and looked Artoria up and down, taking in her clothes. Her eyes left a trail of fire in their wake. “You’ve arrived earlier than normal.”
Artulin stomped away from the counter and towards the benches that were filled with customers. He carried pitchers of ale in his hands. Neither of them noticed, too caught up in one another.
“I had nothing else to do today, and I thought I’d come and see you,” Artoria said as she rubbed the back of her neck. Every piece of skin Selene glanced at felt like it was on fire. “It’s not a problem, is it?”
“It’s perfectly fine.” Selene’s lips curved into a smile as she slowly trailed her eyes up Artoria’s body to stare into her eyes. “You can visit me anytime you want.”
The heat of the sun was focused all on one spot now, and Artoria could feel her mouth go dry. It was a feeling like no other, having Selene’s full attention.
“There’s a place I want to take you,” Artoria smiled widely at Selene, as she leaned her arm onto the counter and placed her chin in her palm. “Are you up for a trip?”
“With you?” Selene said, her voice low, reached out, and slowly dragged her fingers across Artoria’s chin. “Always.”
Artoria could feel a shiver go down her spine at Selene’s voice and touch. The feel of her fingers on her chin was almost driving her insane. She needed to think, so she reached up and grabbed Selene’s hand, halting her. “Are you ready to leave, or do you need some time?”
“No, I should be fine.” Selene removed her hand from Artoria’s and walked around the counter, moving to stand right next to Artoria. “Where are we going, exactly?” Selene asked as she raised an eyebrow at the saddlebags on the counter.
“Now, where’s the fun in that?” Artoria asked, her lips curving into a smirk, and leaning in, she whispered, “Let it be a surprise.”
Artoria leaned back and watched her words take shape; she could feel the tension between them rise to new heights.
An annoyed expression was visible on Selene’s face. But her eyes were dilated, taking on a darker shade. It reminded Artoria of a forest at night.
It wasn’t only the dilation of the eyes but also the emotions running through them. Her eyes were burning into Artoria, and Artoria felt trapped under her stare. She was starting to feel like she had started something she shouldn’t have.
Artoria stepped back and reached for the saddlebags, trying to remove herself from the tension she caused. “Are you ready?” She tried to ignore how breathless her voice sounded.
“Yes,” Selene said, her eyes following every movement Artoria made.
Artoria gently reached for Selene’s hand, telegraphing her movement so Selene could pull away anytime if she didn’t want her holding her hand.
When Artoria connected their hands, Selene had a small smile on her face as she stared at their joined hands. Seeing that smile as a sign, Artoria started leading them towards the front door of the inn, and Selene followed her. She had a feeling Selene let her. She didn’t seem like the type to follow around anyone.
It seems like Artoria was starting to earn Selene’s trust. She couldn’t contain a small smile of her own at the thought.
Making it through the inn's front door, they started walking towards the back of the inn, towards the stables.
When they made it close to the stables, Artoria could see Red was once again trying to get the white mare's attention, sticking his head over the railings between their stalls. The mare ignored him, focusing on drinking water from her drinking bowl.
Arriving inside the stables, Artoria squeezed Selene’s hand before gently releasing Selene’s hand and started walking towards the stool outside Red’s stable.
“We’re taking the horses?” Selene asked, a small frown on her face as she stared at the horses.
“It will be faster if we take the horses,” Artoria said as she walked into the stall, saddlebags in hand.
“Faster?” Selene snorted, her voice wry, and a hint of amusement flashed through her eyes.
Artoria had no idea what was so funny. Horses were the fastest form of travel, right behind boats. I guess the ways also count, but it’s too dangerous to consider it a safe option. Artoria thought.
When Red had the saddlebags properly on him, she gently pulled on his reins, leading him out of the stall. As soon as Red spotted Selene, he walked towards her and stretched his neck out.
“May I saddle your horse for you?” Artoria asked Selene, with a small smile on her face, as she watched Selene hesitantly reach out and, with a gentle touch, start rhythmically scratching Red’s neck.
