The Others

Chapter Nineteen

They say time flies when you’re having fun, but it’s safe to say time is not the only thing flying. Ever since the day Jonathan helped her fly, Lilly has been doing nothing else. It has been a couple of months, and she loves it so much that there's plenty of nights that I sleep alone. The little dragon, who is still growing in a rapid speed, does not even fit in my tent with me anymore. And maybe that’s one of the reasons why sometimes she does not come home at night. The longest she’s been gone, is about two days. But even when she’s gone, she still pops in and out of my mind. She tells me stories of what she saw, and what she learned.

I have noticed that when she’s too far away, my magic stops. Jonathan told me it would, but little stubborn me tried behind his back to create light, or mumble some of his phrases. But it’s true. Nothing happens if I do not have my Other with me.

Which might also be a good thing. Practicing magic, without being bound to an Other, can cause loads of problems. For one, the King might intervene. Natural magicians have been ‘dealt with’, and I do not feel the urge to be dealt with. No matter what it means.

The first couple of weeks I have waited patiently for the King’s nephew to arrive, but nothing happened. I did not dare to go to Mart to ask him when the man would come, but I am also not in the mood to figure it out, since Jonathan and I have been getting closer, and closer. Ever since he made his boundaries perfectly clear, it’s been easier for me not to try anything. I cannot say that when he touches me, my heart does not respond, but I am accepting that we are just friends. Even though every fibre in my body wants to touch him and be close to him. Kiss his lips when he smiles, go with my fingers through his hair, when the wind makes his curls dance.

But being friends, is better than being enemies. I’ll take what I can get.

I’m starting to really feel like I am at home here, with the sixth division. People know me, which is not very strange since I’m sporadically walking around with a dragon, slightly bigger than the size of a full-grown stallion. Her size is already impressing as-is, and she still refers to herself as a child.

I shake my head and look at the man in front of me. It’s mid- day, and he’s standing about three meters away from me with the wooden sword in his hand. Sweat drops are dripping from his forehead, and there’s a smirk on his face. He has the sword lifted, and his feet spread for proper balance.

I take two quick steps and swing my own sword towards his knees. He blocks the attack and jumps back. In a subtle move, he turns around and pushes his own sword forward in a hope to hurt me back.

I jump over the wooden stick and make a somersault when I reach the floor. I try to get up as quick as possible, but before I know it, he’s sitting on top of me. My chest clamped in-between his knees, and the wooden sword sticking out to my throat.

I try to push him off of me, but he does not move. I see some of his curls are wet with sweat, which is not strange with the sun being on its highest point. ‘Say it’, he says. I shake my head.

‘Get off of me Jonathan’, I screech. I try to push him away, but it’s of no use.

‘Say it’, he laughs for a second time.

I give up. ‘I surrender’, I say, while rolling my eyes.

‘And?’ Jonathan tilts his head.

‘No Jonathan, get off’, I laugh at him. He does not move an inch, so I continue: ‘Okay, okay. I surrender. You are amazing, I will never be as good as you.’

Jonathan grins and gets off of me. He offers me his hand to help me up, and I take it gratefully.

‘You look disgusting’, he says after he lets go of my hand. For a couple of seconds, I do not know what to say. And apparently it shows off on my face, since Jonathan starts laughing. ‘Sweaty, I mean’, he clarifies. ‘Where’s Lilly? Out?’

I nod. ‘She’s been gone for a full day now, I expect her home soon. She hasn’t even spoken to me yet today.’

‘Little girls grow up’, Jonathan says, and he shrugs. ‘Want to go for a swim?’

I tilt my head. ‘A swim?’

Jonathan nods. ‘Yeah, I found a small river, not very far away. It’s more like a big pond, in a small forest. The water seems pretty clean, and it’s perfect for a quick swim.’

‘You’re kidding me, and you only told me now?’ I say a bit too loud. The only way I have been able to get a good wash, is by washing myself with a bucket of water and a piece of cloth.

Jonathan chuckles. ‘Come’, he says, after he starts running.

I take a deep breath when I see him run, once again. It’s like Jonathan’s favourite way to spend time, is by being active. I have not seen him chill often. Sporadically I catch him watching the skies, but even when he does that, he seems to be doing something. Either making ropes from strings, or sharpening rocks by slamming them together. From the morning to the evening, you can catch him on one of the fields, practicing one thing or the other. Either magic, or sword-fighting. The last mostly with other people together, while training them or showing them new moves.

He must not have a lot of hobbies, or just not speak of them. Which is also a big possibility, especially since he just now admitted to finding a pond in a forest. Although, it might be during a run that he discovered it.

‘Can’t we just walk?’ I nag when I reach his speed. Since I’ve joined the army, my condition has gotten much better. I can see it in my endurance, but also on my body. My muscles are getting more streamlined. Especially in my belly and my arms, due to our practices with the swords.

‘We áre walking’, Jonathan says simply. I snort, but do not try to fight it. The idea of taking a swim has made my mood way too good.

It’s quite a long run, I think at least a full hour, before we reach the forest. And another ten, twenty minutes before we arrive at the pond. But the moment I see the clear pond, it’s completely worth the wait. I gasp when I see it, it looks magical. There are trees standing around the water, slightly bowed down to the straight surface. A couple of rays of sunshine reflect, and make it look like there’s fires beaming.

‘It’s beautiful’, I say. Jonathan chuckles.

‘Toldya’, he says like it’s one word, before he takes off his shirt.

Fuck. This is something I hadn’t even thought about. Bathing is something you do not do with your clothes on.

I try not to let my jaw drop, when I see his chest. His abs are streamlined, and his shoulders broad. You can see his strength, and I am instantly curious if he has trained from when he was young. It seems like he has. How long ago was it that he received Thalia. Eight years, right?

