Neytiri

I hate the heat.

I never realized it when I was younger nor when I lived in the Glynden forests. The sun barely reached us seeing as the trees were as tall as the castle, and the greenery thick.

But as I sit by the river with the sun beating against my back, I feel... weak.

"It's dangerous for you to be here alone." I look up at the sound of Caius's voice to see him coming towards me with a concerned expression. Any irritation I felt immediately dissipates as he comes near me. Caius has become my source of comfort and familiarity as the weeks have gone by. I haven't seen Cassian since that night, something I am partially grateful for as he's grown increasingly busy finishing up whatever it is he has to do in this kingdom.

Today, however, we are finally departing. I dip my fingers in the river enjoying the cold water. A smile forms on my lips as my mind begins to wander.

"Gran used to tell me all about the ancient kings. She would constantly tell me how they were unlike anything anyone had ever seen before. I never believed her. I always rolled my eyes at her stories and hopes for the future." I look up at the sky, feeling tears roll down my cheeks.

"What I wouldn't give to have her tell me one more story," I say. Caius is silent for a moment, but then I hear the sound of him placing his sword on the ground as he makes his way over to me, taking a seat next to me.

"You never really had time to mourn her, did you?" he asks. I keep my eyes trained on the river, shaking my head.

"No. Even after her death, everything was thrown on me so fast... I had no time to relax and feel true sadness. All I could think to do was adjust and survive. But now I see this world that I know nothing about... and with everyone keeping me in the dark... survival is my number one priority..." I say.

Caius gently places his hand against my back, rubbing his hand in comforting circles.

"Anytime you want to cry, you may do so. You are safe here," he says. "I will always protect you, Neytiri." I hear the determination in his voice and look at him. He has a serious expression on his face. I smile.

"You're so kind, Caius," I say.

He pulls his hand away from me, a shocked expression forming on his face as he studies me. He blinks in confusion slowly looking at the water with a sad smile. After a moment, he clears his throat standing above me.

His gaze shifts to look behind him as he speaks.

"Cassian asked that I come get you. It's too dangerous for you to be out in the sun like this," he says. I look back at the water, letting out a deep sigh. After a moment, I finally stand to follow Caius back into the castle.

"You're quiet."

Cassian's voice comes out of the dark silence. We left Xavien's kingdom and are now on our way to another kingdom that according to Cassian will take a week's time. I, however, am once again blindfolded.

I keep my hands in my lap unable to stop from fiddling with them. No matter how hard I try, my nerves are getting the best of me.

"Why do you need to travel to another kingdom?" I ask.

"There is a total of four kingdoms, one that is occupied by me, one that is occupied by Xavien, and the last two which are occupied by my two allies. Now is just a matter of seeing who is loyal and who is not," he says.

"Why did you take over the original kingdom?" I ask. He's silent, and I think for a moment he isn't going to answer me. But he does.

"This land belonged to my ancestors. All of it. But, when man came into the picture, my ancestor's thought it best to... allow them their own rule. A foolish decision on their part. I am only taking back what was never theirs to begin with," he says.

He sounds bitter.

"Cassian... do you have any family?" I ask.

Silence once again comes over the carriage before Cassian finally responds.

"No."

We stop at a small meadow to rest the horses and the men. The sun is setting over the land, and the men are setting up camp for the night. I use the opportunity to slip away from them, making my way to the edge of the river. I stare into the water, watching it wash over the rocks.

Something about it calls to me. It makes me feel at peace.

"What is it with you and rivers?" I look up when I see Caius walking towards me with a smile on his face. I shrug.

"I don't know. Something about the water is calming," I say. He shakes his head.

"You really are an Ikniri," he says. I raise a brow at him crossing my arms over my chest.

"What does that mean, exactly?" I ask. He takes a seat next to me, reaching into the river. The water is interrupted in its stream, crawling up his hand only to fall and flow around.

"The Ikniri could manipulate water. Their entire village was in the mountains, surrounded by snow. Year round." He looks at me tapping on my arm.

"That's why it's dangerous for you to be in the sun for too long," he says. He smiles as if remembering something.

"Legend has it that your veins carry water in them, waiting to be expelled in a burst of ice," he laughs.

"Now that I think about it, there are so many legends behind the Ikniri."

I watch as he gets excited telling me about my people. My gaze shifts to where the camp is being set up, making sure that no one is watching us.

"How do you know so much about my people?" I ask. He shrugs.

