Stars
twinkled in the dark velvet sky and the moon seemed to capture the
night with a mysterious glow. Anwen sat on the wooden bench and
admired the view from her bedroom window. She recalled how quickly a
year had gone by and how much that year had changed both of them. The
last time she'd seen Dylan, he was a scrawny spot faced kid and her,
a freckle faced, lanky tomboy. When she arrived at Penlan Castle a
week ago and stepped out of her carriage, her eyes connected with
Dylan's and saw that he no longer resembled that scrawny kid.
He'd
changed and changed for the better.
He
was tall and broad shouldered with a mop of dark hair, still wavy but
longer, which he'd tied back with a strip of leather. His once boyish
looks, we're now chiseled, with solemn brows that were offset by his
sea glass eyes and his nose was strong, like his fathers.
She
inspected her reflection in the window, wishing that somehow she was
blessed with her sisters dark hair, skin and beautiful features. She
sighed, patted down her unruly red hair and hoped that one day her
freckles would disappear from her fair skin. Still immersed in her
thoughts, she leaned forward and took a long inhale of the crisp
night air, when she heard a crack on her windowpane. Anwen peered out
and couldn't see anything, she clutched the window's handle and was
about to close it, when she heard a second crack, she opened the
window wide and looked down.
Dylan
stood with his arms in the air and asked in a hushed tone, “Can I
come up?”
Anwen
smiled, she put her finger to her lips and nodded. Dylan took no time
in scaling the brick wall up to her window and through it.
“Good
Evening Anwen.” He said as he straightened his kirtle and cloak.
She
stared at him, “What were you thinking, climbing up here?” She
threw a cushion, hitting him squarely in his chest.
He
bent down, picked it up and tossed it between his hands, “I see
you've been practicing?” He chortled.
Anwen
rolled her eyes, “You could of hurt yourself, and what if you'd of
been seen? She spun on her heels and slumped down on her bed. “Then
what?” She picked the tassels on her coverlet and without looking
up, she added, “And don't you dare throw that cushion at me.” she
giggled.
He
huffed and set the cushion down on the bench.
“So
what's so important, that you had to climb up the wall and not knock
on my door to speak with me?” She asked.
Dylan
walked over to her bed. “Because freckles, I have something to show
you.” He winked, then sat next to her.
Anwen
blushed, “And, pray what may that be, Dylan.” A little smirk
crossed her lips.
He
scooted a little closer to her, “It shan't take long.” She could
feel her heart race, and offered his hand, “you know you want to.”
“No
one shall find us, trust me.” Tugging on her arm, he pleaded,
“Let's go.”
Anwen
regarded Dylan's cheeky grin, his eyes pleading with hers. She'd
wanted to sneak out and spend alone time with him since she arrived
at Penlan, now the time had come and her head was telling her to
stay, yet her heart pounded revealing she should completely trust
him. She'd always trusted him, since they were six years old.
“I'll
come.” she said.
Dylan
leaped off the edge of the bed, Anwen's hand still in his,“Whoa,”
she giggled, “if you're not careful, you'll yank my arm out of its
socket.”
He
leaned forward, his face inches from hers, “Can you ever forgive
me, freckles?”
She
could feel the warmth of his breath on her face, his eyes warm and
inviting, “Don't I always?”
He
raised his eyebrows, smiled and answered, “Always.” He quickly
kissed her cheek and said, “Come, we should go.”
With
a couple of big strides, Dylan cracked open the bedroom door and
peeked both ways, “All clear.”
Anwen
hopped off her bed and sauntered over to Dylan. They headed along the
dimly lit hallway, down the narrow spiral stairwell and across the
deserted cobbled courtyard, to the stables.
“That
was easy,” said Anwen, as she rested her elbows on a wooden ledge
next to the horse bay, “Where is everyone? I was sure we'd see
someone.”
Dylan
began saddling his horse. “Most likely in the great hall,” and
with one fluid motion, he was sitting on top of his black stallion,
“eating, drinking and becoming quite merry, no doubt.”
