Fate

Sixteen

The sun had just started to rise before Tonius finally allowed them to stop walking. They had managed to find a patch of woods to take cover in and he was grateful. He was getting sick of being out in the open. Setting down his small pack, he started rifling through it to find the bread that he had swiped from a bakery at the last town they had passed by. Breaking off little pieces, he handed them out, his companions snatching them up hungrily.

"Ruby, I need you to get wood for a fire. Something that I can used as kindling too. It's going to get really cold, really fast. The frost is nearly upon us. We lost the horses, so it's on foot from now on." He really hoped that Matthew's former patient hadn't expected to get his animals back. Tonius had no clue what had happened to them. Trolls were rather fond of horse meat, he'd heard once.

She nodded in response, already backing away into the trees. "Can do. Be back in a bit."

Tonius next pulled a threadbare blanket from the bag and handed it to Elyssa. "Here."

"Have you got any more of these in there?"

He shook his head. "It's going to be a cold one. That's why we're going to risk the fire."

"Risk?" She peered up at him with those bewitching eyes.

"The smoke could draw out uninvited guests."

"Of course. I forget. It has been awhile." She paused, her eyes going far away not with visions of the future, but those of the past. "When I was alone, I never lit a fire. I was too afraid."

"You don't have to be afraid anymore," he said, digging through the bag.

"Yes, I do."

"Why would you—" he started, but was interrupted by Ruby's return, who arms were laden with logs.

"I brought what I could carry, but I can always head out for more," she said, dumping her load on the ground in a pile. "And this," she started to reach into her jacket pocket, speaking to Elyssa, "is for you. I saw it and thought that you might like it. Sorry that it's a little crushed. Being in my pocket and all." She handed her a pretty orange and pink flower. It had six long petals and looked a lot like a tiger lily, only instead of dark spots, they were a light pink.

"Oh, it's lovely!" she exclaimed, accepting it. "Where did you find it?"

"It was right by where I was collecting wood," she answered her, beaming proudly.

She brought it close to her face, inhaling deeply. Her eyes slid closed lethargically. "This smells like..." She trailed off, her face going pale as snow.

"Lyss? You alright?"

"You're dead," she whispered in a barely there voice. Her eyes were unfocused, staring at something only she could see. "How are you here? You're dead!"

"Elyssa!"

"What's happened to her?" Tonius shook his head.

"I don't know, but I don't like it." He gripped the top of her arms, trying to make her look at him. "Elyssa, I need you to focus. Whatever you're seeing, it isn't real."

"You're dead. You're dead. You're dead." She kept repeating it on a loop. It was as if he wasn't even there. This wasn't like one of her visions. She was always able to distinguish what was reality and what wasn't. This was something entirely different.

"I don't understand. She was fine just a second ago. And then she..." he trailed off, his eyes falling to the crushed flower that lay at their feet. "The flower. The flower must have done this somehow."

"Tonius, it's a flower," Ruby deadpanned. "I don't see how it could make a person hallucinate."

"Do you have any other ideas? Weirder stuff has happened. Hell, I can turn into an animal at will. And you think a flower can't cause someone to have waking nightmares?"