"Do you have a death wish?".
Tamire asked, hands in his pockets, he took a step backwards.
He had noticed her intention to take off his hood, he despised the fact that she always stepped into his personal space neglecting his privacy.
"What?" Tyra squinted her eyes folding her arms. She swore to have heard him chuckle when she fell earlier, but this question got her confused.
He sighed
"I can swear you know that your presence is always unwelcoming around me. This is my first and final warning to respect my personal space".
He walked past her without hearing her response, but paused almost immediately.
"Training starts tomorrow at first light, by the river".
He walked away.
Tyra stood still, watching him walk into the darkness until his figure faded slowly. He sounded cold and distant, like the first day they met. Though she didn't know him well, they just argued about everything and despised each other's presence but earlier, he acted like a stranger - more than a stranger.
As she walked back to her room, she began to worry about her training with him the next day.
Will he be cold just like today? Or nice and welcoming?
.....
The early morning sun skilled across the white sheets and unto the marble floor, warming her skin.The warm breeze fluttered through the curtains, carrying the scent of blooming roses. It was one of the most peaceful mornings in Andoths.
Tyra smiled slightly awake.
Till a thought popped up like a ticking bomb, sounding a warning like the early morning bells, sending chills down her spine, she swallowed hard.
"Training starts tomorrow at first light, by the river".
The words echoed in her ears, bringing her back to reality. She gasped loudly sitting upright.
She was late, too late.
She rushed to get dressed, slightly messy with her hair parked in a loose bun, too loose with visible tangles. Her boots were mismatched and her belt, unbuckled.
She ran through the hallway, then towards the woods. Her heart pounding, afraid of what was to come - Tamire's reaction to her lateness. She stumbled over a few twigs but kept up with the speed. Unsure of the exact location of her training, she still ran in the same track. Till she saw a familiar figure, she squatted panting hard.
Tamire stood still, his arms crossed as his foot tapped against the ground in a steady, irritated rhythm. Every passing second felt like another slap to his patience. He didn't hold Tyra in high regards but expected little of her, she crushed it. He had waited several hours since the first light in the woods, but couldn't leave. It wasn't in his place to leave anyways.
He heard Tyra panting few steps away, trying his best to control his anger but his voice betrayed his emotions.
She stood upright still catching her breath. His silence screamed louder than any words ever could. Although she couldn't see his face, his lips were visible - pressed into a tight, thin line. His nostrils flared with slow, delicate breaths - the type of breathing that failed to tame the storm rising in his chest.
Her eyes darted to the ground.
"I, well I ..." She stuttered, then breathed in and out.
"I didn't plan to come late on my first day of training. I slept well for the first time in a long while and...".
Tamire didn't give her a chance to complete her statement, he walked further, deeper into the woods. Tyra followed behind him quietly, unsure whether to apologize or stay quiet. The feeling of guilt burned within, her throat hurt.
As they walked up the hill, the air was dense, the wind becoming cold. She shivered trying to warm her body with her hands. She regretted not bringing thick clothings along. Her thighs ached from climbing the slopy hill, she found it hard to keep up with his speed.
She fell...
"Ouch".
The clash with the rocky ground was painful, bruising her skin. She looked ahead, her lips curled up in disappointment.
He was still climbing up the hill.
Tamire heard her soft whimpers as she fell, he wanted to keep walking but paused with clenched fists. He stood still gazing at the sky. He was too angry to be in the same space with her, let alone behold her presence but he would be blamed if anything were to happen to her.
He turned around with furious steps, stretched out his hand towards Tyra. She held his hand getting off the ground, he barely helped her up.
His grip was firm, strong like he was squeezing the life out of her. But Tyra kept shut, she felt too guilty to complain. After a while, they reached the top of the hill and he let go of her hand.
The Savon river was in view, it lay still beneath them. A silvery mist curled above the surface, the fog clung low, muffling sounds and blurring the edges of the earth.
Tyra opened her mouth in awe, it was too peaceful to approach. A sense of guilt settled in her mind, for erupting it weeks ago. She jerked when Tamire spoke, his voice harsh and cold. She swallowed hard, her worries were not in vain after all.
"Shall I begin?".
Tyra could feel his cold gaze on her, beneath his hood. She nodded.
"Your powers had erupted the peaceful river weeks ago. Today, you will learn to focus your strength to control the waters".
Did he have to bring up her mistake from the past?
It sounded like a difficult task to accomplish, worse than the first day of training in Andoths. She sighed.
Tamire went further to sit on a log of wood nearby, he waited for her to begin but she stood still. He ignored her stance and passed time throwing stones into the river.
Tyra furrowed her brows staring at him.
Was he expecting her to do this all by herself?
"Will she just stare at me for the whole day".
He muttered, but loud enough for Tyra to hear. He sighed deeply hesitating to get up.
Tyra staggered backwards as Tamire took big strides towards her. She clutched the sides of her dress tightly, panicking. If they were far apart from each other, she would have taken the initiative to run, but they were few inches away. Her eyes twitched, welled up in tears as he came closer, she avoided his gaze.
Tyra's eyes widened when Tamire turned her towards the river. She was relieved that his annoyance didn't breed any aggressive actions. But her heart thudded when she pressed her head against his chest. His mint and woody scent filling her nostrils, her stomach tightened like a knot.
He was too close, way too close.