It's been a year since The Outlands party split and went their separate ways. Kaia finds herself alone, and James seems to have found himself in a bit of trouble again. As fate would have it, though, it seems they're destined to cross paths once again...
Kaia readjusted her mask and let out a sigh. Who knew that, so soon after telling herself that she would lay down her weapons and live a quiet life, she would find herself in conflict and fighting with others once again? It was just that after she and Adina had traveled a long way and finally found a hidden mage community, things hadn't quite worked out in the way she had hoped. The people had been kind and had immediately accepted Adina with open arms, but Kaia saw plenty of wary or even suspicious glances cast her way. She could understand that they must find it hard to trust many non-mages. But there was one mage there who recognized her, and she recognized him as a former palace worker.
So, that was a definite vote of confidence. The mages were always uneasy around her after that, and Kaia wondered if this really was the family and home that she had been looking for after all. In all of her life after her parents died, she had never had the opportunity to make a choice for herself until she had tracked down James and joined the group from the Outlands. But this time, she decided she would choose to leave. It was for the best, she thought to herself, so Adina wouldn't be affected by being associated with the king's personal agent.
It would be for the best if she were alone again.
She traveled for a long time, aimlessly. The first sight of the old cottage in the woods, just a little ways outside of a small town, was almost like an oasis in a desert. It was the perfect place to be a normal person, without getting too close to anyone. Maybe she could grow vegetables and raise some chickens, and even learn some domestic skills.
But after she witnessed a poor traveler being attacked and robbed, she had already disarmed and knocked all the thieves unconscious before she could really think about what she was doing. And the next one, and the next, were just the same. There was that restless urge to set things right when she saw unjust acts occurring. For an assassin who could once kill innocents without too much thought, it felt as if she had changed quite significantly from those days, that she was slowly being saved from the king's grip over her life.
Kaia supposed that even though her career had begun in villainy, maybe doing little things here and there to help others suffering from crime and danger could be redeeming. After all, her father was right--she was born to fight for others and to heal them.
"Stay alert," she said, glancing at the company around her. "There are a lot of bandits and thieves in this area, so you all need to keep an eye out. And we need to move fast."
She lead them forward through the path between the trees, walking silently. Around her, she could hear the cracking of twigs and the breaths of the people she was escorting, which felt painfully loud in this situation.
They walked for a distance and Kaia was almost hopeful that they could avoid confrontation with any criminals. That was, until a horde of men rushed out from the plant growth and lunged toward the group and their wagon.
Kaia flicked her wrist, sending a few tranquilizing needles flying at some of the thieves, then quickly unsheathed her knives and threw herself toward the nearest man.
"Why are there so many troublemakers in this world?" she muttered, slashing him once. "I just can't catch a break." She shook her head and turned to see who was next.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
This was supposed to be a standard robbery, but James knew something was off when he saw the masked woman in their party. The group was mixed -- there was a mother with a baby, and a man that looked like he might've been the father. Along with them were two kids who looked unrelated, between the ages of 11 and 14, and an elderly man. It was a ragtag group of travelers, and it was impossible to know what their story was, but it was clear that the masked person wasn't one of them. She was there to protect, and defend. That meant more fighting. More risk.
James was about to suggest they hold back a little longer, but he wasn't the one calling the shots. Hoss gave them the signal to move in, and James knew better than to hesitate.
He weaved through the trees, following just behind Ron as they came to the front of the group to face the only person who seemed reasonably armed. Meanwhile, Hoss and his men crowded in around the family.
James had only just drawn his sword when he watched Ron stumble backward, away from the masked woman. He watched as she slashed once, cutting through the side of Ron's armor and drawing blood.
Something felt oddly familiar.
Ready to defend Ron, he rushed in, clashing his sword against the woman's knife, and though he couldn't see past the mask that covered her face, a strange feeling washed over him. Dread, along with recognition.
It was Kaia.
He quickly drew back, and the second they held eye contact seemed to drag out. Painfully, he could only imagine what thoughts were swirling through her mind, seeing him in a group of thieves. Becoming the very thing he used to resent - and still did.
There was no time to explain, and no time to acknowledge the unspoken tension that flooded the air between them. Ron was whirling back around now. Wounded, and angry.
