Azure Valley: The New Royals

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── 1 ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

“Echo...” It sounds like I’m underwater. Did I fall asleep by the lake and somehow fall in? Is this what death sounds like? I can’t see anything, but the more I think about it, the more facts point towards the fact that I am dead.

“Echo!” It’s louder now. I feel something tickle my nose, and I start twitching my nose to try to get it to stop. I open my eyes, seeing Taly looking down on me, and my body starts to regain feeling. I’m in my comfortable bed in my safe home.

“Taly! What the heck are you doing?!” She looks at me with a ‘come on, really?’ kind of look and says, “Waking you up obviously, it’s 9 o’clock, like you told me to.” I do remember I told her that yesterday. “When is the ceremony?” I ask while yawning. “It’s in 2 hours,” Taly answers.

I nod, and she turns to leave. I sit in my bed, looking around my room. All my stuff is in its normal spots. My desk is to the left, above that are all my drawings of all the different types of animals I spot on my daily scouting. I never leave without my sketchbook and pencil.

I look to my left, and I’m staring at my hanging chair made out of bamboo. My mother made that for me. It’s got a pink pillow on it, hand-sewn, with a bow on it; Taly made that for me for my 20th birthday. It always brings back the happiness I felt when I opened the package.

Taly and I have always been close, of course with some fights, but can you even be siblings if you haven’t had your fair share of screaming matches, or in our case a trial of 5 challenges? Whoever wins gets bragging rights for 3 months, but after all, they have brought us to where we are.

I finally muster the energy to get out of bed, and I put my bare feet on my fur carpet. It always makes me feel so happy. I take off my pyjamas and change into my daily clothes. I grab my bow and walk out of my room. My room is at the end of a hallway, well-lit with torches and a bunch of pictures from when Taly and I were little, and my parents holding us.

Taly and I got our white-grey hair from our father; our mother has beautiful steel-blue hair with white highlights. Of course, some of the color has faded a bit over time.

My mother specializes in fabric, magic, and stones. She’s the designer in our town. A lot of the elves around here are walking around with clothes she has made, even most of my own clothes are something my mother made.

My dad specializes in hunting, tools, and occasionally healing. He knows the herbs that can heal, but he is no professional like some of the other elves around here. But with all the hunting, he isn’t home that much, though I see him out on my hike sometimes.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── 2 ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Taly is something else, and she is one of the elves that people around here fear. They believe she is going to turn on us and join the drows, which are the elves that took a path to the shadows. Taly specializes in potions and curses. She mostly uses her skills to detect a curse or know if a potion is dangerous. Yes, she can curse objects and people if she wishes to, but that’s not who she is.

Whereas my sister is feared, I am the most trusted and loved elf in our town. People depend on me, and many people always come to me and ask for help. Of course, I help them because I help those in need.

I go on these daily hikes and have been for about 7 years, to make sure that nothing is out of the ordinary and because the outside world interests me, especially the different types of animals: foxes, wolves, griffins, and most important of all, the phoenix. The phoenix is this magical bird, with fiery orange feathers and piercing yellow eyes. It’s majestic and dangerous.

I have heard that if you gain a phoenix’s trust, it will be the most loyal and fearless protector. It lives for a very long time, and when it is its time to go, it has its final resting place in our volcano. The volcano is about 70 miles away from my town. I would love to go there someday, but I have people to protect.

I reach the end of the ‘memory hallway’ that we like to call it, and get to our living room. Neither my mother nor my father is here. Taly is sitting in the kitchen, sharpening her spear. “Tell me Echo...” She pauses and blows on her spearhead.

“When are you going to use real arrows?” I take a mango from our fruit bowl and start peeling it. I look at her confused. “Why do you need to know?” I ask with a chuckle. She rolls her eyes and continues, “You have been on a daily hike every day for 7 years straight and you haven’t killed a single animal...”

I take out a cutting board and start cutting my mango into bite-sized pieces. I smile and say, “Well, because that’s not what I’m about. I want to know the ways of the animals, and I want to take in all their beauty. True beauty is only in a happy life.” She looks at me with a smile and says, “If you at any point would want to use anything else other than those sleeping darts, then you know where to find me.”

