[ 122 ]
They didn't hang around much longer. As soon as they were able to, Falcon had the horse shooting from the shack as they attempted to put as much distance between themselves and the Viper Clan as possible. The speed, cross with the chilling temperature of the wind, had Finch scrunching up his face and trying to make himself look as small as possible.
With his back pressed snuggly against Falcon's chest, it somewhat eased the process knowing he was stealing the man's body heat. But the same could be said for the man riding on the back, whose arms were almost entirely wrapped around Finch as he held the reigns. Clinging to one another as they braced the weather.
Having made the journey many times before, Falcon knew the route off by heart. But even then, he was cautious. Tracks could be traced, and if they were followed then he didn't want to lead them straight to their destination. So Falcon decided to go an alternative route, which resulted in the horse taking on the brunt of the unstable terrain on the first leg of their journey.
It was far from comfortable for both men as well, but with the obscure movements came the opportunity to rest. When they came to a halt, Falcon instructed for Finch to remain on the horse until he returned. Which the man did after surveying their layout.
They were surrounded by trees, some which were clinging to the remaining few leaves that swayed with the wind. Under their feet was huge boulders which perched precariously over the steep incline of the hills. But judging by the vegetation that had grown around them, said boulders hadn't experienced activity like rockfall for many, many years. Which made it safe for the pair to stop.
The wind howled spookily, brushing against Finch's face as he sat atop the hungry horse. Due to the horses size, he would certainly be exposed if someone happened to pass by.
When the sound of a twig snapping came from close by, Finch whirled around and his hand reached for the weapon which belonged to Falcon, that was kept strapped to the horse. Fortunately, though, it was a fat bird which had suddenly taken flight and in doing so broke where it had been perched.
Just as Finch felt himself relax, Falcon showed his face. The first thing he did was greet the horse, stroking its face so it wasn't startled by his abrupt arrival from the tree-line. Afterwards, he took the reign and started walking onwards, leading the both of them through some trees and slightly upwards.
As Finch wondered if they were going to venture all the way to the top— it levelled out. They had only reached a halfway point in the large hill, but it seemed to be a hidden shelter. The strange rock formation, along with the canopy of vegetation, created the perfect place for them to take cover from the elements.
The thick, lush surroundings could potentially mask a fire if they set one. But also give them the advantage over potential predators. So Finch was happy to get down from the horse, with certain parts of his body aching more than he would have liked, but he was determined not to let it show. Because Falcon, on the other hand, was completely untroubled.
"The weather's turning, so we'll stay here for now and let the horse rest." Falcon eventually said after silently conducting the processes of setting up their temporary camp.
To help the man out, Finch brought the horse further into the protection of the shelter and grabbed a portion of grain they had as a part of their supplies. He fed the horse whilst stroking its main as he discreetly watched Falcon, whose expression was as pensive as ever.
Only when Falcon was willing to stop, did Finch join him by sitting on the ground after fetching the shawl. They had been plastered against each other all morning, so Finch didn't hesitate as he draped it over both of their laps. It had the silver eyed man looking at him for a few seconds, but not rejecting the offer for warmth.
"What happens if your men return to Viper?"
Falcon poked at the smouldering pile of misshapen wood in front of them. Unlike in modern day, where lighting a fire without the use of a match would take a long time, Falcon didn't know any different and so his method and speed was unique yet effective. The fire wasn't huge, yet it crackled along the wood and gave their frozen fingers an opportunity to warm up.
"If they turned around as soon as they dropped the supplies, then they would have reached over the halfway point by now. If so, then tomorrow we'll meet them on the same route."
Finch snuggled his arms under the shawl, tilting his head towards the man who was speaking, "Even though we're going this way?"
"If you know which path to take, then you know that it loops back around." Falcon reached to his side and brought out some more wood before tossing it on the fire. The heat tickled Finch's cold cheeks, making his skin flush.
Once again, the usual yet oddly comforting silence filled the space between them. Watching the flames flicker and waver proved to apply weight on Finch's already tired eyes. The wind was a force to be reckoned with, leeching out any remnants of energy.
Both men let their hairs down, allowing the strands to fall around their shoulders and hopefully heat them up with the assistance of the fire. Even though they were technically in the wilderness, Finch felt secure. Whether it was Falcon's calm movements throughout their mad-dash out of the clan, or the snuffing of the horse happily munching away on his early lunch, Finch was able to chip away at the lingering anxiety and take consolation from the fact that— for the time being— he was out of harms way.
