Standstill

Almost two moons passed and after much venom was spewed, and every possible insult had been thrown at him. He found himself at a standstill. He wasn't any closer to Iris than he was the day he stepped inside Sometreken.

Peacefully asleep, aside from the odd grimace here and there she was doing well. Iris had regained most of her weight despite the poor meals that were served in the castle. He'd made sure to go hunting every other day to ensure she would get hearty meals. Once more Falkirk was sorely missed. As most of the boar, rabbits, and roe deers he'd hunted were poorly prepared in the castle kitchen.

Her nose crinkled when he brushed it with the back of his finger. He was surprised he was still alive since she'd woken him up every night with something pricking his neck. Whatever she could find readily available, later it was pointed at his throat. Hunting knives, blades, kitchenware, spears, and the list was so long that he'd stop keeping track after a while.

A whisper of a kiss on her forehead before she'd wake up. That was all the tenderness he'd receive from her and she wasn't even aware of it.

" Why are you so close?" She asked as he pulled away from her forehead. Sod it.

"A spider was climbing down on its silk, " He casually replied fisting his hand, and pretending to throw away a non-existing spider.

She hummed, closing her eyes, and rolled over on her back with a heavy sigh.

" I'm going hunting," He began as he pushed himself off the bed, and Iris followed doing the same.

"I want you to come with me today," He threw her a glance over the shoulder to gather her reaction to the proposal

" Why? I know nothing of hunting?" She replied a tad on the defensive. Her eyes searched his expression for the answer.

" Then, " He drawled, " It's a good time to start," His voice went a bit higher than he'd expected. It was a lie. Sod it.

" You're saying it as if I have a choice," She grumbled as she slipped out of the bed, and tugged onto the sheet, to cover herself in it.

" On this one, I'm afraid that you don't," He stepped into his trousers since the maid was already approaching their chamber with the food.

He forgo putting the tunic on and made his way to open the door when Iris finally slipped on her tunic. If she would undress herself just as fast as she dressed things would have been much easier.

Saying her graces, the maid ambled into the room with a somewhat more consistent breakfast this time around. Fried meat and some cheese. Still, they didn't come close to whatever Falrkirk could do, but it sufficed.

The maid took her leave, just as fast as she appeared. It took a few tries, but they'd managed to round up all the cattle, and sheep that had gone astray after the shikari attack. Now they were grazing nearby Revan forest.

They ate breakfast in silence. Unless he poked at her, Iris wouldn't speak a word to him. And most days, unless it was to give him a venomous glare, she would barely look in his direction.

" After hunting we will do some sword training," She finally raised her head to look at him, questioning.

" Now that you have recovered, and your strength has returned, " He paused when her forehead creased," It would be good for both of us to do some training. I'm not used to this," He took a deep breath," I'm getting stiff," He added," And I need a partner, and you are somewhat decent enough," He smiled when the frown got deeper and the evil eye she was giving him got even more intense. He didn't think that was even possible.

" I don't need, nor want to," She said and turned to finish her breakfast, begrudgingly stabbing the piece of meat on her plate. And that was the end of it.

The rest of the meal was eaten in silence. A tough nut to crack. After all the trouble he'd gone through to pierce through that wall, he hadn't even made a dent in it.

Pushing himself up, he shrugged on the tunic and a coat. Winters in the south were rather mild and particularly wet. Nothing like the ones in the North. Whitsun celebrations were a few moons away and he'd hoped by then, he would get somewhere.

" Arvun has agreed to receive us in less than half a moon," He picked the two quivers and bows, keeping one for himself and handing her the other one.

" Simele is just around the corner, and he invited us to join the celebration in the gilded capital," He opened the door and waited for her to step outside first.

" Simele ?" She asked over her shoulder, as they made their way towards the castle grounds.

" Winter Harvest, celebration," He halted his steps to have a look at the sky.

" We need to be back before noon. The clouds are heavy," He observed as he began descending the short flight of stairs. The bed of roses was still in bloom, brightening up the grey citadel. As the inhabitants began settling down, more appeared, all over the citadel, along with other varieties.

She didn't reply, as they slowly made their way towards the stables. And sure enough, Sasha made an appearance, saying usual greetings while he prepared the horses. Smiling, Iris indulged Sasha, but it wasn't hers. No, it was forced but polite.

" We should get going," He interjected when the conversation dragged a bit, and Sasha said his goodbyes, reverent.

After a series of deeds on his part, of which she deeply disapproved, she felt more out of reach than ever before. A field of grazing pastures stretched before them, and at the edge stood Revan forest with its towering elm, and birch trees, shadowing the forest floor that even when it was a clear sky inside it was dusk.

From the corner of his eye, he could see her swaying with each step the horse took, dignified.

He turned his attention back to the forest when they approached the edge.

" Bow and arrow ready, " He pulled his bow and arrow and knocked it in place. The forest was bountiful, with hogs and dears roaming freely. It took him less than half a day each time he went hunting.

At a slow canter, they entered the forest, with his bow and arrow ready. A glance over his shoulder to Iris, to check on how she was doing. Unlike him, her bow rested in her lap, with an arrow in place.

Something moved a few soots away. It wasn't far and it was big. A deer or a wolf, perhaps.

Corvin stealthily jumped off his horse and waited for whatever it was to make another move.