James rushed between him and Kaia, and as Ron reached for his gun on his hip, James slashed at his forearm. The moment Ron's wide eyes met his, he knew Ron felt betrayed and confused. Ron snarled, hissing as he ripped his arm out of the reach of James's sword. James's eyes flicked rapidly between Ron and Kaia, but it seemed that Kaia had turned her attention to the other thieves closing in around them.
"What the--" Ron started.
"Let's leave these ones alone," James said, turning to see Hoss at the back of the wagon, ripping one of the women's bags out of her hands.
"Are you mad?" Ron growled, turning to hurry to the back of the wagon with the others.
James could feel his heart starting to race. This was going to cost him, and he knew it, but he knew Hoss didn't care about how they left the people they robbed - be it wounded, alive, or dead. He rushed after Ron and decided to use the small window of surprise he had left before the others realized he was turning on them and sabotaging the heist.
He hit the back of Ron's knees with the blunt side of his sword, sending Ron to the ground. Before Ron had a chance to react, James surged past him, and barreled in-between two more thieves - Jaren and Titus - slicing at their legs before he inevitably ran into Hoss's side.
Considering Hoss was considerably taller and larger, James didn't manage to knock him off balance. He did, however, succeed in making Hoss very angry. Which was good, because his aim was to be a distraction.
Hoss stared down at him with a hateful glare as James drew back, standing between Hoss and the wagon. A quick glance told James that Kaia had taken the hint, and she'd hurried to get everyone back in. He didn't know if she'd managed to get back anything that they'd taken, but she was climbing up into the wagon, taking the reins.
Before Hoss could get a word out, the wagon was speeding off down the dirt road.
The other men groaned as they all started getting to their feet, and James felt all of their eyes turn on him.
"Do you want to explain yourself?" Hoss asked cooly, inching closer as he stood over him.
James stood up a little straighter and sheathed his sword.
"I'm not sure you'd like my explanation, actually," James said with a nervous smile.
Hoss was unamused. He grabbed James by the collar and spun him around to watch the disappearing wagon and the trail of dust in the air that followed behind.
"See that?" Hoss hissed. "That's your responsibility. Save your quippy jokes for Rita. I'm sure she'd love that."
"Thank you," said the leader of the travelers, clasping Kaia's hands tightly in gratitude. "If it weren't for you, those bandits probably would've stolen everything we have. You saved our lives."
Kaia could feel her entire face and the tips of her ears grow hot at those words. It was a good thing she had a mask on. She shook her head and said, "It was nothing. I mean, uh, I think it's only right that people should help each other." And she was tired of seeing some take advantage of others' lives and their weaknesses.
She subtly eased her hands away and took a step back. "You should be safe now on this road. It will into the next settlement and there will be guards there." She took a few more steps away from them. "Take care," she said. "If you're ever passing through this region and you need a hand . . . well, you know how to contact me."
The band called their goodbyes and thanks as Kaia disappeared into the trees. But her mind was already far from them and thinking about someone else who was probably now in distress.
"You never change, do you?" She sighed. It was very much like the James she knew to do something to help another at his own expense. And get into very dire situations as a result.
The trees and growth that she had just traveled by earlier came back towards her and she followed them all the way back to the battle site. She stopped at its edge and surveyed the scene. All the bandits were gone, but the evidence of the scuffle that had occurred was still everywhere.
She glanced down near her feet. A small cloth bundle was laying there, disheveled and smudged with dirt. She bent down and picked it up, brushing away some dust and smoothing it out. It was a doll, crudely made with tattered appendages that were barely recognizable as arms and legs, but it had black buttons for eyes that shone amid the shaggy hair on its head, and a sewn mouth of bright red thread, curved into a crooked smile. One of the children in the traveling party must have dropped it in their haste to escape from the bandits.
Kaia stroked its head once, then placed it gently into her pack. Perhaps she would meet that child again one day and be able to return the doll to her. The part of her that was never allowed to fully grow up would have wished for someone to take care of her lost prized possession, if she had had such an item.
She walked forward, looking around again for signs of where the bandits could have taken James. What immediately caught her eye was the small trail of blood, and she followed it past the clearing, seeing broken plants and trampled grass. Another scuffle. A set of footprints led further away, much too big to have been James's, and another set of tracks that indicated someone being dragged. This must be it.
