"You didn't come yesterday."

No response.

Candice gave Eadan a look and he said.

"Come on, it was just one day. Did we do anything at all?"

"Nah, nothing much. but I thought Ryker was the only slacker in your family."

Candice was chewing on a licorice, her feet dangling from the balcony of the third floor of the big house.

"It's a family trait, besides school's useless. We're just wasting our time."

"Well, there's that sometimes, but at least it keeps me distracted." 

Eadan shook his head and took a last drag from his cigarette.

He stubbed it in the nearby flower pot where beautiful, rare orchids in every possible color were blossoming, despite it wasn't their season.

He looked at the almost dry root in his friend's hand and made a face. 

"I have no idea why you keep eating stuff like that and most of all-  how the hell you find it."

"At least I'm eating something. "

She looked around and closed her eyes. There was probably a storm coming, because the air smelled like rain already.

It meant they probably didn't have much time today. 

They were in Eadan's house, since its back yard was huge and they could use the space to practice.

"Are you ready to get your ass kicked?"

"Yeah, I just can't wait."

***

"What are we practicing today?"

Eadan asked once they were downstairs.

The mansions yard was very close to the woods and they were rarely disturbed. 

That was one of the bast parts about the Manor Eadan lived on.

He was just taking his jacket off when Candice said

"Jamie's taking Mia for a..." she made a vague gesture, searching for the words.

"A date?"

"Kind of, I think. He's showing her where he hunts and all that."

"Romantic."

"Oh, come on. They were cute together, especially when he drew the arrows on her hand."

"I'm sure she..."

He paused.

Candice waited.

Eadan said carefully "so who's with us today?"

"It took you a while."

"Is it just the two of us?"

Candice saw Eadan was almost putting his jacket back on she said quickly " Yeah, yes. It's just us. Probably. "

"Okay."

He seemed to relax back and said " So, knives or swords?"

A slow smile spread on Candice's face and she said.

"My favourite. Daggers." 

***

They stood, facing each other.

Last time Jamie had showed them techniques of blocking hits, and they tried repeating and practicing what they had learned the previous time.

But it was more difficult with the close-range weapons like daggers.

Candice was a bit better than Eadan when it came to physical fights.

Always had been.

And he was better in their mental training.

Candice reminded herself one was always better at either. 

"You look like puppies fighting over a bone."

The deep voice traveled over to her.

Candice looked up from hers and Eadan's locked hands and saw Eadan's face had become pale.

Paler than it was usually. 

She turned around and saw her brother leaning on a tree trunk, arms folded. Tyler seemed to be trying to suppress a smile.

And he was failing quite miserably.

"Oh, hey Ty." she said and relaxed her hold from around the handle. "How did you know we were here?"

"I didn't. I mean, I had to bring something to Lazar and saw you guys from upstairs doing something you both don't know shit about, so I decided to help. "

The moment he said it, Lockjaw flew from somewhere and landed at Tyler's feet.

The bird jumped a few times and approached the big man.  

Tyler reached out and Lockjaw made a move, which reminded Candice so much of the way dogs bowed their heads when they wanted to be petted. 

"Hey, birdy."

Tyler knelt and touched the bird.

Lockjaw pushed his head towards Tyler's palm and Ty laughed

"Oh, you like this."

He slid his hand over the bird's back, then he patted Lockjaw's head .

"I don't know if I am doing this right."

Tyler muttered and stopped, but Lockjaw pushed his head towards his palm again, urging him to continue. 

"Woah, I've never seen anyone touching Lockjaw before."

Candice said, surprised.

"Even you, Ead."

She glanced at her friend, who had frozen in his spot.

"Eadan?"

"Okay, I'll leave you to it."

Her friend said flatly and turned to leave. 

"No, what? Why?" she asked. "Where are you going?"

"I have to finish something."

"What something?"

she asked her classmate again, but her brother looked up from Lockjaw and said. 

"By the way- Candice- Lazar wanted you to take something to Mom."

"Yeah, what?"