“You may.” Selene nodded her head towards the white saddle that was on the saddle rack in the corner of the stable, before turning her attention back to Red, who was demanding more scratches.
“He seems to like you,” Artoria said, dropping Red’s reins, and walked towards the saddle rack Selene pointed out. She knew Red wouldn’t be running away from Selene anytime soon, especially if Red continued to get scratches.
Selene sighed, looking annoyed by the fact, but she didn’t move away from Red, who was leaning into her.
Artoria picked up the white saddle and walked back towards the stall that housed the white mare. Spotting Selene still scratching Red, she couldn’t contain a small laugh.
Selene looked up from Red at the sound of her laugh and raised a questioning eyebrow.
Artoria flashed her a wide smile as she opened the gate and walked in. Taking in the beautiful white mare, she realized she didn’t even know her name. Turning to Selene, she asked, “What’s her name?”
“ Safar, ” Selene said, her tongue announcing the words with a hint of accent.
“Old Tongue?” Artoria asked, and she knew what the words meant. “White. It means white, correct? ” She couldn’t contain a frown. How did she know? How did she know what Safar meant?
She shook her head and pushed the confusing emotions back. She knew stepping into a stall with a horse while feeling confusing emotions would only spook the horse, so she took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. When she had her emotions back under control, she stepped in.
“It does,” Selene nodded, and she gave Artoria a half-smile. Her eyes glinted with unnamed emotions.
Artoria held out her hand to the unfamiliar horse, but the horse didn’t even look at her. Ignoring her, the same way she did Red.
Sighing, Artoria reached out and started scratching at Safar’s neck, which got the horse's attention. The horse leaned into the scratches, now giving Artoria her full attention. “I’m going to place your saddle on you, alright?” She whispered to Safar.
Safar’s head turned, her soft, blinking eyes indicating she was fine with Artoria placing the saddle onto her.
Artoria gently placed the pad and saddle onto Safar. Making sure everything was secured but not too tight on her. When finished, she leaned her forehead onto Safar, trying to take a breather. It took her longer than it normally did to saddle a horse, her hands kept on fumbling with the straps.
Inhaling and slowly exhaling through her nose, she removed her forehead. Safar had turned her head and was looking at her with those gentle eyes again. “I’m alright.” Artoria stifled a yawn as she scratched Safar’s neck again, hoping not to worry the horse any further.
Artoria led Safar out of the stall. She hoped Selene didn’t catch her tiredness, but from the way she was frowning at her, with those sharp eyes watching her every move, she knew she had.
“Alright,” Artoria said hurriedly, trying to change the subject before it could even be brought up. “We should be ready to head out now.”
Artoria handed Safar’s reins to Selene, who looked happy to get away from Red, who was still pestering her for scratches.
Artoria grabbed Red’s reins and started leading them out of the stalls and into the streets of Medo.
The bustle of the docks had quietened somewhat when Artoria was inside the inn. But the market was as loud as ever when Selene and Artoria walked through it.
Selene was quiet beside her; those sharp eyes were still watching Artoria’s every movement, but they kept lingering on the bags under her eyes. She hoped Selene didn’t bring it up.
As they were walking through the market, Artoria heard the word ‘False Dragon’ in the crowd. She turned her head in that direction and saw two men talking on a bench. The one with blonde hair was taking a drink out of his mug, while the one with dark hair was waving his hands animatedly in the air, a pipe in his hand.
“Did you hear about the False Dragon in Tanchico?” The dark-haired man said as he pointed his pipe at the blonde-haired man. “The White Tower is sending out some of its members to hunt her down.”
“I heard she was burning the place down.” The blonde-haired man said with a small chuckle as he placed his mug onto the table.
The dark-haired man threw back his head and laughed loudly. “Good riddance.”
“This has me worried, Mazuan.” The blonde man pushed the mug away from him, his voice suddenly serious. “All the False Dragons that are popping up.”
“Yeah, Lucion.” Mazuan lit his pipe, raised it to his mouth, and inhaled. After a short moment, he exhaled the smoke. “It has me scared as well.”