She started forward with a new resolution, following the tracks through the forest. The last time they had met again, Kaia had tried to capture him to take him back to the Moonlight Kingdom, but this time, she supposed she would be saving him. That was a very good change of pace, if she thought so herself.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
Things were falling apart a lot sooner than James had expected, but maybe it was a little too unrealistic for him to think he wouldn't run into any of his former friends again. The outlands were so big and so violent, and his last goodbye was a quiet disappearance. He'd thought it would be left at that, and everyone else would move on to better things. At least, that's what he'd hoped for.
But somehow, it made sense that Kaia had taken the path of helping people. Being a guard and a guide. A defender in a forest full of rogues and thieves. It complicated things for him to see a familiar face, but thankfully, Kaia was masked and didn't let on that they knew each other. It made it easier for him to convince the others it wasn't personal.
At least, not in that way.
"So what, Liam, you just decided today was the day to turn over a new leaf?" Rita's voice taunted as she leaned forward into his face, sneering. As she met his eyes he could see the laughter behind them. He could hear the truth and the mockery in the way she said his name.
She was still the only one who knew who he was. She knew he was Tiberius Hemming, wanted in the moonlight kingdom, but she still didn't know his real name, and he would never give her that power.
Hoss had dragged him to the basement while most of the others were rushing Ron off to the medic. There wasn't any argument to be made when everyone rightfully pointed the blame at him, and James knew he couldn't deny it. They were right. He just had to think of an explanation if he even got a chance to explain himself.
He stood, backed up against the cold basement wall as Rita leaned over him. She only stood an inch or two taller, but she had a presence that always commanded the room. Either way, James didn't enjoy his personal space being invaded - even though he was used to it by now.
With Rita so close to his face, he could smell beer still on her breath, and some of her long loose dreadlocks brushed his shoulders.
"You know, Liam, I told you from the beginning that we have rules," Rita hissed. "I can't guarantee your safety anymore."
"You know, that's kind of funny because I never really believed I was safe anyway," James said thinly.
Rita pulled away, throwing her head back with a cackle. She glanced behind her and Hoss, who was standing with his hands on his hips. One, resting on his gun, and his eyes locked on James.
Rita seemed to note Hoss's piercing stare and looked back to James.
"Hoss, I think it's time to throw him to the dogs," Rita said, her smile and laughter fading. "It's the only way these boys ever learn."
At that, she turned to go up the step-ladder that led back to the upper floor, passing barrels upon barrels of booze, and crates stuffed with stolen goods. Hoss stood still for a moment, leaving just the two of them in the dark, damp room.
James thought he was going to leave, but Hoss didn't. Instead, he only kept staring.
"I'm sorry about Ron," James blurted, flashing a nervous, apologetic smile.
"Sorry's not gonna cut it," Hoss growled.
James's eyes flicked around the basement. There wasn't anything he could quickly grab to use as a weapon. Everything was packed away, and Hoss was much, much bigger and angrier than him.
For a moment, James watched as Hoss's fingers tapped his gun at his side, waiting for him to take it out of its holster. But instead, Hoss shouted.
"Bella!"
There was a clatter of feet from above.
"What?" came her voice from above.
"Rita says it's time to feed him to the dogs. Why don't you fetch 'em while I make sure this rat doesn't try to run?"
Keeping alert for anyone nearby, Kaia followed the tracks until she saw a large cabin building with three stories beyond the tall bushes. A porch extended from the front outwards, and there was a man standing guard at the door. There were two pairs of guards walking around the building as well. When Kaia edged around the growth-lined perimeter to the back of the cabin, she found that there was yet another guard at the back door.
She flexed her fingers in anticipation. This shouldn't be too hard to get in. All of the first floor windows were sealed shut, but there was a balcony at the back of the building with an open window. So all she had to do was to scale the wall without the guards noticing and get through the window without alerting anyone who might be inside.
Kaia noticed that one of the pairs of guards circling the building was much slower than the other pair, who grumbled at them to move faster. Using this opportunity while they were all together on the other side of the cabin, she darted forward and immediately clambored up in near silence, finding hand and footholds on the stacked logs. She had just climbed high enough that the guards who passed by underneath her didn't notice her clinging tightly to the wood above. She then inched sideways and past the corner of the building to the back side, until she was able to lower her legs onto the balcony and let go of the wall. Though this wasn't the hardest climb she had ever attempted, she still let out an inaudible sigh of relief before peering into the cabin from the window. No one was there, so Kaia slipped through the opening and started forward, taking silent steps as she searched for where they could be keeping James.
