Part Ten

by Phoebe Lee Mathius

"You,
who have shown me great
and severe troubles,
shall revive me again,
and bring me up again
from the depths of the
earth."
-Psalm 71:20

"C'mon! Here's our chance, Liv! Let's go!" Shyne cajoled whilst tugging at Liv's right arm.
"Shyne, don't be deaf to reason!" her friend pleaded.
"I most certainly am not deaf. And I'm not the one who should listen. You should!" Shyne hissed back indignantly, poking Liv's chest with her index finger.
Liv gasped. "Shyne! Wh-What's that behind you?"
"Oh, what is it NOW?" Shyne exclaimed in impatience and spun around.

Just yards away, stood a salivating Temptor. It began charging towards her, but Shyne was too stunned to react. Behind her she could hear Liv calling her name.

"Shyne...!"

The Temptor was almost atop her now. It raised its paw to swipe her.

"SHHHHYYYYNNNNNEEE!" Liv screamed.

******

She was here.

Yet, she was not.

Tyachar sat watching her. She was staring right at him. But she wasn't really...looking. It was like he wasn't there at all. Like she was staring right through him. Rising, he walked over to her and tapped her lightly on her shoulder.

"Shyne?"

She jumped. Her face was pale white and she was breathing hard.

"Is everything...alright?" Tyachar asked, crouching in front of her.

She still wasn't looking at him.

"Shyne?"

She slowly pointed at something behind him. His knuckles clenched. It could only mean one thing.

In one fluid motion, he grabbed his dagger and clicking its hilt, spun around to face his adversary. The dagger grew into his scimitar and he was ready.

He saw nothing at first. And then,

He did. Tyachar adjusted his focus to identify his opponent.

As realization entered his eyes, he suddenly lowered his weapon and keeled over laughing. Shyne was aghast in puzzlement.

"What's so funny?" questioned a voice from the shadows.

A girl's, thought Shyne. Sure enough, a girl emerged out of the thick darkness moments later. She had a hood on, which she pulled back slowly, revealing her long dark hair and the features on her face. In the light of the crackling fires, her countenance was most attractive, and her eyes, somewhat demure. When the girl caught Shyne gazing at her, she smirked. Flipping her hair, she looked at Tyachar and said, "Two-timing me, are you Ty?"

Something tugged at Shyne when she heard what the friendly stranger had said. She became flustered and looked away briefly to hide away her mixed emotions.

She didn't even understand why she reacted. Surely, she didn't care! She convinced herself. She couldn't possibly have been attracted to Tyachar in any way, she reasoned. Why, he was practically a stranger!

No chance of that happening anyway, Shyne went on thinking, he has a lover.

"I'd like you to meet Hedera," Tyachar laughingly announced, introducing his reluctant friend to the royal heir.

Somebody as responsible and as good looking as he, couldn't possibly stay single for long! Shyne smiled to herself. Especially when a girl like Hedera was around. A LADY like her couldn't stand a chance in the rough woods! she merrily chuckled to herself, whilst shaking her head in amusement.

"And WHAT, pray tell, is so humorous, missy?" Hedera snapped, her eyes narrowing.

"Oh!" Shyne broke away from her train of thought and fumbled for an answer. "Nothing concerning you, that is for certain." She smiled genuinely and curtsied.

"Careful, Era. She's...," Tyachar began.

"Shyne!" Shyne interjected. "That's right. I'm Shyne. And I am very pleased to meet you, Hedera."

Hedera softened. Turning to Tyachar, she said, "Do you have anything to eat? I am absolutely starving!"

"Is Era actually having a Bad hunting day?" Tyachar teased, handing Hedera a piece of roasted hare. "Oh, shut it! It's hard to hunt in the dark!" Era justified herself, glaring at him. Tyachar laughed. Shyne could've sworn Hedera had looked at her through the corner of her eye. She quickly straightened up and said, "I can hardly see in the dark myself."

A satisfied look on her face, Hedera continued hacking away at her meat.

Tyachar sobered and turned to Shyne. "But you saw Era in the shadows! That was pretty amazing for one who claims to be almost blind when in the dark," he said incredulously, looking intently at her. Shyne wasn't sure what to say and just held his gaze. Hedera rose instantly. "How ever more horrid can you ever be to me?" she exclaimed in anger. "I merely teased. I didn't DO ANYTHING!" Tyachar retorted, rising from his seat.

Silence.

"I'm heading to your Granny's." Hedera said quietly. "Be my guest!" Tyachar replied angrily. Shyne sat, gaping - upset at what Tyachar had just said. Hedera nodded curtly at Shyne, picked up her things and left.

"Gosh, I'm so sorry. I have no idea what's eating her. She's really a nicer person around us." Tyachar scrambled for reasons to save them from the growing awkwardness.

"What's wrong with you? Go after her!"

"What? But she was the one who came bustling in unannounced! And she was the one getting all upset over something that didn't matter!" he replied, confused.

"You daft oaf! Who cares? You are courting her, are you not? She has the right to be angry with you! Now, please go get her!"

He was frowning and didn't utter a word fo the longest of moments. The longest Shyne could remember. She hadn't seen him so vexed and was quite afraid.

Tyachar noticed this and softened.

"Please." Shyne pleaded.

He shook his head in amusement. "You women," he said, smiling quietly before disappearing into the shadows.

Shyne stood smiling at the place where Tyachar was before he left. He's not so bad a guy after all.