Chapter Thirteen The Cabin #4
"The drunk was able to get his hands on you because you're not as stealthy as you like to think you are. You're quick to act, and you use rage as fuel. Not to mention, when you fight, you sometimes drop your mental walls."
Adan's eyes narrowed at his words, her fingers tightening around the fence as she leaned against it. She was reckless, driven by anger and a desire for vengeance that clouded her judgment. She hated it, but it was all she had left.
He pushed off the fence, "come and find me when you catch and sheer, Faun."
Adan looked at the sheep, there appeared to be nothing special about him. She leaned against the fence, and stuck out her arm towards the creature. He slowly stalked forward.
"Hey buddy." She crooned. She was sure she was about to sniff her hand when his mouth closed around her fingers and bit down.
She snatched it back, seething at the broken skin.
It quickly healed, but the shock was an irritation all in itself.
"You-little-shit." She seethed. Faun had already bounced away from Adan before she could strike him.
Nox watched the whole thing from his bedroom over-looking the back of the house.
He couldn't stop the small laugh that escaped his lips.
He knew that Adan would be at it a while.
Faun was a slippery little bastard. Every year when it came time to sheering him, he was the hardest most difficult sheep of his flock to find.
He knew that it would teach Adan to hone her skills, especially her stealth, and her patience.
Which he felt was she was completely lacking.
He watched her as she ran after Faun, and blatantly tried to tackle him.
She had miscalculated and landed herself in a muddy puddle.
He could practically see the steam of anger rippling off her as she rose.
She was covered in mud, and her beautiful honey white hair was caked with it.
He half expected her to storm inside and refuse to return to her task.
To his delight, she stayed, she stalked towards the sheep to try again.
--
It wasn't until the sun set that Adan had made her way back into the warmth of the house. Nox was just finishing up adding a log to the fire when Adan walked in, and gave Nox a look that could kill. He straightened and pressed his perfect mouth into a hard line to keep from laughing.
Her curly white hair was matted with mud and twigs and a wildness lined her blazing mismatched eyes.
"You'd think you'd be used to failing after the year you've had." He smirked, crossing his massive arms over his chest making them appear larger, and Adan snatched her eyes away from his movement.
"I'm going to kill that sheep." She seethed.
"That is not the task." Nox tsked.
"I don't care. It's dead."
"All because he ruined your hair..." Nox stepped forward, into Adan's space.
He said nothing until they were an inch away from each other.
He reached out and played with a tendril of muddied hair.
If Adan took a deep breath, her breasts would brush his chest.
Nox's nostrils flared, "or is it because you no longer smell like a prim princess."
He teased with a tilt of his head. She leered back as if she had been slapped.
Nox saw those eyes burn brighter with rage.
"You need another bath, love." He grinned and flicked her nose.
Adan was about to snap at him that it would take her hours to get her hair clean. She was tempted to not clean up at all. If he wanted her to train with that beast, then she would be a beast too.
He read all that in her eyes. "Are you really so stubborn to refuse a warm bath?"
He angled his head, he slowly dropped it to assess the rest of her body.
She was dripping mud and dirt onto the hardwood.
"I'll make you a deal..." he stepped back, taking his scent with him, and Adan's thoughts suddenly started forming again.
"Unleash your wings here and now, and you don't have to keep hunting Faun."
She snarled, crossing her arms over her chest.
She couldn't do that, and to have to explain to him why...
would be worse than hunting the stupid beast.
"It's a simple request, Princess." The title grated against her.
"Or do you not know how?" He smirked, like he already knew the answer.
She was about to call him every horrible name she knew, but couldn't find the strength. She raised her chin at him, and turned away, dismissing him. heading towards the stairs that would take her to that warm bath that she so desperately needed.
His soft laugh followed her, Adan tried to ignore what it did to her heart. "No witty comeback? The City of Bones would roll over to hear that a sheep broke their hard-blooded assassin."
She flipped him off before reaching the top of the stairs and into the darkness of the hallway.
There was only one bathing room in Nox's countryside home, situated at the end of the hall.
A soft light from under the door beckoning Adan.
It was nothing as lavish as her own back in the castle, but it was welcoming.
She undressed, allowing her sodden clothing to slap against the dark stone floor.
Adan ran the bath while so took a look at herself in the full length standing mirror.
Adan sighed when she saw the state of the mop on her head. It was going to take her all night to get all that crusted mud out of her curly hair.