“What if the Dragon has been reborn?” Lucion asked worriedly as he chewed on his bottom lip. “They say the Dragon will cause another breaking. I don’t want my children to be raised in a torn-apart world.”
“All we can do is pray to the Creator that the Dragon hasn’t been reborn.”
Artoria turned away, dread coiling through her like a snake. Is that really what people thought? Was all she would bring death and destruction? That she would break the world again? If that were the case, she would never reveal herself to be the Dragon. She wouldn’t be the cause of people's suffering. She refused to be.
But deep down, Artoria had a feeling it wouldn’t matter what she wanted; she would be revealed. She knew Moiraine said that she defeated the Dark One in the Eye of the World, but in her heart, in her very soul. She knew that wasn’t true.
“Artoria,” Selene said as she reached out and touched Artoria’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
Artoria leaned into Selene’s hand. “Nothing.” Artoria squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled through her nose. ”Nothing at all.” She opened her eyes and started leading Red out of the market. She wanted to get out of Medo as quickly as possible. “Let’s get out of here.”
What Artoria didn’t see was Selene’s face suddenly hardening as she turned to look at the two men. Her eyes were murderous.
⋆༺☽༻⋆
They trotted in the woods, enjoying the cool breeze from the wind and the sound of rustling leaves. A distant rumbling sound could be heard.
Artoria turned to look at Selene, just wanting to take her in and let her senses tune into Selene. Her presence felt like an endless night sky, with stars and the moon drawing light, illuminating her very being.
So lost in the feel of Selene’s presence, Artoria didn’t notice how close they’d gotten until the sound of Selene’s voice knocked her out of her reverence.
“Is that a waterfall I hear?” Selene asked, her eyebrows furrowed, but her lips were curving into a small smile as she turned to look at Artoria. “Is that where you’re taking me?”
“Yes,” Artoria said, with a small laugh. “I wanted it to be a surprise, but the rumbling gave me away.”
She forced herself to stop staring at Selene. She turned around and started focusing back on the path ahead of them, and now that Selene pointed it out, she did hear the waterfall.
The deep rumble of the Waterfall could be heard. It was a deep and continuous sound, with no stops in between. I must’ve really been lost in my thoughts not to hear it, Artoria thought with a frown.
The rumbling got louder the closer they got to the Waterfall, and when the waterfall came into view, Artoria's eyes widened, and she could feel her body stilling with awe as she stared.
The roaring water plummeted down onto the pool below, making a crashing sound. Mist rose out of the water; it carried a hint of the smell of damp soil. If she squinted hard enough, she could see small rainbows through the mist. The setting sun shone onto the water, making the ripples of water sparkle.
There was only one word to describe it. Beautiful.
“It’s beautiful, right?” Artoria asked in a low tone. She forced her body to move as she released Red's reins and wiped her sweaty palms onto her pants.
“It is,” Selene whispered.
Artoria turned in her saddle to stare at Selene and could feel her breath being taken away. The sunset shone just right onto Selene, making those brilliant eyes take on the softest shade of green. Her lips were pressed together as she watched the water crash into the pool.
Everything about her was beautiful in Artoria’s eyes. She jerked at the sound of a throat clearing, the sound ripping her from her thoughts.
“Are you done staring?” Selene teased, her eyes filled with amusement. “This is the third time I’ve caught you staring at me today alone.”
Artoria felt a flush rise on the back of her neck. She had a feeling that her getting caught staring at Selene and losing touch with her surroundings would become a common theme.
She forced a laugh that sounded strained even to her ears. She climbed down from Red’s saddle and walked over to Selene and held her hand out. “May I help you down from your saddle?”
“You may,” Selene said and reached out to Artoria’s hand before she climbed down from the saddle. When both feet reached the ground, she squeezed Artoria’s hand, not releasing it.
With a dry mouth, Artoria noticed how close Selene was to her now, and she could feel and smell Selene’s scent hugging her, with hints of lavender and an approaching storm. It was intoxicating; she could feel herself getting lightheaded the longer she stood near Selene.
