Lost Identity: Eloria Series Book 1 | ✓

49: War Raven

7/27/3028

When I returned to camp, Elossai and Ilta had a sizable catch of fish. I was thrilled that we were going to be full tonight.

I'd been stuffing my face for a while before I noticed that Elossai was the only one not eating. I motioned for her to join me.

"Elossai, are you sure you don't want anything to eat?"

"I don't eat meat," Elossai said.

"Oh right..." I said, remembering that Elossai was a vegetarian. "Why can't Elos each meat?"

"We are herbivores. It would make us sick to eat it."

"Oh." I guess that made sense, being that she was born from a tree. "What have you been eating since we left the inn?"

"Leaves."

"Leaves?" I frowned. That didn't sound very appetizing or nutritious.

"I prefer to eat fruit more than anything, but leaves are all I've been able to find here," Elossai said with a sigh.

"What about Ras? Do they also eat fruit?"

"No, they are carnivorous to begin with, even at the budding stage."

"Human meat..." I said, shuddering as I recalled the stories Elossai told me of how Ras came into being.

"I would like to tell you about something," Elossai said as she twiddled her fingers. "I have decided that I will not tell Martin about how I feel. Katie is our priority, and then they will return to Hemley."

"You'll never tell him?"

"I don't think it would be wise of me to complicate things. If I truly do care, I must think in his best interest." Elossai forced a smile.

Further away by the edge of our camp, Ilta was waving to get our attention. "Elossai," Ilta called.

Elossai got up and crossed the camp toward her.

Not long after, Martin approached me. "Hey..." he said slowly.

I shifted so that I wasn't slouched against the tree. "Hi."

"Ell, Keiran told me that there are bandits out here—" Martin stopped abruptly, ran his hands awkwardly through his hair, then started again. "Look, I'm sorry I said you'd be Stanjah's puppet. I know you're far too stubborn to ever be that."

"It's okay, Martin. I think the pressure is getting to us. I know you care about the decisions I make, and I know you haven't lost sight of why we're here. I'm sorry too—for snapping at you," I said.

Martin plunked himself down next to me. "You were right about the plateau. Ilta said that we're heading that-a-ways," he said, jerking his head in the direction of the plateaus. I nodded slowly.

Sye-Liene was telling me to go the right way.

"After we're through all this, you're going home for sure, right?"

Martin thought for a moment. He shifted and stretched, raising his shoulders up to his ears then dropping them down, then twisting side to side until his bones cracked. "It's not like I'm dying to dive back into the restaurant business. I just have to do what's best for Katie," he said.

"But if you could have it your way, what would you do?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "I might consider staying."

"You know, Elossai's going to miss you a lot once you're gone." I tried to slip the topic in as smoothly as possible. "Other than me, you're the only person whom she can call friend."