She throws about 25 silver arrows on the kitchen counter and stands up. “Take them with you, use them or not.” She puts her spear behind her back and walks out. I eat my mango and eventually leave too.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── 3 ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

I walk outside to our front porch. My mother is sitting in her chair, drinking her lemon water, and just watching elves walking by. She seems to be enjoying her life a lot and she seems so peaceful. But then again, how couldn’t she? Alyfanora is a beautiful place, with flowers in all of the rainbow’s colors, and a big, beautiful forest that surrounds it.

Elves chatter, the sun shines, hitting the cobblestone, and its reflection dances on the water. It makes it all seem so perfect, and then there’s the smell of all the different fruits growing around us and the aroma of flowers.

I take a deep breath, and then I remember that I haven’t even said hi to my mother yet. I was about to open my mouth when my mother says, “Hello, my sweet berry, glad we can enjoy the beauty of Alyfanora together.” “Sweet berry” is my mother’s nickname for me. She’s always called me that since I was a little elf.

“It really is beautiful,” I tell her. Even when I have been seeing the same thing every day for 20 years, it still puts me in awe. I look at everything for a few more seconds, take another deep breath, lean down, and give my mother a kiss on the cheek before I walk out of our front gate.

I walk through the town smiling. This feels like a great day! Elves greet me when they see me, and I greet them back. It’s like that all the way through my town until I reach the pathway to the forest, the start of my hike.

There is a bit of a hill when walking into the forest. I am mesmerized by all the different shades of green in the forest. It’s like they change every day. I make my way through the forest, and I hear some leaves rustling. I take out my bow and start scouting.

Is this the day that I’m going to be seeing a real phoenix? Am I going to be the luckiest elf on this whole entire planet and get the honor of seeing a real-life phoenix? Down from the leaves flies Ivy.

Ivy is a hummingbird that lives in the forest. She always finds me no matter where I enter. “Oh hi Ivy,” I say. She flies super close to my face. I put my bow behind my back and make a bowl with my hands, indicating that she can land in my hands.

And so she does. Then I remember that I normally bring her some of our lavenders for her to feed off of. I let out a gasp, and she looks at me confused. “I’m so sorry, Ivy... I forgot the lavenders,” I say. She just looks at me. I then say, “Should we get you something else?”

She gives me a little wing flap, and I take that as a yes. I put her on my shoulder, and I start walking further into the forest.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── 4 ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

After walking for a few minutes, we reach a little spot with a few different flowers. “There’s a bit of a selection of foods here,” Ivy creeps out from my long white hair and flies down to the little spot with flowers.

I hear a branch snap in the distance. I smirk, take out my bow, and point it in the direction of where I hear the sound. I get down on one knee and close one eye. I am surprised to see something moving fast through the bushes.

I keep a close eye on the target but can’t seem to get a clean sight on it. I can’t even tell what it is or how big or small it is. I take a few steps back and stand in front of Ivy; whatever this is, it might be a predator.

I turn to the left, then the right, I look behind and quickly to the front. I am getting a bit worried. I feel sweat forming on my forehead and my eyes flicking. My bow gets yanked from my hands, and it lands on the dirt.

Shit! What do I do now? I feel scared for the first time in a while. I’m about to run when my hands get tucked behind my back, and I feel a hot breath on my neck... “Not fast enough, chalky,” a pleasant voice speaks softly into my ear. My heart drops to my stomach.

He lets go and backs up. I turn around and look straight into the neck of a tall man. I’m not exactly short; I’m about 5′8". He has to be about 6′2". I clear my throat and adjust my head to look up at him.

I am surprised to see a handsome man with long dark brown hair. Our eyes meet, his eyebrows raise in a quick motion. I look at him for a few seconds, wanting to say something cheeky, but my tongue locks. “Not what I was expecting to see,” he says, breaking the silence.

I still can’t say anything. I turn around to pick up my bow, and when I have it in my hand, I give him a quick glance and walk past him. I walk right into his smell, and it is good. I wonder what plants he has mixed.

I still can’t say anything, and I am just hoping for him to leave it at that, but he follows me. “So... can’t you hear me or are you mute?” What do I do now? “I didn’t scare you, right?” he asks. I roll my eyes, and he spots it. “Good to know you at least can hear me.”

