Shaffron

CHAPTER 10

"My life?" Shaffron whispered, remembering how she suddenly blacked out as the sand was swallowing her.

Ebuza nodded before looking around.

"It's getting dark already. I arranged a place where you can rest." He gestured a tiny tent made of knitted leaves.

"How will that contain us?" Jerry asked the moment he got a view of the tent. He was a bit calmer now.

Ebuza shrugged and bid them farewell.

"I will be back tomorrow." He morphed into a snake causing Shaffron to jump and then slithered away.

Silence enveloped the atmosphere and Shaffron stood awkwardly beside Jerry.

Jerry made the first move, going into the tent and opening the leaf like curtain in invitation for Shaffron to join in. With slow steady steps, Shaffron went closer to the tent trying to steady her erratic heart race.

"It's not ideal, neither is it anything you're used to from where you're from. But it will do." Jerry encouraged her.

That seemed to work because she squatted to his level and pushed into the tiny tent. There was no space enough for one to stand but it was not tight either. The most they could do in the tent was to sit or lay.

Shaffron thanked the skies she was not cluster phobic.

She heaved a sigh looking at the small space. The woven material of the tent was held tight with just enough space for the passage of air but also enough to keep him warm from the night chill.

When her gaze wondered to Jerry, she noticed that he had this distant look on his handsome face.

She nudged him.

"Wanna talk about it?" She asked staring at him but he hardened his face with more built up walls.

"Not really." He shrugged her off, laying on the makeshift pillow.

"Jerry-"

"What?" he snapped.

Shaffron recoiled making giving him a dirty look but he did not as much as open his eyes.

"Well excuse me if I'm concerned about you. If you have not noticed, this is all new to me and I too want to get the fuck out of here but I'm stuck here with you. Quit acting like a big baby and just talk to me." She fumed.

He sighed pulling his arm away from his eyes. Shaffron watched him patiently as he slowly opened his eyes. The intensity of his brown orbs hit her hard. Still, she did not take her eyes off him.

He pushed up and sat next to her. His body heat emitting from him and sipping through her.

He cleared his throat but said nothing for a while.

"I..." He paused and turned to face her "I'm sorry" he choked out, his eyes down casted.

Shaffron was not expecting that answer but she went with it. At least he was talking. Maybe she'll get him to talk about why he looked so frightened eventually.

"For what exactly?" She raised a brow at him. "I mean, you yelled at me, shoved me when I tried to help not to-"

"For bringing you here." He cut her off.

"Last time I checked, I brought us here." She snorted.

"That's..." sigh "that's not what I mean. If I had done more research on the land, I would have known there was a portal I promised you safety but you almost died today. You don't even know a thing about this land or their cultures-"

"neither do you"

"- or the dangers they poise. You signed up for a peaceful trip on the lion camp yet here you are..." He trailed off.

Shaffron shook her head at him.

"It's not your fault, stop blaming yourself." She whispered but he was not with her anymore. His eyes said his mind was elsewhere.

"My dad, he told me stories about these people. He promised that I'd never experience the life they did. I'm so confused." He choked out, looking broken.

Shaffron's anger dissolved.

And although she did not know the cause of the haunted look on his face, she understood that he did not want to talk anymore.

Moving closer to him, she wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him.

"I believe everything happens for a reason. My God, the one I believe in will deliver us from this. We will get out of this mess together." She squeezed him, feeling his tensed up back relax then pulled back.

With her small hands, she held on to his face, letting her thumb skim through his stubble cheek. She felt his pain as though they were hers.

"Me and you meeting, it wasn't by chance, Jerry. And though I'm confused and scared as hell of what lies ahead, knowing we'll be together is enough consolation."

Jerry gave her a small smile and she once again, hugged him this time though he relaxed almost immediately and hugged her back.

Jerry laid slightly. Listening to the steady breathing of Shaffron. She had fallen asleep hours ago but Jerry could not even blink.

'He wanted to make sure nothing would happen.' Was what he thought to himself but deep down, he knew he did not sleep for a whole different reason. His father's face was etched on his memory.

Came morning but Jerry had not slept a wink. He shut his eyes when he felt Shaffron stirring in his arms.

When he felt her move to sit up, he stretched and slowly opened his eyes, making it seem as though he too had just woken up.

Depths of electrified blue stared back at him.

"Good morning." He whispered, his voice coming out hoarsely.

Shaffron smiled, dots of pink tainting her pale skin at their proximity and muttered a 'morning' before sitting up.

Strangely enough, even after walking the whole day in the desert under the sun and not taking a bath the whole day no odor emitted either of them.

Jerry crawled out of the tent, trying to give her some privacy.

Ebuza, sitting on the floor right outside the tent was the first thing Jerry noticed when he got out of the tent.

"How did you sleep?" the boy's voice echoed in his head.

Jerry grunted in response.

"How long till we get to the temple of knowledge?" He asked the boy instead.

"That depends on how fast you acquire the map." The boy answered.

"Map? What map?" Shaffron asked getting out of the tent.

Her hair was tied in a tight bun, making her features more prominent and sharp.

"The map of the temple. I know the way to the temple but to the sacred room, you need a map." He explained without his lips moving.

Shaffron nodded at this.

"And where do we get this map?" Jerry spoke up after a minute of silence with his hand on his hip.

"A few hours walk form here lies the Zraftharat village. The sacred map is at the heart of the village." He paused, causing both mortals to stare at him. "the clan is very cunning. Never let your guards down with them"

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