The look in Selene’s eyes wasn’t helping either. Pure heat burned in her eyes as she stared at Artoria; her eyes kept flickering from eye to eye. Artoria looked down at Selene’s lips and saw that she was biting her lip.
Artoria needed to get away now, before she did something she regretted. She forced herself to step back, away from Selene’s smell and the enthralling effect she was having on her.
“Let me kiss-” Artoria stumbled over her words, a flush rising on her cheeks. “I mean, secure the horses.” She cleared her throat and hurriedly walked over to the horses, grabbing their reins.
The horses followed her as she led them towards the trees. As she did, she could feel Selene’s heated eyes following her every movement. So focused on the feel of the eyes, she tripped over her own feet. Nearly losing her grip on the horse's reins.
Finally, she arrived at the trees, only tripping once more. As she was securing the horses, she kept on fumbling with the knots, the heated stare distracting her.
Light, could she stare at something else with those blasted beautiful eyes for a moment? It’s hard to think properly with those eyes on me, Artoria thought as she finally finished tying the knots correctly. She moved over to Red and removed his saddle, and then did the same thing for Safar.
She placed them one by one in the middle of the clearing before she unfastened the saddlebags from Red’s saddle. She put the saddlebags down and opened them, looking for the blankets she packed.
“Do you need help?” Selene asked as she stood there in the clearing, watching the sun go further under the horizon.
“No, I’m fine,” Artoria said as she grabbed the blanket she packed. She stood up and unfolded the blanket, and gently lowered it onto the ground once she was finished. The blanket was a soft grey wool blanket; she hoped it was soft enough for Selene.
“You can sit down if you want.” Artoria's words died in her throat as she turned to look at Selene and saw her starting to untie the back of her dress. Her heart bounced, as frantic as a trapped bird, when she saw a hint of skin; she forced herself to stare down at the blanket. “Why are you undressing?”
She could hear Selene laugh, “I’m going swimming.”
“Is the water not cold?” Artoria attempted, and she started to flush as she continued to hear the rustle of clothing behind her. The look she got at Selene’s skin flashed through her mind on repeat.
“Why don’t you come and find out?” Selene asked, her voice teasing.
Artoria continued staring at the blanket, contemplating what she should do. It wouldn’t hurt to join Selene in the water. Would it? She heard footsteps and then the sound of Selene stepping into the water. She couldn’t help but turn around, and she watched as Selene slowly lowered herself into the water, her mouth going dry at the exposed skin.
“Are you coming?” Selene asked, raising an eyebrow, once she was submerged in the water.
“Alright. I’ll join you.” Artoria said, running her hand through her copper-red hair, hoping it would calm the heat running through her body. “Let me grab your dress first, so it doesn’t get wet.”
Burn me, this woman is going to kill me. Artoria thought as she walked to the dress and grabbed it. The smell of lavender flooded her senses once again as she folded the dress. Then she forced herself to walk back to the blanket and placed the dress down.
For a moment, she just stood there by the blanket and stared at Selene. Green meeting grey. She couldn’t make out much because of the water, but what she did make out wasn’t helping the heat running through her. It was only intensifying it.
Selene looked at her expectantly. So with a deep breath, she unfastened her cloak, threw it on the blanket, and then unbuckled her sword belt and placed it down. She shrugged out of her red coat and, for a moment, hesitated before she lifted the white linen shirt. She folded the coat and shirt and placed them next to Selene’s dress.
Artoria leaned down and removed her boots and socks. She unbuttoned her pants and quickly shimmied out of them. She stood there in only a pair of underwear and a bra, her necklace hanging around her neck. She could feel the hairs on her arms standing up from the cold wind brushing her skin. It contrasted with Selene’s heated stare, as she eyed every piece of skin that was revealed.
She fingered her necklace, feeling the ridges in the stone, as she walked towards the pool of water. When she approached the pool of water, she dipped her toe into the water and instantly drew her foot away from the pool. The water was ice cold, causing a shiver to go down her spine.
