Through The Storm

n i n e

"So Blake tells me that you were having a conversation with a member of the Guard?"

I ran my fingers lightly across the wooden bars. I didn't bother to look at Kaya as I answered her. "I wouldn't call it a conversation, but we talked, yes."

"What did you talk about?" I heard the poorly-concealed suspicion in her voice. 

Rolling my eyes, I said, "About betraying you and buying Blake and I our freedom", after which I felt a bunch of hay lightly smack my back. I turned to see her glaring at me. 

"That was hardly funny."

"Ouch," I offered generously. "The hay truly helped me learn my lesson."

She just scowled and turned away. To be fair, I was sick of all this flaxen hay surrounding me all the time. I suppose it had served some purpose at last. Because it definitely didn't make constantly sitting any easier- it was far too thin.

I knew Kaya was at the peak of her insecurity right now. She was headed home, back to the place she had been comfortable enough to leave for life, despite it being her hometown. She was also quite disbelieving of Blake and I now, because I knew she truly did expect us to turn on her or escape without her. 

I probably ought to have spoken up to tell her differently, but I wasn't a girl of many words. And if there was one thing I knew for sure, it was the fact that insecure people were very rarely believing of words. They trusted actions over words. Especially when experiences had taught them not to trust at all. 

So I simply hoped that in time, she would see that I was here for the long haul. And I had no intention of leaving her when she was weakest. 

Though I couldn't stop replaying my interaction with the Guard member of the afternoon, right now, I had a more pressing question for Kaya. I turned around to face her. "Kaya," I began cautiously. 

"Yes?"

"I don't believe you were telling me the truth when you said that your ability to know things wasn't like reading minds. It's not possible to just know everything, because everything isn't just predetermined. And if you really did know everything, wouldn't you know how to escape from here? Wouldn't you have known that your plan of surrendering yourself to save Blake- which, might I add, was a fine plan indeed- was going to fail? Wouldn't you at least know the names of these Guard members?"

Her scowl deepened. Really, people were so unattractive when they were angry. Even former Elven Royals, as it turned out. "I did not appreciate the sarcasm."

I waited, but she didn't reply to my other questions. "You know I come hand-in-hand with sarcasm, Kaya."

"Yes, well, you might stop. It's just plain irritating."

I decided to back off before she said something that actually riled me up. She was touchy today and I was only pushing her buttons. "Alright then, let's just leave it be."

But after a few seconds of silence, she spoke. "I apologise," Kaya said quietly. "I'm terrified of what awaits me when I return home. And the uncertainty is new to me. That's keeping me at edge."

I said nothing. Why wouldn't she just answer my question? She might not appreciate my sarcasm but I did not appreciate her keeping things from me either. 

"I don't see why you would be pressing me with such heavy questions at a fragile time like this," she said, her scowl deepening. 

I scoffed, "Are you serious?"

"I do not recall making any jokes," she said haughtily.

I took a deep breath to calm the fury that spluttered to life in me. "Kaya. All my life, I've been an honest girl. Simple, but honest. I would never have done anything to land me in this carriage, handcuffed, awaiting persecution by the Royals themselves. And yet here I am, with fear in my heart every minute of the day!" I was beginning to fume. "Not for myself, Kaya. It may surprise you to hear that some people fear for others dear to them, more than they'd ever fear for themselves- I am one of those people. I fear for Blake."