The Isbjørn

Four

DAIRE AND THE ACCOMPANYING CARRIAGE HAD covered thirty miles together in complete silence by late evening. John had taken to snoozing, arms crossed, in his seat beside Aranea, who did not seem to mind as his head dropped on her shoulder. Hours ago, Daire's feet had started to hurt, but Aranea did not bother a single glance his way on her smooth ride at the front of the carriage through the countryside of Occidens Terram, on the way to the border.

As it was, the forest was still rather dense and before much longer, Aranea feared she would be hungry.

Trailing off the beaten path, she cut into the woods and paused their travel beside thick underbrush.

Daire crawled just past her to a massive oak where he dropped onto his rear and leaned his head back against the bark.

"John, wake up." She tustled his hair until a waking groan came from his half opened mouth.

He peeled his eyes open, unfolding from his sleep as he took a look around. "Where are we?"

"Midway to Reddmille." She stepped down from the carriage. "You need to eat something."

John turned to find Daire resting nearby. "Be sure to feed the Isbjørn."

She scoffed, dropping some dehydrated meat in the seat beside John. "He will not take anything from me."

Unwrapping the jerkey, he ripped off a piece and took his time to chew before tucking the meat wad in his cheek to speak. "He will if he's hungry." He continued chewing as he took up his cane and moved down the same way as Aranea. "Besides, I need to work on my brace some more."

Aranea was left with Daire's evening meal and without John as a buffer. She sighed and snatched the hearty portion of jerkey wrapped in cheese cloth from the carriage seat and stormed over to the tree.

His nose recoiled as she closed in on him, but he pretended not to notice her.

"Hey."

Daire opened one eye, clearly doing his best to look disinterested. "What?"

"I brought you food." She extended it toward him.

The agitation showed through his flicking ears, both eyes closed once again. "No thanks."

Aranea felt John watching, but if she looked back, he would look away and pretend he was otherwise invested. "Look, Isbjørn, I need John and John needs you."

He huffed.

"Just pretend for his sake, that we are getting along, okay?"

Daire used a massive hand to brush his long hair back from his face but made no move toward her. "You're not human." He sat back, expecting the brazen statement to faze her one way or the other. Aranea did not so much as flinch.

"Do we have a deal or not?"

Daire checked her for weakness. Standing over him in her riding coat and broad hat, her slender, one gloved hand was bawled into tight leather fist while the other held his meal. Her hat left a shadow over her face, but failed to hide the abnormal shape of her flat, lipless mouth and the usual point of her cheeks. He could tell he was not receiving an answer.

But he was right, she was far from human.

At last, he surrendered, and taking the jerkey from her.

"Good." Her voice scraped through her clenched jaw. It was certainly the best she could do at the time to be civil.

Aranea moved the opposite way from the Isbjørn.

The crunch of fallen branches beneath her quick stepping feet drew John's attention from where he sat just inside the carriage, the nearest door hanging open.