Claya

“You're not allowed to be here!” A whisper broke through his ears. Quickly twisting himself around, a beautiful girl stood before him. Grey shiny flowing hair, two pointed fluffy ears that twitch as the wind blows them. A sublime slim figure dressed in a rich dark grey and white dress. A grey tail that swooshed gently behind her. Her black eyes, however, struck a fear deep inside Sorin. He was at a loss for words; instead of continuing, he turned back around, giving a quick look into the barracks.

Claya, however, puffed herself up. “Hach—” Sorin quickly covered her mouth before grabbing her hips and dashing into a nearby alleyway. He looked behind the corner of the alleyway, seeing one of the east soldiers look at the spot they were standing out a second ago. Then he looked back towards Claya, before his face instantly flushed deeper.

“I'm sorry, Claya!” he took away his hand and pushed her gently away from his body. She didn't reply; she too was completely flustered.

She then cleared her throat and continued, “I said you're not allowed to be there! That's an east barracks. Off limits and you know it!” Her finger pointed straight at his chest, making heavy contact. The personal space between them was already violated, as he would expect.

Why does she always come at the worst times?

“How did you even know I was going to be in that area? Or why would you even check it out?” Sorin demanded an answer; it was a valid question since she was technically there as well. She wouldn't be allowed to go there despite being the chief's daughter.

Claya quickly fluttered her eyes at the question, and her tail stood still. “I just—” she pondered on her next words. Anything could give away too much and some too little for Sorin to accept. “I smelt a burning smell— So I thought something was on fire! Then I saw you, and you work as a smith, so I guess you just smelt ashy,” she started to laugh herself as she slowly retreated away from the alley.

Each step back was awkward until it stopped. Her back hit a stone-framed person. On average, a female beastfolk is smaller than a human, hence her need to look up when even talking to Sorin, who is an average man. However, compared to him, the man Claya was now looking up at was at least nearly two meters.

An east soldier! Sorin quickly subdued him and thought about the element. I can't use fire to burn him, and I can't use earth to slow him down, or he will shout for help. Wind won't help either since he will call for help. I have to freeze him.

Sorin quickly dashed at the two distracted people and unleashed a quick water sprout covering him before a full solidification of the drenched man. He had already become unresponsive. Claya stared up at the frozen state of the soldier, then back at Sorin. Her face was exploding with anger.

“What was that for? It's not like he was going to do anything. Maybe he was just curious!”

I hope so too. But I can't risk anything that would blow my cover, even if it's a bit. Having her come with me is better; otherwise, they might think she attacked him.

“I was scared, let's call it that. Anyway, come to my inn; it's just a couple of alleyways away, and I think we're going to be getting searched soon anyway.” Sorin didn't wait for a reply; he grabbed her hand and started running towards his inn. The journey, as he said, was short because it only took them twenty seconds to enter his room.

Claya stood at the door frame; her cheeks were flushed red, and her beast features were waving like crazy over the place. Sorin just sighed, knowing she must have never even been in someone else's room, let alone a guy's room, considering how overprotective the chief is.

“Sit down already.” Sorin gestured over near his bed; Claya instinctively swooshed over to the bed in the slowest way possible. Like each step cost her a day's worth of energy. “Also do tell the real reason.”

Claya froze up at the sudden question, her tail pointed up, and her ears stood. “I saw you came out of work—” she started to fidget with her fingers once she seated herself onto Sorin's bed. “I just wanted to see how you were. You helped me so many times using your water magic to give our village the need to not travel to the wells.”

“It's nothing really, since I'm a mage with fire and water. Just call it good luck that I arrived.” Sorin put his staff down and sat next to Claya. Their expressions couldn't be more different, as Sorin had his eyes half shut with his hands behind his head while the girl next to him was panicking internally.

Claya took a couple deep breaths in, her voice wavering. She knew that only she had this extra knowledge. The only thing Sorin told her was more of a kind gesture rather than a thing she figured out: “Do you mind staying more in this village…?”

I figured she was going to ask that. I have been really useful to the village this entire time, so seeing me leave means they have to readapt again. It won't be too much of an issue, but fetching water will be more taxing.

“I already told you that I have to leave towards the west again. " I'm a mage after all,” Sorin stated firmly, taking a look at her face. It had changed from flustered to saddened, her lips just slightly lowering.

Claya nodded slowly “I know you have to. But you're not like the other mages, you don't treat us differently and I don't think you actually want to be there— For the three months I have known you, I know that much” she then sighed out “I also want you to stay here, I'm selfish in this request but I really really want you to stay here.”

No way she will convince me to stay! But that sad expression and those big black eyes make me almost cry when I stare a bit too much. Why are beastfolk so expressive?

“I really have to go. I liked my time being here. I also enjoyed my time with you. Like that one time we sat in a field of flowers looking at the bright sky or the other time when we were moving water all day.” Sorin smiled weakly.

That's right, I like the peacefulness here. I like that idea of staying here forever. But now that I know both the west and east are not what I thought. I want to achieve peace and then come back here for old age if I live that far! I'm really hopeful.

Claya lowered her head further. “You will come back one day at least then? We will see the field of flowers again one day, won't we?”

“That's right, just give me some time. Then one day I will come back, and we can have more time together.”

Sorin smiled again, this time more genuinely. More hopeful, Claya moved closer, hugging her body to Sorin's side. Her tail slowly and gently wrapped around him. “That's fine then.” They spent a minute like this together just in silence before she finally stood up. “I should really get going.”

He gave a small nod before opening the door for her. “Just don't tell your father anything; he might kill me.” She gave a small nod back, likewise.