CHAPTER 34
SILENCE
Day after day Kiethara returned to the center of the forest in order to receive her brutal training. Aaron worked her until she collapsed onto the floor, and even then he only knelt besides her to explain every aspect that they had studied so far.
Kiethara was beginning to worry about Aaron. Her absence had certainly made him very paranoid, much more paranoid then he had been when Gandador had finally attacked the forest again after all those years. Actually, it would have been better if he had acted like this before, so she would have been able to stop those men from dragging her out of the forest. The information and skills she had learned were certainly useful. Now he was making sure they did not waste a second of daylight, when before they would have gone weeks without talking.
The past was done, however; it was too late to fume about it now. She needed to focus on the present and what he was teaching her. She felt like she should be suffering from an information overload, but somehow she managed to hold on to everything he instructed. Every night she reviewed the details of the day’s events and lessons, soothing her stiff muscles with thoughts of Gandador’s expression when she used her new skills on him.
It was one evening, after a long day of training, when she finally received her reward.
“Kiethara,” Aaron started. “You’ve been doing remarkably well. Remember when I told you I would give you a reward?”
Kiethara gasped. She had completely forgotten.
“Weren’t you supposed to give it to me days ago?” she accused.
“It seems we both forgot,” he hedged. “But you have worked hard and kept up your physical combat very well. But I figure it’s time to take a break and do something we both enjoy.”
Kiethara frowned. She wasn’t following him.
“It wasn’t too long ago when you were always begging me to tell you legends of the previous guardians,” he reminded her.
Oh! Of course, it seemed a bit obvious now, for what else did Aaron have to give her? She cherished these stories so much, anyway. Hearing of the past defenders of the forest always inspired her. Honestly, she just wanted to know how they had done it, so she could make sure to do it just as well, or possibly better. It was…nice to know about her ancestors, for even though all of them were long deceased, she felt strangely connected to them.
But how could she have forgotten about how she always badgered Aaron for them? She felt like smacking her head, not that it hadn’t been smacked enough times this week. Before she had been kidnapped, every time she had seen Aaron she would have asked him for a quick legend.
But that seemed to be how Kiethara categorized her life now: before she got kidnapped and after she got kidnapped. Both of these time slots seemed to be part of two very different universes, and it bothered her how much change could be seen between the two.
“Oh, would you?” she asked eagerly. He chuckled and began his riveting tale. As with all of the legends she had heard, she was filled with joy as it ended triumphantly.
And still, despite the old legends, despite how the dreadful practices continued, despite how she was busier than ever, she still found time to despair over Navadar. At random moments, she would picture him and Trinnia together, taking walks along the docks or having a comfortable dinner with his father. The image always made her sick. She felt like she was distracted enough, but it did not seem to matter. She felt that it was disgusting to be brooding over him any time she wasn’t focusing on what Aaron was telling her, especially when he most likely had a second lover already. She felt she could not allow herself to do anything as demeaning as cry; she had better things to waste tears on.
Of course, Aaron did not miss her attitude. It wasn’t long before he said something.
“Kiethara, what’s been bothering you?” he asked after she had spaced out for a third time.
“Oh, nothing,” she said quickly. “I’m sorry, I’ll pay attention.”
“Kiethara, I’m not a fool.”
Kiethara sighed and looked away. “I’m fine, Aaron.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Maybe so, but I’m certainly not going to explain why.”
“I’m not going to teach you when you’re so upset.”
“I’m not upset!”
“Our lessons are over for today.”
“What?! We’ve only been at it for a couple of hours! We still have all day!” she declared.
“Either you tell me what’s wrong or leave, Kiethara, I do not need to waste my time,” he snapped.
Kiethara flinched. She hated it when Aaron was harsh with her. Honestly, she hated when anybody was harsh to her. Maybe she was too soft.
But Kiethara did not want to admit her humiliating weakness. It wasn’t as though she was ready to swallow her pride and spill everything out to him, but if he was going to demand it from her like that, what other choice did she have? She would much rather keep her problems in silence, but it was Aaron; he would not kick her while she was down.
“You don’t have to explain it to me,” Aaron sighed suddenly. “It’s Navadar, isn’t it?”
“I’m dealing with it.”
“Dealing with what?”
“Well, remember when I told you that Navadar and I had some complications?”
“Yes?”
“Well,” she sighed. “Those complications involved me walking in on him kissing another woman.”
Aaron did not respond immediately, but she could feel him getting angrier and angrier as the seconds ticked by. Kiethara braced herself, not sure what to expect.
“I’m very sorry, Kiethara,” he told her in a controlled voice.
“You were right,” she said in a whisper.
“Hm?”
“Navadar was not to be trusted,” she explained.
“Kiethara, I did not trust Navadar for very different reasons,” Aaron said. “The relationship your mother and Gandador had and what their relationship led to left me paranoid. I did not trust Navadar for fear of history repeating itself; I did not want another person getting too close to the forest’s secrets. But I did not expect this. I did not think him to be…so shallow.”
“Neither did I.”
“Kiethara, the best thing you can do now is forget about him.”
“Trying to forget someone you love is like trying to remember someone you never knew,” Kiethara sighed.
“As wise as that sounds, you have to do it for the sake of your training. That’s the most important thing right now and, if I didn’t think you could do it, I wouldn’t ask. It might not be addressing the problem, but as for now, push it to the back of your mind.”
“I know,” she sighed.
“Let’s be done for today; you need a break.”
“No! Aaron—”
“Kiethara,” he interrupted. “We really are done for today. Take some time for yourself. Tomorrow, I expect you to come completely focused.”
“Yes, Aaron.”
“Have a good day,” he said in farewell.