Chapter 44; Trophy

ARWYN POV

The flickering fire cast a warm, golden glow over the clearing, its flames crackling softly as they danced in the night air. Thrystan and I sat side by side on a fallen log, the cool evening breeze still carrying the faint scent of the sea. Our clothes clung to us, damp from our earlier tumble into the water, but the heat from the fire was doing its best to chase away the lingering chill.

I tucked my knees up, hugging them close as I stared into the flames, the silence between us easy and comfortable. Thrystan shifted beside me, his wet hair tousled and drying in unruly waves. He poked at the fire with a stick, sending a small shower of sparks upward into the twilight.

“We’ll have to answer for this, you know,” he said, a playful glint in his eyes as he broke the silence. “Running off, getting soaked, and now camping out by the sea. Not exactly the most dignified end to the day.”

I smirked, nudging him with my elbow. “As if you care about dignity, Thrystan. You were the one