As such, Finch suggested them getting a bite to eat before they moved on. Falcon suggested that he go and find some animal for them to roast, but Finch turned him down. He didn't want to feel like some housewife as his husband went out to get the grub. Instead he looked towards the bag of supplies, which were set down on the ground to ease the strain off the horse.
He fetched some of the fruits he had grabbed last minute when they were escaping the storage hut. Some of them were apples, but there weren't many of them. Though, given that Falcon was considered one of the top warriors in Viper Clan, Finch had no reservations about going hungry. So he brought them over to the fire, along with the cloth containing the flowers, herbs and roots.
After looking around with a conflicted expression, he spotted a thin slab-type rock. Passing over the ingredients to Falcon, he disappeared to the other side of the shelter and grabbed a few things. He scurried back, shivering from being away from the fire.
Fahren couldn't cook savoury dishes— not successfully anyway— but when it came to sweet things, he considered himself a master.
Setting a rock either side of the fire, Finch took the slab and carefully yet speedily placed it on top of them. With the makeshift platform ready to go, the heat penetrating through the rock and creating an effect like a hot-plate, Finch dropped to his knees and returned to his earlier position. Meanwhile, Falcon was watching with a perplexed expression.
It wasn't so much that he didn't know what the boy was doing, it was more so because of the speed Finch was going at when involving food.
"I need your knife," Finch turned his head and said to the man who was silently watching.
There was a moment of doubt in the silver eyes, but before Finch had to argue with the man, he was handed what he asked for.
Finch gratefully took it and started cutting up the apples, but without a plate to do it on, it took a little longer than he anticipated. Each and every slice he plopped on the hot-plate, and when the last of the bundle of apples was on there, Finch turned his attention towards the supplies he'd carefully protected inside of a piece of fabric.
Setting it on the ground in front of the fire, he unravelled it and had a look. Other than the odd petal which was crumpled, there was limited damage. It wasn't necessarily the petals that were the important parts anyway, so Finch was relieved.
Picking out the long-stemmed yellow flower, Finch snapped it in half. What was growing from the considered to be 'underground stem' was ginger root. This was something Falcon would probably recognise given that, on the rare occasion, it was used in cooking. Hawk had been aware of its existence, just not that it could be used medically.
Not needing a lot of it, Finch carefully cut slithers off the end before peeling the outer-coating off. The edible parts were then added to the hot-plate along with the gradually softening apples. There was a few slithers left behind, which Finch decided not to use, so he turned to the man beside him and urged him to eat one or two.
"Ginger," he said for times sake, "It helps with any pains and also helps prevent any in the near future." He took one and popped it in his mouth. Though not his favourite flavour, Finch wasn't foolish enough to ignore the potentially life-saving benefits it could bring.
Falcon did the same and his brows wrinkled for a moment after he did so. Instead of laughing, which is what Finch was on the brink of doing, he turned and with another stick started mixing the softened apples.
Stewed apple was a simple meal to make, but it was an ideal choice when they were being chilled to the bone as they travelled. Along with the addition of the ginger, it warmed the both of them when they ate from the hot-plate Finch took off of the fire with his hands protected by the shawl. The slight spice had Finch closing his eyes and recalling his mental list of favourite sweets.
Once it had been devoured, they were both content in their fullness. Which is why it was easy for Finch to ask questions he previously hesitated to bring up. "Is there a chance that the Chief will listen if we return?"
Finch was unsure about what constituted as a pass in the current world, but he predicted that two groups ripping each other's throats out until the last one standing, wouldn't be the right way to go. He hoped that it would be like it was in his previous life, where if the tyrants were taken down, then the people who flock behind them would also admit defeat. But the addition of a deity, along with his apparent favouritism, put a spanner in the works.
But his worries weren't entertained, as Falcon seemed unwilling to respond. Though he didn't look angry, he still didn't approve. It made that previously natural silence become tenser. Which had Finch sighing, looking down at his hands. He chewed frustratedly on the inside of his cheek for a moment or two.
"Usually I can read people quite well." He muttered, "Usually, I can tell when they harbour bad intentions. I get a feel for them pretty quickly, but Hawk was different. Though I was wary of his devotion to his god, he completely blindsided me. He didn't act obviously fake, not in my eyes anyway. He didn't shout when I was stubborn and showed my personality, unlike other slaves who are too afraid to. He reassured me when I had doubts and seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say— even if most of the time it was nothing important."
Finch looked at Falcon, "So I can understand why you may not trust me, but since I have snubbed Hawk, stollen from his clan, and left with his brother.. I can promise you that I'm not willing to get anywhere near him again. If I do, it will be to ensure he get's the proper punishment for slaughtering my family."
