Page 34 (1/1)

"Colvin, you are being ridiculous I would like to explain soive ed off her shooting gloves and clasped his hand between hers His skin was ice cold Chafing his skin, she leaned closer to him in the craht me, you see, that e lose heat in our bodies, it can harhts Did you know that? If you are lost and wet and cold, it makes it difficult to think Goodness, your hand is cold Give me your other, so I can warm them both" He obeyed, which surprised her, and she took both of his hands and rubbed them between hers She had never touched hi huddled near hi her light-headed and very warm She breathed on his hands, and he stared at her, his eyes curious yet guarded As she chafed his hands, his expression slowly changed The expression was grateful – that she was notto comfort him The tender lookover at the orb, "your fear of the tunnel wasyou just a little, you will be able to rih you were afraid to" She had finished waro yet She nestled the have you had this fear?"

"I am ashamed to confess it," he replied, his voice thick She could hear every breath he took He was cal to fade

"You can trust me with your secrets, Colvin I should not need to reave his hand a little pat

He leaned his head back against the wall, sighing deeply "I have always been cursed with an i details that do not exist, but that I secretly fear When it happens, I cannot stop it It has been that way since I was little" He looked down at his knees "WhenI watched the Alderh to realize she was dead But when they started sliding the lid closed, I i That after they buried her, she would revive" He shook his head, his expression turning sour "I had nightmares for days, that she was trapped in the ossuary and could not get out After the first night, I begged rief so fresh" He breathed out deeply "Ever since then, I have been terrified of being trapped below ground I thought I had ht"

He looked at her, then a little sed at his mouth "Do you remember when you first showed lad that he was talking to her and not snatching his hand away That he was letting her comfort him

"You said that you and Soould play doith the ossuaries at the base of the hill You cannot iirl would hide in one…deliberately"

Lia grinned "I never would have guessed by your reaction though," she said "You do so well to veil your thoughts and expressions, Colvin I wish I could People knohat I a at my face most of the tiry I alonder what you are thinking"

"Why wonder when you can ask? Did you not accuse me of that as well? I treated you rudely because I did not kno old you were You seee than you really were"

"I will be fifteen on o – those es have passed"

"You said you wonder what I a so curiosity and interest

It was her turn to feel uncomfortable "Well I am probably not supposed to ask, which is why I did not"

"You can ask , Lia"

Their relationship went beyond words The shared suffering in the Bearden Muir and at Winterrowd gave them a bond that others did not have

"I wanted to ask you about Ellowyn," she said, looking down "How you…felt about her"

She glanced up as a lazy smile twitched on his cheek "You sound like Ciana She wants soher opinions and advice"

"She wants you to be happy Is that wrong of her?"

"Very true She quotes Alderreat deal on the heart and the emotions He wrote: ‘someone who says o’er much I love not is in love’ And so she uses that to surmise that I either I have no heart, or I conceal the source of my affection"