Beyond The Lost

8

"Okay we're far enough! Slow down!" I finally stood my ground, making him stop and turn to face me. "I have to think."

"Think about what?" He let go of my hand as I slid down against a tree stump. "She'll be okay."

"Not her. You." I sighed and shook my head. "I have to figure out what I'm going to do." White and pale violet flowers sprout up to my ankles, soft petals caressing my shoes in a lovely manner. "I'm not as familiar with this stuff as everyone seems to think."

"I don't believe that." He sat on top of the stump, facing away from me and picking at the moss growing along the cracks. "You're smart. You'll figure it out."

"I know that. I'm just a little overwhelmed. I didn't realize the stakes would be so high. I didn't know you'd get me into trouble."

"Don't worry. You'll be able to go home soon. They don't stick around."

"If that's the case then we should keep moving." I pushed myself up, hands against my knees.

"Are you sure?" He put a hand on my shoulder. "What exactly did you see back there?"

I thought about it for a moment before I retained eye contact with him. "I don't know. Where do you plan to go now?"

He looked toward the woods. "I have a plan."

"Which is?"

"We're at war. I have the upper hand. He's wasting his time trying to find me when he should be defending his kingdom. That's what we'll use against him."

"You're misunderstanding. This isn't my fight." I glared at him. "My job is to free you from the dead, not to protect you from the living."

His eyes traveled from my eyes down to my feet before bouncing right back up. "We'll have to go back to my place then."

"It's dangerous there for you."

"But it's the root of my issues is it not?"

"No. It's not." I stared at his burned wrists. "Your ancestry is."

"I told you, my father has nothing to do with this."

"Whether you believe that or not, I plan to look further into it. Where is your father buried?"

"We'll have to go into town to get there." he looked down. "I have no way of hiding our faces."

"Should we just make a run for it? How far would we have to go? It wouldn't take me long to talk to him."

"You're gonna talk to him?"

"I must, Victor. You won't give me any information." I shrugged and crossed my arms. "So how do we get there unnoticed?"

"I really don't think seeing him is a good idea."

"Why are you fighting me on this?" I walked over to face him and glared him deep in the eyes. He looks pathetic. "I thought you wanted to get better."

"I do but I just don't think my father is the answer to that."

"That's not something you would know, now is it? Let me do what I need to do to help you."

"I don't know." He shook his head.

"Right" I rolled my eyes. "Well let me know once you figure it out." I headed away from him, deeper into the woods. I felt a bit uncomfortable being alone out here but he was on my nerves.

Trees tower above me, a fleeing feeling of worry evaporating from my lungs as I took a deep breath and continued forward. The air is cold enough to hurt my throat but not cold enough to chill anything but my fingers.