“That’s fair,” Kre said with a yawn. “Languages aren’t really my thing. Professor Marxin tried to teach us a bit of the Ancient’s language, but I could never grasp it.”
Kre visibly saw the shudder that rolled through his companion’s body. He had made his statement with a desire to know if the rumors were true, the rumors that the Ylveryans wanted absolutely nothing to do with the Ancients. He had wanted to see if there would be some sort of visceral response even at their mention and he was pleasantly surprised to see Kitalia’s reaction proved the rumors true.
“I’m sorry… I suppose I shouldn’t mention the Anc… um… you know.”
Kitalia shook her head, “Who? The Ancients? You can speak of them if you wish though I would not know why anyone would do so.”
This time there was no visible shudder wracking her body, not even when she said the name. That fact confused Kre a bit and made him question his earlier assessment of the relationship between the Ylveryans and the Ancients. Maybe it really did have an effect but she had guessed his intent and countered with her own statement, to cover up a potential weakness? Maybe it was a coincidence and she felt the evening chill in her bones when he asked his question?
There was just too much to think about and his nearly comatose brain was having trouble keeping up with all of the possibilities. He closed his heavy eyelids and sighed audibly.
She must have heard because she reached out and casually smacked him on the leg. “Are you bored of me already?” This time, at least, her hit wasn’t as painful as when he called her a girl.
“No, it’s not that. I guess… I guess it’s all just hitting me, that I’m a fugitive now.”
It was Kitalia’s turn to sigh. “You keep harping on that same note. Over and over again, the same sob story. No, you are not really a fugitive. After all, you did not act against the Rangers in any way and you did not violate any laws by departing the cabin so that you could continue with all speed to the Citadel.”
Kre nodded and opened his mouth to respond, but she continued with barely a breath between her words. “Yet, you are a criminal. Make no mistake about that. I have read the report written by that odd-looking man and it does not paint you in a very good light. Even if you factor in the fact that he dislikes you for whatever reason, the evidence was fairly overwhelming. After all, it was your own testimony that damned you.”
Slightly upset by the verbal assault, Kre propped himself upright on his elbow. “Hey now,” he interrupted, “the trial is technically suspended until I report to the Citadel. They’ll take over the proceedings since the deceased was one of theirs. So, technically, I wasn’t a criminal until you made me one.”
They looked at each other for a while, neither one blinking nor turning away. All of the sleepiness that Kre felt just a few minutes before faded away. In the dark of the night, it almost appeared to Kre as if Kitalia’s eyes had a soft, otherworldly glow to them. It was like looking into the eyes of a cat… a cat that was going to pounce any moment now.
Kre shook his head and muttered, breaking the eye contact. “I’m going to sleep now. Good night Kitalia.”
There was a long pause, and Kre knew that she was still staring him down. Finally, she called out in a soft whisper, “The crime of killing the Dragon Knight may be pending a trial, but you also admitted to killing the other man, even if it was in self-defense.”
As he was drifting off to sleep, he heard her shifting position. “Good night Kre,” she said. “It’s your turn at watch now.”