Reaching
his hand out, Anwen gladly accepted it. She placed her dainty
poulaine on the gleaming stirrup. She pushed up and he pulled her in
front of him. He reached his strong arms around her slim waist,
making her catch her breath. His fingers found the reins and with a
gentle tap of his heels, they trotted out from the stables, across
the drawbridge and over the lush green hills.
Lately,
when she thought of Dylan or said even his name, warm feelings
stirred deep within, which took her by surprise. Yet now, being that
close to him, she felt the rapid rise and fall of his chest against
her back. The closeness of his face next to hers, sent warm flutters
throughout her whole body. Unsure if she could keep her emotions in
check, she asked, “Are we there?”
Dylan
loosened the reins a little and raised his hand, “It's over that
rise, just below the grove of trees.”
They
reached the trees, Dylan dismounted first, then placed his hands
either side of Anwen's waist and helped her down. The moment her
shoes touched the grass, she took a couple of quick deep breaths, to
calm her racing heart, then surveyed her surroundings.
Dylan
tethered his horse to a branch, “Stay.” He said, as pattered the
horse's neck, then turned to face Anwen, “It's time.”
They
zigzagged between the trees towards the other side of the copse, he
pointed, “It's through there. Can you see it?”
Even
squinting her eyes, she could barely make out what Dylan pointed at,
“We're going through a mountainside?”
Dylan
glanced at her and chuckled, “Yes, we are.”
“You'll
see, come on.” He smiled.
They
stood at the foot of the jagged opening. Anwen smiled, realizing why
she couldn't see what was so obvious to Dylan. The narrow opening in
the mountainside was conveniently covered with thick, heavy green
vines, “Did you put these here?”
He
laughed and said, “No.”
“Then,
how did you find this place?”
Moving
the vines aside, he allowed Anwen to walk through, then himself, “I
found it by chance. I was out hunting and Duke was following a scent,
then he disappeared,” he said and let the vines fall back into
place, “I whistled and he popped his dirty brown nose out among the
vines. So, I followed him back through the vines.”
Anwen's
eyes took a second to adjust to the darkness of the narrow crevice,
she stuck out her arm to the side, feeling the coarse, uneven rock
under her delicate hand, “And you haven't told anyone else about
this place?” she asked.
Dylan
caught hold of her other hand, “No. You're the only one freckles,
other than duke.”
“Spit
it out, what are you trying to say.”
“Don't
you think I'm too old to be called freckles, anymore?” She asked.
“You'll
always be freckles to me.” He felt for her hand and took it in his.
It
made Anwen's stomach flip. She shook the warm fuzzy feelings creeping
up inside her aside and cautiously walked forward, Dylan followed by
her side. They walked about twenty feet, she spotted a faint light
ahead and they walked a little quicker eager to reach its end.
As
she did, Dylan tapped on her shoulder, “Wait, let me go first.”
She
turned to the side and allowed him to squeeze past her. He stopped
just outside the end of the crevice, “You ready for this?” he
asked.
Focusing
her eyes on Dylan, she knew he was ready. However, standing there
with him in that moment, she could feel her cheeks flush and her
hands began to tremble. Her head told her no, yet her heart told
her... Yes. She whispered, “I don't know, if I am.”
Sensing
her apprehensiveness, Dylan took both her hands in his and said,
“Anwen, don't be afraid. I'll be with you, you have nothing to
fear. I promise you, you are going to love this.”
She
took a deep breath and squeezed his hands, “Alright, let's do
this.”
“Close
your eyes.”
She
did.
With
his guidance, she took a couple of steps forward, “Stop. Open your
eyes.” said Dylan.
She
stopped and opened her eyes. And what she saw took her breath away.
At the bottom of the valley was a large lake with its blue water that
looked like tar as it glistened in the moon's glow and nestled along
its bank...
Her
eye's wide, Anwen turned and looked at Dylan then whispered,
“Dragons!”
Copyright 2014 Freckles. All Rights Reserved.
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