Goddess Of Ashes and Sun

CHAPTER EIGHT (Titus)

We trudged through the damp forest, our shoes squelching with every step against the muddy ground. We couldn't bring our horses because 'The forest is too dense and would hurt them' so the man paid someone to keep care of them while we are gone.

The sun was going down in the east and the breeze was turning into a biting wind. I pulled my cloak tighter around me and squinted at the back of our mysterious guide. We'd been following him through the edge of the Reka forest for a day and a half now, all our guards high, ready for any moment he betrayed us.

"How about we call him August?" Amond asked quietly, sidling up beside me, his arms crossed tightly and head bowed against the wind.

"Sure, I don't care." I did a pathetic little shrug.

"Should I ask him?" Amond had been trying out names the whole trip so far and nothing had stuck. Yet.

"Go ahead."

"Hey! Mr No Name! What do you think of August?!" Amond yelled.

"It has a nice ring to it." He shrugged but his shoulders were tense. I watched his filthy bloody bare feet nimbly glide over the wet forest floor.

"He's definitely an assassin," I whispered to Amond.

"I'm just trying to get over the fact that he doesn't wear shoes," he hissed back.

"The way he fights and holds himself, he's definitely in the field of scoundrels."

August slowed his pace and peered at a little cluster of tightly knit together trees. He turned around to face us.

"We'll set up camp here for the night," he called before disappearing.

'Where the hell is he going?' List asked, stopping next to us.

"I'm assuming he's looking for firewood," I answered, ducking under the branches.

"You assume correctly." The hoarse voice startled me and spun around, my blade ready to slice. He stood there with his hidden face, holding a small bundle of firewood in his black-clad arms. His body language was unimpressed.

"Nerves little tense?" He asked cooly, setting the wood at the base of the tree and pulling a flint from some hidden pocket in his coat. I didn't answer but sheathed my dagger quickly.

We helped him start a fire and we ate a measly meal of stale bread and dried beef. Well, List, Amond, and I ate, August just sat there watching us eat. We offered him food but he refused. I also offered to take the first watch and List and Amond quickly fell asleep but August didn't even try to sleep. Or eat. Or drink. Or even piss. He just sat with his back against a tree and sharpened sticks absentmindedly.

"You don't have to stay up, I won't let anyone kill you," I finally said after an hour.

"I'm fine," He mumbled, tossing a stick into the fire, sparks flying around his hooded face.

I shivered and inched a little closer to the fire.

"Oh yeah, totally fine. Haven't eaten or drank anything, no sleep, no pissing. Definitely fine."

"I didn't know you cared that much," he said, lifting his head slightly.

"Can't have the guide dying on us."

"Ah."

"You're not going to even try, are you?" I said after a beat of silence

"Nope."

"Great."

He settled himself against the tree and started throwing sticks into the fire. Sparks and embers flew into my face and I had to scoot away from the fire.