Soulstrings

9: Angel

What if we never found our Soulstrings? What if we never make it to Paradise? The chances are so small... But that's pessimistic me talking.

The group watched Iden's back from their wooden table in the corner of a dinky old tavern. Padge's attention quickly wavered as he brought his teeth down into the juicy flesh of some meat, quickly stuffing a piece of bread into his mouth directly afterwards.

"You know," Vara began, "I think you and Jerilyn's sister would get along pretty well as fellow gluttons."

Padge wiped his lips. "You think so? Sweet! I've got my eyes on her. I'll take Nelia around to the greatest taverns and inns. We'll drink and cheer, and eat to our hearts content! I can already picture it. It's so romantic."

Cameron leaned to Jerilyn beside him. "I'm not sure what's creepier: the fact that Padge eats just like your sister, or the fact that he's got the hots for her."

"Hey, no one judges Nelia!" Padge replied, almost smugly. "What do you think, Jerry? A girl like her and a guy like me?" He grinned a toothy smile.

Jerilyn barely looked up from her meal, and she simply shrugged.

Cameron smirked. "You're going to scare her off with those steak leftovers hitching a ride."

Padge popped his mouth shut as his tongue hurriedly made their way around his teeth, quickly trying to clean them. Realizing that the table fell into peacefulness, Cameron turned back to his book, Life Lessons.

"Why do you even read that thing?" Padge groaned, rolling his eyes. "We're out here Searching, not in school. Even if it's written by someone dear to you, Alice Lay or whatever."

"Alison Leire," Cameron moodily corrected.

"Padge just doesn't want to think about anything related to studying," Vara added. "I can't believe we've been out in the Plains for two whole months already, and soon, we're going to reach the Forests. It's much more dangerous in there. The Spirits can hide in foliage and attack us at any minute. Both Spirits and bandits. This is our last stop before heading in, so we should have some fun and enjoy it. There are no comfy inns and taverns with legitimate beds out there in shrubs. And definitely no reading lights." That part certainly depressed her.

"I know, I know," said Cameron. "But ever since the encounter with Acteon, I realized that there is so much I don't know about people. I was an idiot to tell a stranger about Jerilyn. I want to make sure something like that never happens again. I'm hoping this book could give me some advice on how to judge character."

"You don't need to judge character!" Padge guffawed. "All you need is to stop trusting every single person you come across like a fool."

Cameron rolled his eyes. "I'm being called a fool by a fearless fool. How convincing."

"Ah, but I am the Fearless Fool!" Padge retorted merrily, earning him chuckles from the rest of his friends at the table. Their chorus of giggles was interrupted when Cameron shut his book with his fingers, pushing himself up from the chair. There seemed to be a sudden shift in his emotions.

"Cameron?" said Vara. "Where are you going?"

The boy gave her a weak smile. "I'm going on lookout."

"For Acteon? Again?" Padge scoffed. "See, he only caught us off guard last time, because that sneaky rat attacked at dawn, when some of us are exhausted from watch and the others not fully awake yet. Now, if he charges at us in a moment, things will be a cinch."