14 Chapter 14. Alone with You
Ryas knew the boy was already dead by the time they reached Wey Manor. His body was stiff and he, dead with his eyes open. Although he wasn't familiar with all the Northern customs, he knew that it was an ill-omen sign to the Northern people to die with your eyes open, it meant your soul could not rest, and so Ryas closed the boy's eyes.
Yuliah watched as Ryas lead Yujen and his horse up to the Wey Manor gates and then walked back and got on the horse, sitting behind her, she asked if Yujen was going to be okay and he answered her truthfully.
"He's dead," Ryas had said with no gentleness in his voice.
Her mind had stopped working the moment she understood his words and not thinking she'd asked him, "Dead? How?"
"You know how," Ryas answered in a tone that sounded like Yuliah was responsible.
Yujen was only two years younger than her, barely a man yet. She would never get to see him marry a beautiful woman, grow old, or touch the faces of his children, like how they had teased each other about it. Yuliah felt solely responsible for his death, and it would affect her for the remainder of her life. She tried to hold back her tears but before she knew it her eyes were full and they came flooding down her face. She had learned a long time ago how to cry without making a sound, but the ache in her chest throbbed until she finally let out a tiny cry.
Ryas could feel her tensed body against his as she tried to hold back tears. He felt it was appropriate to tell her what she needed to hear. "He gave his life for yours. Remember that. Cherish and live to fulfill it." It was a tone that offered her no comfort only blame.
Although Yuliah did not speak it, in her heart was where she goodbye to Yujen, her Father, and her home. She knew this would be the last time she'd see the gates of Wey Manor again, and together Ryas and Yuliah watched as Yujen, and his horse entered the gates as a lamp turns on. Pulling the reins on his horse they ride off into the night.
With the soldiers of Biah pursuing them, Ryas decided to take the path through the mountains to evade them. He knew it sat covered with dense trees that stood high and the only way you could get a glimpse of the top would be to lay flat on your back. Tall trees that were hungry for light and absorbed almost every bit that shone through, and with only a crescent of moonlight tonight it would be pitch dark. Making the path dangerous to use and not only was there very little light, when you ascended the mountain the road grew narrow, and a misstep on the loose gravel could send you over the edge to your death. He knew the soldiers would not be following them up this way.
Once the reached a high but safe enough distance for Yuliah, Ryas found an opening carved into the mountainside and that was where they would rest for the night. It was large enough for them to take shelter in and build a small fire. Then in the morning Ryas would send word to Zehan and they would descend continuing through the mountains to get down to Murai, the last Northern City outside of the Ethereal Forest. Just outside of Murai was where he would meet up with Zehan, and then they would head to the Southern Kingdom, where he would finally be free of this woman. She seemed to bring him only complications and discomfort.
When they reached the mouth of the cave Ryas slid down from his horse onto the ground as the frozen ground crunched beneath his feet. Being this high in the mountains the temperatures were freezing at night, and the ground sometimes would frost over. Looking up at Yuliah, Ryas could see her torn dress and what little that was left, barely covered her body and her shoes were gone. "Give me your hand. I'll help you down," he places one hand on Yuliah's tiny waist, and instead of helping her down he carries her in his arms instead.
Yuliah moves to try to get down, and her face feels warm, "it's okay I can just walk," she tells him.
"The grounds frosted over and you have no shoes, your feet will freeze. Then we'll have more complications. Just let me bring you over," Ryas begins walking into the cave.
Yuliah was not a small or large woman, she was taller than most of the woman in the Northern Kingdom, and this man stood about a foot in a half taller than her only, but when he carried her, it was as though she were a small child in his arms. She was freezing, but his body was as hot as a warm flame. What she didn't know was that Ryas had released the Ethereal Spirit to keep them both from freezing. Strangely it felt comforting and foreign all at once for them both a fleeting moment that didn't last long though for in a few strides they were already inside the cave, and he placed her on the ground.
"Stay here I need to find something to start a fire with, or you'll freeze. Please don't do anything to complicate our situation more," Ryas tells her in that same tone that lacked any gentleness.
Yuliah wasn't sure but when he spoke to her his words always seemed to carry a condescending tone. A tone that made her feel like she were an encumbrance but with no one else to rely on she ignored it.
Ryas was gone for quite some time, and when he came back, he didn't feel like talking to her. He was still irritated from how things had gone tonight so he built a fire and sat across from her tending the fire. It was the second fire he had to start tonight to save her. He could see her looking up at him and then she turn her back to him. He watched as she was laid on the ground.
