Malachi and I arrived in Scaleswind. We hopped off the horse, gazing at the tall buildings that stretched as far as the eye could see.

I softly smiled, pulling myself together after the tough ride and following him into the town square. Guards trailed us as soon as we entered.

"Are we okay being here?"

I asked, pushing myself in front of him. I acknowledged his attempt at reasoning with me before accepting the protection.

"We'll be fine. Just stay calm. Scaleswind is on edge because it was attacked by Okhasis. They've always been at each other's throats."

He said, I shrugged, focusing on what was in front of me.

We had reached the sharpest looking house in the entire village. A man stood in front of the door, a thousand yard stare etched into his face.

"Lord Nicole lives here. You are Lord Malachi, I presume?"
"Yes. We're here to discuss trade."
"Right. Follow us."

Nicole's guards looked formidable, tall and built like giants, unlike me. I wasn't exactly the best equipped guard, nor the best combat wise either. I knew how to use a bow and barely a sword.

I honestly don't understand why Malachi chose me.

He could really have anyone, why me?

Is it because I know him?

Maybe it's because I have nothing to lose if I die.....

I threw away my self pity, standing by his side as he negotiated his field with the red haired lord of Scaleswind herself. She often yelled out, telling her son to stop fooling around before she came in there and threatened to kick him.

It wasn't exactly the best meeting I've ever been to.

Come to think of it, it's the only meeting I've been to.

I calmly exited the building with Malachi, hearing him shout in glee after his successful business proposal.

"Yes! I'm so psyched! It's never gone so smoothly before!"
"Great job sir."
"It's cause you're here. You really helped me."
"How so?"
"You gave me courage."

He jumped around me, facing me directly and pulling me into an unexpected embrace. I blinked, unsure of what to do.

"You're supposed to hug back!"

He said, laughing and pulling my arms around his shoulders. I blushed profoundly, nervously patting him on the back.

"You okay?"

He asked, I nodded, laughing sheepishly as he let go. I scratched behind my head, not exactly over my heart pounding in my chest.

"I'll be fine. But you seem so excited. I'm proud of you."
"Proud of me? Aww.. Thanks Y/n."

He mentioned, grasping my hand in his and holding it rather tightly. We were in the middle of the square, so I questioned his resolve.

"What's gotten into you?"
"I'm just glad to have someone with me during these times. It's not fun traveling alone. It never was."

He stopped in his tracks, gazing up at the clear skies.

"When you only have nature, you get lonely. I was alone for a long time, then I met you. Then I met my mom, Levin, and others I consider my friends. Now I'm never alone."

He flashed a reassuring grin my direction, I replied with a half-hearted smile in return.

"You had Roseanne, so you weren't alone for long."
"I guess."

I said, staring down at my feet for a bit.

"I didn't ever feel alone, even when she left for days on end. She would come back."

I sniffed a bit, covering my face.

"And now, she's in Okhasis fighting with the rebel army. She could get hurt."
"She'll be fine. After all, she raised you. Considering how great you are at weaponry, she's gonna be alright."
"How can you know?"

I blinked, rubbing my eyes slightly. Malachi's look softened, unraveling his scarf from around his neck and over me. I was astonished at how warm it felt.

"Cause you put your faith in her. She'll make it back, and you'll be happy again."

A smile appeared on his face, conjuring one from me as well. I giggled slightly, tugging at the green cloth until it fit securely around my neck.

"Everything's gonna be alright Y/n, don't worry about a thing."

He whispered, pulling me into another tight squeeze.

~~~~~~~~~~

We spent the rest of the day sitting on the rooftops. I showed him how to jump from shingle to shingle, not losing balance even once.

Learning from an assassin had its pros.

Malachi had it rough though, and almost tumbled into the city below 7 times. Each one of them, I grabbed his hand and hoisted him upward until he nearly tackled me with his weight.

"Haha... I still wish I could faze through things sometimes."

He would joke, stifling more laughs as I stared bluntly into his face. I slapped myself in the forehead, wondering how he put me up to this.

"How did you get me to show you this?"
"I asked you if you knew any cool tricks. And you told me you would teach me."
"Remind me to never agree to anything you ask."

I sighed, holding his wrist in my hand and breaking into a sprint. I pushed into the roof, soaring over the gap between buildings and onto the other side, rolling and landing perfectly on the other side.

Malachi wasn't so lucky.

He held onto the edge of the wall, wriggling around until I reluctantly gazed down at him and offered my palm. He took it, pulling himself upward.

"That's enough for today. We don't want you dying again. Levin will have my head."

I mumbled, sitting on the rooftop and gazing towards the setting sun. The warm glow of orange against the blue hues complimented the mood.

"You can't see the stars yet."

Malachi whined, rather childishly.

I guess he never really grew up

I nudged his shoulder, prompting him to sit next to me. He gave me a sigh, lying back on the pavement and boring his eyes into the darkening sky.

"Do you ever think that, those you love are watching you?"

He asked, lacing his fingers in my open palm before drifting to sleep. I nodded silently.

"Yes, I do."

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Admin time!

This was calm and interesting to write.

Thanks for reading :)