Mirror Walker

Chapter 18

The evening air tugged on his shirt. The door creaked closed then humbly clunked as he treaded out onto the road, pausing and fixing the collar of his jacket to keep the chill from biting him. It was quiet out here, barely anyone on the street at the late hour with the remaining few hurrying home.

It was the first fragment of peace since he'd met that blasted girl.

She was senseless. A nutcase for sure. Yet he'd promised to take her to the elves. Why? Why had he made a stupid guarantee like that? Nevertheless, he convinced himself that it was too late to back out now. He'd sworn it so he might as well follow through.

But he lingered outside the entrance to the inn. The recollection of her beseeching gaze delayed him from taking another step. Was it a good idea to leave her alone? However, if he was going to do this, he needed to find Elrand. Right... maybe the easier thing to do would be to swing back through the door and entertain himself further with her endless shenanigans.

Irritably inhaling then letting out a sigh, he scraped his fingers through his hair with a solemn droop. For one, she was counting on him. For two... he'd already put off this encounter for far too long. But he really, really didn't want to have this conversation tonight.

Still, he missed his friend.

Distancing himself from the gracious beckoning of the glowing lodge, he passed by Diego who was devotedly attempting to retrieve a petite blossom from the edge of the roof. His neck stretched like a giraffe's, attention only temporarily straying to Konner from the corner of his eye while his tongue licked the rosy petals.

"Watch her for me, will you pal?" he slipped onto the street and gradually walked rearward as he spoke to the steed. "If she leaves, drag her ass back inside."

Diego shifted, angling his head ever so slightly to glimpse at his owner. Then he gave a snort and resumed his current pass time.

Konner didn't truly know how much Diego understood, though very often it seemed like a lot more than he ever gave him credit for. Maybe he truly did hear every word, or maybe he responded to intentions that he sensed. The one thing he did know, was that the creature seemed to only apprehend what he said when it suited him, feigning ignorance on every other occasion when it did not. However, tonight he chose to believe that Diego had listened and heard. It was the one thing giving him comfort that the girl would still be there when he returned.

Heavens knew that watching her was worse than babysitting a child. In order to effectively succeed in the task, he would have to grow another set of eyes in the back of his skull. First, she angers a wyvern, then she barrels into its den. Next, down a well she leaps, and when he'd finally managed to settle her, she jumps out a window. She was more trouble than she was worth.

But damn he couldn't leave her; he anxiously rubbed his hand along his neck. A scrappy lass from the middle of nowhere, no money, no family, and no memories. Not real ones anyway. They couldn't be real, right? She was belting poppycock. Even so, the irrational responsibility he felt prevented him from doing the smart thing. How terrible of a person would he be to just abandon her? He was the one who had found her after all.

Ah well, his troubled mind raced restlessly while his fists slipped into his pockets. At least now he had an excuse to reappear. With some business to focus on, maybe he could avoid the interrogation that Elrand would so eagerly put him through. Could he blame him really? It had been near on a year. Ten months. The longest they'd gone without speaking since they'd met.

He was a good way down the lane now, strides passing quickly due to stressful anticipation despite his wishes for them to slow out of reluctant dread. The pavement was dry from the day's sun and the clouds running under the sky prevented the air from becoming icy. Other than a bitter wind, the evening was pleasant.