I slept inside the carriage for once. With Ronalt and Ardent gone there was two free beds I could use. Earnest sat on one beside me while I prepared my own. The room was small and barely fit the three beds as it was. If Ronalt were here, even if Ardent wasn't I'd choose to sleep outside. I couldn't see the large man fitting to such a small mattress.
I unconsciously felt Earnest's eyes on me while I got changed, "Umm why are you staring at me?" I was quite sure he didn't swing that way but on further thought I had never seen him take an interest in women outside of swordsmanship.
He didn't move, "I am curious about you Rain."
I finished changing out of my suit and into more comfortable sleep wear, "I could say the same to you." Seriously he was a mystery, aside from the debt he had racked up gambling when he was drunk there shouldn't be any other reason he was with us. Then again he probably enjoyed the journey for the challenge.
"Then shall we play a game? I'll ask you one question and then you. We keep going till one of us cannot answer."
I slid under the blankets of the bed and faced him, "Sure but I'm going first."
"Go ahead," he smirked.
"Okay then, first, what's with your sword? You hardly put it down and heck I've seen you sleeping with it."
He held up the sheathed blade and looked at it fondly, "It's a memento of my family back home also I doubt you'd find a finer blade." True when I had gone against it seriously it had shattered my sword without so much as a scratch. But more importantly,
"Family? So you're not a complete lone wonderer?"
"My turn first Rain," he leaned back on the wall and eyed me. "You're skills with the bow, where did you learn them?"
"My foster father Morgan. He's a hunter in Axel. We've gone hunting together several times." I turned back to him, "So this family of yours, where exactly are you from?"
"I come from Qing. Though where it is from here, I couldn't tell you other than it is across the seas."
"So you're lost?"
Earnest paused, "I'm on a journey. There is no such thing as being lost, but simply wondering in a different way."
"Yeah that sounds like you're lost to me...."
He changed the subject, "I'd like to know how someone like you is skilled in so many different fields. Even in swordsmanship you have shown enormous talent."
I laughed, "Well my parents say I learn quickly but I still put in a lot of effort you know. The reason I know so many different fields though," I smiled thinking about it. "When I was found I was the town's only child. Everyone wanted to raise me so instead every week I'd spend time with a different parent. Being a small town it really didn't make much difference but it ended up being kind of a competition to see just who's path I would follow. So over the years I learnt them all equally."
"That sounds... exhausting," Earnest looked at me sympathetically.
"I loved it. Anyway where did you learn how to use the sword?"
"My uncle taught me."
"That's it?"
"That's it," he nodded in reply.
"That's not fair, at least give me some details," I felt cheated.
"Fine," his expression grew strangely sombre, "I was taught in a school with many others and I excelled. Unlike you the sword is my life, without it I am nothing."
"I could teach you how to cook, I already have two pupils one more won't change much."
Earnest faced me seriously, "Would you like to die?" My reply stuck in my throat. I couldn't tell if he was joking. "When we first fought was that really the first time?"
I hesitated at the question, "What makes you say that?"
"The way you looked at me back then, it was as if you had already seen through me. Thus why I decided to attack you seriously and as a result you defended it."
"I think you would remember if we had fought before," I laughed trying to make it sound natural. "Like I said before, beginner's luck or really it was me panicking."
"Of course.... I think it is time we end this game."
"Does that mean I win?" I asked teasingly.
"This time yes. Good night Rain," he turned his back to me and laid out on top the bed his sword never leaving his side. I was a little unsatisfied. I had hoped to get more out of him, instead I sighed and closed my eyes.
*
Morning came and at first light I had the carriage set off. I wanted to reach Axel by tomorrow afternoon. There was no real reason for it but I was anxious. While Axel was close to the border forest we had never interacted with the demons apart from the occasional sighting. They kept to their side and us to ours. There was no reason for them to attack Axel. What we earned we used mostly for ourselves. We weren't a trading town and our population was only just bordering at two hundred, much less than Greytree or any major town nearby. In fact you could barely call us more than a village. But when I thought about the massacre in the streets of Greytree, how brutal the demons had been and how merciless they had killed the townsfolk, they could do the same to Axel for nothing more than petty want to.
I distracted myself by talking to the others about mundane topics. How the weather was, small titbits, nice and easily going conversations that calmed my heart. By the second night however I couldn't sleep. Now that I was so close and I knew home was not even a day away my body refused to shut down. It was geared to high alert and every small sound caused me to react.
I sat outside the carriage enjoying the cool night air hoping eventually I'd be called to slumber. A part of me was just nervous going home. It hadn't even been a month since I was carted away to the capital but that was in real time. The struggle I had taken to actually arrive at this moment was still gripping my lungs making it harder to breath.
A sound caught my ears, no more than the shuffling of leaves but I responded and spoke in a low voice, "Taylor don't you dare."
"Tch," she clicked her tongue and moved out from the shadow. "I'm surprised you found me."
I hid my surprise that she was actually there. I had only said it on a whim. "I've known you long enough to see it coming."
"Have you though?" she sat beside me. "I mean it hasn't even been three weeks yet."
I looked down unable to reply.
"But I get it," her words caught me. "I feel like the time we've spent together has been much longer. Though I can't quite put a reason why on it."
I looked at her intently. Was it a coincidence? It could easily be due to the way I've naturally gotten use to her and it was just her reacting but maybe just maybe, some small part of the lives I had spent were coming across to her. I shook the thought away. Even if it was true there wasn't much I could do about it.
"You're nervous aren't you?" she poked my side. The sudden sensation caused me to jump. "Let me guess, you're afraid how your parents will react when you bring a beauty like me home." She flaunted herself.
"Far from it," I pushed her away jokingly. "It's just been awhile...."
"You know I'm pretty good at calming people," her hand reached over to my thigh. "Lara's sleeping right now but if we're quiet she'll never know."
"I really wonder what would happen if I say yes," I smirked and picked up her hand placing it back at her side. "After all the times you've come on to me, would you be surprised or disappointed."
"Maybe I'd be happy," she winked.
I smiled and looked off into the direction of Axel. My body was no longer shaking inside and a tiredness had built behind my eyes.
"Thank you Taylor," I stood up.
"For what?" she stared at me confused.
"You really are good at calming people. Goodnight."
"But I haven't done anything yet," she said sounding disappointed.
"No, you did," I smiled to her sincerely. Her expression stiffened and she looked away. I entered the carriage and slid into my bed to sleep.