The Fall of Dewan

Chapter 15 Silence

They rode as quickly as they could back to camp in the darkness of the night, packed it up and quickly began to ride again. No one had an exact destination in mind, all just knew it needed to be far from there. Alice had finally stopped wailing, she'd fallen into absolute silence with a dead look in her eye. In fact, no one really spoke- Ohamed or Archibald occasionally spoke a demand, "pack up the tents" or "we need to quicken our pace" , Genevieve and Agnes only nodded. No one spoke about what had just happened, who they had just lost.

They rode until well after the sun had risen the next day. They didn't dare go near another town, staying in the forest, off the beaten road. Ohamed finally told them it was time to rest. "I don't think we set up a full camp, but everyone should try to get at least a few hours of sleep. I'll take first watch, then I'll wake Archibald for the next. By sunset tonight we should be riding again."

They all nodded in agreement, none truly thinking sleep would come though. Archibald looked to Ohamed as they laid out their sleeping bags, "Where are we going? Do we have a plan?"

Alice was still unresponsively sitting, staring off into space- she'd yet to say a word. Genevieve hadn't spoken either, but this caught her attention. Ohamed turned to Archibald and answered, "I'm working on it. But that whole pub saw our faces, not only are Almorian soliders looking for Genevieve now, they are likely looking for us. I don't thinking hiding is an option anymore."

Genevieve spoke up for the first time, "What does that mean?" Her voice cracked from lack of use.

"I don't know, let's talk more about it once we've all gotten some sleep" He answered, then turned to look at Alice. He approached her as if he were approaching a wounded animal- slowly and gentle. She hadn't made a move to lay out her sleeping back, she simply stood beside her horse. Ohamed took her hand and led her towards his sleeping bag, he helped her sit, then lay. Still she said nothing, laying in the bag with her eyes open staring at nothing in particular. After a moment tears began to leak from her eyes. Ohamed leaned to hug her, "I'm so sorry Alice. Please try to get some sleep. Please", he pleaded with her. She did not respond but after a few minutes her eyelids began to drupe and she fell asleep.

Ohamed sat beside Alice until he was sure she was sleeping before he rose. He looked in the direction of Geneieve, Agnes and Archibald who were silently tending to the horses and preparing their own resting places. "Okay now you three", he said. They didn't argued with him, all utterly exhausted but fearing what their dreams would hold. None of them wished to see the sight of their friends dead on the ground again. They settled into their sleeping bags as Ohamed climbed a nearby tree with his sword to keep lookout. They were passed out within ten minutes.

When Genevieve woke it was getting dark out. Alice and Agnes were still sleeping and it seemed Ohamed and Archibald had switched. Ohamed was asleep in Archibald's previous spot, as Archibald paced, keeping his eyes scanning their surroundings.

Genevieve woke and quietly walked in Archibald's direction. Once she got close Archibald turned and asked, "Hey how'd ya sleep?"

Genevieve didn't answer his question, she instead said, "Please tell me yesterday was just a nightmare", as she spoke her eyes drifted to Alice's sleeping body.

"I wish I could", Archibald answered in a sad voice.

Genevieve said nothing else for several minutes before asking, "Were you able to get any sleep? I can keep watch if you'd like to get another hour or so."

"No that's okay, I slept enough before Ohamed woke me to switch. We need to get moving soon anyways" he answered.

They allowed the other two to sleep for another half hour before waking them. Agnes and Ohamed woke with a startle, quickly reaching for the helm of their weapons before realizing where they were. Alice looked a little better when she woke, still as though her heart had been broken, but she would atleast now meet their gazes.

They packed quickly and rode again. Ohamed seemed to have more of a plan in mind this time, although he still was not sharing what it was. They were riding north, he seemed to have a destination in mind. As they rode Genevieve brought her horse beside Alice's and said, "Alice I'm sorry about Leona, I'm so sorry". Alice turned and looked at her and spoke her first understandable words since they had torn her from Leona's dead body, "It wasn't your fault. The only one's at fault were the Almorians and Artemis" she said in a quiet hiss.

"I know but I should have been more careful. I got careless, I hardly disguised myself. If I done better the soldiers never would have recognized me and Leona and Bartholomew would still be alive", Genevieve rambled with tears in her eyes.

Archibald spoke from in front of them, clearly having been listening to their conversation. "Genevieve, we all could have been more careful. It is not solely on you, just as it is not solely on one of us. Alice is right, the only ones to blame for Bartholomew and Leona's death are the people that killed them."

This brought little comfort to Genevieve, "I just wish we could do it over again, do it differently. I would never go into a town again, I'd stay with you all at our camp sites forever if it meant we would all still be here" she said as tears ran down her face.

Alice spoke again. "I think we all wish that"

The silence took over again as they rode. They did not stop until the sun once again began to rise. After they all settled, Archibald said he would take first watch, Genevieve offered to take second but Ohamed insisted that he would. As Archibald began his watchful pace and Genevieve laid down in her sleeping bag, Ohamed went and sat next to Alice. They had a long hushed conversation- Genevieve watched in silence as she tried to hear what they were saying but they were just too quiet. Both of them shed tears when the conversation first began, embraced in a hug, then after a few minutes both seemed to take a deep breath and a serious, quiet conversation began. The conversation lasted for nearly an hour before Ohamed returned to his own sleeping bag. Genevieve resolved she would ask them about it in the morning and let sleep claim her.