Chapter 6: Conscious Of Him

Theon was walking and tracing his way back to the cave. Each step let out a rustling sound as he steps into the dry fallen leaves. Crackling or more or less crepitation, he heard. It was obviously piled over the years. Who knows where the land really is underneath. "This is making me feel anxious," Theon said to himself. Their village was clean and solace until then. The women kept it clean and the children lived in solace. "I just hope they all are in a safe place." He muttered as he walks. The fish he scooped was not that small in size. However, he thanked the strength he accumulated throughout the years of training archery. Speaking of archery, Theon thought if Ambroz saw him carrying his bow and arrow, would the short-tempered man be angry? His heart started to beat louder. It suddenly made Theon nervous. He stared at Ambroz weapons and scrunched his nose. Then, he diverted his gaze towards the fish he was carrying. "The smell of fresh fish, what an obscenity," He scrunched his nose once more. "Oh well, at least I grabbed us a meal." He comforted himself real quick. He continued to trace his pace and tried to contain his memory of when he was just heading towards the river. He stared gloomily at the sky. "Mikka and the others. Are we seeing the same sky?" He kept staring and wandering his eyes freely into the clouds. He was not entirely dazzled by it. It was somehow turning into a very pessimistic aura. Clouds formed a perfect line-up in the blue as if they were boats safely mored in the celestial harbour. Puffs of white magic in acres of blue. They are the brilliance of a new page upon a sky canvas of such consistent hue. Yet, why does it seem so sad for Theon? The man just kept looking at it, what he did not notice was the tree branch, it was just in front of him, waiting for him to wobble on it. About three steps and he stumbled at it. "Oh, bloody cow!" He cussed. He did not expect it and he did not want to fall. He closed his eyes and pierced his lips. Theon was about to smash on the ground when he bumped into another human. But Theon was clueless. 'Why is my face not covered in leaves and dirt?' He questioned in his thoughts. 'And why is it soft?' Theon rubbed his face against this soft thing that he landed on unintentionally. Since, his hands were quite full, gripping the fishtail tightly. But the weapon caught loose in his hands. "Stop rubbing on me and get your arse up!" The man complained. 'That voice is quite familiar to my sense of hearing,' Theon thought. He slowly opened his eyes and turns out it was Ambroz who he landed and smashed in its chest. 'What great luck!' He said in his thoughts. Theon then noticed that he was on top of this man and Ambroz's cloth was slightly open in its chest part. Theon turned red almost instantly and his eyes widened in shock. 'Ah, this is dangerous.' He thought. He laughed nervously and awkwardly. "Oh, it's... It's you! You're back, I brought us uh..." He stopped as he kept glancing every second towards Ambroz's chest. He could not avoid it. His eyes were leading him to gaze at it. Ambroz raised one side of his brows. "A what?" He was caught off guard. "Oh, a fish! I brought us a fish." He raised the fish, still filled with embarrassment. Ambroz furrowed his eyebrows. He can smell the fresh fish odour. "Get that thing out of my face, will you?" Ambroz demanded. And so Theon followed. "I apologise." Theon was merely distracted by what's in front of him. Catching sight of Ambroz's pale and smooth muscular chest. He was bright red and the heat climbed up his body. Ambroz saw right through him, so he fixed his cloth in an instant with no delay. "Stand up already! Such a clumsy man you are." Ambroz said to him. Theon stood up and raised the fish. He gulped and blamed the branch for his fall. 'What a strange experience.' Theon wiped his sweat with his left hand. Ambroz then stood up next. He spat his cloth and brush the dried leaves off of it. Afterwards, the man stared at Theon who is still fidgeting and blushing. He could not understand why Theon was all flustered. 'He must be thinking of me as a disgusting man.' Ambroz reckoned. He heaved a sigh. Ambroz was still dismayed by Theon still being there. He doesn't want to prolong the time that they are spending. It will not benefit him at all, or so he thought. "Where did you go off to and even brought my RUSTY OLD weapon?" He mocked Theon by emphasizing the words it said to him way back. Theon almost panic when he could not grasp the weapon in his left hand. He thought that of course, Ambroz would notice how his only weapon had disappeared inside his cave. 