Sleepwalker

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Sandman

My teeth chattered. “Dill, could you stop for a moment?” I asked, reaching into my bag for my mittens and scarf. “Are you as cold as I am?” I wondered, holding my mittens to my face and breathing out to warm my nose.

“No, I’m fine, actually. A year in the outdoors and I guess you get used to the cold. Pull the sweater over your wrists. It’ll help,” he advised.

While running, I had pushed it up. The icy wind sliced through the sweater and the shirt, chilling my core. “Why aren’t britches any warmer than a dress?”

“Fewer layers,” he shrugged. After a few moments of silence, he asked, “Is your foot alright? We ran out of there pretty quickly.”

“I’m fine. I’m too cold to really feel anything. Do you think they’ll follow us to Eirodin?” I tied my scarf around my neck, the soft fleece snuggling my chin.

Dill peered back at me. “I should hope not, but then again, they might get lost. Eirodin is much larger than Dunver,” he explained. His eyes followed my shivering movements. “Why don’t we take a break? An hour is long enough to walk in this weather. I’ll start a fire.” Armadillo stood on the side of the road. Trees canopied him. His hair shined against the brittle leaves still hanging from the trees. He piled up the leaves, and grabbed two stones. He ushered me next to him. “Sit down, warm up.”

As I dropped down, the embers kissed my cheeks with heat. “So, what are we going to do for lodging?” I rubbed my hands together. “Beg surrounding homes to take pity on us?” I joked, scooting closer to the fire.

With a sigh, Dill leaned back against a tree. “We haven’t much of a choice. Of course, this time, we can’t use how pitiful you look. And money…ugh, what’ll we do for that?” He stabbed at the flames. “Do you have any ideas?”

“Well, and this might sound far-fetched, but we could both get jobs,” I suggested.

He grimaced. “Do you have any other ideas? I’m not sure a job would be….” His voice trailed off. Rubbing his eyes, he moaned, “Are you tired as well?”

I nodded, suppressing a yawn. “How far do you think a house would be?”

“A hospitable house? Far,” Dill murmured, throwing more leaves into the fire. He rubbed his hands together. Once I shifted closer to him, he petted my head down onto his shoulder. I snuggled in closer. Armadillo didn’t seem to mind. “Jen, I know how cold I come off sometimes. I know how unsure you are and…” His voice trailed off.

My heart fluttered. “And?” I repeated, hopefully. Gently, I crossed my arms and looked up at him. My face fell disappointed when he offered no further explication. Absorbing his warmth, I cuddled right up against him.

He wrapped his arm around me. He breathed, barely a sound yet it seemed so content. After a moment of long silence, he noticed, “Your hair is…disgusting.”

I laughed. “I know. I’ll wash it once we find a place to stay.”

“I’m not sure that I like you as a brunette. You’re far too pale.” He rested his head against the tree. His eyes delicately fluttered shut. His breathing was soft and steady.

His embrace cocooned me like a blanket. In his warm grip, I nodded off beside him. A deep sleep consumed me, readying me for the swirl into the abyss of dreams.

I awoke, groggy and yet, warm. It was the sort of warmth that I craved, a type that reached deep into my skin. A brightness stung my eyes. As they creaked open, I nearly screamed. The road blazed, a continuous stream of fire, yellow and sickly, but a deep crimson at the bottom. My mouth hung open.