The Time to Run

Chapter XXIX

Bourne pushed Avon away from him and looked her over in disbelief. Avon's eyes had begun to tear up as soon as her brother had opened the door, and now the tears were overflowing.
"What the hell are you doing here?" He asked her. The response she gave was another tight hug. Bourne was three years younger than Avon, despite that, he was taller than her by an inch.  Hesitantly, he stroked her hair. He had always done this when his sister was sad. It made her realise that her brother had not changed at all the year he was gone.
From inside, a shout sounded and a large man appeared in the hallway saying, "What's taking so long, Bourne?" The man stopped walking when he saw Avon.
"Who might this be, Bourne? A girlfr-"
"No! This is my sister."
"What's she doing here?"
"Don't know. Can she come in?"
"Yeah, sure."
Bourne guided Avon in and sat her down at the dinner table. The house her brother lived in was big, and he shared it with a number of other people. Some of them asked what was going on while others walked by without question.
"Avon, why are you here?"
"The dragon," Avon said, ignoring the question. "Rapid's outside."
"Hey, Adam." Bourne called. The man who had been in the hallway looked up.
"What?" He asked.
"Avon's dragon is outside. Can you put her in the stable"
"Yep." Adam walked off and outside, hopefully doing what Bourne had asked.
"Avon, why are you here?"
"I guess news hasn't reached Woodlake yet."
"What news?" Bourne asked.
Avon looked around to check no one was listening. She explained to him that she was on the run from the capital, and the reason why. She told him about her adventures, not including anything about Jack.
"My god. How are you still alive? Surely you couldn't do that alone."
"I did it alone."
Bourne looked at her. She was beginning to cry again. Avon thought she was completely over Jackson, but clearly there was a part of her that wasn't.
"Avon. Tell me the truth." Bourne said.
"I met this man. He was called Jackson. I was.. I was beginning to l-love him, but then he left me to die with the Queen." The last words Avon spoke were filled with loathing.
"So you gave your heart to him." Avon nodded. Then Bourne giggled. She looked over at him, confused. Her brother was senseless, as he had always been. "My god, Avon, that's just... so... you!" She elbowed him, hard, but he carried on.
"I remember. You always got so sad when friends you had made, like, two days before wouldn't help you with something."
Avon giggled half heartedly. "Yeah. I guess."
"Remember Ada?" He continued. "You made friends with her the day before and you got home fuming because she didn't help you with clearing out the dragon stalls!"
Avon elbowed him hard in the ribs : other people were coming in to see what all the laughing was about. However, she only succeed in making her brother giggle uncontrollably.