'Where did it go?' He roamed his eyes and spotted it quite far from where he was standing. He picked it up and glance back at Ambroz who was just observing him. "Here it is." He handed it to Ambroz using only his left hand. "Thank you for lending it to me, although I did not really ask for your permission." He whispered. Ambroz heard him but decided to pretend not to know it and said, "I asked you a question." "Oh, right," He scratched the nape of his neck. "Well, I was hungry and I thought I'd go fetch us some fish. You like fish, right?" He smiled softly. "Nothing like that. It's because that's the only thing I could eat." He said and diverted his gaze. "Then, what were those fish bones I saw? Doesn't that mean you like fish?" He asked and widened his eyes sign of beaming. "There you go again, running your mouth! You have no concern about what I eat and what I chose to eat." He raised his voice again. Ambroz's tone sounded impertinent and bold. Although, it bets higher than Theon might feel triggered by this. It was completely contrary to what he truly felt. Theon felt worried. He thought, perhaps this man was used to living alone in the forest that he repeatedly eats what he can with all his might. When in fact, he can take good care of himself more by eating fruits and veggies. His eyes were filled with concern as he walked towards Ambroz. "But you can eat more than that, sir," Capriciously, he uttered. "There are lots of fruits in the forest, I can get them for you. Although, my lack of skills in climbing might be concerning. I will figure it out eventually. You don't need to worry." He shook his head and smiled widely this time. Theon was gleaming with light as he stayed optimistic, he thought that this might lessen the distance between them. Ambroz had no emotions on his face. He looked like he was not even bothered by the gleam Theon emits. "Do whatever you want, but keep in that little mind of yours that I am not forcing you these things." Ambroz pointed out and walked inside the cave. It was as if music to Theon's ears. He was joyously in awe. "Yes, sir!" He shouted. Theon head his way and started. On the other hand, Ambroz went inside the cave and when he couldn't see Theon anymore. He inclined himself to the walls of the cave, with his one arm supporting his body and his other hand indicating a facepalm. He breathes heavily. "What was that?" Ambroz could not ignore how he almost got affected by Theon's smile. "I disapprove of this ranging emotions. This must be that again. That witch," He coax himself to believe that it was not his personal emotions. "There's no hint of possibility, on top of that the kid's a man himself." He groaned and sighed heavily. He remembered how Theon softly smiled at him when he did nothing but propel the man out of his walls. How Theon glowed at him like he was someone to be smiled at, to begin with. For the years he has been living, it was either sorrow or vain, everything was depressing and lamentable. But just like how the sun hails the essence for the living in each morning, how it opens up a brand new day for one to start. How roots start to grow each day. That smile slightly changed his viewpoint on humanity and made him hold onto faith once more. But like the in denial man he is. He just shrugged his shoulders and blamed it all on the heat that the witches are responsible for. He went back to the part of the cave where he can see Theon and observed its every aspect of the movement. "That witch. She most absolutely has her eyes set on this man, I just know it. She might have already sent one of her atrocious liegemen to warn Theon about me." He reckoned. When Ambroz was thinking about the risk of the two of them, meanwhile Theon was eager to cook the fish and decided to fetch them fruits later on. He readied the fire. Rubbed the two twigs together, harder and hastily and when it lit, he looked for sticks to prick through the fish. After roaming near the cave he finally found the perfect sticks for it. He head back to the place he settled fire on, prick the stick into the huge fish and started blowing the fire for it to inflame further. After a few seconds, the fire lit up in the designated amount he wanted. He placed the fish on top of it and roles it every once in a while. Ambroz was just staring at Theon that was eagerly cooking for the both of them. "Will he still be this eager if he finds out the person that I am?" Ambroz said from afar. "I reckon it would be better for the both of us." When Theon observed that the fish was already cooked, he pulled it out of the set fire and placed it in on the smooth but quite of a big leaf that was