I keep walking and scouting around, trying to ignore his presence, but I can feel him right behind me. “I’m sorry if I scared you,” he continues. “What is an elf-maid like you doing out here?” What do you think, stupid? I am literally carrying a bow, I think to myself.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── 5 ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

“You’ve got a beautiful bow, is it sakura?” he asks. “Shhh,” I let out, raising my hand to signal for him to quiet down. I take an arrow out from my quiver and slot it into my bow, pointing it toward a tree in the distance. “You do know that isn’t a real arrow, right?” he remarks. I shoot my bow, and it hits the tree.

I missed my target, damn it! This guy is really getting on my nerves. I want to punch him in the face. I take a deep breath and turn around to look at him. He looks confused. I’m waiting for him to realize his mistake, but he just stands there looking clueless.

“You talk too much” I say. He’s about to open his stupid mouth, but before he can, I continue, “And yes, I do know that this isn’t a ‘real arrow,’ and that’s how I want it. I’m not hunting for food I'm hunting for knowledge.” I give him a quick up-and-down look, I turn around and keep walking, of course he follows.

“Well, at least now I know you can talk, and you’ve got a sweet voice too,” he remarks. My heart skips a beat, but I try to keep it cool. “You’ve got an active voice,” I say, annoyed. “Thank you,” he replies, almost proud, as if I meant that as a compliment.

We keep walking for a bit. I’m trying to find my way back. We come across a little pond. Yes! I’m thirsty. I sit down on my knees and cup my hands to scoop up some water. I can feel him hovering behind me, but I don’t care.

I get up again and look around the area, trying to find a recognizable path to take. I know this pond isn’t far away from home, but can I let this man follow me to my hometown? I haven’t seen him around here before.

“So, where do you come from?” I ask, still looking around, not wanting to look at his annoying face “I’m from Ammeluma... What about you?” he says. I hesitate for a few seconds, thinking before responding, “I’m from Alyfanora.” There’s a moment of silence.

I turn around to look at him. “That’s where the royals live,” he remarks. I nod. Then I remember... My eyes widen. “The ceremony!” I burst out. “I almost forgot. It’s got to be in like 20 minutes!” He looks intrigued. “I have to go!” I say, and start running.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── 6 ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

I arrive at the ceremony just in time, meeting my sister in the crowd as we gaze upon the royals at the centre of the castle. There’s a woman there, presumably the new queen, I speculate quietly. She’s accompanied by her two sons, all exuding elegance and pride. I find myself pondering the absence of the king, but no new man appears. A queen and her two sons, quite an intriguing assembly of royals.

The former king strides onto the “stage” with a sword, the royal sword, steeped in the bloodline of our ancestors. It’s said to possess the power to slay anyone should its wielder so desire. The sword’s appearance reflects its holder; in the old king’s hand, it glows with a beautiful sapphire aura, its handle white with a sapphire embedded in the centre.

Sapphire is the royal stone, a symbol of pure blue blood, instilling immediate trust. While it’s not a prerequisite to hail from an all-royal lineage to ascend to the throne, bearing the sapphire signifies legitimacy.

The old king passes the sword to the new queen with a formal bow, then steps aside, facing his people. “Dear citizens of Alyfanora, welcome your new queen with honesty and gratitude, and heed her words, for I now transfer Alyfanora and all of Azure Valley under her guidance.”

This ritual marks the official transition of leadership in our kingdom; the old monarch must utter these words for the new ruler to assume power. Typically, the ceremony concludes with the new ruler displaying the royal sword’s new appearance.

Yet, the queen refuses to do so; it’s as if the sword has vanished. Though I glance around, I choose not to dwell on it. As the sun begins its descent, the ceremony draws to a close, and the crowd disperses, making their way home.

On our journey home, I inquire of Taly whether she found it odd that the sword wasn’t showcased as usual. Taly’s eyes widen as she swiftly covers my mouth, leaving me baffled. Pulling me aside, she whispers, “The sword harbors dark magic.” I gasp, “Dark magic?” She silences me once more, cautioning me to keep quiet. “I sensed it,” she whispers.

“There’s something amiss with these new royals. I need to investigate further,” she pauses. “I want to help,” I whisper resolutely. She shakes her head. “No, blossom, your soul is too pure to be entangled with dark magic.

You risk becoming a drow if exposed to it for too long. I’ll brew a magic potion for you, Mum, and Dad; it’ll shield you from potent dark magic.” She glances into the distance, murmuring to herself, “But potions have their limits... I need to find another solution...”

