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Adalia and Qwinn exchanged words in their language. He seemed angry about something. He always seemed angry. Another reason to be careful and distance herself, as if the fact that he was a creature wasn't enough already.

She folded her hands in her lap, feeling as if she were back in her Uncle Jackson's house when he and her grandmother used to argue about what to do with her when she was younger. She didn't like the feeling.

Finally, Qwinn turned to her. "Would you like to travel into town today?"

The thought of town scared her. It'd be full of creatures, but she needed to figure out a plan of escape. If she knew the town a little better, she had a better chance at finding the exit.

When she nodded, Adalia smiled smugly. Obviously, that was what they were arguing about. Qwinn worked his jaw slightly and nodded. "I will take care of the preparations!" Adalia said quickly, hurrying to the door.

He turned back to Alison. "You want to walk though your leg hurts?"

She nodded, ignoring the worry she thought she heard in his voice; however, she couldn't tell him that she wanted to walk to escape. She needed to lie. "I feel bad that you have to carry me everywhere…" Not a complete lie.

He shrugged. "I don't mind it. You're very light."

"I would still like to learn how to walk again…" she said carefully.

He nodded and handed her the stick. "Perhaps we should practice again while we wait. Carefully this time."

She eyed the stick nervously. She didn't want to feel the pain again. Despite that fact, she nodded. She couldn't afford to get comfortable again.

She took the stick from him and stood. Carefully, she took a step forward on her bad leg and winced. She tilted a little and instantly Qwinn's hands were around her waist, straightening her. She froze; he was touching her! A blush lit her cheeks. One of her hands gripped the stick tighter as the other pushed his hands away. "I'm fine."

He pulled away instantly, which left her relieved and confused. She ignored her thoughts and concentrated on walking. She took a step, then another, gritting her teeth against the pain. She was surprised that they were allowing her to practice. Didn't they see that her chances of escaping were increasing with each step?

Another step and a cry escaped her mouth. The pain was bringing tears to her eyes, yet she pressed on. Then she felt his hand on her shoulder and a calm rushed through her. "Alison. Allow it time to heal."

The way he said her name made her nervous, but excited at the same time. She shook her head, answering him and shaking herself back to the problem at hand. "I'm fine."

He sighed and let her go. As soon as his hand left her, the pain returned to her leg and she moaned.

"Please, this is crazy." She swung her head around to look at him; he looked worried. "Allow it time," he said again, waiting for her answer.

"I don't want you to have to carry me all the time," she said, determination returning with her statement.

He folded his arms. "You hardly weigh a thing."

She ignored his statement of strength and took another step, then another and almost buckled. He caught her, brining her back to the bed. "I think you have had enough practice for one day."

Though her leg throbbed, she didn't want to admit he was right. She had never been so stubborn before. Something about him brought it out in her.

As if to finalize his words, he placed her staff out of reach. She narrowed her eyes. "I'm fine, really."

His black eyes probed her, as if reading the truth. "Your leg is not strong enough. That is enough for today."

He stepped back a few feet, putting distance between them. She straightened herself to a seated position and sighed, deciding to give in. "What is town like?" she asked, figuring that she'd better prepare herself.

"Like any town," he answered shortly.

She folded her arms. "I was hardly allowed into town on the surface…" she trailed off. But the truth was, she wasn't sure what was she was supposed to expect in a normal town.

"It is full of Vidarian's going about their work and trading goods. Sometimes children play in the roads. During festivals, food is served and entertainers roam through the crowds." He explained. "There is a main market where most of the trading is done. I believe you will enjoy the market; however, we will not go there today."

"Why not?"

"When you can walk again, then we will go. For today, we will be staying on our Ou'tani's."

Her eyes widened slightly. "What are those?"

"They are like horses where you come from."

Butterflies danced in Alison's stomach. She had agreed to surrounding herself with creatures. What was she thinking? "Will this be dangerous?"

His eyes grew darker, if that was even possible. "No one will harm you. I will make sure of it."

She lowered her gaze; the intensity in his eyes was overwhelming. He was silent for a moment then spoke. "Have you eaten?"

"Yes. Adalia brought in breakfast," she answered. The butterflies danced faster. Was it too late to change her mind?

The door opened at that moment and Adalia returned. "Everything is ready," she announced with a smile. Qwinn nodded, moving to the bed. Alison's nerves were already acting up and they hadn't even left the palace. She had never seen herself as weak or scared, but she was completely out of her element in this world.

Before words could make their way up her throat, Qwinn wrapped his arms around her back and under her legs, scooping her up. The visit to town was pushed to the back of her mind as she fought to keep her thoughts quiet about the fact that he was touching her, or that he was so close. She felt so light in his arms.

She stared straight ahead, watching Adalia's back as if her life depended on it; anything to keep herself distracted. Adalia led them through the halls, glancing back every once in a while and smiling. "You're going to love it."

Before Alison could answer, a short man caught up with them. She recognized him from when she'd fallen. He'd chased her. She gripped Qwinn's neck a little tighter.

He didn't seem to notice, instead, he turned to the man and spoke with him. She couldn't understand a word. The man's tone indicated that he didn't agree with whatever Qwinn was saying. Eventually the short man gave in and bowed, heading off down the hall again. Alison wondered what all of that was about.

LEAVE IT TO THE COUNCIL TO want to hold a gathering when Qwinn was headed out the door. He knew he was shirking his responsibilities, but after a lifetime of service, he deserved
one
day. Adalia had already informed everyone of their trip. Jabr thought it was careless of him, especially with the Torin breathing down their necks. He was right of course, they all were. But hadn't the council said he only had two weeks to help Alison transition? Though he didn't like the idea, a trip into town was the perfect way to help the process.