picked earlier. He stood up carefully while carrying the fish with the leaf on both sides. He headed inside the cave where Ambroz was already sitting and looking at him. Theon just avoided Ambroz gaze for them to not get awkward with each other. "You should eat first, forbear with this for now and surely I will let you taste how wonderful the fruits are." He convinces Ambroz. Ambroz decided to play with him for quite a while. "How would you know where the fruits are? Have you been here, in the deepest part of this land?" He asked sarcastically. Theon scratched his cheeks with one finger and turned his eyes to the right. "Not really, but I'll get it. If the forest won't trick me that is." His voice sounded like a whisper again. Ambroz almost let out a laugh but it turned out to be a cough and choke in his own saliva. "Are you alright? I apologize for not grabbing us water. I don't have the equipment for it." Theon said. Theon almost tapped Ambroz back but of course, Ambroz stopped him with his palm placed in front. He tapped his chest and eventually the cough ended. They started to eat and Theon just couldn't resist staring at Ambroz every ten seconds. He is trying to observe its facial expressions and see if it looked weirded out as to how he cooked the fish. "Stop giving me those stares, I can feel them," Ambroz said. He gulped and pretended to cough. 'This is truly awkward, nevertheless, I think my cooking is great, he looks fine.' They continued eating the large feast in front of them until Theon saw how Ambroz was slightly drooling while biting the fish's flesh. Without noticing Theon almost wiped his mouth but Ambroz slapped it away once again. "What did I tell you? Do you not understand a word I say? Forbid that hands of yours in touching my skin." He glared at Theon. "I... I am sorry! I couldn't help it since it was there." He bowed and clapped his hands together. Ambroz wiped his mouth with the back of his palm. "I can clean it myself," Ambroz said. Theon just stared at him. He always knew it but Ambroz truly has a face of a handsome man. But look how he furrowed his brows, he could not handle it but he shuts his mouth. They finished eating already when Ambroz asked him. "Why are you still here? I am repeating this, but you know nothing about who I am, where I am from, and what kin I started off with. I might just be as dangerous as I look." He intended to frighten him. Theon was reminded of the man he met at the river. Theon had almost forgotten but his purpose was not only to befriend and ask Ambroz to help him escape but to also discover about this man. He knows that there is something off with this man. If the man at the river really is telling the truth about how he saw a creature and it is linked to Ambroz. Theon thought that he needs to confirm it himself. "I can not go anywhere yet." Was the only thing he can utter. "Well, you should know that I can not help you. And even if I attempt to I'll end up-" he halted. "End up?" Theon asked as he stares at Ambroz who just stood up. "Nevermind. You should already think of how to get out of this land. Or else, those conquerors will kill you." He was silenced by it but Theon stood up. "Wouldn't they kill you as well? They are merciless and wicked. They would do the same to you." "They won't." "How can you be so sure?" "Who knows. They are after something and it has got to be in this forest. They won't kill, they might just cage it. They are folks who are only after something that will benefit them." Theon's brows met as he got confused about what was Ambroz trying to say and explain to him. He could not process it all at once. ‘They won't kill but cage instead? Could it be that the creature that I saw that night was truly Ambroz's pet serpent? Does that man at the river say something that was actually true?' he stared at Ambroz broad back. ‘After all, I still need to follow and observe Ambroz.' Theon thought. Ambroz went outside again carrying his weapon, the bow and arrow. Theon also headed outside. "Don't follow me," Ambroz told him when it noticed how Theon was just at his back. "I won't. I'll head this way to grab us some fruits as I have said." He said and smiled. Ambroz then continued to walk out of his sight. He pretended to walk the opposite way but eventually traced Ambroz steps. No matter what, he needs to see for himself and approve that all of his theories or more or else premises about Ambroz. The sun is still high up in the sky, so everything is not vague but apparent and evident, unlike the last time. "I sure hope I can get out of this suspension that I am feeling. The people are waiting for me." ——————— ABYSSCESS