Chapter 344: Something Special.

Chapter 344: Chapter 344: Something Special.

At some point, he realises that Loac’s no longer following him, but Khobi continues on regardless; eyeing up the ice as he skirts the shoreline and wondering how thick it is, and whether it would hold his weight all the way to the rocks at the base of the waterfall.

It looks pretty solid, but ice often does right up until the point it cracks underfoot, and as much as he’d like to know how deep the water is, he’d rather leave that sort of thing until summer.

So for now he settles for wandering along the water’s edge, the snow as pristine behind him as it is ahead but for his own footprints lingering like echoes in his wake.

If it snows tonight, it’ll be as if he was never there; something that is both sad, and kind of liberating.

​Despite all the excitement, eventually Khobi’s stomach starts to rumble, and it occurs to him that he hasn’t eaten since breakfast and it’s definitely already well past lunchtime.

He knows Montrel always packs snacks for himself and treats for his horse whenever he goes for a ride, so it doesn’t seem too far fetched to assume that Loac might do the same.

Hopefully he’s got something more than sugarcubes tucked away in the light saddlebags though; given the stallion’s temperament when treats are concerned, and how easily he had handled the two of them, Khobi’s not sure he really wants to try his luck.

It takes a lot longer to make his way all the way back to where their footprints diverged --Khobi hadn’t realised just how far he’d walked --but it isn’t hard to make out Loac’s familiar shape lounging on an outcropping of rocks overlooking the frozen spring.

​He doesn’t seem to notice him approach; gaze unfocused and expression soft as he idly swings his legs, like the sight of this place has smoothed away the heavy lines left by life in the castle.

Maybe it’s a byproduct of his talent as a swordsman (and maybe it’s not) but for as long as he’s known him Loac has almost always felt on guard , in a way.

But as Khobi’s feet slowly carry him to a halt, it quickly becomes apparent that he’s stumbled upon one of those rare, fleeting moments when Loac Trent is totally, completely at ease.

​Inexplicably, Khobi’s pulse quickens.

​It’s something he’s glimpsed before --if only in flashes --and it throws him for a loop each and every time.

And while it’s always hard to look away when he gets like this, this time is particularly difficult, because as striking as he is, strong features melted unusually soft against the stark backdrop of winter, catching Loac off guard is too rare of an opportunity to be missed.

So with his expression turning contemplative, Khobi slowly bends down and begins to absent-mindedly wad up a handful of snow.

​" You better not ," Loac warns, like without even seeing him he’s somehow sensed his intentions.

Khobi wouldn’t be surprised; Loac’s got instincts to rival his own, and when they fight it’s like he can feel how he’ll move even before Khobi’s body knows.

In the silent expanse surrounding them, his voice carries easily.

​"Or what ?" Khobi goads right back, and tosses it at him.

​It misses; obviously it misses, because Loac moves like no one he’s ever seen before, and the moment he ducks aside there’s one coming right back at Khobi like he’d been planning the exact same thing.

Somehow it clips Khobi in the side of the head, bursting on impact and scattering snow all through his hair. It doesn’t hurt, but some of it sneaks in under Khobi’s furs and it’s fucking freezing, and Loac snickers as he yelps, trying to dust as much of it off before any more can work its way inside his clothes.

​" Or that, " he states simply, and holds up another handful of snow in what is clearly both threat and taunt; already packed and ready to come for him should Khobi just say the word.

Any word; doesn’t matter what. There’s absolutely no doubt in Khobi’s mind that it’s getting thrown.

​" You fucker ," he splutters, even though he was the one who started it. Right on cue a projectile comes hurtling towards him, and he hurriedly flings up his arms to protect his head.

No sooner has it shattered than Khobi’s down on one knee, scooping up as much as he can as fast as he can and hurling it up towards him with all his might.

Infuriatingly, Loac just leans back and lets it sail harmlessly past him, casually swinging his legs like he’s not in the least bit concerned about what Khobi’s gonna throw at him.

And then to add insult to injury, he fucking yawns .

​"You missed," he drawls lazily, but Khobi recognises the wicked glint in his eyes and the smirk toying around the edges of his lips as he edges closer, and knows he’s fucking with him.

Once upon a time that might’ve seriously pissed him off, but even though the barefaced taunt still makes a vein pop in Khobi’s forehead, a grin splits his face as he ducks --wide and bright and challenging --and the snowball Loac’s tossed back his way skids uselessly into oblivion somewhere behind him.

​From the ways his eyes suddenly go wide, Loac probably expected that one to connect, and Khobi takes advantage of his momentary distraction to retaliate.

​This one hits him square in the face and he reels backwards comically as snow explodes all over him in all directions.

​It’s the funniest thing Khobi’s ever seen in his life, and when he regains his balance; slurry dripping off his chin, and big clumps of snow caught in his hair and on his nose and in the bewildered crease of his brow, he just looks so dumb for someone that usually looks so goddamned cool that Khobi can’t help but laugh.

​And oh, how he howls. It doesn’t bother with bubbling ; doesn’t boil up or anything so light and as tingly like that, it just bursts out of his lungs all at once, loud and obnoxious in the way it floods the air with sound.

​" What ?’ Loac huffs, entirely unimpressed by both cheap shot and Khobi’s reaction, and when he wipes down his face with his sleeve it leaves his cheeks red and the short locks of his fringe soggy.

For some reason that makes it even funnier.

​"You...should’ve...see your face !" Khobi howls helplessly, doubled over and grinning so hard his face starts to hurt. If Loac had seen himself he’d get it.

And if Khobi had thought his expression at the moment of impact was priceless, the look he’s wearing now is something else.

​Something special.