When It's Time to Move On

Door 4 - Chapter 53 - Worth It

"Maybe we could go back to the mart...?"

"Wait I think it's... I'll show you I can fight..."

"That doesn't even make sense."

"And going to the mart does?"

Zafina and Huey broke into fits of giggles as their pointless bickering over the elusive song ended. They'd extended their trip by a few more days because of the change in plans, and Harris wanted to capture as many pictures as he could. 

Since Zafina's inclusion in their trip, she'd taken over Harris's role as Huey's travel buddy. Like Huey, Zafina wasn't a quiet person herself. Where she and Harris were concerned, it was never understood how she felt.

For the most part, she remained relatively sardonic, calling him out on things like his fake sore throat when she and Huey had wanted a sing-along, or when he'd pretended to be tired when she wanted to go for a walk in the desert. 

He understood why she'd pick on him over those lame excuses and tried to think of his own retorts. He'd sometimes discuss which comeback he could stump Zafina with Huey while she was asleep. But he suspected she only pretended to since she always had a better retort of her own.

However, there was also that side of Zafina that was even more difficult to grasp. Like when she kept Harris company at night while he drove – she heard him recall his sister's dream of traveling the world. 

During those moments, there would be no semblance of the fast-talking, derisive lawyer. She was replaced by a gentler, more understanding person. In the unusual fog that covered the road in the night, he wanted someone to talk to. He would have that in Zafina.

Despite being a dysfunctional trio on paper, the three of them gelled together pretty well. Harris recalled his friends' suggestion for a trip, but he'd been too busy with Roslin's problem at that point. 

This trip, or whatever it could be called, was what he would've preferred. He'd always enjoyed spontaneity – despite not being a spontaneous person himself. His two companions offered that extra flavor of impulsiveness and amusement that was impossible to manufacture. 

Huey with spunk and innocence that he desperately tried to hide. Zafina brought witticism with an underlying sense of responsibility. There was more to them than met the eye, and Harris wanted to know more. His resoluteness about ending their association after reaching Longton was running thin. 

"Is that it?" Huey asked.

They were watching the dust storms collide. So far, there was none of the powerful battle promised. Instead, the two swirling gusts of wind seemed barely capable of disturbing a piece of paper.

"Great turnout, though," said Zafina sarcastically. There was no one else there.

"At least it's free," said Harris.

"You expected them to put a border around the wind?"

"After that tortoise race, I won't write anything out."

The two of them chuckled while Huey continued to stare befuddled at the dust storms.

"Impossible. A boring dust storm and you two getting along."

"When he's not being a buzzkill he's not so bad." Zafina conceded. However, Harris had set off ahead by then. "Like just now; he didn't even stick around for a compliment. Where are you going?"

"I bet I can get a great shot of this," Harris called back, he'd spotted the point where the two storms met with the hue of the sky interlaced between. A subtle shot of the sun was breaking from a cloud. He couldn't resist letting this go.