Falcon simply listened. His expression was relatively flat, clearly not tremendously moved by Finch's words. But it didn't matter, Finch told himself, as long as the man listened.
"I would have taken your token and left you, if I didn't trust you. I also wouldn't have told you what I have, or trusted you to keep quiet when we stole what we did." Falcon announced as he looked at the fire, "Where we are going is far more precious than anything the Viper Clan have, and I would never have thought to bring you if I thought you were a threat."
"It's not your fault," he sighed, "Hawk has always been convincing. When I got in trouble when we were children, I always believed it was my fault. But even then, he was greedy for attention. He wanted it all. Our actions as children shouldn't be something that defines us, and yet Hawk only got worse. When Zephyr found him, it only made it worse."
"Found him? Don't people discover their gods?" Even though Finch was appreciative of the man's words, the latter part of his speech was what captured Finch's attention.
Falcon shrugged his shoulders. "If that's what you'd like to believe. I think it's deliberate; if our deity sees all then why does he pay special attention to Hawk, who he knows is dangerous?"
That was a question Finch honestly couldn't answer. But it was one he'd certainly ask if he ever saw Zephyr again. But knowing the divine being's talent at dodging questions, he doubted he'd get an answer.
"Perhaps," he hesitated as soon as he started speaking, "It's not as we think we see it? I mean, Hawk was about to let me get branded, but from what I can see, the deity stopped that from happening by giving me this token. Everything is still confused, but I know that me going with you is the right choice. It's just taken me stepping back to see things a bit clearer."
Beside him, Falcon had stopped prodding at the fire to stare at him. Eventually, he seemed to collect his thoughts. "I don't think there will be an opportunity to talk with the Chief because I predict Hawk will kill him sooner or later. He will see us escaping as our father's failure, and no doubt use that to make everyone support him." He looked at the ground, saddened for the first time in the whole situation.
"I cannot look at the deity they call their benevolent god as just that. Because I often wonder whether my brother was part of someone else's plan; whispering in his ear and driving him to do what he has done."
Outside of the shelter, dripping from the rocks keeping them covered, was a lashing of rain. The wind had died down so the big blobs fell straight down, drenching anyone who ventured out. It was a somewhat peaceful sound along with the gentle crackling of the wood as it continued to burn. Both men were silent as they became swallowed by their own thoughts.
Only as the rain began to pass, disappearing in the direction they had urgently fled from, did someone speak up. But it was surprisingly Falcon who did so first. "What were your brothers or sisters like?" He asked calmly.
Finch froze but quickly remembered that it was Finch's siblings he was referring to. But there was something that stopped him from talking about those who had departed. Even though they were technically related, Finch only had vague memories, with the only vivid one being when he first opened his eyes and was scolded by the person who was apparently his brother.
So Fahren thought of his own brothers. Though it was easier not to think about his real family, he was aware that it was becoming too easy. But as soon as Falcon asked, memories resurfaced.
"Strong, in every sense of the word." Finch smiled warmly. "Our father was someone who didn't get the love and affection from his parents, and so struggled to give it to his sons as a result. I believed my brothers, for a long time, were just like him. But now that I look back, I know that's not true. They had their own way of showing affection, but I just took it the wrong way. They were always checking up on me, seeing what I was doing. My stupid brain saw that as them taunting me or something, but they were genuinely just concerned. It's hard not to dislike myself when I look back."
"When it comes to our family, we can be very forgiving. But from what you've told me, I imagine that just as you dislike yourself.. your brothers felt that way about themselves too. They probably felt guilty for making you think as you do and tried to find the right way of saying that. But we're all awkward and prideful creatures, so honesty isn't something that comes easily for most."
Finch watched the man's forlorn expression set in. He couldn't help but ask, "How many times did you try to forgive Hawk?"
Falcon tilted his head and looked at him, initially unwilling to answer. But then he sighed and looked away, "Many times. And each and every one of them resulted in a scar on my body." He revealed grimly.
Whilst Finch thought about what he could say to comfort the man, the silence was swiftly filled by the sound of the rain which had started once again, but seemingly with a vengeance.
[ TBC ]
[ A/N: Heyhey, just to let you all know, the New Year's artwork being done by the amazing Inkyll is coming soon~ I've seen snippets and it looks delicious! Niklas and Hansel officially won, and by a long-shot! ]
[ A/N: If you want to support me, encouraging me and funding me to keep on writing until my keyboard breaks (or me) then pls consider checking out my Patreon. You can read ahead in chapters, plus extras which are coming sooooon~ The link is in my bio, if you're interested <3 ]