The Fateful Heart

James finally combed his way through the tangled hair and made his way to the top of her head, where he found her part, using the bristled of the comb to define it more neatly.

He couldn't help but think of his sister while doing this. It was a bittersweet feeling.

He set the comb aside and decided on what type of braid to do, finding strands of her hair.

"Well, at the moment, we're going north. My plan is to travel through the desserts up to Lettera. But that will take me a few months."

And he didn't expect her to be around for that long. Did she?

"I figure, the further I can get from the Moonlight Kingdom, the better."

Evaline almost nodded, but stopped herself before she could when she remembered that it may interfere with his work.

She recalled that she had pointed at the north end of Lettera when James asked where she was from, and although he now knew that was a lie, she still found it ironic that they were heading in that direction.

"Have you ever traveled these lands before?" she asked. "Or is this the first time you've walked this path?"

James was quiet for a moment, torn between focusing his fingers on her hair and her questions.

"Well... I've never been this far out of the Moonlight Kingdom before," he said. "So it's all pretty new to me."

Evaline silently sighed.

"So, you wouldn't happen to know of any place nearby that would offer hidden shelter, would you? Maybe... a cave? Or a ditch?"

Well, actually, they did pass a ditch less than an hour ago. She noticed it in the distance, but she wasn't sure if James did given his state.

James tried to remember, but he couldn't think of anything.

"I don't think so," he said quietly, pulling another strand of hair in the braid, starting to find a rhythm. "Why?"

Evaline focused on the first half of what he said instead, ignoring his question as she furrowed her brows in thought.

"We did pass a ditch, though. We'd have to backtrack a little, but the hike shouldn't take more than a half an hour, maybe an hour, tops. I think I saw that there were berry bushes near there too. And also lots of trees that could shield you."

She paused, realizing she didn't get to hear his opinion.

"What do you think?"

James paused in the braid, already at the base of her neck. He'd finally managed to braid it all up against her head and now was the easy part.

It took him a moment to understand what Evaline was asking, and after pondering a moment, he realized he still didn't fully understand. Go back to a ditch? As shelter? But for what?

"I... I'm not sure what you're asking," James said, before starting on the last of the braid.

Oh, right. It probably wasn't obvious to him as it was to her.

She visibly sighed.

"James," she said slowly, glad that he couldn't see her frowning. "You need to rest. I know you don't mean to, but we've been traveling slower. And I know you could use a day to... heal."

James stared at the back of her head as he finished off the braid.

"Healing takes a lot longer than a day," he said, a little more wearily than he would've wanted to sound convincing.

He held the end of the braid with one hand and danced his fingers in the corner of her vision.

"You still have those ripped up pieces of your shirt? Something I could use to tie."

He was stubborn, but if anything made Evaline stubborn, it was stubborn people.

"Yeah," she mumbled, untying a long thin fabric that she wrapped around her wrist before handing it behind to James.

"And I know that. I do. But you can't keep this up anymore."

She sighed through her nose, closing her eyes with pursed lips as she had to force herself to say the next words.

"Please? Can you do it for me?"

James didn't know what he was expecting, but he hadn't expected her to ask so... nicely.

Her tone wriggled under his pride, and he started to wrestle with his answer on the inside. The stubborn part of him wanted to say no. He'd been doing this for months, and he had made it this far. He could keep going. But there was a part of his body that strongly agreed, even though he knew the moment he laid down his mind would resist sleep for as long as possible because he didn't want to dream again. He didn't want to remember.

He tied off the end of the braid with a little bow, and pulled away.

"Look," he started, hesitant. "I just don't think it'd be a good--"

"Just do it!" Evaline loudly interrupted with venomous annoyance laced in her voice. It was so unlike her to plead for something, and the fact that he still denied he needed help was starting to make anger and frustration rise to the surface.

She couldn't feel the pressure of his hands on her hair anymore, but she didn't move or turn around quite yet. He just needed to hear her words first.

She angrily took a deep breath in and exhaled, hoping it will help her restart.

"If we travel any slower, Butch can catch up to us. You know that. I know you do. Just, be sensible. Rest for one day. I can keep watch. It'll be fine."

James drew away when she interrupted, and he got to his feet.

"What I'm trying to say is--" James took in a deep breath. "I just don't think it will help much. I haven't been able to sleep much, anyway. I don't think one day will change that."

Evaline felt her hands ball up in annoyance, and she bit her tongue as she slowly got up to her feet and turned to face him, not even hiding how agitated she looked.

"Thanks for the braid," she said curtly, lightly touching it with her fingertips before letting her arm fall back to her side. "I'm sure it looks great. Really. But we can't fill our days braiding hair or walking slowly. What can I say to make you realize that you have to do something?"

And then it occurred to her. Maybe there were no words she could say to convince him, but there was something she could do.

With annoyance bubbling to the surface having her think impulsively, she quickly lurched forward and put him in a chokehold with little resistance due to his current state.

"This is what would happen if you don't do anything," she hissed in his hear. "We'd get caught. We wouldn't be able to run away. Is this what you want?"

She was careful to not hold him too tight, but she found herself tightening her grip with each passing word.

"You need rest. Now. Or else..."

Her voice trailed off and her grip loosened as she realized just how heavy of a topic this must be for him, given his nightmares.

Impulsivity kicked in again, and as final blow to display how painful their reality might be if they got caught again, she let go of him and quickly poked his belly button... a little too hard.

James had not been prepared to be grappled, and he found himself stuck in her grip, breathing heavily until she let go.

She didn't need to convince him of what was at stake. He'd dreamt of it every night, and that was why he kept going. They had to keep going. If he stopped, he was afraid that Butch would find them, and--

Evaline's words hissed in his ear, and then she let him go. He barely had time to think of a response - frankly, he was just going to try to distance himself from her - but he didn't even get to take a step.

She jabbed him in the stomach and it triggered something. Searing, stabbing pain radiated out to his side, breathing new life and new pain into still-healing wounds.

He buckled over and fell to the ground with a groan, holding his stomach.