Barbaric Spouse, Descry the Night's Lure-Chapter 65: Scene LXV

His hardened nature was not inclined on pampering the woman. Aslak’s eyes went through the surroundings finding nobody around, and it was then that a sigh left him, forgetting it was he who had brought them together intuitively and ultimately did as she asked. With a frustrated attitude although he felt content with her softness clinging to his body.

"... That... You should repeat that at our chambers." — Resting his chin on her head, he nonchalantly said. Lifting her curls to appreciate them in the meantime.

However, her hands loosened around him and she lightly separated to face his usual frowning and aloof expression, pausing to see no awareness in his eyes and ultimately saying.

"How come you can say such things when I am in this state?" — Her brows had lifted in a shape of curious concern. Yet her lips had lifted their corners lightly, conveying the conflict of her trouble and her amusement at her husband’s sayings. — "You are so inconsiderate, husband... haha..."

"... We are going back now." — Taking a second to watch her light flush come back with her giggles, Aslak announced.

"ah... But... I– I cannot climb up like this... my legs... L–let me r–recover a bit more..... Why is husband smiling?"

"Because you still believe we have to climb that boulder."

"... Was that a lie?"

"You thought that on your own."

His smirk widened victorious, implying the truth to the woman whose eyes widened at the jest he had crafted.

"Let’s go. Hold onto that rage until you see it."

"? Why are you saying that? Husband, do not tell me there is more I should be upset about?"

"Aren’t you coming?" — Turning back at the woman that did not follow his steps, Aslak ignored the woman’s reproach with playful arrogance. — "You will see once we’re there. It’s not that far."

"... Umh... wait, I am... I am not sure o–of my legs..."

His mischief was dismissed at the ashamed lowering of her head and going back the few steps he had already walked, he took her wrist to make her look at him.

"How come you can take me and still walk? Your legs shouldn’t be useless just for this."

"!? Husband–!?"

"Do you want me to carry you?"

"!... No..." — Seeing it was his brutish ways that made him speak without delicacy as his severe countenance expressed the conflict to her state, Ewelina dismissed the wish to reprimand him and denied his offering.

Proceeding to move the limb he lifted, so her hand could intertwine its fingers with his, a timid request was said by the youthful wife. — "Only... support my steps by holding my hand instead..."

The man looked at their hands with doubt. More so to the feel of her fingers clutching his palm with difficulty as the difference in size was noticeable.

Aslak stood quiet to observe, and to her downward countenance, he then imitated Ewelina’s fingers and clasped his to properly hold her hand.

"Like this?" — He asked. Requesting the confirmation of the woman to the force used.

"... Yes." — She then replied. Slightly lying to the man, for his strength was suffocating her hand.

Regardless, Ewelina did not mind... As it was not as hurtful... As it was stuffily reassuring.

She was blushed and her tremble had diminished. And over the weakness she possessed whilst in this state, Ewelina looked tender in her modesty that prevented the woman from showing her husband the shyness their intertwined fingers provoked in her visage. Appearing bashful in a tightly restrained smile she hid with the lowering of her head.

’Husband’s hand... I had not held it like this before...’ — Ewelina thought. Timid as more of his warmth was transmitted, and enhanced by hers.

Nonetheless, their walk had yet to be resumed for their return to the residence above. For the husband blankly stared down at those curls that, if not thanks to the pin she had used to decorate them, a glimpse of her gentle pink could have been prohibited from him at this time.

Aslak’s calm gaze traversed through their surroundings. Finding nobody to witness the motion he was to take.

Therefore, his other hand came to her chin and lifted it. Bending along its movement to softly kiss the surprised woman.

"... No one’s around." — He told her, pacific. — "I’m guessing I can touch you now... Since our hands are tangled."

No word was spoken by the woman. And solely a squeeze to his hand was given with the shut of her lids, causing the man to lightly kiss her again... Before commencing the stroll to return.

"Let’s go." — Pulling on her hand, Aslak walked a step ahead of Ewelina, who felt overwhelmed by his nature that she cannot get to know well.

’He’s rough... a brute savage... ’— To the pull of her hand she conceived as she watched his hardened profile that scrutinized the village. — ’I am... hopelessly ignorant to how you still appear so gentle in my eyes, husband...’

Resolute strikes on a fellow savage were inflicted by his hand. Awfully calm to the danger of a blade and horribly aloof to the sounds the victim emitted as he was broken from the inside, very aware of how to inflict such deadly wounds so the blood she did not want to see wouldn’t spill.

’Blood... Some could be seen in his mouth...’ — She recalled of the amused wounded savage.

"Yngve... Will he be alright?"

"... He won’t die." — Turning to see her as they paused, Aslak stated confidently.

"... Alright..."

Their steps resumed shortly after.

The path he took her was up the stream they had crossed and the more they followed its source... The more they closed the distance to that place she had not seen from the Spiked Eye Barbican.

From the sights the Castle provided through its windows, no sight could be seen of such a place. The course of the stream was not a straight one as she once thought when watching from above and as they closed into the darkness it led to, Ewelina understood that the obscure shade she had thought was the stone was actually an entrance to a tall but narrow cave made naturally by the boulder’s shape.

"I had thought... This was also part of the crags..." — She mumbled, looking up to a slim crack that gifted light once walking a few meters into the slit of the rock.

"That’s a good thing. This place shouldn’t be easily found by sight. It is a bit of a secret only the Jazhara’s Tail Guard and the tribe knows of."

"... Do I get to learn about it now that I have been introduced?"

"If that wasn’t the case you would be climbing the rope, woman." — Seemingly uninterested, he answered. And even in his coldness, she laughed to herself, believing that was not truly the case.

Ewelina returned to be quiet and appreciated the waters the couple were following. They walked many meters in slight darkness and gradually, the sound of the flowing stream changed its melody to one similar to rain becoming a storm.

More light commenced invading and the colours of the water and ground slowly started to transform from grey tones into soft greens and blues. Never forfeiting the dark obsidian of the rocks elevated to create the slit.

A modest cascade fell from a hole placed high on the surrounding boulder and its sky was slightly open thanks to a considerate crack, much larger, wider, than that one that illuminated their path to this end.

Above, the stone formed a shelter with its shape that fell curved to conceal the cascade it gave birth to. Their ground was still dry dirt, nonetheless, it was limited by a lagoon from which the stream, as it could not be restrained within, it escaped from a side that later was to cross the village.

"Do you see that over there?"

Looking up, Aslak pointed at a rectangular roof Ewelina had noticed before because of it’s perfect shape. And to the follow of her eyes to where he signalled, his free fingers came to his mouth to produce a certain whistle, similar in pace to those birds would sing.