They moved quietly at first — just the crunch of gravel and scattered leaves beneath their boots. The forest gave way to chalky cliffs and dry brush, the canopy thinning above as birds circled in pairs like bored sentries.

  Rell walked ahead, silent, his thoughts drifting. Thessia trailed behind, arms folded, sneaking glances whenever he wasn’t looking.

  She’d been doing that a lot lately.

  —

  The sun began to dip behind the ridge. They decided to stop near a rocky basin where steam rose from a shallow spring tucked into the bend of a cliff.

  Thessia looked at the water, then at Rell. “Go scout ahead. I’ll wash up. Try not to trip and fall into the spring like a creep.”

  Rell blinked, shrugged. “Scout. Sure.”

  —

  He returned ten minutes later, arms full of kindling and a dead lizard-bird for roasting. As he rounded the bend—

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  He froze.

  Steam coiled like silk across the spring. Thessia stood waist-deep in the water, back turned, bare skin glowing faintly in the evening light. Her hair was down. Wet. Long. Clinging to her shoulders. Scars wrapped faintly around her ribcage and thighs like war medals.

  Rell didn’t move.

  **"Damn it... wrong place. Wrong time."**

  He turned quickly.

  Splash.

  Thessia spun around. “What the—YOU IDIOT!”

  He didn’t look back. “Didn’t see nothin’. Not my fault. Forest loud.”

  She hurled a stone at his back. It bounced off. “Forest—?! You—!”

  “I go now.”

  He vanished behind the rock outcrop. She stood, face red, fists clenched, muttering curses between deep, flustered breaths.

  Later, drying off by the fire, she kept her hood down a