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── 7 ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Taly always feels the need to protect especially me, maybe because I’m her younger sister or maybe it’s just an instinct she has. She is only 5 years older than me, but she is and has always been a great older sister, always making sure that I am protected and taken care of.

She is like that for our parents too, but primarily for me. I love her for it, but I don’t love how many things she takes upon herself throughout her life. She believes that everything she gets involved with is dangerous, and will cause anyone other than her to turn evil or get killed.

Her heart’s in the right place, but she sometimes forgets to think about the worry other people around may have for her, and that’s a problem. She walks away determined, she looks like she knows exactly what she has to do, I’ve always admired that about her.

I look up to her and wish that one day I can be as brave and decisive as she. I look around and only a few elves are walking past me; everyone’s gotten down the hill. I notice how beautiful the sunset is, I sit down on the grass and watch the sun go down. I bring out my sketchbook and pencil and start drawing this moment, since I didn’t catch any creatures to draw earlier because of a certain someone...

Ugh, he just completely ruined my scouting. What was he even doing there? “Ammeluma,” I whisper to myself, trying to figure out where it is. I know that Alyfanora is pretty much in the middle of Azure Valley.

I finish my drawing of the sunset and start drawing what I remember Ammeluma as, it’s a village as far as I know, smaller than Alyfanora. Ammeluma is the village for the night elves and creatures, right?

I think to myself, I actually think it’s the place for outcasts and orphans... Damn! Now I feel bad for the dude, ugh! It gets darker and darker by the minute and seeing my drawing gets more difficult, I squint my eyes more and more...

I open my eyes again, and I’m laying down. When did that happen? I can barely see anything, but as far as I can recognize, I am still on the mountain. Did I fall asleep? I am feeling a little drowsy, how long have I been sleeping for?

My body regains its senses, and I can’t feel my sketchbook nor my pencil in my hands anymore. I sit up in a quick motion and start to panic, did I drop it? If I did, there is no way I’ll ever find it again. “No, no, no!” I say, still fumbling around, looking and feeling for it. “Calm down chalky,” he says tiredly, it’s that voice again... The mystery elf...

“You again?!” I burst out. “Yes, lucky you right?” he comments. I stay silent for a bit. “You're such a windbag” I say annoyed.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── 8 ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

I hear clothes rustling; he has been laying down on the grass too. When did he get here? I come to my senses and say, “My sketchbook! Where is it?!” I keep looking around for it and feeling on the grass.

In my panic, I feel everywhere and anywhere. Most of it is grass, but then I accidentally put my hand on something that isn’t grass... It’s his thigh... Oh my God... It sends a jolt through my body. Crap!

I feel my heart skip a beat. I move my hand as quickly as possible. There was something so intimate about touching him in the dark. I didn’t mean to, but now I feel extremely awkward. “You need to stop panicking,” he says, followed by a sigh.

“Your sketchbook is right here. I hope you don’t mind, but I looked through it,” he hands me the sketchbook, and I feel relieved until I realize... “You did what?!” I burst out. “I looked through it,” he says as calm as ever. “That’s so disrespectful! It’s personal!” I say in a loud voice.

There is a moment of silence, and I feel bad for yelling, but I refuse to apologize. “You’ve got some real talent, do you know that?” he says it so sincerely I feel my cheeks getting warmer. Thank God it isn’t bright anymore.

But with those words, I feel a bit more calm. I take a deep breath and say, “Thank you, windbag” and let out a little chuckle. “How long have you been here?” I ask. “I was at the ceremony,” he begins.

“I was walking down the mountain with all the other elves, and I saw someone pull you into the side with a hand on your mouth, so I stuck by...” he says. For a while, none of us say anything. I break the silence and say, “That was my sister, her name is Taly.”

“Well, I figured it wasn’t anyone dangerous since you didn’t try to fight her, so I didn’t jump in,” he seems to be hesitating. “I was planning on leaving and going home, but then you sat down and I noticed how beautiful the sunset was, so I stood by watching it. I saw you take out your sketchbook, and I was curious, so I stayed...”

I looked in the direction his voice seemed to be coming from, but there was only darkness to see. Then it clicked for me. His voice was coming from the direction I was laying... Had I been laying on his lap?... That’s so embarrassing. “How long was I sleeping for?”

I say in the calmest voice I could muster. “For about 2 hours or so,” he says calmly and follows it up with, “You look so sweet when you’re sleeping.” I could hear the smirk in his voice. He knew what he was doing... Or maybe he’s just a natural flirt? “I should get home, my folks are probably worried.”

