The fire that she answered him with took him by surprise. But it shouldn’t have. He stood blinking a moment- processing before he cleared his throat to speak. “I didn’t call you a weak bitch.” Aresenn answered lowly. You don’t have to prove anything to me. But he thought that words intended as kindness might be interpreted as condescension. So he said no more on the matter, straightening himself up, and shaking some life back into his rigid posture. He looked away from her then, orienting himself as to the way they had been traveling and the direction that they had come from. Closer to the horizon, he noticed from their higher elevation the first of the towering redwood trees in the distance. As if she had read his mind, she suggested that instead, they find a place to camp for the night. Nodding in agreement, he gestured to the destination he had picked out. “Good plan. There is cover in the forest just ahead.” He answered without looking at her for confirmation. He nearly asked if she thought she could make it … or if she needed help. But he bit his tongue instead. The kind of crooning that he thought girls usually liked, felt like they would do more harm than good in this particular situation. Besides. Absinth was not merely a usual girl.
Juggernaut
Professor
