Firsts

Bard looked at the sky, a feeling of anxiety ever growing. Their required detour had delayed them, and despite initially setting aside extra time to make it here, even that had been stripped away by the Shades. Bard chided himself as he watched over Sen. She was doing better, but still too tired to safely travel, even if he strapped her in.

With each passing day, more Shades began to appear along the clifftops, watching from their lofty perch outside Healer’s borders. Kai hunted and rested. Bard knew that they would need to travel fast to break through and he hoped this reprieve would give Kai the strength he would need.

Healer’s comforting song moved about with him as he tended his forest. Bard watched as the rains began, their pattering adding to the song as it moved from leaf to leaf, tree to ground. He briefly checked around to make sure there were no leaks.

As time passed, the scent of rain began to grow and Bard breathed in deeply; one of his favorite smells. Kai moved about. At first, he frolicked and played in the rain, but eventually it turned to annoyance as it lasted, eventually he located a few trees that were large enough to offer some shelter. Bard watched with mild amusement as Kai’s ears flicked when a stream trickled down onto him, forcing him to move with a very unamused expression. It wasn’t a fish hunt in the river, nor was it a dip in a lake to wash, so Bard knew that Kai was ready for it to end.

Sen stirred next to him, drawing his focus. He shifted closer and she hummed at her discomfort. Bard reached for her hand and watched her take in a deep breath.

“Rain?” she mumbled. Her eyes fluttered, squinting closed at the dim light. Eventually she managed to keep them open, but her focus told him that she was struggling to see.

“How are you feeling?” he asked.

“Good? Morning,” she yawned.

“It’s nearly afternoon. Hungry?” he asked, shifting some of the leftovers closer. She kept a grip on his hand, so it made it harder to move the food.

“I… remember… shades… and then, Healer? Did we go to Elder Healer?” she asked, a bit of alertness coming to her movements. Bard was able to free his hand and smiled as he grabbed some of the medicine.

“Eat this first and then have some food,” he ordered. Sen looked at the medicine and took the cup. While she drank it, he answered her questions. “Yes, we are at Elder Healer’s woods. I’m glad to see you up a bit more than incoherent mutterings and sleepy eating. You had me really worried.” He closed his eyes in relief, his ears noting her finishing the drink and he handed her the food.

While she ate, he looked out at the rain. Little streams ran their course across the more compacted dirt, traveling where it was easy and heading down to the coast. Without thought, he reached his hand out of their small shelter and felt the rain in his palm, the warm water playing lightly enough to tickle. Perhaps this is what bothered Kai.

Within a moment, Sen had reached her hand out and then hummed. He moved his other hand to check her forehead, relieved the fever was finally gone. He paused when he took note of her expression.

She had this mischievous and playful look before she hurriedly dug into her food and finished it off. As she placed the item that had served as her plate on the ground she rose and then grabbed his hand and pulled him out into the rain. Time seemed to slow as she laughed and ran out. The rain pelted through her hair until a sufficient amount had hit her scalp, then the hair stayed out of her face is it became weighed down. Bard however felt it patter on his face and at first found it annoying but it was soon replaced with relief.

Sen was well, the water warm. Her laughter filled the woods, joining with the song of the forest. Kai got up and danced around with them, splashing in the mud and then joining them on the grasses and underbrush. Sen held her hands out as she twirled around, giggling. He then saw a slip and dashed over as she fell. He attempted to catch her but wound up around her as he too fell to the slippery surface. In his struggle, he avoided landing directly on top of her and heard her laughter grow more boisterous. With a smirk he joined in her merriment, finding larger puddles and splashing with each other, running around.

Only when she looked worn out did he remember she was still on the mend and his worries returned. Her carefree nature had rubbed off on him and his gratitude in seeing her return to a more normal state had decreased his awareness of how she fared. Now, with it so evident, he began to coddle her and guide her back to the lean-to.

“I’m fine,” she chuckled as they came close.