“How are you even handling the water?” Artoria questioned as she clenched her teeth, trying to ignore the cold wind brushing her skin.
“The longer you’re in a cold environment, the more your body adapts to the cold.” Selene laughed as she swam closer to Artoria and held out a hand, her eyes glinting with mischief. She was planning something.
When Artoria's left hand grasped Selene’s, she was suddenly pulled into the water with no warning. Her entire body went under, and she could feel the air in her lungs being knocked out from the impact.
At least the cold water washed away the drowsiness, Artoria thought wryly. The moment she lifted her head out of the water and gasped for fresh air, she was shivering.
“Was that necessary?” Artoria stuttered, her breath unsteadied. She wrapped her arms around herself, hoping to keep the body heat trapped.
“You should be fine. I don’t see any signs of your body going into cold water shock, besides the rapid breathing,” Selene said soothingly as she rubbed her hands up and down Artoria’s arms.
“What?” Artoria asked. The cold wasn’t the only reason for the goosebumps now. “Cold water, what now?”
“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it,” Selene said, her lips curved into a small smile, before her eyes spotted the necklace that hung on Artoria’s neck. “Cuendillar.” She said softly as she raised her right hand and grabbed the thread-corded necklace. The smile faded from her lips as she stared at the white stone.
“What is that?” Artoria asked, her eyebrows furrowed. She was absorbed in the beauty of the stone when she saw it lying on the ground after the ground cracked and the Dark One was gone, so she grabbed it, hoping to make a necklace out of it. She didn’t think anything was special about it, just some stone that happened to be inside the Eye of the World.
“It’s an indestructible stone that was created during the Age of Legends,” Selene answered. Her jaw was clenched tight, and her face was smooth as stone, but she couldn’t hide the anger that ignited in her eyes. “It’s also known by a different name, heartstone.”
“Indestructible?” Artoria asked, her eyebrows furrowed. That couldn’t be possible. Memories flashed through her mind as she remembered her directing flows of spirit into the Dark One, and the stone under him cracking into pieces. That didn’t scream indestructible to her.
“Well,” Selene said, her lips curved into a small smirk, and her eyes glinted with amusement. “Nearly indestructible.”
Selene pulled gently on the necklace, pulling Artoria closer. “The creation is said to be lost to history.” She said, and then raised her eyebrow questioningly. “Now the question is, where did you get a piece? It’s extremely rare.”
“I-” The words stopped in Artoria’s throat; she didn’t want to lie to her, but she couldn’t tell her the truth either, so she decided to keep her mouth shut. Instead, she forced herself to look away and stare down at the water, and hold her breath. She didn’t want to see the upset expression on Selene’s face.
“It’s alright, Artoria,” Selene said and dropped the necklace. She raised her fingers to Artoria’s chin and lifted, making their eyes meet. She gave Artoria a small smile. “You can keep your secrets. I was just curious.”
Artoria sighed a breath of relief. Now that she didn’t have to worry about a piece of stone, she took notice of her surroundings. The sun had finally gone down, leaving the sky dark, and their entire clearing swallowed in shadows. The water was as cold as it was when she first got thrown in.
“Can we please get out?” Artoria asked, her teeth clattering. She tightened her arms around her, even more. “I don’t think my body is adjusting to the water.”
“Let’s get you out, before you get sick.” Selene grabbed Artoria’s right hand and started dragging her out of the water. They had a difficult time finding the blanket, the moon not bright enough to illuminate their path. When they did find the blanket, Selene pushed down on Artoria’s shoulders, forcing her to sit down.
Selene sat down in front of Artoria and started searching the saddlebags. It didn’t take her long to find what she was looking for, as she pulled out a blanket that she quickly wrapped Artoria in, making sure she was completely covered in the blanket, with only her head sticking out. “Let me create a fire or something. That should help keep you warm.”