"Is everything alright?" Alison asked softly.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts and glanced down at her. Perhaps he had been wearing his emotions on his face without realizing. "Everything is fine," he lied.

She studied him. It was hard not to feel her gaze with her so close. However, he was sure that even if she was on the other side of the hallway he could still feel it. Every day he was becoming more and more aware of her.

They finally reached the massive doors to the palace. The last time Alison had been through them, she had been unconscious. He had put her to sleep; she had been so frightened, he had no choice. The memories sent goose bumps over his arms. To think that she had been so close to death and he had no power in the situation, even now, was not sitting well with him.

Now, she was staring at the doors with wide eyes. They were impressive. They stood taller than three men and had intricate designs carved deep into the wood and inlaid with gold. The doors had been a gift from the elves before the humans took over too much of the forest and they were forced into hiding.

One of the doors stood open, waiting for them to pass through. Adalia practically skipped into the front courtyard, where the Ou'tani waited. Suddenly, Alison's arms tightened around his neck. After a moment, he realized that she was staring at the Ou'tani in fear.

The closer he got, the more stiff and squirmy she became. From her eyes, he could imagine how strange the Ou'tani looked with their green skin, short snouts and feelers around their faces, almost like long whiskers. Their knees were bent the opposite way than a humans and their tails grew long like a horse on the surface.

Saddles and blankets had already been tied to the Ou'tani. Qwinn carried her to face the beast, determined to put her at rest. She gripped him tighter now. "They are kind," he said gently.

Despite what he said, she buried her face in his shoulder. "I don't want to ride it."

"Don't be afraid. It won't harm you."

He stood before it. The Ou'tani stayed where it was, its yellow eyes watching them. Qwinn murmured softly to the animal and stepped closer. As if sensing its closeness, Alison turned her head and froze, her eyes the size of saucers.

The beast eased mere inches from her face. He wondered for a moment if she would scream. As the first feeler touched her, she winced then relaxed. As the other feelers touched her, she began to giggle. "That tickles."

The Ou'tani snorted as if in reply then turned, kneeling on its knees for them to climb on. Qwinn helped her up first then climbed on behind her. Adalia rode over just as the Ou'tani rose to a stand. "Ready?"

Qwinn's Ou'tani snorted. They started at a slow pace, allowing Alison to grow accustomed to the movement of the animal.

"This is like a horse on the surface right?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Were they down here when you were…banished?" she asked hesitantly. She was worried about making him angry with the subject.

Strangely enough, even though she brought up a painful memory, he didn't feel the usual rush of anger. He was too preoccupied with making sure she was comfortable and worrying about what the towns people would think of her.

"Yes, they were wild. We trained them. This Ou'tani was bred into captivity, so he knows nothing about how to survive in the Forest. They are very gentle creatures," he informed her.

"My Uncle would not allow me to ride horses, even though he owned four. He said it was improper for a lady to ride a galloping animal. I always wanted to learn."

"I will teach you when your leg heals," he said softly.

She glanced over her shoulder at him with an emotion that was hard to read on her face. Adalia came closer at that moment. "We should travel to the lake first."

Qwinn nodded in agreement, glad at the idea of keeping Alison away from townspeople as much as possible. She was the first human to enter their underground city since the war between the humans and Vidar. Though they all knew she was needed, he wasn't quite sure how his people would react when they met her for the first time.

They followed a dirt path through the outskirts of town. The high wall that surrounded his city was within view. Normally Qwinn tried to stay away from the walls. The Forest lay on just the other side. The creatures that inhabited it were just as dangerous, if not more so, than the Torin. However, this was the only path to the lake that didn't cut through town.

As they rode, they passed a few huts made of stone with thatched roofs. The owners of one such house were working in a small garden outside. When they spotted the King, they bowed, placing their hands to the chest as a sign of respect.

Qwinn and Adalia nodded to them. Qwinn was grateful Alison was sitting in front of him and therefore did not see the action. She did however; see the woman eye her with a hard look.

When the Ou'tani had move far enough away, Alison let go of a breath he hadn't realized she'd been holding. "They hate me," she said with almost a sad tone.

"They do not know you yet."

"Do they blame me for being banished?" she asked.

It almost pained him to answer her. "Many of them will merely because you are human. Give them time to learn who you are, as I have over these past few days. Then they could not stop themselves from growing to like you."

Alison grew quiet; however, he could tell from the way her ears lit that she was blushing. Before Qwinn could ask her what was wrong, Adalia picked up her pace, which made him follow suit. They trotted quickly. Alison bounced on the soft leather saddle. He made sure to keep her balanced while not touching her more than necessary. As they galloped now, a laugh bubbled from Alison. A fierce sense of pride filled Qwinn at the sound. He was the one to make her laugh.

The lake came into view, the huge dark expanse of water. The plants around the lake glowed with a strange green and yellow light, reflecting off the water's surface.

AS THEY DREW CLOSER, ALISON COULD see lights dancing beneath the water. When Qwinn tugged the reigns, the Ou'tani stopped. She realized they dancing lights were fish. Her eyes grew wide in pleasant surprise. All colors of the rainbow swam and skipped beneath the water, making the dark lake strangely beautiful.

Adalia tied her Ou'tani to a bush and Qwinn did the same. She braced herself against his shoulders as he gently slid her off the Ou'tani, setting her on her feet mere inches in front of him, his hands lingering slightly on her waist. Alison blushed as she stared up into his deep dark eyes. Why was he looking at her like that?