Yuliah thought that after everything that happened tonight he would at least acknowledge. When he came back though he acted like she wasn't even there. With her emotions in disarray her mind wondered back to Yujen and she begun to cry again, but this time she didn't want him to see her and so she turned around to hide from him, but he could still hear her muffled cries from across the cave.
There were no words he felt like offering her because he felt irritated with her decisions. Ryas didn't even know this woman but decided to risk more than he thought rational to save her and then her bad choices had turned this whole mission into a shit show. He was starting to regret his decisions when he looked over and noticed that she had fallen asleep curled up in the corner, her hair was tangled, knotted together as it lay flipped over her head, and she looked like a mess. He could hear her tiny sniffles as she slipped into a deep sleep then followed by gurgling breaths. At first, he tried to ignore it, but once her breathing grew louder and constant, it began to bother him. He walked over to look at her. With his foot, he slightly nudged her head, and she stopped gurgling. He wondered if she was dead because she had quit her heavy mouth breathing. He then remembered that she did take a horrible beating from that asshole husband of hers earlier, perhaps her lung had collapsed? Is that why she sounds like this? Or maybe she's drowning in her blood? He felt a cold sensation run down his back, and he quickly bent down lifting her head to check her breathing. Ryas didn't notice because of how fast it happened, but he exhaled in relief. Yes, she was still breathing and probably just exhausted.
She was so exhausted that she did not even stir when he picked her up and gently placed her on her back. He sat down beside Yuliah her body was cold almost freezing. He felt a bit like an asshole for acting like he did and so he pulled her up against his side wrapping her in his cloak. He noticed Yuliah's hair had fallen over her face again and never having touched the face of another woman before, only that of his Mother and younger sister. He brushed the hair from Yuliah's face aside. It felt different to him when he did this and with her hair pushed back it exposed her entire face. He could see the bruising and swelling starting. The parts that were cut open crusted with blood. He had seen the dead and mangled bodies of hundreds of women in his life and built an immunity to it over the years. When he looked at Yuliah though he remembered her wide eyes when that veil lifted earlier tonight, and to see her now beaten unrecognizable, bloodied and swollen and the enduring strength to keep going, Ryas felt his chest tighten as he swallowed. These feeling were all foreign to him, and he acknowledged them and let them passed. He then tried to recall what her face had looked like before, but he had only seen her briefly and could only remember her honey eyes.
Yuliah watched as Ryas lead Yujen and his horse up to the Wey Manor gates and then walked back and got on the horse, sitting behind her, she asked if Yujen was going to be okay and he answered her truthfully.
"He's dead," Ryas had said with no gentleness in his voice.
Her mind had stopped working the moment she understood his words and not thinking she'd asked him, "Dead? How?"
"You know how," Ryas answered in a tone that sounded like Yuliah was responsible.
Yujen was only two years younger than her, barely a man yet. She would never get to see him marry a beautiful woman, grow old, or touch the faces of his children, like how they had teased each other about it. Yuliah felt solely responsible for his death, and it would affect her for the remainder of her life. She tried to hold back her tears but before she knew it her eyes were full and they came flooding down her face. She had learned a long time ago how to cry without making a sound, but the ache in her chest throbbed until she finally let out a tiny cry.
Ryas could feel her tensed body against his as she tried to hold back tears. He felt it was appropriate to tell her what she needed to hear. "He gave his life for yours. Remember that. Cherish and live to fulfill it." It was a tone that offered her no comfort only blame.
Although Yuliah did not speak it, in her heart was where she goodbye to Yujen, her Father, and her home. She knew this would be the last time she'd see the gates of Wey Manor again, and together Ryas and Yuliah watched as Yujen, and his horse entered the gates as a lamp turns on. Pulling the reins on his horse they ride off into the night.
With the soldiers of Biah pursuing them, Ryas decided to take the path through the mountains to evade them. He knew it sat covered with dense trees that stood high and the only way you could get a glimpse of the top would be to lay flat on your back. Tall trees that were hungry for light and absorbed almost every bit that shone through, and with only a crescent of moonlight tonight it would be pitch dark. Making the path dangerous to use and not only was there very little light, when you ascended the mountain the road grew narrow, and a misstep on the loose gravel could send you over the edge to your death. He knew the soldiers would not be following them up this way.
