Chapter 227 The Campfire 1

Chapter 227: Chapter 227 The Campfire 1

Talia’s POV

The sun began to set, painting the sky in shades of orange and pink.

I watched the colors shift and deepen, from soft rose to blazing amber to the palest blue at the edges of the horizon. It was beautiful, and it reminded me of the sunrises I had watched with Kaelen on the roof of Blackmoor Valley, mostly before the battle with Viktor.

We had been riding all day, and exhaustion was settling deep into my bones. My muscles ached, and my eyes were heavy, but I did not want to stop. I wanted to keep going, to get closer to my mother.

Every mile we covered felt like a step toward her, and I was terrified that if we stopped, we would lose momentum, and I would never find her.

But Kaelen called for us to stop.

"We will make camp here," he said, gesturing to a clearing near a small stream. "The horses need rest, and so do we."

I wanted to argue, but I knew he was right.

I opened my mouth to protest, but the words died on my lips. He was looking at me with those gray eyes that saw everything, and I knew he could see the exhaustion I was trying to hide.

We could not push ourselves to the breaking point, because we still had a long journey ahead.

Everyone dismounted from their horses, and began to set up the camp.

I watched them move with practiced ease, with their bodies tired, but their spirits still strong. They had been riding just as long as I had, but they did not complain.

Jax and Silas gathered wood for a fire, with their voices carrying through the evening air, while Cain was tending to the horses.

He moved among them with a gentleness that surprised me, speaking in low murmurs and stroking their manes. It was a side of him I rarely saw, and his movements were quiet and efficient.

Piper unpacked the supplies.

She hummed softly as she worked, with a tune I recognized from our days in Cresswood. It was the same song she used to hum when she was trying to keep calm, and her hands were busy with the familiar tasks.

I watched all of them for a moment, and I felt a surge of gratitude.

I did not know how I would ever repay them. They had left their homes, their families, and their safety to follow me into the unknown, and I would spend the rest of my life trying to be worthy of that trust.

They had all chosen to follow me into the unknown, and they had all chosen to believe in me, even when I did not fully believe in myself.

I could not shake off the sudden weight in my chest, so I walked away from the group.

I needed a moment alone, and a moment to breathe without the weight of their eyes on me. I needed to feel the silence and let my thoughts settle.

I sat on a fallen log near the edge of the clearing, and I stared out at the darkening forest.

The trees stood like silent sentinels, with their branches reaching toward the sky. The shadows grew longer, and I could feel the night creeping in around me.

Without realizing it, I got lost in my thoughts.

I thought about my mother. About the years we had lost, and about the hope that she might still be alive. I wondered if she was thinking about me too, and how she would feel, if she knew that I was coming for her.

Then I heard footsteps behind me.

I did not need to turn around to know who it was. I had memorized the sound of his footsteps, and the way they fell soft and steady on the earth.

So i knew who they belonged to before he even spoke. But I turned anyway, and I met his gray eyes in the fading light.

"You always know when I need you," I said.

He smiled, just a little. "That is because I am always watching you."

Kaelen sat beside me.

I felt the warmth of his presence before he even spoke. It was like the sun breaking through the clouds, and like a comfort I had not realized I was craving.

His shoulder brushed against mine, then he held out a piece of bread and some dried meat to me.

I looked at the food, and I felt my stomach turn. So i shook my head.

"Talia," he said, his voice soft but firm. "You need to eat."

"I cannot," I said. "The thought of food makes me sick."

"Because you are thinking too much," he said. "You need to let your body rest, even if your mind will not."

His hand was steady, and I could see the concern in his eyes.

"Please eat, no matter how small." he said.

I shook my head, and refused to take the food.

The smell of the food made my stomach turn, and I could not bring myself to take it from him. I knew I needed to eat, but my body was too heavy with worry.

"I am not hungry." I said finally.

He did not argue, and he did not push. He just sat beside me, with his presence warm and steady.

He sighed, and I could hear the frustration in it. But it was not anger, it was more like worry.

"You are going to make yourself sick," he said.

"Then I will be sick," I said. "It does not matter."

"It matters to me," he said. "Everything about you matters to me."

I could feel his shoulder against mine, solid and reassuring. And I knew that he was not going to leave me alone, no matter how long I needed to sit here.

I looked at him. "You should not be sitting here with me, Kaelen. You should be with the others." I said.

The words came out softer than I intended, and I could hear the sadness in my own voice. I did not want to push him away, but I also did not want him to feel obligated to stay.

He sighed, and I could hear the frustration in it. But it was not anger, it was worry. He shook his head. "I want to be here, with you."