"Everyone knows about your people. It was impossible not to. The Ikniri were a mysterious group of warriors. They knew how to make a society thrive, and destroy it all at once. At their peak, they would send select warriors to the outside world to bring villages back from the brink of extinction. It was... truly amazing," he says.

"Then why did the king want us dead? Why did he kill my people?" I ask.

Caius's smile drops.

"That... I can't tell you," he says. I look back to the water, letting out a disappointed sigh.

"Why not?" I ask. "I think I have a right to know."

"It's not my place, Neytiri. I'm sorry. Cassian has forbidden it," he says. I look back towards the camp and see the red tents that are now standing.

"Why do you follow him?" I ask. My mind thinks back to the moment I saw him. The way that I felt and Caius's cryptic words regarding my reaction.

"Because he is my king. And it is my duty," he says. Hmm. I draw my knees to my chest.

"Why is it that you speak for the king? He hardly ever tells me these things himself," I say. Caius shrugs.

"Because the King is... having his fill right now."

"Caius!" I jump as a new voice comes in. I look up to see the guard that helped me the first day that I arrived in chains. He has a stern look on his face, to which Caius immediately shuts his mouth. I look back and forth between them and the other guards behind the man have their heads down with tense expressions on their faces.

"Cassian wishes to see you," he says. Caius stands, making his way back toward the camp, but the man grabs his arm, locking eyes with him.

"Careful, Caius," he growls. Caius yanks his arm from his grasp not offering a response as he walks away. The guard watches Caius depart before he makes his way towards me. His hair is dark brown and unlike Caius, he has a beard. I take note that is eyes are the same color as Caius and all the guards here.

Bright amber.

He offers me a smile.

"My name is Ulric. I will be trading places with Caius if you would like to stay here," he says. I raise a brow.

"Why?" I ask. His gaze shifts to where Caius is walking away, and a frown appears on his lips.

"He seems to be letting his conscience get in the way of his duties," he says to himself more than me. I look back at the water. It seems like each day, each conversation holds a new secret, and I hate it. They answer my questions vaguely and without explanation.

"Is it because of what he said?" I ask. I recall Ulric snapping at him when he said something about Cassian getting his fill. Of what, I have no idea. Ulric shakes his head.

"No."

I'm walking through the camp again, the familiar red tents surrounding me. None of the guards look my way. They've grown used to my presence. I make my way to the largest tent that sits in the center moving the flap aside. I smile when I see he's here.

Cassian is sitting at his desk, his head down as he writes furiously. His face looks smooth to the touch, and I can see the symbol that disappears into his clothing. It matches the one on my face. The one that he gave me the day we met.

He looks up when he hears me, his dark gaze meeting mine. He smiles at me, setting down the pen before standing to come around the desk. I feel my heart rate speeding up. It does that every time he comes near me. But I've learned to hone my fears. He won't hurt me.

"You've managed to wander into my camp once again," he says. I can't help the smile that appears on my face. But I try and dampen my excitement. He leans against the desk, crossing his arms in front of him before raising a brow at me.

"Do you know how far we've moved this time?" he asks. I shake my head, my smile widening as I find it more and more difficult to contain my excitement. Cassian notices my mood, smiling.

"You look like you have something to tell me," he says. I nod my head and he laughs, the sound making my heart melt.

"Look what I learned!" I say. I hold my hand out and concentrate until I can feel the cool air circulating in my palm. I can feel the water in the air, no matter how thin it is, and I pull it adding to the frost coming from my fingertips until there is a miniature snow flurry in my palm. I look up at Cassian, expecting him to be excited, but his features are hard.

"Where did you learn that," he snaps as he walks around me, closing the tent so that others can't see. I immediately stop what I am doing and put my hands behind my back.

"I asked you a question, Neytiri."

He sounds mad. I shake my head not wanting to answer.

"Neytiri!" he shouts.

"I... I learned it myself," I say softly. I've never seen him so upset, and I don't know why. The usual calm demeanor he has is gone. He's the general that all the men in this camp know and fear. There's a misplaced rage in his gaze as he studies me but he finally swallow it, coming towards me. He kneels to my height placing each of his hands on my shoulders looking me in the eyes.

"You must never do that here, Neytiri. Not in my camp. Do you understand?" he asks.

"But why?" I ask. He's about to answer me, but immediately decides against it. He lets out a deep sigh.