The doors of the second floor were mostly closed, so Kaia pressed an ear to the wood to listen for any sounds inside the rooms before judging whether it was safe enough to look inside. The others, she could save for last after she checked the rest of the cabin and if she couldn't find James anywhere else.
After seeing more ungainly, snoring forms and other men doing who-knows-what than she cared to, she looked down at the first floor, where she could hear many boisterous voices. Several men sat at a large table below, eating and drinking and talking about the attack from earlier. She listened to see if she would hear them mention anything about James, but there was nothing.
Although she was confident in her combat skills, she was not fond of fighting several large, brawny men at once, so she turned to the staircase leading to the third floor and went upstairs. When she poked her head out slightly to observe the area, she saw a long hallway of more doors. The ones closest to her were mostly ajar, with a view of a bed and a mostly otherwise austere room. There were definitely a lot of men living in this building. Men she did not want to confront.
As the hallway was quiet, she stepped out, glancing through as many rooms as she could and trying a few doorknobs on closed ones. She paused at a room that had opened when she twisted the doorknob, the medical supplies strewn about on tables inside piquing her interest. Then her gaze settled on the large, redheaded man lying on one of the beds inside, and she recognized him as one of the men who had been injured in the fight. However, he appeared mostly unconscious, so he didn't stir.
Kaia closed the door softly and continued, slowing as she spied a figure standing in front of a door near the end.
"Hey," a young woman barked at her. She had bright red hair, and looked like she could be related to the injured man in the other room.
A moment ago, the woman looked like she'd been bored, leaning against the wall, but the moment she spotted Kaia she straightened up.
"Who are you?" she continued. "How'd you even get in here?"
Kaia didn't bother giving an answer but swiftly closed the distance between them and struck at her. The woman moved quicker than she expected, blocking the blow with her arm. She whirled around Kaia, reaching to grab for Kaia's arms, but Kaia was faster. She got a hit into the woman's ribs with her elbow, and while she stumbled away, Kaia kneed her in the nose, making her stumble even more.
Putting her hands up to her nose, the woman looked up.
"What the--" she stuttered, looking like she was about to charge at Kaia. Kaia didn't give her the chance.
While the woman was still bent over, Kaia spun around and kicked her in the side of the head, effectively knocking her out. The woman fell to the floor with a thud.
Turning away from the woman, Kaia twisted the doorknob on the door she had been guarding. She was not surprised to find that it was locked, so she took a quick, judging glance at the keyhole and pulled out a lockpick that seemed like it would fit with the type of lock on the door. Sliding it into the keyhole, she shifted her tool a few times and the lock clicked as it sprang open.
After all this, James had better be in this room.
Kaia pushed the door open. There was James, slumped in the corner, and a tall man who resembled the woman outside standing over him, holding a gun to his head. James glanced at her quickly, his facial expression remaining neutral, and looked away just as fast.
"You a bounty hunter?" the tall man asked lowly, eyeing her up and down.
She lifted her chin slightly. "Yes. I've been chasing him for a long time." She gestured at James.
"Well that's too bad," the man said with a thin smile. "He's ours, now. You'll have to find another bounty elsewhere."
He pressed the gun against the side of James's head, cocking the gun.
"Though I'm not as attached to him as my boss is," the man went on. "One step closer and I won't shed a tear over a dead liar."
"All right," said Kaia, not moving from her position. She looked quickly at James and took in the swollen face and abysmal black eye, and she was unable to suppress an exasperated breath. "He probably had it coming. But it's too bad, I'm very attached to this one."
She drew her pistol from her belt and fired.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
James had come to a point in his life where he'd learned to accept the consequences of his actions, no matter how stupid the action and severe the punishment. Up until the moment where he heard the thump outside the door and Kaia burst into the room, James had made peace with what he knew would be his inevitable death - and a long time coming, at that. It wasn't how he'd imagined it would go, but then again, things in life rarely were.
And here it is again, being unpredictable.
He didn't have much time to react as the bullet flew from Kaia's gun. All he knew to do was duck, and he felt his life flash before his eyes as one second, he could feel the head of a bullet whizzing past the back of his skull, and the next, Hoss screaming out in pain. The gun Hoss had been holding fell hard on James's back, sliding down to the floor with a loud clatter.