“Sen,” he moaned. “Please be careful.” His plea stilled her rebuffs and she went inside. He waited outside, becoming more aware of her while she undressed. She gently set the dirty wet clothes outside, near his feet. Only when her voice beckoned him inside did he duck down and peek in. She had placed some other clothes on in a hurried way and in her rumpled and sleepy appearance, she looked a different sort of attractive in that moment.

A smile crept on his face as he moved inside, avoiding dripping on her and her things. She titled her head as she rested it on her knees and he looked away. It hadn’t crossed his mind that she could become more attractive, but she did in that moment.

“What?” he heard her sweet voice ask. He found his dry clothes tucked into the corner and tried to keep his mind focused, something he was struggling with more with each passing day.

“You should get some rest,” he reminded. “We have a long-“

“That’s not what I was asking about, Bard. You had a look…” she pointed out and he rolled his shoulders as a sigh escaped his lips. He grabbed his clothes and looked a bit outside, avoiding letting his gaze find her, willing the rain to stop so he could have more space.

He then noticed Kai returning to his spot and felt a way out of this emotional buildup. With a smooth motion, he put his dry clothes back before returning to the entrance. As he passed he felt a bit bad as it felt like running away, but it was all he could think about to calm his racing mind. He hesitated as he heard her voice sound disappointed and he turned around and nearly kneeled down, his hand bracing himself against the main branch of the lean-to.

As her eyes looked into his with question he offered a rueful smile. With a bit of hesitation and a mind not of his own he leaned over and she stilled as his lips brushed against hers. Her eyes held a bit of surprise before his closed and he felt her melt a bit. Then, with surprise, he retreated and she too held a look of confusion as he felt a sudden heat in his face and he quickly and hastily retreated towards Kai.

His footsteps in the rain echoed in his ears as he didn’t know what to think yet. He subconsciously touched the place where he could still feel that lingering warmth and glanced back, but then quickly looked forwards. He shook his head as those thoughts began to strike him. What had he done? For some time, he had kissed her forehead for many a night in quiet affection—a wordless wish for peaceful rest. And though he rarely noticed, she had done the same. But this was different. A primal feeling that had overwritten his normal routines and motions.

As he walked to Kai, the large animal gave him a telling look.

“Don’t say a word,” he sternly emphasized as he closed the distance and began climbing onto Kai’s side. Kai shifted, making him slip around and he growled out his frustration. Kai’s big head moved around to watch him and Bard caught the subtle meaning. What a hypocrite he had been.

Without wanting to, he remembered his travels with the catfolk. Their movements for displaying affection were outside his range of capabilities with lacking a tail being one of the big ones, but he had observed human displays of affection and had found them distasteful. His long conversations with his caravan friends had been a fun source of their teasings, saying he would regret discussing it like this once he found someone to love.

Bard could still recall his fiery glares that had only garnered more laughs as they finished for the day. He felt like such a fool. How was he supposed to know how this felt? It was almost instinctual. And knowing the dryads were different in culture and that catfolk didn’t do things like humans, he had refrained, more curious about her people’s actions.

But, when he thought back on the moment, she had melted into it. Was it the same then?

He laid on his back, facing the sky and letting the few water drops that leaked through land on his soaking body. Kai breathed deeply before settling his head back. His warmth was also a releif as it began to give him something else to focus on, outside the racing thoughts. He had done it. He had just done what he deemed unthinkable. What a fool.

As those words came into his mind, the trees let loose a bit more water that splashed on his face. The only normal reaction was him squinting his eyes and sitting up quickly as he wiped his face, his growls causing Kai to chuckle. Even the world enjoyed making him the fool.

“Ya, ya. I get it!” Bard shouted as he looked to Kai. He then noticed Sen’s face as she looked towards him through the small entrance. The water framed her face and her expression told of her worries for him along with her confusion. Bard placed his palm over one eye and rubbed it, trying to get his emotions settled on the matter. They would be married soon, and yet this is how he behaved over a simple gesture of affection. Even talking about their future and children had been easier. Just what was wrong? He shook his head and laid back down, avoiding a splash of water before trying to get comfortable.

