Page 22 of Unravelled
Ren shook his head, “You think this is noble,” his voice low but sharp. “But stealing those weapons, lighting the match before the people are ready, it’s not a rebellion, it’s a slaughter.”
Mira didn’t blink. “You think they have the luxury of waiting? They’re already dying, Ren.”
Ren took a step forward, his tone rising. “And you think putting swords in the hands of terrified people will stop trained soldiers? You’re leading them into a bloodbath.”
“We’re giving them a chance,” Tharion replied calmly. “To defend themselves. To stop waiting for help that clearly isn’t coming.”
Ren’s eyes narrowed. “You’re giving them hope without strategy. You’re going to burn everything they have left.”
For a long moment, nobody moved .
Ren exhaled, fists unclenching. His voice was quieter now, but no less weighted. “I don’t agree with this,” he said, eyes stayed locked with Tharion's. “Not your methods, or the timing. Not this whole Navigators-damned gamble.”
“But?” Mira prompted, barely above a whisper.
Ren looked at her. His eyes gently held hers, unflinchingly. “But I believe in the people,” he said. For a beat, the words hung between them. Honest, vulnerable, and final. Then his expression hardened and without another word Ren turned sharply and stormed off, the echo of his boots fading into the distance.
Mira exhaled, the air feeling lighter but no less charged. Next to her, Tharion’s steady presence remained unmoving. He didn’t speak. He just watched the corner where Ren had disappeared, the tension in his shoulders slowly ebbing. He exhaled through his nose, a faint huff that was almost a laugh if there’d been any joy left in it.
Mira turned to him, her voice quieter now, edged with something uncertain. “Do you believe him?”
Tharion turned to face her. “Yes,” he stated simply. “I do.” She studied him, waiting for more.
His gaze returned to the space Ren had just vacated, his jaw working slightly before he added, “He’s always had the people at his center. Even when it didn’t look like it. Even when no one else believed it.”
His voice softened, something almost fond tugging at the edge of his words. “The court sees a troublemaker. A flirt. A loose thread." Tharion sighed "But I grew up with him. He’s always known which walls needed shaking.”
Mira’s brows knit together, questioning “Even if that means breaking the rules?”
Tharion shrugged, “Someone has to. We all have our roles, Mira. Mine’s the soldier but Ren?” He glanced at her again, more certain now. "Ren can see the bigger picture. What needs to be done.”
By the time they regrouped with the others, the sun had risen higher, shadows extending across the camp as wagons were loaded and final instructions given. They didn't speak about their betrayal the night before.Their words were easier now, casual. Small things, shared observations as they prepared her carriage.How the horses were restless and a quiet comment from Tharion about the uneven axle on the left wheel. Mira replying that it leaned a little on the way. Nothing urgent, nothing heavy. Just small threads of conversation. There was comfort in it. An echo of familiarity she had missed.
The convoy set off soon after.
???
Mira inhaled deeply, letting the crisp evening air fill her lungs. After the stifling confines of the carriage during the first half of the journey, it felt like freedom. She had managed to pester Torvyn into letting her ride for a while, and she savored the sensation. The steady rhythm of her horse’s movements beneath her, the open road stretching ahead, the world bathed in the golden hues of the setting sun. The farmland rolled in soft waves around them, trees casting long shadows in the fading light. For a while, she simply listened. The rustle of the wind through tall grass, the distant call of a bird settling for the night. Peaceful. But beneath it all, something stirred. A restlessness. A whisper in the back of her mind that wouldn’t quiet.
She turned toward Tharion, riding next to her. “Are our memories returning?" His head snapped toward her, his expression surprised. She hesitated. "I've been seeing pieces. Flashes of us from before." He went rigid. His grip tightened on the reins, his knuckles whitening. He didn’t answer right away, didn’t so much as blink. Mira swallowed, pressing forward. "We lost them together.I thought you’d remember too...".
Tharion exhaled through his nose, a slow, controlled breath, but the tension in his frame was obvious. “What exactly are you remembering?”
"Nothing clear," she admitted. "Just… impressions. A feeling, the weight of a hand that isn’t there. Sometimes I hear voices, but I can’t make out the words... and then it’s gone.”
Tharion yanked his horse to a stop. Mira had to pull hard to stop with him, her mare nickering in protest. The road fell silent as the convoy progresses slowly around them. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
He turned to face her fully. His gaze locked on hers, searching.She continued, “But I dream sometimes,”the words barely more than a breath. "And in the dream it feels real. But when I wake up… it slips away. I try to hold on, but it’s like, like trying to catch smoke."
His stare sharpened. Razor-edged. Careful. “And how do you feel afterwards?”
She hesitated. “Disoriented. Sometimes confused about where I am.” A shiver crawled down her spine. “Tharion,” she murmured, unsettled now. “Do you dream of me too?”
His reaction was slight. So slight, she might have missed it if she wasn't watching him. A flinch. A flicker of something in his eyes, gone too fast. Mira’s breath came fast, uneven. A knot of unease tightened in her chest. "Tharion…?"
A sharp whistle cut through the air, fast. Deadly. Tharion grunted. An arrow jutted from his shoulder, buried deep in the muscle. He jerked sideways in the saddle. Sliding down, he reached out and dragged Mira down between the horses. They hit the dirt hard. Her breath knocked from her chest. He threw himself over her, his body a shield as chaos erupted, shouts, boots pounding, the crack of panic splitting the air. The whinny of horses, the heavy sound of hooves striking the dirt as figures emerged. Kharadorians.
They emerged from the trees, from the road behind them. Mira looked around as the horses bolted. Tharion lay over her breathing in quick gasps, gritted his teeth against the pain. She scrambled out from underneath him and helped him behind the nearest cover, the cart. The same one he'd almost kissed her against.
