#*span

A little ray of sunlight entered in the room. Karina groaned and buried her face on the pillow.

“Good morning. Are you finally awake?”

“No.” Karina answered. Avdol patted her on the nape. She leaned up a bit and stared at him. “What are you ready for, this early?”

Avdol sighed. “I told you yesterday. I’m already recovered, so we should continue. After all I have to go to purcha-” Avdol couldn’t finish his sentence because Karina interrupted him, getting up a bit on the bed, with a surprised face.

“Wah? But you were talking seriously? You are not fully recovered yet!”

“You didn’t think about that last night.” He said with a smirk. Karina  pouted and blushed. Cute, he thought. “Besides, Miss Holly doesn’t have so much time left. We should go as soon as we can.”

Then, guilt filled both of their hearts. How could they do that? How could they, when Joseph‘s daughter was in that awful situation. Not that they regretted what happened last night, but it certainly wasn’t the appropriate time for that. 

“I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I know you feel bad, after all Joseph is your friend…”

“Don’t apologize. We’re both equally guilty in this matter.” Avdol gently caressed her cheek. “Now, please, get ready, we should go.”

“Right…” Karina stared at him, without making any move. Then she spoke, with a slightly blush in her cheeks. “Well… Could you mayyybe turn around a bit? Just while I’m getting dressed, you know…”

“Oh. Right.” Avdol turned around as requested.

“Why are you laughing?”

“I’m not laughing.”

“Yes, you are. You totally are laughing!” Karina said. Her cheeks were red, and her fist on air, threatening, although Avdol couldn’t see it from his position.

“I was thinking” he said slowly. “that you are really cute.”

“Of course I am! Did you just realize this?”

“It’s kind of cute that you’re embarrassed for this kind of things now.” Avdol said, chuckling.

Karina throwed a pillow at him. “Don’t laugh! I’m a little lady after all!”

“Yes, yes.”

“Humph. All men are the same, you’re all pigs.” She said very offended. “Don’t think that because we slept together, now I’m going to let you see me all naked every time! I still have some decency.”

“You still have some decency, uh?” Avdol laughed.

“You know what I meant, damn it!” Karina yelled. She was so embarrassed, her whole face and ears were red. “I’m ready now. Stop laughing and let’s go.”

Avdol and Karina left the hovel where they spent all these days. Avdol handed her a map, with the places that Joseph told him that they were going to go through marked on it. “I’m not sure where they are right now. It depends on how many enemy attacks they have been receiving these days. But if you go through all these places you are going to end up finding them for sure.”

“Okay. I’m sure that finding a group with two giants of almost 2 meters tall it isn’t going to be difficult.” She laughed, looking carefully at all the places marked on the map.

“Are you sure about this?” Avdol said with worry. “You have already seen how dangerous this is, and…”

“And I don’t have a stand to fight, I can’t even see them to defend myself. That’s it, uh?” She said. Avdol nodded with a serious expression in his face. Karina crossed her arms and continued. “Well, it’s true. Maybe I’m only a bother. But still. You’re all my friends. I want to help… even if it’s just a little… I can’t just abandon all of you.” She looked down. “I’m not a coward.”

“You sure aren’t.” Avdol hugged her. Karina didn’t expect that all of sudden. She rested her head on his shoulder. “Are you crying?”

“No, of course not…”

“Yes, you are. Liar.” Avdol lifted her head by the chin. With his other hand he wiped her tears. “Everything is going to be okay.”

“Yes…” She held Avdol’s hand and kissed it, softly. “Don’t make me wait too much… I-I mean, don’t make us wait…”

“Don’t worry about it.” He pinched her nose affectionately. “Please, be careful, okay?”

“Even if none of you believe it, I’m always careful!” She said, laughing. Avdol laughed too, but with a resigned face. “Ah, and by the way, I didn’t mean it. You’re not a pig. In any case, you would be a tiger.” She said the last word while purring in his ear.

Avdol couldn’t help but chuckle. “If you wanted to look cool you shouldn’t blush this much after saying that.”