I look away when I see him take off his pants. I am not ready for this.

‘Come on’, he says, before I hear him splash into the water.

I look back at him and see him disappear under the water’s surface. When he comes back up, he yells at me. ‘Come on.’

I smile when I see how much fun he’s having, and for a second, I forget my shyness. I take off my own shirt and pants, but I leave my underwear on. I’m not sure if he has since I looked away, but if I can make any guesses, I’d say he did.

I run to the water and jump in right next to him. I try not to moan when I feel the water all around me. It’s slightly cold, which is not strange this time of year, but I have not felt this fresh in months.

Gently I lay on my back, to float on the surface. I stretch and try to take in the moment of relaxation. ‘This is wonderful’, I sigh completely content.

Suddenly my relaxation is abrupted. Before I realize truly what happened, I hear him scream and feel myself being pushed down underwater. He jumped on me.

I swim back up while gasping for air and look straight into the laughing eyes of Jonathan. He’s dying of laughter, and I realize he was trying to make a joke. I splash water in his face, and scream: ‘That’s not funny, I thought something was wrong’, which makes his laughter even louder.

‘Death by forest pond’, he jokes, and I splash some new water in his face. I swim to the shore, and try to crawl out of the water, but I feel his hands around my waste, pulling me back in. I dive underwater and grab a handful of tiny rocks. The moment I resurface I throw them at his direction, and I see him dive underwater just in time to avoid them. It takes him a bit too long to resurface himself, and I prepare myself to dive away from any payback.

Quickly I notice his payback is not throwing rocks back at me, but he’s pulling me underwater by my feet. I take a deep breath before I get pulled underwater, and I instantly swim back up. When I come up, I see Jonathan’s face right in front of mine.

He swims up to me, pushing me with my back to the shore of the pond. When we reach there, and I have nowhere to go, he presses his lips on mine. For a second, I’m startled, but I instantly start kissing him back. I feel my heart beating fast while he grabs my thighs and wraps my legs around his waist. Afterwards he rests his hand behind my neck, pulling me even closer, while devouring my kiss.

It takes only a minute before he stops kissing me, and stares into my eyes. It takes him another second or three before he lets go of me completely. ‘I’m sorry’, he says.

Still out of breath, I blink my eyes. ‘You’re sorry?’ I repeat him. I start laughing, while not really sure where the laughter comes from. Maybe from the happiness I feel take over my body, maybe from the sudden shock. I reach with my fingers to my lips while I think back of our kiss.

‘I shouldn’t have.’ Jonathan swims to the shore and pulls himself out of the water. My smile disappears from my face, and I follow him.

‘It’s okay, it’s just a kiss’, I say, a bit disappointed in his response. ‘If you want me to forget about it, I will.’ I watch him getting dressed, and then do the same.

‘Yes, please’, he says, before he walks away. While pulling my shirt over my head, I run after him. The disappointment is now getting worse, and worse. I even sense a bit of anger coming up.

‘But why?’ I continue. ‘Why are you pulling away from me so much. It’s genuinely okay if you want to act like nothing happened, but if it was up to me, I would like it to happen more often.’ I bite my lip while I open myself up to him.

I hear him cough, but he does not look back at me. ‘Let’s just go home’, he says.

I stop following him. ‘No’, I say angry. I see him stop walking too, and he turns around to me.

‘I’m not letting you alone here’, he says. ‘Start walking.’

I cross my arms. ‘No’, I say again. ‘You’re being very mean to me. Am I that repulsing to you?’

He laughs, short, and very hard, making sure I know it’s not genuine. ‘Repulsing?’ he repeats. ‘You’re such a woman.’

I raise my eyebrows and snort. ‘Bye, Jon’, I say before I turn around myself.

I hear him run to me and grab my shoulder. ‘We’re going home’, he says again. I shake my head.

‘Why? What’s wrong?’ I ask him. I need him to clarify. I need his explanation. There’s a chemistry between us that cannot be denied, and I am completely fed up with his behaviour.

‘I knew I should keep my distance’, he says. It’s like a dagger’s being stuck into my chest.

‘Why?’ I ask him again. I see him getting angry.

‘You do not want to know’, he tries. But I’m not getting pushed over. Not now.

‘Yes, I do want to know. Tell me.’ He shakes his head. ‘Jonathan’, I threaten him.

‘I’m engaged, alright?’ He gives up. Finally, the high word’s out. My jaw drops. Engaged? He’s getting married?

‘To whom?’ I ask him. It’s the first thing that pops up into my head.

He shrugs. ‘I do not know, my uncle has decided it for me’, he explains.

Instantly I think back of Qwerth. Am I not also engaged to an unknown man? Did my mother not promise me to someone? I bite my lip, while I feel shame coming up. Jonathan is in the same position, and he has been trying to push me away for months. And me? All I have thought of was my own desire, and not my mother’s promise.

‘Your uncle?’ I ask him. ‘Why would your uncle promise you to someone? Can your parents not do it?’

‘That’s your question?’ I see Jonathan observe me from head to toe. ‘I tell you I’m engaged, and all you want to know is why my uncle has promised me to someone?’

I grab a lock of hair and wriggle it between my thumb and index finger. ‘I guess so’, I whisper, while I try to avoid his eyes.

‘And do you want to know the answer?’ he says. ‘Do you really, really want to know?’

I nod. ‘You owe me answers’, I enforce him. He snorts.

‘And after I tell you, you will come back home with me. Without asking me anything else, for the entire road. Can you promise me that?’

I look up and observe his expression. He seems really upset, and it makes me extra curious to figure out the truth. ‘Promise’, I say.

‘My uncle is the king. Now let’s go.’ He turns around and starts running.