Heart Over Sword

The small group of four continued their journey; the quiet tension was palpable as the only sounds between them were the clinking of weapons and their boots hitting the ground. The chat was light, though it never lasted. Garrett and Arawn walked ahead, leading the way, while Evanna and Ronan were behind, glancing at their surroundings.

Ronan appeared warier in the company of the two elves before them, and the long grass towering over them made him jump at the slightest of sounds. Now, Evanna knew why Direwood forest had such strange creatures like the giant insects. She would not be surprised to find them there. She scanned the waves of green around them but was not alerted by anything.

Though Evanna remained vigilant, her body felt as though someone had smacked her with a hammer. There were no bruises, but invisible ones covered her body. It wasn’t just the fighting but the use of her powers to such a great degree.

"What is that?"

Evanna looked at Ronan and then followed his gaze to the extra sword sheathed behind her back. "That.. is called a sword, my dear friend," Evanna smirked at his eye roll, then pulled the newfound sword from its sheath and handed it to him. "Cedric gave it to me." At their sudden discussion about the sword, Arawn and Garrett turned to look at what they were doing.

Ronan balanced the blade before him, gazing at the little dragon and sapphire on the hilt, then swung it in a motion that made the elves raise a brow and the right side of Arawn’s lip tilt up. "Cedric?" Ronan looked at her with a frown before handing the sword back to her. "You have become quite close to ’them’, I see."

Evanna bit the inside of her cheek as she felt Arawn’s gaze on her face again, studying her, waiting to hear her answer. "I never meant to be an enemy of the Flori," she replied, earning a scoff from Garrett.

But before Garrett could jump in with a remark about her stealing from the kingdom, Arawn spoke first, staring ahead. "That sword was not Cedric’s to give." He continued with a topic for lighter discussion than that of all the rules she broke, especially as a Princess of a kingdom that was in a peace treaty with the Flori and Lyvarian kingdoms.

Evanna watched Arawn’s back, the elegance of his steps, the sway of his long hair, the very well-placed and hidden blades against his shoulder blades. He was tall, looked lean, and now being in his arms, did she know what hard muscles were beneath that clothing. She gulped and silently scolded herself for getting distracted. Only then, noting Ronan was watching her study Arawn and her cheeks heated. She looked away and sheathed the sword behind her back.

"He said it needs to be used. Or do you mean I should not be the one to wield it?" Evanna questioned as she scanned her surroundings again. There wasn’t much to it at the moment, and it was frankly quite boring, staring at the tall grass like they were tiny people. Or like Nesrin, a small fairy.

Arawn clicked his tongue and fell back in step beside her, skilfully squeezing in between her and Ronan, silently staring at Ronan to leave. Her friend frowned again, glancing between them before walking beside Garrett, who made Ronan look tiny compared to his stocky frame.

"This sword gains power from those it harms." Arawn had already removed her sword again, his fingers gliding over the surface of the blade where small inscriptions were engraved on it. Evanna could not read it, but the symbols were similar to that of Muranthian. It must have been an ancient tongue identical to that of elves.