"Do it again for me," he says. I hesitate but slowly hold my hand out to show him the trick again. He holds his hand out, placing it over the snow, and I scream when his skin makes contact with it. I immediately stop, looking at it. It hurt him. His hand is bloodied.

I place my hand over my mouth. Tears flowing down my face.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" I sob. He smiles at me, shaking his head. He reaches out pushing my hair behind my ear.

"It's ok." He repeats over and over again. I bury my face in his chest, sobbing as he soothes me.

I jolt awake, looking around. It's still night and the camp is quiet. I dreamt of him. Cassian.

I knew him when I was still young. A memory that was somehow locked away has begun to reveal itself to me. I hold my hands out, looking at them in shock as I recall my dream. I hurt him. Somehow, I hurt him. I think back to when he was pulling me along in Xavien's castle, when he was upset with me. Something had surged through my body, something that hurt him then as well.

I stand up, walking towards the opening of my tent to look around. Ulric is standing guard in front of my tent and immediately looks my direction when he notices me.

"Are you alright?" he asks. I nod my head wiping away the sweat.

"Yes... I just need to go for a walk," I say. I hear him walking with me and turn to him.

"Alone. Please," I say. He doesn't miss a beat.

"I'm sorry, but I can't let that happen," he says. I roll my eyes and begin walking anyway. I look up at the moon. The sky is clear, and the stars are bright. I keep walking until I'm in the woods, and I see a waterfall. I walk to the edge of the water, placing my foot in and smiling when the water is chilled. I begin messing with the ties on the dress I'm wearing.

"Um..." I hear Ulric behind me. I turn to him.

"I'm sure you can guard me from a reasonable distance," I say, pulling the dress off my shoulders. He immediately turns away from me and makes his way to a tree keeping his back to me. I chuckle to myself turning back to the water, completely stripping. I step into the water, letting the cool water soothe me and wash away the heat and sweat from my dreams.

I keep staring up at the night sky trying to make sense of my thoughts. Somehow, I know Cassian. But I don't remember him. And somehow, I can harm him. But I have no idea why. It must have something to do with me being an Ikniri. And it must also have to do with why my people were all slaughtered.

I close my eyes, just feeling. The water is amazing against my skin. In the recent months when I would have a bath drawn, the water would be so warm I could barely stand it. But I like this. I like the cold.

I let my mind drift, trying to imagine the way I felt in that dream with Cassian. It felt so real, like I had done that before. But I cannot recall ever being able to emit ice from my body. I suck in a deep breath trying to focus like I did then, and I feel it. It starts in my chest like a comforting chill coaxing me to grab it.

My eyes fly open as the state of the water around me shifts, freezing me in the center.

Cassian

"Have you forgotten where your allegiance lies?" I ask. I've never had to question Caius when it comes to his duties, but I seem to be doing so a lot since Neytiri's unexpected arrival.

"I didn't see the harm in telling her a little about her history," he says. I turn around, glaring at him.

"If you say the wrong thing, and trigger her memories, it could be very bad. You know this. How can you be so reckless," I snap.

He stays silent for a moment before responding.

"Don't you think it's more dangerous this game that you're playing with her? If this goes the wrong way for you, the consequences could be worse," he says pointing to my still healing hand. I let out a deep sigh looking at him.

"I have ensured that won't happen," I say. I stand up, walking towards him.

"How? If she awakens before you finish your plans, she will be unstable if not dangerous," he says. I shake my head.

"You've forgotten she is still just a child. She is nothing like her race should be at her age. She has had no training and what she has released was by accident because she is unaware of what she is and has no idea she possesses any power."

Caius shakes his head at my logic.

"Cassian, if she finds out the truth about what happened to her people from the wrong person, she will-"

"Your job is to protect her," I interrupt. I can feel my anger ripping through my body burning my flesh and Caius immediately senses it as well.

"Might I remind you that if the situation calls for it, I will not hesitate to end her life. I do not care that she is the last Ikniri. I will eradicate that race from the face of the Earth if it gets in the way of my plans. Do you understand, Caius?" I growl. His eyes widen slightly. And, I immediately take note that he is hesitant.

"Yes, I understand."

I look behind him just as Ulric bursts through the tent. His eyes are wide. I feel my heart race as I anticipate his next words.

"It's Neytiri... she's awakened her power," he says. I whip my gaze to Caius as my blood boils, and look back to Ulric.

"Show me where she is."