James had his hands bound behind his back, along with his elbows, but his legs were free. Leaning to the side, he kicked his legs out to create momentum and spun them around, kicking at Hoss's shins. As James slid away, Hoss grunted and lost his footing, stumbling to catch himself as he gripped one of his arms in pain. It wasn't until James was scrambling to his feet that he saw the blood spurting out from Hoss's forearm. Hoss let out a loud curse that carried out into the hall.
James's stomach turned in sympathy as Hoss gripped the wound with white knuckles, trying to stop the rapid loss of blood.
Though only a few short seconds had passed, James felt like time had slowed down until he finally looked up to meet Kaia's eyes.
James could hear footsteps clamoring down the hall. Doors flying open. Frantic footfalls drawn to the sound of a ringing gunshot and a shout of pain, and Hoss's sister, who James could see a glimpse of, lying unconscious on the floor just outside the door.
There was no way they were getting out through the hallways, down the stairs, past the dozens and dozens of people who were now waking and rising to respond.
He swallowed and looked from Kaia to the window.
It was a second story room, and it would be a long fall. Doable for Kaia, maybe, but exceptionally painful for him with his arms bound, unable to catch himself. But James was always prone to gamble when it game to his safety, especially when every option was a bad one.
He looked back to Kaia, waiting a split second to see if she followed his train of thought.
Kaia followed his gaze to the window. "You're crazy," she said, her eyes flicking back to him, but she was already moving.
"Would be nice if you could untie me," James said through his teeth as he hurried to the window, but Hoss seemed to turn his attention back towards them, and wedged his way between James and the window.
"You're bleeding out," James said slowly as Hoss towered over him, his face still contorted in pain as he gripped his bleeding arm. "Let it go."
Hoss scrunched up his upper lip in contempt, spitting in James's face as he shoved James away with his shoulder, but pulled out of the way.
Kaia came behind James and made quick work of the ropes around his wrists with a few sawing motions from her knife. "You go first," she said. "I'll make sure no one follows us." She positioned herself between James and Hoss just in case, poised to fight if he made any move forward again.
James didn't waste time opening the window, sliding the pane to the side with a crack as the wood frame clapped against the rail. He caught a glimpse of a figure rushing into the doorway, but he didn't look back as he slid his legs out the window and flew out onto the wall, holding onto the edge of the window's rail.
He heard the shing of metal, and Hoss's voice boomed out orders, but the voice that stuck out was Rita's.
"You won't get very far, Tiberius," Rita threatened.
James stared down the side of the building, his legs dangling over the darkness and the ground that seemed to be swallowed up somewhere beneath him in the night. Either way, it was going to hurt. It didn't help that his eyesight was terrible.
Pulling himself up a little on the window, he propped his legs up against the wall and bounced once, twice, and then pulled away, sliding down the wall with his hands scraping across the wood panels until gravity drew him further, and he decided to go with the momentum, pushing off the wall with his legs. He tried to spin around, hoping to catch his fall with his arms and legs, but the ground hit him on his side suddenly, like it had materialized out of the darkness too soon.
He skidded in the dirt and grass, rolling several feet before his body came to a stop and he gracelessly flopped his arm out onto the ground with a suppressed groan. Everything already ached, but the blurry light in the window up above and the sound of another gunshot kept adrenaline coursing through his veins.
With his head pounding, he shakily forced himself to his feet and watched as a blurry shadow descended from the window followed by shouts from above.
Kaia landed on the ground, rolling to break her fall, and quickly stood up next to James. "Come on." She began running toward the forest, her pistol still in her hand. "They won't be far behind."
James barely nodded as he followed after her, forcing his legs to push him forward as he reached out and grabbed her shoulder in an attempt to bring her to a stop.
"Wait," he said between heavy breaths. "Elliot. Faster."
Kaia slowed to his side, turning around to face him. "Where?" she asked, looking about for signs of his horse.
"There's a shed. Out back," James said, already waving her in that direction.
He could hear noise from inside the house as everyone was waking up and rushing down the steps, so he didn't waste time as he sprinted to the shed. It was further back, a little ways from the house, but it was where several of them kept their horses.
Of course, there was someone on guard, but only one person as opposed to the army about to pour out of the building.
James slowed as he tried to percieve who it was standing guard outside the shed while they were still under the cover of the trees, but Kaia pushed past him, rushing up to them. James faltered in his steps for a moment before following, catching up just in time to see Kaia dodge a few hits before landing a final blow on their head, knocking them to the ground.