"I don't know- some herbs I guess?" 

"What herbs...Oooh, shit.  I forgot, damn it."

Candice rubbed her forehead.

" I'm hopeless, sorry. It was what I was supposed to do first when I came here."  She placed her dagger in Eadan's hands hastily and almost ran towards the house. 

"I'll be back, I swear."

she called and disappeared among the trees on her way to the house.

Tyler approached and tried for the weapon.

Eadan just stood there.

Lockjaw flew away and landed on one of the higher branches of a nearby tree. 

"Is this a dagger which I see before me, the handle toward my hand."

 Tyler quoted the part from Macbeth and slowly took the richly decorated weapon in his hand. 

"I didn't know you could read."

Eadan said and found something to put his eyes on in the distance. 

Tyler snorted.

"Berely. But the daggers were considered weapons of the lower classes, I'm surprised you sink so low with using one."

He observed the intricate design.

"It's pretty, but won't save you in a fight if you don't know how to use it."

"I don't engage myself in random fights."

"Like me?"

"I don't know, but you said it."

"Then why bother with all that?" Tyler smiled and challenged.

Eadan took a step back.

"I'm not fighting you."

"I didn't think you are, because you can't."

Eadan tried to say something, then just dropped his hands to his sides.

"You're right, I can't and I never said I do."

"Okay. We're not fighting, I can just show you stuff."

"I don't need you to show me anything."

God, this boy was making everything so hard.

Tyler wondered if Eadan was always like that.

He was so different from Candice, Tyler had no idea how the two were so close. Candice took after her grandma in terms of being very caring, but she probably used some spells to tame this guy. 

It was the only possible explanation.

"Well, okay. I can't make you. "

Tyler headed away, his back already turned toward Eadan when he heard him say.

"Okay, fine. Let's try." 

Tyler lunged and almost flipped Eadan backwards . 

"Are you insane?"

Eadan protested once he was back up. "You are supposed to warn me."

"Do attackers warn you every time they attempt something?"

Eadan gave him a look and  Tyler took a step backwards and said. 

"Okay, okay. First time, I don't know how you guys do it."

He lifted his hands in surrender "Let's try again. Okay?"

"Fine."

"Attack me, then." 

Eadan did, but one move from Ty was enough to escape the thrust Eadan attempted at landing. 

"If you throw yourself so blindly, you'll get your ass seriously kicked, boy."

"Why do you keep calling me boy , when you're like what, two- three years older than me."

Eadan looked like he was pissed. 

"Because you look like one."

Eadan clenched his jaw and Tyler assumed it must've been real hard, since he saw the movement from where he was standing. 

"You're letting me get to you. "

"I'm not."

He also saw Eadan's hand tighten around the dagger he was holding even harder. 

"You are."

Tyler said easily, "Before someone gets to you physically, they've already won if you allow them to distract you. "

"I know that."

"And yet, here we are."

Tyler smiled.

  "All I'm saying is you don't have enough physical strength to let your anger guide you."

"Do you feel good offending me?" Eadan said evenly. 

Tyler had the wildest need to show Eadan what would make him feel good right then and there.

He almost said it but Eadan's angry look made him think twice.

As if Eadan had read his mind, the smaller man threw the dagger on the ground and headed in the direction of the house.

Tyler blocked his way.

"Already leaving the battle?"

Eadan then locked his black eyes with Tyler's hazel ones and the bigger man almost flinched.

He'd never seen that look in anyone's eyes before.

This distraction cost him now, because next thing he felt was Eadan pushing him hard.

Real hard.

Tyler grabbed Eadan by the shoulders and tried to stop him, but Eadan kept pushing.

They tripped.

Eadan hit the ground first , Tyler following after.

It happened so fast that Tyler almost couldn't control his reaction not to relax his whole weight over the body underneath him when they crashed.  

"Are you all right?"

Tyler asked immediately.

He felt Eadan's body going rigid, hands grabbing at the grass on his sides.

"I'm not some girl you need to ask after." He hissed. 

