Rain

KAEL

Kael held his breath as the young soldier brought his weapon down toward Andra, the blow powerful enough to crack her head open.

But Andra was ready for the strike, the wood echoing with a loud ~crack!~ as Andra used her staff to parry his. She stepped forward, using the butt-end of the staff to smack him squarely in the ribs.

“Yes!” Kael whispered, pumping his fist in approval.

~“Would you like me to help you cheer her on?”~ Eithne asked. ~“Maybe give her a sign on your behalf?”~

Kael turned a reproachful eye on the dragon. ~“As if you could make one, anyway.”~

The pair were underneath the shadows of the tree line, watching as Colmen ran Andra and other rebel soldiers through sparring sessions in the open meadow beyond.

~“Sure I could,”~ Eithne went on. ~“I could blaze a message into the grass for you. Or I’m well versed in making smoke signals.”~

Kael ignored the dragon as he watched Andra and her opponent circle each other warily. Andra was hyper focused, making note of her opponent’s every move.

The soldier shifted his weight forward and lunged for a savage strike.

Andra dodged it easily, the wood swooping over her head as she ducked. She smacked his shins hard, causing him to trip and stumble to the ground with his own momentum.

The other soldiers watching let out a collective ~oooh~, wincing as the soldier face-planted into the grass.

Even from here he could see Andra’s brilliant smile, see the sweat dripping down her neck.

~“Oh, please,”~ Eithne groaned. ~“Kael, I know you’re of that age now, but are you seriously thinking about—”~

~“Shush!”~ Kael said, hiding his embarrassment behind a wall of annoyance.

The soldier scrambled to his feet, his pride wounded. But before he could embarrass himself further, Colmen stepped in.

“That’s enough for today!” he called. “You’re all dismissed! Tomorrow we’ll work on hand-to-hand combat. Since some of you ~clearly~ need a reminder. Perhaps Andra can teach you a thing or two.”

The soldiers slowly filtered out of the meadow as Andra ran over to Colmen, beaming. The two shared a laugh as the elf ruffled her hair.

Kael couldn’t help but smile. He’d been so worried that Andra would feel isolated here. That she’d feel like an outsider.

But it looked like—thanks in large part to Colmen—she was doing just fine. He really owed the elf a great deal.

Kael turned to leave, but Eithne’s tail coiled around him.

~“Don’t sell yourself short,”~ Eithne said. ~“You’ve done a lot for her too.”~

Eithne gently shoved him toward the meadow. ~“Now get out there before I snatch you up in my jaws and fly you over there forcefully.”~

~“I’ve still got a lot of things to—”~

~“They can wait,”~ Eithne said, leaving no room for argument. ~“I know you’ve been meaning to talk to her.”~

Kael sighed. Eithne knew him too well. He could put it off no longer.

He walked out into the meadow, leaving Eithne in the shadows.

ANDRA

Andra helped Colmen gather the wooden staves. They placed them in the large wooden barrels that had been dragged out to the field for training.

~“Not bad, sister,”~ Tiri called. The dragon was a splash of violet in the meadow, lounging in the sun. ~“Even I might have some trouble with you if we were to spar.”~

~“Yeah, right.”~ Andra rolled her eyes. ~“Maybe if you were asleep.”~

While Andra was certain that there was no way she could best a ~dragon~, she was happy that she’d been able to hold her own against the younger soldiers in the rebel army.

It felt good, being able to fight back.

To fight back and ~win~.

After what had happened with Egan the other day, the sparring sessions with Colmen had been a welcome stress relief.

While she couldn’t fight the memories that Egan’s drunken advance had brought up, she could at least fight these boys.

Colmen wrapped the barrels in wind, and the magic lifted the heavy objects effortlessly as he prepared to take them back to Bellris.

“We’ll continue again tomorrow,” he said. “That is, if any of the others dare challenge you again.”

She stuck her tongue out at him, seriously doubting that any of the soldiers would be scared of her. “You sure you don’t need help with that?” she asked, nodding at the heavy barrel.

Colmen shook his head. “I can manage. Besides, there’s someone here to see you.”

Andra turned to find Kael walking toward her.

She smiled at him in surprise.

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“I watch the soldiers train whenever I can,” he said. “I like to see what they’re up to.”

“And how long have you been watching?” Andra asked, suddenly self-conscious.

A half smile touched his lips. “Long enough to know that there are a few embarrassed soldiers in my army now.”

Andra laughed, a warmth spreading through her cheeks. While she’d shrugged off Eithne’s and Colmen’s praise, for some reason hearing Kael say it embarrassed her.

“Andra…,” Kael began, his expression suddenly somber.

“Is something wrong?”

“No,” he replied with a brief shake of his head. “It’s just…” Kael lapsed into silence, and Andra was surprised to see him at a loss for words. “I wanted to speak to you about what happened. With Egan, I mean.”

Andra felt her jaw clench as she looked away. “There’s nothing to speak of,” she said, trying to keep her tone level.

She heard him step closer and looked toward him again, now barely more than a foot away. His hand lifted briefly, as if he meant to touch her, then fell back to his side.

“Andra,” he said, “I’m no fool. I know what Ledo did to you. And I know what Egan tried to do…”

Andra pressed her eyes closed. “Please stop.” Her voice was barely above a whisper, but Kael quickly fell silent.

She could feel the tears burning in her eyes, the familiar pain rising in her throat, threatening to silence her voice again. She wouldn’t let it. She swallowed hard, forcing the tears away.

