The Wither's Wake

Chapter 7: The past

In the morning i woke in Richard's bed, he wasn't in the tent. I sat up and looked around wondering where he went. I got up and got outside , everyone was packing up, my heart sank. "Hey icara! Ready to start packing?" Richard came up and asked me. "But why? We just got back..." I said, a hint of disappointment in my tone. "But... we have a mission!" he said, trying to cheer me up. "I know it's just..." I missed my home. It felt better to have something to come back to. Green trotted up, "Cmon, we gotta go guys were busy people." he walked off and Richard shrugged before leaving me to pack. I started to resent coming and even, perhaps meeting Richard again. Even if I did love him...

We were walking along a desert plain. It had to be at least 100 degrees out. Green had stopped us near a pile of cactus, there was a village nearby, despite the desolate well nearby, it was flourishing. I stayed behind all of them, green and Richard nodded towards me. "Ato, stay with Icara," Green ordered. "Aw C'mon!" I wanted to come!" He complained Heavily. Richard shot a bad look at Ato and he got quiet. He looked at me like I was just being plain mean and stayed behind for myself. Though I was, But not for those sub-reasons.

Green walked off and I was left with Ato. He whined out loud and walked a bit of ways from me, "Why do you have to be so selfish and self righteous Icara... I mean it's not like green likes you or anything, and neither does Richard." He spat the last part out like it was sour to even think about.I felt a twinge of pain in my heart at the last part, true or not, it hurt to hear it. I looked down and stood up to go to my tent. I wasn't up for this kind of ridicule, especially some that might not even be true. He stayed silent and furious, he was never left out of Green's shenanigans, and now since I've been here it's like he's been a background character. "HEY, I'M TALKING TO YOU" he yelled. I said nothing and disappeared into Richard's tent. I secretly liked him, and maybe if Ato knew he wouldn't be so mean about it, or maybe he would. I had no idea about Green's friends, I wish I did, but the only people I felt comfortable with were Green himself for his integrity and kindness and Richard. I peeked outside a hole in the tent and saw Ato pouting on a seat near the dead campfire. I frowned and layed down in the cot that was in the tent. I heard the crisp, mean, words in my head and I sighed. "Why did he say that though... he could have said anything else...?" I whispered to myself out loud. I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open, so I layed fully down and covered myself with the blanket there.