Behind His Weary Eyes (Novella) ✔️

24 ✙ Wholeheartedly Yours

Through the rising organic debris, the scenery muddled into a blurred mix of browns and grays. The wind whipped around her while lightning crackled overhead. The small lantern she'd snagged from the Tlochk post lit a meter diameter if that. Asa tried to recall the way her lover had taken the night he saved her, but her memories jumbled into an unusable mass.

Of all her Two-forsaken luck this night, she had to be lost now. She had figured Renvir would be here with her to guide her to Ulani's tribe. Clutching the egg tighter, she forced one foot in front of the other.

Renvir was supposed to be here. Why couldn't he be here?

The medic's foot slipped into a puddle of mud. Groaning, she tried to pull it out. Exhaustion tore at her limbs, causing her to fall to her knees. The mud swallowed her legs. None of this was supposed to happen, not this way.

Asa stayed on the ground to catch her breath. Closing her eyes, she cradled the egg. Where was she supposed to go? As if to answer her question, squishing footsteps stopped in front of her.

"Is that his child?"

Looking up, a silhouette of a Celest greeted her. The lantern's light poked holes through their wings, confirming the voice: Sandor. Asa nodded, bowing her head.

"Where is Renvir?"

The medic whined, restraining the stinging sadness inside her chest. "He's gone."

The words didn't feel real. The world didn't feel real. Asa's mind swirled, and her stomach churned. All she had left of her lover sat in the sling. The egg's weight bore into her arms, causing them to tremble. Sandor reached out, taking the unhatched child from her and her lantern. Before she could protest, the Celest spoke.

"You have carried them long enough. Come."

The medic froze, watching him walk away. He hated her. Or, perhaps, had hated her. Their first meeting stood far off in the distance, its shadow no longer casting the grisly disdain over them. As he turned around, his eyes softened.

"I will take you to Ulani."

Confused yet grateful, the medic rose to her feet and hobbled next to him. She regained a normal gait after they wove between a cluster of tents that blocked the wind. With the narrowing of the path, the medic found herself brushing against the Celest. He remained unbothered by the touch.

"Why are you helping me?" Asa asked. The words came out so quiet she wasn't sure he heard at first. After a moment, Sandor grunted.

"After he told me to leave, I still saw him in the mines each day while we worked. He looked happier each time," he paused, "He was happier. Because of you."

"He's dead because of me."

"No. His death was already sealed. It took me until recently to accept that. You helped him enjoy what life he had left, something I could not." The Sharder's voice cracked. He lowered his head. "This is something I know I can do."

Approaching a broad tent, he opened the flap and motioned for her to go inside. Rain dropped on her as she entered. When she saw bright-green scales under the dancing candlelight, she knew he'd taken her to the right place.

The female Wikev scanned her, then Sandor, who set the egg in front of them. No words were said. The sheen of tears in her eyes told them she already knew. Slowly, she slunk toward the unhatched child and unwrapped it. She pressed her recessed ears next to the shell. Her brows scrunched.

"Are they..."

Ulani's voice trailed off. Asa knelt beside her.

"I'm not sure. They moved earlier."