Love & Greed

Chapter Six

    We get to a stopping point, and make camp. It's not as hidden but even so no normal person would notice or pay no mind. It took some convincing but I took first watch so that Jasyn could rest. He reluctantly, agrees and takes no time falling into slumber. I watch the sky as he snores softly, it was cloudy and not a lot of stars was shining, the moon barely peeking out behind them. I sigh, how far would I haven't gotten on my own, I thought, could I even make it without Jasyn, to the next town or would I even be heading for the next town? Where would I have gone?

    None of the questions I had answers for, so I was left to little to no imagination. I curled my knees up to my chest and rested my chin on them and sighed once more. I was grateful for the newfound peace and quiet but I missed the knowing. I had no idea want the next day would bring and that left me in a constant state of worrying. I stayed quiet in my thoughts until Jasyn woke up, he sits up yawning and stretching. He scratches his head absentmindedly as looks up at me.

"Good nap?" I ask, and he chuckles, "something like that."

"Don't worry, nothing eventful happened." I say, "well, you did swallow a few bugs snoring."

    "Ha! I don't snore, you must have heard the wind." Yeah right. I smile and roll my eyes. He comes over to me and throw his blanket around me, it was still nice and warm from his body heat. I gladly took it but didn't say it out loud. "I have my own, you know." I say instead of thank you. He agrees with me, "Yeah, but I took all this time warming this up for you." I outright laughed, and shook my head. He was something else. He chuckled, "Go on and get some rest, Rhiannon." He didn't have to tell me twice, I laid down on my pallet, and with Jasyn still near me I fell into slumber.

* * *

    I woke up to Jasyn still up looking up at the sky and our surroundings. It was still dark so I asked, "How long have I been asleep?" He didn't answer me, "Jasyn?" Still no answer. I get into a sitting position and wave my hand in front of his face. He showed no signs of response to me, "am I still asleep?" I get up and look around, everything looked exactly as it did when I fell asleep, "this is creepy." I mutter to myself. I try Jasyn one more time to be sure when I voice echoed the night.

    "He won't respond to you." It was the same voice in my previous dreams, I heard it speak but never towards me.

"How do you know he won't respond?" I asked, looking around for the voice.

    "You won't find me yet, my Chosen One." His voice was deep and soothing, I found myself longing towards it. Yet I couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from, as if it was coming from all directions and none at the same time.

"Who are you?"

"I am your Fated One." Fated One? What even is that?

"I don't understand." I admitted.

    The voice chuckled, it actually made my heart flutter. Is that why I'm feeling like this, because he's my Fated One? "You destined, you are supposed to be mine, but they stole you away from me." Stole me away?

"Stole me? I was born into the vill-"
   
    "Yes, this this reincarnation did, but in the beginning, Chosen One, you were by my side for centuries before they stole you from underneath my nose. Now, they shall be punished until I have you again."

    "Now, hold on!" I stop him, "I am my own person. No matter the reincarnation, I belong to no one, and it is my decision alone where I go. No one, not even the Fated One, will tell me what to do nor where I should be." The voice was so quiet I felt like I was just arguing with myself. Was I just talking to myself the whole time?

    "In due time, where I have you, close, again," He spoke again, changing his wording. Did I impact him enough, or was he just trying to deter my emotions elsewhere? "You'll come to understand everything."

    "Understand everything? In due time? Why can't you just tell me now?" Why all these secrets and runarounds? How am I to understand if no one tells me? "Wait, before you go, or before I wake up, how do I find you?" Why was I impulsed to ask that?! I didn't even know if this dream was real or not. This could be someone who is trying find and kill me!

    "Your pet is trying to wake you, my Chosen One. Spend what little time you have left with him. I won't let him come with you." Wait, what? I turn to look at Jasyn and he grabbed my shoulders. He looked panicked, he shook my shoulders, despite me staring into his eyes.

    "Rhiannon, wake up." I closed my eyes, "We need to leave." When I opened them again he was looking down at me, I jerked up. The cover falling from my shoulders.

    "I was literally just sitting up." I mutter to myself, amazed, at how surreal the dream felt. I look at Jasyn, he moved away from me packing everything he could in a hurry. "What are you doing?"

"We need to start moving, there are people tracking us."

    "Wait, what?!" I jump up, picking up my pallet, he helps me roll it up and shoved it in my bag. "How do you know someone is tracking us?"

    "A hawk was circling over head of us. As it got closer to us, it shrilled out a signal before leaving the direction it came in." Jasyn grabbed my arm and pulled me with him. He was squeezing my arm tightly and walking me faster than my feet could keep up.

    "Jasyn!" I was stumbling trying to keep my footing. He didn't respond or slow down, his grip only tightened. "Jasyn!" I yell, I jerk my arm back causing myself to completely lose my balance and I fell to the ground. Jasyn stopped and went to grab me again but I shove him away from me. "Rhiannon! We don't have time for your tantrum." He snaps. "Your life is in danger." He tries to grab me, again and this time I shove all of my force, vines came up and wrapped his chest and arms together.

    "How about we get one thing straight, Jasyn." I sneered his name. I get up and dust my legs off. I look at my arm where he was pulling me and I could see the bruising form. I look back at him and glared. Red was all I could see. "I am not the one throwing a tantrum here, you are. If this is how you operate in a dire situation I'm better off alone."

    "Rhiannon, I'm just trying to keep us safe. I'm just trying to keep a level head" He's wiggling trying to get out of my vines. "Rhiannon, we need to be moving. We can argue this when we get away."

    "This is not level headed, Jasyn. Pulling me around, not uttering so much as a plan, acting calmly whatsoever. Just use your words, Jasyn, communication is key, if you want this traveling together to work. I will not be shoved nor pulled around by anyone anymore, I do not care what situation I'm in. Do you understand me?" I was in his face by the time I stopped talking, staring him straight into the eyes.

    "All right," He sighs, "I'm sorry for reacting the way I did and if I hurt you. I was just scared for you, I wanted to keep you out of harms way." I loosened up the vines til they went limp and fell to the ground around him. He steps over the lump of vines, "are we good here?" He asks.

    "Yeah, we're good here." I mutter, he turns away from me and walks in the direction as before. He didn't look back to see if I was following him. I sigh, looking at the vines one more time. I felt empowered, when those vines responded the exact way I wanted them to. Perhaps I could do this on my own, if it came down to it. I just needed more practice on my defense power. Maybe the next stopping point I can practice more. I stayed a few steps behind Jasyn, and he didn't try to slow to walk with me, not that I wanted him to, I encouraged the quiet. I needed time to think for myself, to come up with my own plan, especially if Jasyn acts like this again. If this is how he acts at the first sign of danger, I can't imagine how he'll act when danger decides to show up. I shudder at the thought.