Once the reached a high but safe enough distance for Yuliah, Ryas found an opening carved into the mountainside and that was where they would rest for the night. It was large enough for them to take shelter in and build a small fire. Then in the morning Ryas would send word to Zehan and they would descend continuing through the mountains to get down to Murai, the last Northern City outside of the Ethereal Forest. Just outside of Murai was where he would meet up with Zehan, and then they would head to the Southern Kingdom, where he would finally be free of this woman. She seemed to bring him only complications and discomfort.
When they reached the mouth of the cave Ryas slid down from his horse onto the ground as the frozen ground crunched beneath his feet. Being this high in the mountains the temperatures were freezing at night, and the ground sometimes would frost over. Looking up at Yuliah, Ryas could see her torn dress and what little that was left, barely covered her body and her shoes were gone. "Give me your hand. I'll help you down," he places one hand on Yuliah's tiny waist, and instead of helping her down he carries her in his arms instead.
Yuliah moves to try to get down, and her face feels warm, "it's okay I can just walk," she tells him.
"The grounds frosted over and you have no shoes, your feet will freeze. Then we'll have more complications. Just let me bring you over," Ryas begins walking into the cave.
Yuliah was not a small or large woman, she was taller than most of the woman in the Northern Kingdom, and this man stood about a foot in a half taller than her only, but when he carried her, it was as though she were a small child in his arms. She was freezing, but his body was as hot as a warm flame. What she didn't know was that Ryas had released the Ethereal Spirit to keep them both from freezing. Strangely it felt comforting and foreign all at once for them both a fleeting moment that didn't last long though for in a few strides they were already inside the cave, and he placed her on the ground.
"Stay here I need to find something to start a fire with, or you'll freeze. Please don't do anything to complicate our situation more," Ryas tells her in that same tone that lacked any gentleness.
Yuliah wasn't sure but when he spoke to her his words always seemed to carry a condescending tone. A tone that made her feel like she were an encumbrance but with no one else to rely on she ignored it.
Ryas was gone for quite some time, and when he came back, he didn't feel like talking to her. He was still irritated from how things had gone tonight so he built a fire and sat across from her tending the fire. It was the second fire he had to start tonight to save her. He could see her looking up at him and then she turn her back to him. He watched as she was laid on the ground.
Yuliah thought that after everything that happened tonight he would at least acknowledge. When he came back though he acted like she wasn't even there. With her emotions in disarray her mind wondered back to Yujen and she begun to cry again, but this time she didn't want him to see her and so she turned around to hide from him, but he could still hear her muffled cries from across the cave.
There were no words he felt like offering her because he felt irritated with her decisions. Ryas didn't even know this woman but decided to risk more than he thought rational to save her and then her bad choices had turned this whole mission into a shit show. He was starting to regret his decisions when he looked over and noticed that she had fallen asleep curled up in the corner, her hair was tangled, knotted together as it lay flipped over her head, and she looked like a mess. He could hear her tiny sniffles as she slipped into a deep sleep then followed by gurgling breaths. At first, he tried to ignore it, but once her breathing grew louder and constant, it began to bother him. He walked over to look at her. With his foot, he slightly nudged her head, and she stopped gurgling. He wondered if she was dead because she had quit her heavy mouth breathing. He then remembered that she did take a horrible beating from that asshole husband of hers earlier, perhaps her lung had collapsed? Is that why she sounds like this? Or maybe she's drowning in her blood? He felt a cold sensation run down his back, and he quickly bent down lifting her head to check her breathing. Ryas didn't notice because of how fast it happened, but he exhaled in relief. Yes, she was still breathing and probably just exhausted.
She was so exhausted that she did not even stir when he picked her up and gently placed her on her back. He sat down beside Yuliah her body was cold almost freezing. He felt a bit like an asshole for acting like he did and so he pulled her up against his side wrapping her in his cloak. He noticed Yuliah's hair had fallen over her face again and never having touched the face of another woman before, only that of his Mother and younger sister. He brushed the hair from Yuliah's face aside. It felt different to him when he did this and with her hair pushed back it exposed her entire face. He could see the bruising and swelling starting. The parts that were cut open crusted with blood. He had seen the dead and mangled bodies of hundreds of women in his life and built an immunity to it over the years. When he looked at Yuliah though he remembered her wide eyes when that veil lifted earlier tonight, and to see her now beaten unrecognizable, bloodied and swollen and the enduring strength to keep going, Ryas felt his chest tighten as he swallowed. These feeling were all foreign to him, and he acknowledged them and let them passed. He then tried to recall what her face had looked like before, but he had only seen her briefly and could only remember her honey eyes.
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