The Unending Epic Written to Appease a Friend, Tell a Tale, an...

14

          "My home," he whispers.

          Behind him, May speaks softly. "Asher... I'm so sorry."

          He rounds on her. Anger like flames rises up inside him and lights his eyes. "Why did you come?" he shouts. "Why did you have to come to my house?"

          "I'm- I'm sorry," May chokes out. She starts crying, but this time remorse fails to dampen Asher's rage.

          "I had lost enough without you bringing a mob to my farm! Now I have nothing! Nothing! And it's because of you!"

          "It's not my fault!" she shouts back, tears on her lips.

          "No?" He thrusts a finger at her. "If you hadn't come, my house would still be standing!"

          "If you hadn't helped me," she says, quietly and bitterly, "your house would still be standing."

          He snaps his mouth shut. May sits abruptly down and crosses her arms, looking angrily to the side. "If you want, I'll go," she says.

          For the space of a heartbeat he almost does, but her words had stilled him. She was right, and it did no good to blame her.

          "No," he says at last, and kneels down next to her. "I'm sorry. It's not your fault what those men did. I don't regret helping you and... And if you left, I would have no one." She looks up at him surprised, and he chuckles a little as he wipes his eyes. "The only people in the world who offered to help me are burning down my house," he says. "You're the only living thing left who's showing me any kindness."

          May smiles sadly. "I am sorry," she says.

          "I know."

          Suddenly a voice shouts, causing them both to jump. "I found them!"

          Asher runs to the edge of the hill; one of the men is climbing up through the trees. He curses himself for yelling so loudly.

          "Run," he says.