“That won’t be necessary, Selene,” Artoria mumbled, as she tried to make out Selene’s face in the dark. “The blanket is keeping me warm enough. Now, for light, you can find a glowbulb inside the saddlebag. It should be bright enough.”
“A glowbulb?” Selene asked in surprise, her tongue saying the word with a hint of familiarity, “You have one of those?”
Artoria thought she could make out Selene’s eyes widening in the dark, but it was hard to see. “Yeah… I may or may not have stolen it from someone. So let’s try not to break it.”
Selene snorted as she searched the saddlebag. Once again, it didn’t take her long to find what she was looking for. Selene pulled out the glowbulb, and Artoria watched as light spilled out from the small white object, illuminating them and their surroundings.
Selene stared at the glowbulb in her hand. Her eyes had a glossy shine to them, and Artoria could see that her jaw was clenched tightly. Was that nostalgia in her eyes?
“Are you cold? I can give you the blanket.” Artoria asked. Maybe Selene was cold?
“No, keep it, you need it more than I,” Selene said softly, as she gently lowered the glowbulb onto the blanket. She rolled her shoulders for a moment, and Artoria watched as whatever was affecting her was locked away.
Then Selene reached and grabbed Artoria’s red coat and started moving her arms through the sleeves. “This should keep me warm.”
When the coat was on, she caught Artoria’s eyes and smirked as she started slowly buttoning the coat, starting from the bottom. Her eyes were alight with mischief.
The buttons were done halfway until Selene paused for a moment and dropped her hands, leaving her chest exposed to Artoria’s eyes.
Artoria gripped the blanket hard to stop herself from reaching out to Selene, the need to touch her nearly overwhelming. The warmth she was feeling was now turning into a wildfire as she stared at her coat, on Selene’s body, hugging her. The coat looked good on her.
She tried forcing these thoughts down, but it was hard when she could feel Selene’s eyes boring into her soul, igniting the blood in her veins, making her feel underdressed. So she unwrapped herself from the blanket and tried reaching for her folded white linen shirt, which lay next to Selene, but she ended up bumping her elbow into Selene instead, almost knocking her over.
“Calm down, Artoria,” Selene laughed. She placed her hands on Artoria’s shoulders, steadying her. She grabbed the shirt and handed it to Artoria. “There’s no need to rush.”
“Sorry,” Artoria's voice was muffled as she pulled her head through the white linen shirt, the linen soft on her skin.
“You have nothing to apologize for,” Selene said in a soft tone. Her eyes lost some of the heat and now had a soft look in them.
Artoria stopped ignoring the urge to touch Selene, reached out for Selene’s hand, and pulled her in closer until their legs knocked into each other. She could feel Selene shiver as she reached for the blanket and placed it over their joined legs.
“Oh, I forgot.” Artoria cleared her throat and reached inside the saddlebag closest to them. As she was searching through the saddlebags, she reached for the source, letting the light of a thousand suns fill her. For a moment, she got lost in the warmth.
With a sharp breath, Artoria forced herself to focus. She created threads of water, intricately wove the threads into a weave, and with some difficulty, slowly repelled the water off Selene’s clothes. I need to talk to Moiraine and Verin about my problems with flows of water. Artoria thought, as she slowly started using the weave on her clothes, that once Selene’s clothes were dry enough.
“Aha!” Artoria exclaimed when she pulled out the bottle of expensive wine from Arindrim. “I packed us some food and drinks.” She said, and then turned her head to look at Selene, and spotted Selene staring at her with a soft, pleased smile, almost like Artoria did something, or accomplished something that pleased her.
Artoria could feel a blush rising, so she turned away and started searching for the two silver goblets she had also packed, hoping to get away from the stare and how it made her feel.
Artoria flashed a lopsided grin at Selene as she placed them between them. She uncorked the bottle and handed it to Selene for her inspection. “Is this bottle okay? I’ve noticed you only enjoy certain alcohol, ones that are a tad bit expensive.”
“You’ve noticed that?” Selene asked, a hint of surprise in her voice, as she raised the bottle to her lips and took a sip. “This is good. Where did you get it?” Her face had a pleased expression as she lowered the bottle from her mouth and started pouring the red wine into their goblets.