I hear him get up before me. I brush the grass off of my clothes and my hands. I get up in an awkward position so one hand is on the ground holding my sketchbook and the other is flying in the air. I feel a warm, rough but soft hand grab mine and helping me the rest of the way up.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── 9 ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

I get up and try to pull my hand to me again, but he keeps holding it. “It’s dark, Chalky. I am a creature of the night, so I can see night almost as clear as day. Let me lead you.”

“It’s Echo... My name is Echo,” I tell him. “My name is Heath, Heath Ashbluff.” Ashbluff?... I’ve heard that before... It was a bloodline known to specialize in metals, they are a sly ‘don’t trust them’ kind of family. Doesn’t fit in the category of drows, but people believed them to be an ally of them.

We get to the bottom of the mountain, and Heath lets go of my hand, it’s brighter at the bottom because of all the town torches, and for a moment, I had forgotten that he was as handsome as he is.

I glance at him a few times while we’re walking towards my house. I hope he didn’t notice; that would be even more embarrassing. We almost don’t say a thing during our little walk, but it’s alright. We eventually get to my house, and he watches me walk inside.

When I turn around again, looking out the window, he’s gone, as if he was never there to begin with. I walk quietly to my room, and get ready for bed. I lay down, and I fall asleep the moment I put my head on my pillow...

I feel a bit of pressure on top of me. It’s not like I can’t breathe or that I’m uncomfortable. I open my eyes and see a beautiful pair of ocean blue eyes looking into mine. “Heath? What are you doing here?” I ask sleepily. He doesn’t answer.

He takes off his shirt and throws it on my floor. God, that six-pack. He pulls off my duvet and puts himself on me; his breathing is heavy. He leans down and kisses me on the lips. Oh my God, his lips are really soft. While kissing me, I feel his hand travel up my leg, his rough but soft hand up and down my thigh.

He lets the other hand travel up my legs as well; he slides them up under my pyjama-dress, past my hips, and up to my waist. He leans down and whispers in my ear, “Echo...” I answer with a moan, “Heath...” I moan his name softly out loud, and suddenly I open my eyes for real this time.

It’s bright out; my eyes are heavy... Was that all a dream? I feel a slight relief in that realization, but I sit up in my bed and shake my head. Get it together, Echo! I slap myself to try and get out of it, but my mind won’t let me forget.

I get up as quickly as I can, put on my clothes, and walk out. I don’t see my sister anywhere; my mother is in the living room drinking some herbal tea. “Good morning, Mum!” I say, and she turns around quickly.

“Echo, honey! Where did you go after the ceremony? I was worried!” I walk over to her and sit down beside her. “I’m sorry, Mum. I was watching the sunset, and then suddenly time just went by. It won’t happen again, I promise.” She nods with a slight smile, and I give her a kiss on the cheek before running out

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── 10 ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

I need to get my mind off of the dream; I would feel so awkward if I happen to bump into him again. I go on my hike again, and do actually end up finding some creatures to draw. One is a 2-tailed fox.

And he is gorgeous; I have him in my sketchbook so that is a successful hike. I haven’t stumbled across Heath anywhere, which in some cases I’m happy about; I would feel sick from embarrassment if I saw him again. The dream’s images replay in my mind again; my stomach wouldn’t be able to handle that.

I walk into my town’s library, wanting to look for books about the Ashbluff bloodline. I know where to find it, so I just walk right in and look for a book that may give me the answers I want. I open the book and start quickly skimming through the pages; the more I see, the more the Ashbluff bloodline seems like someone evil...

I don’t want to believe that; Heath isn’t evil, right? “Sly, evil, manipulative, bad...” I skip a few pages, mumbling to myself the keywords of what the Ashbluff bloodline is...

“I guess I did strike your fancy...” a voice says in my ear from behind. It sends a shock through my whole body... This man... I’m about to say something but the image of the dream I had the night before of Heath leaning down whispering my name in my ear flashes in front of my eyes, and I get some crazy butterflies.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. When I open them again, those ocean blue eyes are looking at me; Heath has sat down in front of me. I quickly scan his upper body; maybe he does really have a six-pack under there somewhere.

