Sorem all but abandoned his quest, instead spending most of day two and three hidden in that forest by the lagoon.

Vadde didn’t come. The rest of the day was wasted pretending to drink cheap ale at the tavern until people’s whispering about him forced him to return to his room. There, he’d meditate. But each time he closed his eyes, much like now at this tree by the water, images of Vadde flooded his thoughts once more.

On day three, while ignoring the Jvalan’s third, and final protest as he gave her such a shake, Sorem promised himself to leave this blasted town, and that strange woman behind.

That was…until he saw her. Like the first day, she surfaced from the lagoon. Today, she rested on a smooth slab of a rock, soaking in the sun.

Now and then, she wiped her eyes. He wasn’t sure if he’d guessed right about her state of upset until she sat up and let out a proper cry.

Everything in him said to approach and offer his help. But he knew how it would look.

So, he scanned the forest floor, looking for an excuse to being here. That was where he saw it, a rock with a symbol atop it—runes.

And not just one, but several. They traveled the length of the lagoon, and though he couldn’t be sure, he could guess that they might encompass the entire thing.

“What are these for?” he whispered to the Jvalan because he dared not touch one.

“It is a hiding spell.”

A hiding spell. He scanned the runes again. Their writing was shaky. Shaky and useless because it wasn’t working. Who hid her? And why?

Laughter drew his focus, and he tore his eyes away from the little black rocks and to the woman who, once crying, now laughed.

The reason why tore a gasp from him. Those two fairies were back, and they sprinkled dust along Vadde’s shoulders and face. Each intake of breath had her laughing through the tears.

Sorem wasn’t sure what to make of it, so he decided to forego his casual offer of rescue and instead learn from the experience.

What transpired next filled him with confusion until he thought of the stones. Because she lay back on the rocks and brought her right hand up between her legs.

Turning with his back to her in record time, Sorem pressed himself to the tree and fought to calm. What was she doing? She wasn’t doing that. Again and again, he thought to look to be certain but decided against it.

Sorem’s body blushed. This reaction was unacceptable. After some time, he worked up the courage to look again.

Her hand no longer touching her, she ran it along her thigh in lazy thought before sitting up to dive into the water. She surfaced again, and like before, bent her back to retrieve her things.

Heart pounding, Sorem resolved to leave that village tonight.

Voices closed in, sending him into a panic.

“Jvalan, what do I do?”

But the creature gave no answer.

Sorem struggled to pinpoint the source of the men’s voices.

“Listen to me, Prince Sorem. All creatures of magic have a human form. In human form, they take on human traits. You can hide yourself by stepping into the spell’s barrier, but should they be in their true form, they will see you. It is a risk.”

Sorem scanned the runes again but didn’t have long to decide. He stepped over the barrier and a chill filled him.

Five men, the five from the tavern, came in a horde. One stopped right before Sorem.

“Hold. The barrier’s been disturbed.” He asked, “Brothers, what should we do?”

One stared over his head and said, “I see nothing beyond trees so it must be intact. Best not to touch it. Wyrn’ll think us careless.”

Yet another agreed. “Probably an animal moving through. Leave it to Wyrn. Besides, I do not wish to eat a human should we find one in there.”

A chuckle came at his words, but Sorem’s left hand rose to his chest from the shock.

Human? They weren’t human?

One brother continued to stare at the ‘barrier,’ literally, right at Sorem though he didn’t appear to perceive him.

“I do not feel right not checking. Should we check?”

“And what? Walk in on her naked? How would you explain seeing your sister-in-law like that to your wife?”

With a shudder, the man broke from his stare and admitted, “You’re right. That is a bigger risk.”

“Come. We’ll leave whatever it is up to the trolls to devour.” He slapped three nearby rocks and walked on. “Wake up.”

Their laughter rose and fell away as they continued following the runes.

“Trolls?” Sorem whispered to himself.

“Get out of the barrier now!” the Jvalan ordered.

Despite her rude tone, he obeyed.

“Climb,” she said. “Now. If you value your neck. You will climb.”

Sorem decided he would deal with her way of speaking to him later on. For now, he found the closest tree and did as instructed. Besides, perhaps he could get a better view of Vadde.

When he reached high enough, however, a rumble took up his attention.

The three rocks the man had slapped rolled back and hands popped out, then a head.

A troll. Three trolls.

They looked down to examine the runes before conversing with one another.

Sorem couldn’t hear.

“What are they saying?” he demanded.

“Laws of equivalent exchange forbids me to grant you powers without something in return,” the Jvalan informed him.

That was probably another half-truth because here he was, a human, able to see things no other human should.

“You’ve given me sight,” he argued.

“I give you nothing. You hold a Jvalan prisoner. My presence seeps magic, magic you interact with. But the talent of hearing is far more complex. Or would you rather lie each day in anguish as your ears bleed from hearing everything at an unnaturally high octave?”

Sorem’s chest tightened. Beings of magic were a danger, he knew. Their power and the gifts granted by them meant a sacrifice of some kind. The Divine Thinkers Order warned about magic of any kind. Capturing a magical being was different. Then the payment of the exchange could be visited upon them instead. He could force this Jvalan to active her power of hearing, he knew, but then he would have to get everything second hand through her.

“However,” the Jvalan began, “I can grant you a small gift. Whenever anyone speaks about you in a whisper, it can reach you.”

Sorem stared out at the lagoon again and to Vadde who was slow to put on her clothes and reach inside a basket.

In her hand, she held up something familiar—Sorem’s handkerchief.

Breaths coming shallow, he watched as she muttered something to herself then stood and marched out. Oh, how he longed to hear what she’d said.

Gaze drifting low, Sorem puzzled about the Jvalan’s offer. When the sun was finally high, forcing the trolls into stone form once more, he climbed down and hurried back to the inn on foot—he no longer brought his horse for fear it would alert others to him.

He barged into the inn, trampled up the stairs, then shut his room door and pressed his back to it, chest heaving.

What had she said? Would she return it today? Would he see her?

He was unsure but he poured some water in the basin by the door and washed his face. He’d shave as well, and perhaps look about getting a wash.

Why?

She had nothing to do with him.

As absurd as he knew it to be, he held that basin and stared down into the water, imagining she’d been thinking of him on that rock.

“That is preposterous,” he told himself.

But was it? Because here he was, thinking of her.

And thinking only of her. From her lean frame, her slender neck, her full bosom, down to where her hand slid between her.

The water fell.

“Damn,” he cursed and snatched the jug back up. “Curses!”

As he cleaned, a familiar and very annoying voice came to him. “Prince Sorem, aren’t you on a mission?”

“Shut up,” he told the Jvalan and set her cage down on the table. He sat in a chair, watching her silent flight. Chest heaving, heart pounding, and body blushing for a number of reasons, he asked, “What are your demands for this gift?”

The Jvalan’s closed eyes opened slowly and accompanied a smile.

‎