“I try to take note of everything about you,” Artoria said, her tone soft as she reached for her goblet. “As for where I found the bottle, I found it in the market of Medo. I imagine someone stole it off one of the ships before they had the chance to take the shipment to Fal Moran.”
Selene hummed as she raised the goblet to her mouth. Her other hand reached for Artoria’s, and her eyes flickered over Artoria’s face.
Artoria messed around with the rings on Selene’s fingers while raising the goblet to her mouth, and once the sweetness reached her tongue, she took a big drink. She lowered the cup from her mouth and stared inside the goblet in surprise. “Woah…”
A soft laugh reached Artoria’s ears, making her raise her head, and she saw Selene smirking at her. “You would think this is your first time drinking wine.”
“That’s because it is,” Artoria said, and she couldn’t contain a laugh when she saw the offended expression on Selene’s face. “I’m used to drinking ale and brandy back in Emond’s Field. We're so separated from the rest of the world that wine wasn’t often transported into the village. For the brandy, my father and I were the ones who normally transported it into the village around Bel Tine.”
“This is the first time I’ve heard you mention this, Emond’s Field.” Selene paused for a moment, swirling the wine in her goblet around. “Can you tell me more about it?”
“It’s located in Andor, right on the border. Three other villages are near it, and we mainly call the area the Two Rivers.” Artoria said, her voice soft, as she tapped her fingers onto her goblet, getting lost in the memories of home.
“Not much to say about the area, only that the land used to house a kingdom that fell during the Trolloc Wars,” Artoria said as she shrugged her shoulders. “Now it’s a bunch of farmland, and very isolated from the world.” She raised her mug, taking a sip, hoping to get rid of the tightness in her throat. “It’s the people that are special. You will never meet someone more stubborn or loyal than Two Rivers Folk.”
“Why did you leave?” Selene asked as she lowered her goblet, giving Artoria her full attention, her eyes burning with curiosity.
“An Aes Sedai was in the village searching for individuals who had the spark.” Artoria swallowed hard. She knew she couldn’t tell the true story, that the Aes Sedai were there looking for her. The Dragon Reborn. ‘Light, I can’t even tell the truth about why I left. Most people in the Westlands don’t believe Trollocs are around anymore, so I won’t tell her about the Trolloc Attack.’
“The Aes Sedai noticed that one of my friends had the spark. So she decided to take her to the White Tower. I and a few friends decided to follow to make sure they reached the Tower safely.” It was the truth, from a certain point of view. “We made it to Tar Valon after a lot of complications. A lot happened after that, and now I’m here.” Artoria raised her goblet to her mouth and downed the rest of it.
“I might’ve called Tifan’s Well home, but it’s not true.” She whispered, mainly to herself, as she stared into the empty goblet, but she knew Selene heard her from the way she squeezed her hand.
As she felt the wine settle into her stomach, she wondered how her father was doing since she left. Probably tending the sheep, helping run the Village Council, and having to argue with the Women’s Circle.
Maybe when all of this was over, and she had better control over her powers, she could go home and see her father and show him what she could do with the sword he gifted her.
“I understand your feelings. I’m also far from home,” Selene said in a toneless, quiet voice. Her shoulders were tensed as she stared at the glowbulb on the blanket, her eyes clouded with distant memories.
Artoria squeezed Selene’s hand, letting her know she was there, and tried to push down the strong desire to do more. I don’t think Selene would accept a hug, not without asking her first, she thought as she stared at Selene’s tensed body language, so she hoped this was enough.
Selene inhaled sharply, a little shakily. “The world is so different from what I’m used to.” She tightened her hold on the goblet, the goblet shaking in her hand, wine almost spilling. “Everything I thought I knew is gone.”
That was Artoria’s final straw, she couldn’t hold herself back anymore. She placed her goblet down next to the saddlebags, and then she leaned over and tried pulling the goblet from Selene’s tight grip.