“No, Echo!” I say with my inner voice. He has put an open book down in front of him on the table. “Dream interpretation; What are my dreams trying to tell me?” Well, that’s a weird coincidence... “What are you doing here?” I ask after more or less getting myself together.

“I’m reading,” he says. I roll my eyes. “Yeah, I can see that, smart-ass... But you’re not from here,” I answer. He changes the subject. “So, you see, I had this weird dream last night, and I thought that I would see what it meant. “My eyes widen and my heart skips a beat. “Oh, what kind of dream?” I say as calmly as I can. “You were in it...” He answers. “What?” I say, flabbergasted.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ── 11 ─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

He turns the book in my direction and points with his finger under a sentence, reading it to me, “Dreams are a way for our brains to process emotions...” he skips a few sentences, “...But that doesn’t mean that whatever you see in your dream actually has something to do with the other person; in most cases, it is only your own feelings and thoughts your dreams reflect.”

I look at him reading it, feeling paranoid, but he just looks so fascinated by it, and it’s really adorable. He looks at me, and we make eye contact. I quickly look away, and I just know that he has a wide smirk on his stupid face right now.

He closes the book and asks, “So what were your last dream?” I freeze. “Uh... I-... Uhm... Don’t remember...” I stutter. “I give him a quick smile and I try desperately to find something else to talk about. “There is something telling me that you do remember... Chalky...” I close my book and stand up from my chair; I need to get out of this conversation right now.

Heath follows my fast pace. I am making it too obvious that something’s up, but it really feels as if he already knows, but how would he? Heath asks, “Why the fast pace, Chalky?” He chuckles; he is enjoying my suffering too much. “Why do you want to know?” I ask, still walking fast.

“I’m curious,” he says as if it were the most obvious answer ever. “Well... Me too, but as I said, I don’t remember,” I tell him in hopes of him believing me. “Oh, but I think you do, little Chalky.” Did he just?... “I’m not little,” I answer, trying to redirect the conversation, but man, is this dude persistent.

“Echo...?” He says. It makes me stop in my tracks, and suddenly, I realize that we’re in the forest. I realize there is no getting out of this unless I strangle him, and I don’t really want to do that. So instead, I see an opportunity to give him a taste of his own medicine. “You really wanna know?” I say with my back turned towards him. “Yes, that would be lovely,” I take a deep breath, turn around. I’m a few steps away from him.

“I’m in my bed...” I start, softening my voice. His eyebrows raise, and he looks intrigued. “I feel a bit of pressure on top of me...” I walk slowly towards him. “Okay...” he says softly. “I open my eyes, and I am looking into yours...” he licks his lips and separates them slightly. “You kiss me on my lips... Your breathing is heavy...” I am about 1 foot away from him, he walks backward.

“Your hands on my legs, traveling slowly upwards... Under my pyjama-dress...” I smirk at him, and my eyes are relaxed. “Oh my-...” He mumbles still stepping slowly backward, and I, forwards. “Your hands travel up under my dress, past my hips, up to my waist...” He backs up into a tree and can’t move any further back.

I put my hands on his chest, slowly looking up at him. He seems to be trying not to look at me. “You lean down and whisper my name in my ear...” His hands are on my waist now, but he seems to be trying not to touch me too much. I slide my hands from his chest to his shoulders, and I’m now completely up against him.

I move my face closer to his, get up on my tiptoes, and he leans his head down and tilts it slightly. “I answer your whisper with...” I move my mouth to his ear and softly moan, “Heath...” In that moment, I feel his grip on my waist tighten, and he pulls me in closer, just for a split second before he realizes what he’s doing. I take my chances and push myself away from him and happily say, “And then I woke up.”

I start walking away from him, taking a quick glance back at him, seeing his head leaned back on the tree, mouth slightly open and closed eyes, his mouth shapes into a smile of disbelief “You little...” He mumbles, and starts to walk after me. “Don't do that again” he says with a hint of annoyance in his voice. I answer with, “So when it happens to you it’s wrong, but when it happens to me, that’s okay?” I let out a little chuckle.

We walk around in the forest when suddenly Taly comes out of nowhere. She looks exhausted. “Mum and dad have theirs... Here’s yours, I made an extra in case yours should break. They figured me out, Blossom... I have to go now... Take care.” She puts two medallions in my hand and runs off. “Taly!” I yell, but she is already far gone. I look at Heath, and he looks really concerned... I tell him what I know, and we start preparing...