Wanderlove by Belle Malory

Author:Belle Malory [Malory, Belle]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
ISBN: 9781466325425
Google: 8n2EMAEACAAJ
Goodreads: 12698959
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: 2011-09-01T00:00:00+00:00

~ ~

Gabriel was in a restless mood when Liliana knocked on his door in the morning to check on him.

“How do you feel today?” she asked cheerfully.

“Irritated,” was Gabriel’s gruff reply. “I want, no, I need to get out of this room and this bed.”

It had been six days they’d spent at the inn thus far and Gabriel had spent six days in the same room, in the same bed. He had a feeling he would go stark raving mad if he couldn’t get up soon and walk around.

“But the doctor. . .he said you were to remain in bed for a fortnight.”

“I don’t give a damn what the doctor said!” Gabriel shouted.

He heard the girl step backwards and he imagined her flinching from the sound of his booming voice.

After a few moments, he belabored a long sigh. “I apologize.” His voice softened. “But I need some physical exertion. I’m not used to all this.” He stretched out his arms, gesturing to his surroundings.

Liliana stayed quiet as he attempted to stand up. He managed it, though shakily. She moved towards him and took his arm, linking it through hers. She was so close he could smell the magnolia-scented soaps in her hair. It was intoxicating, causing Gabriel to falter his step a little.

“This way,” Liliana guided him. “We’ll go for a walk.”

He grunted with relief. “Thank you.” His gratitude was wholly evident. She smiled. She couldn’t help thinking that Gabriel seemed to share the restlessness of a gypsy. It was something she could relate to.

As they left, Gabriel noticed that they passed the sound of the old woman, Camelia, snoring from her usual chair in the corner of the room.

“We’ll just leave her there,” Liliana whispered. “I don’t think she would approve of this, anyway. She’s better off not knowing.”

As soon as they made it downstairs and out into the open air, Gabriel took a deep breath.

“Ah,” he said. “It smells nice out here. I’ve missed this.”

Liliana enjoyed watching his pleasure. She couldn’t have denied him this simple happiness. She too, would likely go insane if she were trapped inside a small room all day and night.

They walked along an open path, saying nothing for a while. He kept a quicker pace than she would have liked, but she didn’t comment on it. She didn’t want to ruin his delight at being outside again.

After a while, they stopped to rest at a wooden bench nestled under a tall oak tree. The breeze wafted softly in the quiet afternoon, stirring the leaves above them.

“It’s amazing,” Gabriel said, finally breaking the silence. “All the things you can hear, when you’re unable to see them.”

“What can you hear?” Liliana asked him.

“I can hear the wind,” he told her. “I can almost picture the height and size of the trees just by the sounds alone.”

Liliana contemplated on what he’d said, closing her eyes and listening to the sounds of the surrounding nature. She listened to the soft stirring of the leaves behind her, trying to imagine how she would picture a nearby tree if she were blind to it.

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