Love & Greed

Chapter Four

"We'll camp here for tonight and we can plan what to do next." We're a few good miles from the village and from either of the two parties. At best they're going in the same direction just with space in between them. It's not much of a plan but I didn't expect anything more from them.

"Sounds good." He agrees, the place I picked was completely grown up and not the ideal place to camp for the naked eye but with each concentrated step, I cleared a small enough path for us to walk farther into the growth. It was harder to tell which was I was going when I had enough of trekking blindly. I cleared off just enough for us to lay down and build a small fire. I began to lay down out mats and get comfortable when Jasyn sits down, "I'll take first shift."

"Are you sure? I'm not tired so it's no trouble for me to watch." I watch him shake his head, "we need you to be well rested for the journey. There is one other village we have an alliance with, we may be able to seek refuge there."

"You already thought this through," I raise an eyebrow at him, semi-impressed.

"Did you not have a plan?" He asks, of course I didn't have a plan, I left on a whim, I was lucky the village didn't hog tie me and drag me along with them.

"Not really," I admit, "I was just going to journey as far as I could away from the village to start but just getting away was my first step. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself now that I don't have anyone nagging, or glaring daggers at me all day." I finally had the nerve to break free from the abusive grasp and I'm feeling guilty.

Jasyn looked at me with sympathy, I really hated it, but I didn't have it in me to snap at him, I was pretty pitiful as it is. I should be thankful I had someone to talk to and to help me out, regardless of if I asked him to or not. "Rhiannon, I'll put this nicely," he begins, "you were on the verge of creating a natural disaster that could wipe the village and a few others off the map, it's a good thing you got to leave when we did."

"That was nicely put?!" I spat out, "I'm not just some disastrous spaz!"

"That's exactly what I mean, you have been calm and calculated your entire life, despite all that you've been through. Shit, you almost died at one point in your life, and you've remained calm ever since. You're the strongest person I know, so to see you at your breaking point and you still manage to calm yourself, is amazes me. I would have recked havoc way before then." I took in his words and analyzed his face, it seemed like he meant every word, so why was I still wary?

I decided to remain silent, I was unsure how to respond. I lay on my back and look up but all I could see was trees, every now and again I would see a small creature move, like a bird or a squirrel, but nothing came down to bother us, luckily. I felt my eyes go heavy and I bobbed in and out consciousness, I tried to fight it as long as I could, but to no avail.

"My Chosen One, you can't hide from me." It was the same voice as my last dream, I jump up and look around for Jasyn but there was no traces of him to be found. I didn't have time to wait on him, I packed my things quickly, snuff out the fire in a hurry and took off in whatever direction I was already facing. I needed to get out of this growth so I could see where I was going and if there was anything or anyone around me.

"Running will get you nowhere, Chosen One." The voice was deep and soothing but I was not swayed so easily, I keep running until I could see sunlight. Finally! I was almost free! The clearing was just up ahead, I caught a small glimpse of it but as it got closer, the farther away it actually was.

No, no, no. This can't be happening! I'm so close!

I try to speed up but vines suddenly gripped my arms and my legs, rendering me immobile almost immediately. The vines worked themselves around my body like snake to it's prey. Soon my entire body was completely wrapped except the bottom half of my face. I was still able to breath and speak. I cried out for help, but my voice simply echoed into an air of nothingness. I could hear footsteps heading my way and a strong fiery scent engulfed my nostrils. I could feel that the presence to be taller than me, yet I wasn't able to look up.

"My Chosen One, why do you run from me?" The deep voice was so close to my ear that a shiver escaped even through the vines, tears escaped down my cheeks and I felt a warm hand wipe them away. "Please, let me go." I whisper,  my own voice weak and little.

"You belong to me, Chosen One. They've kept you away from me for thousands of years, you're mine." The voice growled roughly yet the hand on my cheek stayed gentle. My judgement was becoming clouded as the scent intoxicated me, I needed a distraction of some kind before I let go of my sanity.

"Tell me where you are, my Chosen One." I open my mouth to respond as my mind screamed not to, my body was simply responding without thinking. Think, Rhiannon, think! Wait, I was with Jasyn! Where is Jasyn?!

I muster all of the strength I had left and screamed out, "Jasyn!" The voice growled, "kill him," and the hand was removed, soon the vines were it's grip and I took no time, breaking free from them, I claw them off my face, hoping to catch a glimpse of who the voice belongs to but as soon as I start to see, I'm being shook away, I panic and jerk upward to see Jasyn half way over me looking worried.

"Why are you on me?" I ask, him and his face turns red and he quickly scurried away. "I'm sorry, you were panicking in your sleep and then you screamed out my name, you wouldn't wake up so started to shake you. Cracks were forming around you on the ground. I didn't know what else to do to wake you." I look down and see the same type of cracks that were forming around me when I was in the field before all of this happen. I couldn't caulk it up to be a coincidence, the voice in my dream and the same cracks, it had to mean something.

"Rhiannon, are you okay?" Jasyn asks softly, inching closer, I shake my head to clear my thoughts, "no, I'm fine, it was just a bad dream. It'll go away soon enough." I felt bad for lying but what sense would it be for both of us to be worried about a stupid dream. "You look tired, how long did I sleep?"

"For just a few hours, but you needed it. I can stay up longer if you need more sleep."

"No, we'll have to be heading out soon, it's not safe to stay in one spot for very long. You get some rest cause we're going to be walking for a while once morning comes." He reluctantly agrees and takes no time falling asleep. I began to feel guilty once more for making him worry and keeping him up for so long. I rummage through my bag and pick out an apple seed and my flask of water. I go farther out and dig a about a few inches into the ground and place the seed in the hole snugly. I pour a some water of it, letting it soak up, once it was moist enough i place my hand over the seed and took a deep breath. I close my eyes and concentrated on the seed itself. Soon a pull connecting me to the ground grew strong and sapling popped up in between my fingers, I kept pulling until it was big enough to sprout some apples and picked them off the freshly grown limbs. I bite into one and juices spewed out and made a satisfying crunch. I hungrily scarfed that one down and went in for my second one, I had to stop myself just so that Jasyn could have some in the morning.

Luckily the rest of the night went without a hitch. Once I could light peaking through the tall trees, I woke Jasyn up, which was unsurprisingly hard to do, karma, I guess. I splashed water on his face and he jumps up, in a panic. He wasn't too happy, but it was the quickest way to wake him up. I toss him the couple of apples I had saved and began to pack up.

"You know which way this village is?" I asked, he nodded with a mouth full of apple chunks, muttering out directions of some sort.

"Just lead the way, Johnny appleseed." I roll my eyes at his swift nod. He turns and marches on.

This is going to be a long journey.