The TwiceBorn

Strange Aeons

'No one really knows why they are alive until they know what they'd die for"--Martin Luther King,Jr.

Aubery’s face had taken on a yellowish waxy hue.  Gre studied him as the boy rolled about on the grass.  Aubery had drank the entire skin and was now completely out of his gourd.  He’d begun to babble, caught up in some delusion, and Gre was annoyed that his plan for drinking and relaxing was going to be storied along by Aubery’s nasally whiny voice.

“Gray…I don’t feel well,” Aubery whispered as he curled into a ball.  “I think the stag meat the bird yelled at for the cook to sing went bad.  Elven horseshoes.  No point.  They make my toes itch, you know.”

Gre squatted down and studied the boy.  Perhaps Behrin saw the makings of a fine young man somewhere in that mess.  If so, it was pretty well hidden from Gre’s eyes.  But he was certainly no judge when it came to what people saw in others.  If he understood all of that a little better, maybe he wouldn’t be out here in the woods with Aubery in the first place.

He shook his head and walked over to the horses.  He’d unsaddled and rubbed them down earlier while Aubery mumbled and sang to himself. He’d also set up camp, and started a meager fire, all with no thanks to Aubery.      

Pixie gave a deep, rumbling neigh as he approached and Gre felt absurdly delighted at the sound.   It was a good horse…in spite of being yellow…and a pony.

 The gait was something he had his own delusion about…he could easily picture himself sitting astride the little horse and drinking without spilling a drop as the pony ate up the ground with that long,sweeping stride.

Gre patted the yellow muscular neck and picked up the waterskins and his crossbow off the saddle he’d placed against the tree.

“When I get back,” He crooned, rubbing the pony’s nose.  “You and I will keep some company.  And we’ll just do it up, won’t we?  Get pixiefied, you and me.”

“I don’t know why you’re asking her to marry you, Gre.” Aubery’s mewling voice floated over the small clearing.  “She eats pork bellies and dosen’t understand how to tickle your breasts. Because she’s deaf.”

Gre closed his eyes.  It would be a very long night if he couldn’t get Aubery sobered up.  Cold water might help.  Or at least stop that endless prattling. He realized he didn’t truly care if Aubery lost his mind just as long as he did it quietly.

“Alright Aubery, stay here.  I’m going to get some water.”

Gre started past the boy then jumped as Aubery’s hand reached out and slithered around his ankle like a snake.

“You’ve always been my best companion Gray, you know that, right?”  Aubery whispered his voice weak.  His eyes were blood-red which contrasted sharply with his deep blue lips.

Gre paused and looked down.  The seriousness of the situation was contained in that one whispered sentence.

 Best companion?

  Gre came to the reluctant conclusion that Aubery might die.  He ran his eyes over the boy then turned and glanced at the dark bay gelding.

The sword would bring the most coin. Somewhere along the road Aubery had picked up a decent blade.  The horse would bring in a little bit, but it was awfully slat-ribbed.  More a carthorse than anything.  Other than that, whatever coins were in Aubery’s pocket and possibly the boots on his feet though, Gre didn’t relish pulling them off, would add up to a pittance.  Either way, more coin then he had now.  A sick, dumb grin stretched across his face and he wiped a hand over his lips.