They were inches away from each other, eyes still locked.

Neither of them pulling back.

Eadan was panting and Ty swore he could feel Eadan's heartbeat from where their chests were touching.

And then realization hit him- Eadan was afraid. 

Afraid of him.

Tyler immediately retreated

"I... You..."

He muttered and got up. 

"You should eat more."

He said stupidly, adjusting his clothes.

Tyler almost broke into a run, leaving Eadan, lying in the thick grass. 

***

Tyler went inside and found Candice, who was looking through different bottles. 

"Take this one and tell her it's for headaches. But she has to be careful of the proportions." 

"Okay."

His sister was only nodding at all the things Lazar was placing in front of her and she looked at her brother, looking lost.

She muttered help and Tyler laughed. 

"Candice, we need to go. Thank you Lazar for all the help. Mom and Grandma are always thankful for the help. "

"No, no worries. Is Eadan with you?"

"He was, yes. Why?"

"I just haven't seen him since...I'm afraid since yesterday?" 

"He's outside." 

"Uhhh...he hasn't missed school recently, has he?"

Candice and her brother exchanged a look 

"I don't spend much time with him, and he's never shared anything with me much, so..."

"He is all right."

Candice said and tried to sound as convincing as possible. "Thank you, Lazar."

Can dice smiled politely and they left, promising to visit more often. 

***

"Maybe we should've taken the car, it's going to rain"

Candice said, looking up. 

"It's good to walk once in a while, you know."

"I move enough, Tyler."

They were walking on the road, but everything was surrounded by trees, as they lived far from the city.

The fog had lifted, but the air was still heavy and wet, making the ends of Candice's hair wet.

She was just wondering whether she should just cut it off entirely when Tyler said

"Hey, I was wondering..."

"Yeah?" 

Tyler put his hands in his jacket pockets and looked ahead. 

"Why do you practice so much?" Tyler asked. 

"Umm...what do you mean?"

"I've seen you before with Jamie, practicing stuff."

"Yes, what about it?"

"Do you need it? In the dreams, I mean."

"We wouldn't do it, if we didn't. " Candice made a face "You know I hate exercising." 

"But how do you use it? If it's just a dream..."

"Yes, but when you're in there, it's like...it's real for you."

Tyler paused  "But  you know it's a dream the whole time, right?"

"We do, it's just...Wait. Are you ready to hear this?"

He laughed.

"Oh, come on, Candice."

"Okay, so. I was in the dream of a guy who had pointed a gun at me."

"Damn. Do people dream of this?"

"Well, yeah?"

" And?"

"And while I know it's a dream, I have to somehow stop him from shooting me, or whoever he's trying to kill. "

"What if he pulls the trigger?" her brother stopped in his tracks. 

"Well, it's like he shoots you in real life." 

He stared.

"Jesus." Tyler ran a hand through his hair. "But it doesn't hurt the same way, right? I mean, nothing does, right?"

Candice shook her head

"No, it doesn't. But it feels real, despite everything." 

Tyler resumed walking and caught up with her when Candice asked

"Why do you ask?"

"It's just.. Eadan said he doesn't need all that, that's why."

"No, we do. And you never know what's out there, so you can't really prepare for anything. "

"There's always someone better to kick your ass, right?"

"Exactly."

She laughed. 

Trey walked for a few minutes in a comfortable silence when Tyler said.

"Hey, you know...I know I've always joked about what you guys do, but..."

"But we're awesome, I know. "

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say you're awesome..."

"And you suck at being nice."

She pushed Tyler and broke into a run "Race you to the pine two blocks down our house. Whoever loses s a chicken."

"I hate you."

Tyler shouted, but still ran after his sister, trying not to run too fast so that she could win and tease him for it afterwards. 

* * * 

Thank you for reading! If you like the story, and want to see more from Candice and the strange boy with the red hair or the rest of the Dream Catchers (or maybe Tyler and Eadan, hehe) you can read the story for FREE on Dreame. 

I realy, really hope to see you there :)