excited about tonight, I guess.” He realizes just how that sounds and tries to backpedal immediately, “I mean about getting my tattoo… not… you know, the other thing.” Serim raises an eyebrow. “No! I didn’t mean I wasn’t excited about that too, I just—”
Serim is openly laughing at him now, and Jerath knows his face must be the reddest it’s ever been and he wishes the ground would open up and swallow him whole. “Oh, Jerath. Fortunately for you, I know just what you mean. Otherwise a girl might be offended by that.”
He smiles up at her and some of his embarrassment fades. It really is a good thing she knows him so well. “Sorry.” He pushes himself off the ground and brushes the bits of dirt and leaves from his clothes.
“It’s fine. I know the union part isn’t ideal for you—and honestly, if you were overly looking forward to that, I might be a bit freaked out myself—and you should be excited about getting your tattoo.” She picks at a stray twig Jerath has missed. “Shifting is… it’s the best feeling in the world, Jerath. You can run faster than ever, smell and hear a hundred things you would never even notice as a human. All your senses are alive and it’s so freeing. I can’t wait to share that with you.”
Jerath looks at Serim with awe. It all sounds so wonderful and far too good to be true. He’s almost certain something will come along to ruin it. Serim must catch the look on his face and she prods him in the belly.
“None of that, either.” He makes an “ I don’t know what you mean” face at her. “Nothing is going to go wrong, so don’t even go there,” she adds, and pokes him again for good measure.
Serim looks Jerath over from head to toe and frowns.
“What?” he asks.
“Well, not to be rude or anything, but we could both do with a wash before tonight. Our clothes too.”
Jerath looks between him and Serim and sees exactly what she means. Their skin is smeared with dirt in places, Serim’s hair has leaves in it and the odd twig, and he’s sure his doesn’t look much better. Their clothes are rumpled and dirty from being slept in, and a quick sniff reveals that they don’t smell too good either.
“I think the Goddess would be extremely put out if we did the ritual looking like this,” Serim adds.
“Yes, but where can we clean up?” Jerath has never been this far out into the woods before, so he has no idea where the nearest stream or lake is.
Serim grins, obviously privy to information Jerath isn’t. “Well, it just so happens that I might know where to go.”
“How?”
She pats her nose. “When I scouted around earlier—you were still asleep, by the way—I could smell it.”
Jerath ignores her playful dig, but he can’t believe that she can smell water. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” She doesn’t roll her eyes, but Jerath senses it was a close thing. “I told you that our senses are so much more advanced in our shifted form. I can smell the stream, and hear the faint sounds of the water as it rushes over the rocks.”
Jerath is still skeptical but nods anyway. “Okay, then.” He gestures for Serim to walk in front of him. “Lead the way.”
“We have to veer off our path slightly to get to the stream,” she says, and Jerath notices that they’re now heading in a southwesterly direction. “But it can’t be helped.”
Jerath hums his agreement and they fall into a comfortable silence once again, both of them careful to avoid any conversation about their families or friends. It’s too painful to think about what might be happening when they have no possible way of finding out yet.
Chapter 5
“H OW much farther?” They’ve been walking steadily uphill for the last hour and Jerath’s legs are starting to ache. It must be almost lunchtime too because his stomach is making some very angry noises. They ate the last of the fish this morning, which Jerath is sort of thankful for even if it means they have no more
Serim is openly laughing at him now, and Jerath knows his face must be the reddest it’s ever been and he wishes the ground would open up and swallow him whole. “Oh, Jerath. Fortunately for you, I know just what you mean. Otherwise a girl might be offended by that.”
He smiles up at her and some of his embarrassment fades. It really is a good thing she knows him so well. “Sorry.” He pushes himself off the ground and brushes the bits of dirt and leaves from his clothes.
“It’s fine. I know the union part isn’t ideal for you—and honestly, if you were overly looking forward to that, I might be a bit freaked out myself—and you should be excited about getting your tattoo.” She picks at a stray twig Jerath has missed. “Shifting is… it’s the best feeling in the world, Jerath. You can run faster than ever, smell and hear a hundred things you would never even notice as a human. All your senses are alive and it’s so freeing. I can’t wait to share that with you.”
Jerath looks at Serim with awe. It all sounds so wonderful and far too good to be true. He’s almost certain something will come along to ruin it. Serim must catch the look on his face and she prods him in the belly.
“None of that, either.” He makes an “ I don’t know what you mean” face at her. “Nothing is going to go wrong, so don’t even go there,” she adds, and pokes him again for good measure.
Serim looks Jerath over from head to toe and frowns.
“What?” he asks.
“Well, not to be rude or anything, but we could both do with a wash before tonight. Our clothes too.”
Jerath looks between him and Serim and sees exactly what she means. Their skin is smeared with dirt in places, Serim’s hair has leaves in it and the odd twig, and he’s sure his doesn’t look much better. Their clothes are rumpled and dirty from being slept in, and a quick sniff reveals that they don’t smell too good either.
“I think the Goddess would be extremely put out if we did the ritual looking like this,” Serim adds.
“Yes, but where can we clean up?” Jerath has never been this far out into the woods before, so he has no idea where the nearest stream or lake is.
Serim grins, obviously privy to information Jerath isn’t. “Well, it just so happens that I might know where to go.”
“How?”
She pats her nose. “When I scouted around earlier—you were still asleep, by the way—I could smell it.”
Jerath ignores her playful dig, but he can’t believe that she can smell water. “Really?”
“Yes, really.” She doesn’t roll her eyes, but Jerath senses it was a close thing. “I told you that our senses are so much more advanced in our shifted form. I can smell the stream, and hear the faint sounds of the water as it rushes over the rocks.”
Jerath is still skeptical but nods anyway. “Okay, then.” He gestures for Serim to walk in front of him. “Lead the way.”
“We have to veer off our path slightly to get to the stream,” she says, and Jerath notices that they’re now heading in a southwesterly direction. “But it can’t be helped.”
Jerath hums his agreement and they fall into a comfortable silence once again, both of them careful to avoid any conversation about their families or friends. It’s too painful to think about what might be happening when they have no possible way of finding out yet.
Chapter 5
“H OW much farther?” They’ve been walking steadily uphill for the last hour and Jerath’s legs are starting to ache. It must be almost lunchtime too because his stomach is making some very angry noises. They ate the last of the fish this morning, which Jerath is sort of thankful for even if it means they have no more
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