Why Have You Disobeyed Me?

The world around me is surrounded by darkness, for in the fallen ascendancy there isn’t any light – only the little shards of it that have fallen with the pureness of us. They still haven’t found us as of yet, but I’m sure soon they will stumble upon us. We lie inside an opening in the ground, away from the dark road that is full of the ugly, defile creatures of which I know not much of. The cracked, dry ground underneath my back is not as comfortable as I wish, but it’s better than being found. I can hear them calling out to us by name, wanting to draw us out. I can hear them shuffling around, sniffing the ground trying to catch our trail. Thankfully the tracks of light left by my feet were covered by Conway, or we would have been found in an instant.

I look over at the large man; I can barely see him in the dim place. But I see that his jaw is clenched and his eyes look up at the opening to our little hide out, expecting our view to become full of the appalling creatures any moment now. We’re silent for a long while, until finally after a long time of waiting, the noise of the creatures moves farther and farther away until we can hear them no more.

“Conway,” I whisper towards him, reaching out my hand to touch him, “I think- I think they’re gone. Should we leave before they come back?”

I sit up, about to leave our small unperceivable place.

“You disobeyed me, Alora.” Conway says, his voice dark. I freeze in my place, not moving, scared to look at the formidable man. 

“You left my side, leapt over the edge of Salandria, for throne’s sake. Is being by my side such a wretched thing that you would go to the inmost Cimmerian place you could find to break away from me?”

I gasp, not meeting his eyes still. My stomach tightens with guilt and hurt, “No, no I went… I went so that I can help you all. So, that I can save you…”

“But why did you go alone?” He says, his voice cracking.

I look down fast and I’m stunned by what I see. Conway looks up at me with hurt, tiredness, lonesomeness. Guilt crowds my heart and rakes against my being, tearing me into shreds. Never have I wanted to see such an expression on this man, who I’ve seen so fierce, strong, and merciless. I open my mouth to speak, but before any words escape I’m pulled down roughly into his arms.

“I could have lost you, my beautiful flower. I could have lost you.”

His hands holds me tightly to him, they grab fistfuls of my shirt. The feeling of his strong arms around me makes me feel like I’m in the safest place in the world, for no one can ever hurt me when he is near. I bury my head in the nook of his neck and close my eyes, letting him hold me.  

“You are mine, Alora Calanthia. You are my servant, and I your master, for I have bounded you to me under my seal. You cannot disobey me again, for we Thoreans are to not show mercy, but I have only for you.” He strokes my long tangled hair and I sit up a little so that I can look into his eyes.

“I was made to serve you, great hound of the plains. I won’t disobey you again and I promise you I will never leave your side.”