In Lost Dreams the Four Were Bound

18 - Elis - Nerves with a Twist of Decorum

Elis wanted to believe that she was relieved he was awake. In her heart, she knew it would have been simpler if Davnian had just stayed asleep forever. Bringing back water had been an easy task with so many of the preparers for the next eve's feasting running about. Too many of them were overly humble toward her. While she would have declined under normal circumstances, she felt the need to rush. Spiking the cold liquid with the remaining leaves of Neris's lemon balm, she had watched Davnian drink cup after cup of the life-giving substance. But an hour of small chatter and libation left him unmoved, for better or worse.

"I'm sorry," he said, groaning on the table.

"What for?" Elis replied, cleaning up after herself as she planned what foods she would bring. When Neris got around to showing up, she could go home and fetch Rais with some supplies. Different foodstuffs would be worth trying on him, though she was unsure what he'd be able to stomach. His recovery was beyond remarkable, so perhaps the Virage could deal with a bit of upset.

Tying Davnian together with the Virage made her face twitch. For years she had heard of a monster. The strangeness of coupling him with her long-lost friend left her unprepared. Seeing him so weak and benign was one thing, but thinking of the horrid villain as an amnesiac bed warmer was too much. This was entirely outside her expectations. Part of her had hoped he'd wake up not knowing her at all. Part of her yearned for him to wake in a fury that would leave them all gasping in horror. At least those two things could be reconciled.

"My small-talk skills leave much to be desired," Davnian said, chuckling beneath his breath. His mannerisms were so familiar yet so foreign on the adult human's frame. "I know we promised to get back to serious conversation, but it's hard for me to be much more than an ornament without my memories."

"Does that bother you?" Elis asked, tinting her voice with care. She couldn't help it with how apologetic he had become.

"If only because I feel I've been an extraordinary burden to a friend," he said.

Elis wished she could tell him how much of a burden he had been: not just for the days of caring for his impossible state but for all the history that was coloring the present. Talvuo memories were difficult to reconcile with the dramatic changes that linked the present so closely with a crystal-clear time from an age ago. Even more difficult was the transparency of the original emotions, thrown into tumult with the present confusion.

"You've never been a burden," she half-lied. For most of their shared life, he had been a joy to be around, even during the more difficult years. Only the end of it was burdensome, and only for reasons beyond their control. "Though you were trouble for the last few days. We worried your fever and tremors would get worse."

"I had a fever and tremors?"

"Yes, bad ones," Elis said. "Without Neris's concoctions to bring you down, we might never have stopped your convulsions. Thankfully, you never tried to get up, or we would have been truly distraught."

"I'll have to make sure to thank you both properly when your partner arrives," he said, patient optimism hanging on his words. She picked up on how he fought back against the new addendum to his dialect, shutting his mouth before a "good woman" could escape his lips.

"If I know her, she'll be here sooner than we think," Elis said, annoyed and relieved by the thought. Inside, part of her was wondering how she would deal with Neris and the sometimes unbearable familiarity that she imposed on everyone. Though she loved how nonchalant the woman could be. "Maybe we'll take the time to get to know each other better then."

"You must have a lot of respect for her or care deeply for her," Davnian said, making her ears rise. With her wide lavender eyes, she looked at the man lying on the table, her right eye twitching at the crooked, little grin he wore.