After breathing deeply and loosing himself to the melody of the forest, he figured he needed to get dry or run the risk of falling ill. It was the last thing they needed as their time was nearly out. They needed to head out tomorrow and he hoped Sen was feeling well enough to do that. As he sat up, he didn’t see her face and then laid back down. He still didn’t trust himself to face her after that. Instead, he decided to give himself a bit more time. Kai’s tail came and poked him and he growled as he swatted it away.

“Leave me alone Kai,” he commented.

The tail returned, no sign of giving up. Bard repeated his words but that did nothing to assuage Kai’s insistence. He moved away, a bit out of reach of the tail taps. Then Kai moved. It was so sudden Bard barely had time to shift and attempt to catch his balance. He glared as his hands barely touched the dirt, it being dry here from Kai’s rest and being under the trees. Kai never let him get out of things. He should have expected that much.

With a flick of his tail, Kai knocked Bard off balance again and he tumbled to the ground, face first. He then felt the weight of a paw come on before he could get up.

“Ack! Kai!” Bard shouted. He could feel the deep amused rumble and it helped to move his thoughts away from what had happened between him and Sen. “I swear, if you sit on me-“ Bard grumbled, fearing where a disgruntled and amused Kai could go. The paw didn’t move and Bard let his muscles relax a bit. Only after he stayed still did the paw leave and Kai’s head loomed over him. He felt a lick on his cheek that was exposed and recoiled away.

“Gross!” Bard groaned. It was his least favorite thing now that Kai was so big. In his haste, a leaf stuck to his mouth, mocking what it had last touched and Bard spat it away. He turned to look at Kai, the wet clothes having gathered a dusting of damp dirt, his sprawled form was left behind where the ground had soaked away the water in his clothes.

Kai exuded a satisfied huff and Bard held a deadpan face as he glared at him. Slowly, he got to his feet again. A drop alerted him, but his reaction was too slow as he got splashed yet again from above. He barely looked up and sighed.

“You too, huh?” he groaned. The trees shook and showered them with water, getting Kai wet in the process. His yelp of surprise was all Bard needed to smirk.

“Serves you right for that,” He chided and Kai frowned. Bard heard a chuckle and he cast his gaze to Sen who’s silhouette told him was laying down, watching. A small part of him wanted to disappear for a moment so he could recover his feelings. Then again, what did he have to hide. The growing confusion about what he should do forced him still. Kai moved to get under the trees again after a good shake, splashing Bard with cold drops. Bard moved out into the rain to rinse off as he shook his head. Kai could be a bit too much sometimes, but he did have his moments. His unease was his own creation. As Elder emotion would put it, he was afraid. Which meant he needed to move. It’s probably why he had run. But it didn’t reflect well on him. He still didn’t know what to think. It was all so confusing.

But he did need to get dry. Suppressing his jitters about approaching her, he walked back, even his shoes squelched under him. As he rested a hand on the top of the entrance he leaned down and moved to sit inside. As he did, he kept his wet feet outside and pulled off the shoes, submitting to whatever she might say or do. He tucked them near the back as he grabbed his clothes. He then pulled off the shirt and shawl. Feeling subconscious he moved to drape them across the shelter to divide it. He then slunk behind the other side and finished changing into dry clothes. Once done, he moved his clothes out and spread it on the grass outside so it could clean a bit from the shower.

Only once he had nothing else to do, did his gaze return to Sen who had a very particular expression as she looked at him.

“Cold at all?” she teased and he looked away. “I thought you didn’t react to girls,” she pointed out, their earlier conversation at the village coming to the forefront. “Didn’t like that sort of attention, was it?” He tilted his head up and groaned. Not only was Kai teasing him but now there was also Sen.

“I won’t be able to live that down,” he said as he tilted ever so slightly to read her expression.

“That was your first. Wasn’t it,” she said pointedly and Bard stiffened. How had she known? She smiled, then laughed. “Oh Bard,” she wiped a bit of mirth away. “Your expression.” Her laughter reverberated around the small enclosure. Her hand reached out and caressed his cheek before she returned to laying down in her bed.

“It’s fine. I love you,” she said before fluttering her eyes as she drifted to sleep. Bard remained still, unable to figure out what she was doing, or why he was feeling this way.