When Artoria touched the goblet, Selene jolted, her wild eyes meeting hers. Her tight grip on the goblet weakened enough for Artoria to pull it away and place it down next to hers.
As Selene stared at Artoria, emotions ran wildly through her eyes. For a moment, she just stared, but suddenly, with a deep breath, Selene wrapped her arms around Artoria, drawing her into a hug, as she placed her face into Artoria’s neck.
Artoria could feel Selene’s breath on her neck, causing her skin to prickle with goose bumps and making a shiver go down her spine. Not wanting to admit it was from the feel of Selene’s breath, she removed the blanket from their joined legs and wrapped the blanket around their shoulders, making sure it covered their entire body, trapping them in the warmth of the wool.
They sat there for what felt like hours, in each other's arms, basking in the warmth of the other. For a moment, all felt right in the world, until Artoria had to yawn, which she quickly tried to force down, but she didn’t catch it in time.
Selene started shaking with silent laughter as she pushed on Artoria’s shoulders, urging her to lie down. “Sounds like someone needs to sleep.”
Artoria could feel nervousness rise in her, her heart fluttering like a bird's wings with it. She didn’t want Selene to witness her nightmares. The aftermath of them. So she tried to fight the drowsiness. “I’m not that tired-” Artoria said, before she cut herself off with a yawn, which she tried to push down, unsuccessfully.
“It’s safe to fall asleep, Artoria,” Selene whispered, her warm breath ghosting Artoria’s ear. This time, as she pushed Artoria down onto the blanket, she only met small resistance. “I’m right here.”
Yeah, that’s the problem. Artoria thought, as she swallowed hard. There was nothing she could say to talk her way out of this. Maybe she won't have any bad dreams tonight? Maybe with Selene’s presence, it would soothe her dreams. With a heavy sigh, she accepted her fate and let Selene push her down onto the blanket.
Selene hadn’t lain down with Artoria; she just stared down at Artoria, with so many emotions flashing in those deep pools of green that held so much mystery and allure. Selene reached down, caressing Artoria’s cheek with slow, gentle movements.
“Will you lie with me?” Artoria asked in a soft voice as she leaned into Selene’s hand, feeling the warmth from her touch.
Selene leaned down, her dark hair showering them in a curtain. “You do know that has many meanings?” She asked, with a teasing smirk.
“Not like that,” Artoria groaned. She could feel a blush rising as she raised her right hand and covered her face in embarrassment. She peeked between her fingers to stare at Selene. To watch the way the light from the glowbulb shone on her. “I just want to feel your warmth as I fall asleep. To know that you’re here.”
Selene lost the teasing smirk, her face flickering into a surprised expression, with her eyes widening. The hand that was already on Artoria’s cheek grabbed Artoria’s cheek, while the other hand moved Artoria’s out of the way. When she could see Artoria’s face, she just stopped, and stared at Artoria, her eyes flickering from eye to eye, searching.
Artoria reached out, with her left hand, and placed it gently onto Selene’s hand, pushing Selene’s hand into her cheek. Green searched grey, for a long moment.
After a moment, she must’ve found what she was looking for. Selene’s face softened, and with eyes, she nodded her head in confirmation, and slowly lowered herself down onto the blanket, lying next to Artoria. As she moved her arm around Artoria, she also moved to lie her head onto Artoria’s chest, right where her heart lies.
Artoria fixed the blanket, making sure it covered both of them, and then wrapped her arms around Selene. She could feel Selene’s arm tighten around her as she closed her eyes, letting the warmth and smell of Selene surround her.
As she was slowly losing consciousness, she once again could feel a weird tingling sensation run through her when she felt Selene’s hand brushing her forehead.
⋆༺☽༻⋆
Notes:
I had to create female false dragons, because you can't tell me there wouldn't be any. So in this story, Tanchito got caught in the crossfire. It will not be missed. (An inside joke between friends. I know I spelled it wrong.)
Whoever reads this, I hope you have a wonderful day (or night), see you guys later.