Andra felt the soft press of Kael’s fingers on her cheek, and she found herself leaning into his touch.

“I just wish…” His voice drifted off.

“I wanted to fight him,” she whispered. “I tried so hard…”

“And you ~did~,” Kael told her firmly.

“But it made me remember…it made me remember all the times I ~didn’t~ fight. All those memories I thought I could put behind me. But I just…can’t.”

Kael gently tilted her face up to his, and she opened her eyes to gaze into the gray depths of his. “Nobody expects you to simply move on from what happened to you, Andra.”

“I know. I just wish I could.”

A drop of rain fell on her face, and they both looked up at the sky. Clouds the color of Kael’s eyes had rolled in, and the rain began to fall in earnest.

“We should head back,” Kael said.

But Andra didn’t move. She closed her eyes, spreading her arms slightly as she felt the rain cool her skin. But it did more than that. It seemed to seep further into her, washing away the grimy stain of those painful memories.

“Andra?”

“It feels nice,” she said with a relaxed smile.

Rain.

Something so simple. So ordinary.

But suddenly, standing there in an open field—feeling the moisture pressing her hair to her skin, her tunic to her chest—the rain became something beautiful.

Something that could make it easier to forget, if only for a little while.

“Come on,” Kael said, gently pressing on her arm to guide her back toward Bellris. “You’re going to catch a cold.”

Andra pulled away from him, yanking off her boots. She took off at a dead run toward the lake, kicking up mud with her bare feet.

“Andra!” Kael called after her.

She didn’t answer; she ran until she reached the edge of the lake. She lay down on the grass, staring up at the rain as she tried to catch her breath.

She heard the squelch of Kael’s boots as he approached, his face looming above her.

“Hello,” she said, a little breathless.

“Is there a reason why you’re lying in a puddle of mud in the rain?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“And that would be…?”

“Because it feels easier to forget here.”

Kael was silent. Then he dropped down into the mud beside her.

She stared at him in surprise as he picked up a handful of muck, weighing it in his hands.

“I may not understand why,” he said, dropping the mud back down and wiping his hands off on his trousers. “But if sitting in mud puddles in the rain helps you somehow, then we can sit in mud puddles in the rain.”

Andra stared at his face in silence. He didn’t look at her. He just stared out at the surface of the lake, which danced from the impact of the raindrops.

She closed her eyes and rested her chin on her knees, Kael’s silent presence somehow adding to the soothing sensation of the rain on her back.

She heard Tiri and Eithne settling into the grass behind them, keeping them company.

Eventually the downpour let up, one of those heavy, mid-summer rains that would go as quickly as they came.

Kael stood up, pulling his rain-soaked tunic over his head. “I’m going to wash off some of this mud before we head back,” he said.

~“I agree,”~ Eithne said, soaring up into the sky before plummeting into the surface of the lake. Kael joined her, and Andra watched as Rider and dragon played in the water, diving in and out in a mesmerizing dance.

Kael patted Eithne’s scales, and she hummed happily, flying out of the lake to dry off in the meadow.

Eventually Kael swam up to the edge of the lake, resting his head on his arms. He closed his eyes as his body drifted in the water.

“Kael…,” Andra said quietly.

“Hm?” Kael asked, his eyes still closed.

“Will you teach me?”

“Teach you what?”

“How to swim.”

Kael opened his eyes to look at her. “I could…but this lake is quite deep. There aren’t any shallows. If you get away from me, even for a second—”

“I trust you,” Andra said.

Kael met her gaze and held it. “Put your hands on my shoulders,” he said.

Andra obeyed. Kael took her gently by the waist and lowered her into the water. She drew slow, deep breaths as the water rose around her, keeping herself calm.

“It’s all right,” Kael said quietly. “I won’t let go until you tell me to.”

He had one arm around her waist, holding her against him and keeping her head just above the water. His other hand held the bank for balance.

Andra found herself caught in his gray eyes, and he gazed steadily back at her, his expression somehow both gentle and intense.

She swallowed hard, breaking her eyes away from his with great effort. She looked down at the water. “I’m ready,” she said.

Kael blinked, as if he had just remembered what they were doing.

“Okay,” he said. “Let’s start with holding your breath.”

Kael was a patient teacher. Much more gentle than when he had taught her how to fight. He always kept a hand on her arm, ready to steady her if he felt anything was wrong.

Once Andra was used to holding her breath, Kael slowly taught her how to kick with her legs, how to tread water. Andra laughed as she kicked toward the bank where Tiri and Eithne were watching them.

She grasped at the slick stone ledge, thrusting her other hand in the air with a triumphant laugh.

“I did it!” she said.

The ghost of a smile touched Kael’s lips. “Yes, you’re very adept at not drowning.”

She laughed again, turning toward the dragons on the shore. “Tiri! Did you see—!” The sudden movement caused her hand to slip, and she disappeared underneath the surface.

Kael’s hand lashed through the water, pulling her up immediately.

She reemerged, surprised but unharmed. He slipped his arm around her waist, holding her close as she gave a few startled coughs, wiping the water away from her face.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Of course.” Andra smiled and nodded. “You always seem to catch me before I fall too far.”

“I told you I’d take care of you,” he said quietly.

Something in his voice changed, and his grip on her became more urgent.

Andra looked up as Kael began to lean forward, his lips inching closer to hers…