Further Up & Further In

Conveniently

Shasta was rude. And uncultured. He had no respect for Aravis, and was clearly undeserving of her company. Evidently, he didn't like her either. He'd tried to get rid of her and send her on her way as soon as they'd met. "You can clear off as soon as you like. We shan't keep you," he had said. "No, you shan't," Aravis had replied cooly. How horrid he was! Aravis had no intentions of getting along with him, now, or ever. It was the start of a long and irritating journey, she was sure.

There was the way he interrupted her story with irrelevant questions, and the way he cared more for the fate of her stepmother's slave than he did for Aravis herself. He called it unfair, but what did his opinion matter? He was so common, and so ignorant, and so bothersome. And then when he said he wasn't scared of ghouls! Well, he was clearly trying to show her up! So of course Aravis said that she wasn't afraid either. That would show him.

As much as she hated to admit it, as they travelled together Aravis began to get used to him. Only a little, of course. She was far more fond of Bree, who was smart, and brave, and important. Shasta was still irritating. Didn't he know anything? She'd have to teach him about that sometime, she thought, and she'd have to explain this to him another time, too. How could he not know all this stuff that was common knowledge to her? It baffled Aravis. He baffled her. 

She still didn't like him, she repeated to herself. But she'd also grown somewhat attached, if not to him, at least to his presence in their company. They were a group, something like a family. So when the unthinkable happened, and he was taken while they were in Tashbaan, it was all she could do to keep her wits about her enough to grab both the horses. And of course Aravis would never admit that the entire time she was trying to escape the city that in the back of her mind she was desperate to know what had happened to Shasta. Surely he wouldn't leave her behind if he had escaped? He may have been ignorant and disrespectful, but he seemed trustworthy, didn't he? Shasta didn't seem the type to abandon his friends, (not that Aravis considered them friends,) to save himself. Oh, but how could she know?

Relief overtook her when she and the horses found Shasta waiting for them at the tombs. In fact, she'd nearly run over to hug him before her wits returned to her and she shook off the impulse. Clearly she was just relieved to be out of the city, and the sight of a missing travelling companion, whether they were friends or not, was always comforting. And, if she was being honest, she was rather impressed by what he did. He quickly took charge, and gave directions as they left. Maybe this boy was teachable, after all. Maybe he was smarter than he appeared. And maybe he wasn't as common as Aravis had always thought. 

When they reached the valley Shasta had directed them to, the four of them collapsed onto the soft, cool grass. Aravis laid beside Shasta, but not too close. She was starting to think he wasn't so bad after all. He had gotten them here, hadn't he? Aravis considered thanking him, but decided not to speak.

It was a perfectly beautiful night. In fact, it almost felt dreamlike as she found herself turning to look at Shasta. Okay, she had to admit it. She liked him a little bit. She maybe even considered them friends. He'd have had to be plenty brave to escape his abusive household, just like she had. He was smart, too, and actually picked up on the things she and Bree had been teaching him pretty quickly. But possibly what impressed her most was that he was loyal. This soft, self-conscious boy had waited for her among the tombs, even though she had a feeling he was just as scared of them as she had been.

Aravis watched him blink up at the night sky, slower and slower each time. She was getting rather tired, as well, and could hear Hwin and Bree muttering something about not going to sleep. Of course she wouldn't go to sleep. She only wanted to lay on the soft grass a little longer. Slowly, Shasta turned his head to look at her, seeming surprised to find that she was looking at him too. Aravis wasn't sure if she was embarrassed when she rolled over to her other side, but she knew she felt she had better stop looking at him. It was weird to stare at a travelling partner, wasn't it? She reminded herself not to go to sleep. It didn't work.