That was his cue. He hurried into the shed and found Elliot, calmly and sleepily tied up to a pole. James was glad he'd done this a million times before, because Elliot already sensed his urgency, and as James hurriedly strapped on Elliot's saddle and reins, Elliot didn't fight it.
"Okay, okay," James cooed in a whisper, patting Elliot's neck as he led him out of the shed. "Let's get ready to go."
When he stepped out, he saw Kaia turn to him, sharply gesturing for him to get on already.
Not far in the distance, he could make out a mass of shadows. People, pouring out of the building.
He got up in the saddle, and Kaia swiftly hopped up after him.
After a click of his tongue and a flick of the reins, Elliot started off into the forest, at first at a canter, and eventually building up into a gallop as they weaved through the forest in the night.
James wasn't sure just how much time had passed before Kaia suggested they stop for the night, but when she did, he didn't argue. He could sense that Elliot was in need of a break soon, and he himself could feel his strength quickly waning.
It was still dark when they slowed under the canopy of pine trees towering above them, and the only light the moon had to offer was a sliver that shone dimly through the treetops. James couldn't make out much else, but the ground smelled damp, and the scent of pine needles mixed with petrichor. The air was cool, but only cold because he slowly became aware of the sweat sticking to the back of his neck, gluing his clothes to his skin.
He felt grimy, and his face was throbbing and swollen, finally swallowing up one eye, making it impossible to see through.
He slouched forward as Elliot came to a complete stop, and Kaia hopped off first.
James had come to a point in his life where he'd learned to accept the consequences of his actions, no matter how stupid the action and severe the punishment. Up until the moment where he heard the thump outside the door and Kaia burst into the room, James had made peace with what he knew would be his inevitable death - and a long time coming, at that. It wasn't how he'd imagined it would go, but then again, things in life rarely were.
And here it is again, being unpredictable.
He didn't have much time to react as the bullet flew from Kaia's gun. All he knew to do was duck, and he felt his life flash before his eyes as one second, he could feel the head of a bullet whizzing past the back of his skull, and the next, Hoss screaming out in pain. The gun Hoss had been holding fell hard on James's back, sliding down to the floor with a loud clatter.
James had his hands bound behind his back, along with his elbows, but his legs were free. Leaning to the side, he kicked his legs out to create momentum and spun them around, kicking at Hoss's shins. As James slid away, Hoss grunted and lost his footing, stumbling to catch himself as he gripped one of his arms in pain. It wasn't until James was scrambling to his feet that he saw the blood spurting out from Hoss's forearm. Hoss let out a loud curse that carried out into the hall.
James's stomach turned in sympathy as Hoss gripped the wound with white knuckles, trying to stop the rapid loss of blood.
Though only a few short seconds had passed, James felt like time had slowed down until he finally looked up to meet Kaia's eyes.
James could hear footsteps clamoring down the hall. Doors flying open. Frantic footfalls drawn to the sound of a ringing gunshot and a shout of pain, and Hoss's sister, who James could see a glimpse of, lying unconscious on the floor just outside the door.
There was no way they were getting out through the hallways, down the stairs, past the dozens and dozens of people who were now waking and rising to respond.
He swallowed and looked from Kaia to the window.
It was a second story room, and it would be a long fall. Doable for Kaia, maybe, but exceptionally painful for him with his arms bound, unable to catch himself. But James was always prone to gamble when it game to his safety, especially when every option was a bad one.
He looked back to Kaia, waiting a split second to see if she followed his train of thought.
Kaia followed his gaze to the window. "You're crazy," she said, her eyes flicking back to him, but she was already moving.
"Would be nice if you could untie me," James said through his teeth as he hurried to the window, but Hoss seemed to turn his attention back towards them, and wedged his way between James and the window.
"You're bleeding out," James said slowly as Hoss towered over him, his face still contorted in pain as he gripped his bleeding arm. "Let it go."
Hoss scrunched up his upper lip in contempt, spitting in James's face as he shoved James away with his shoulder, but pulled out of the way.
Kaia came behind James and made quick work of the ropes around his wrists with a few sawing motions from her knife. "You go first," she said. "I'll make sure no one follows us." She positioned herself between James and Hoss just in case, poised to fight if he made any move forward again.
James didn't waste time opening the window, sliding the pane to the side with a crack as the wood frame clapped against the rail. He caught a glimpse of a figure rushing into the doorway, but he didn't look back as he slid his legs out the window and flew out onto the wall, holding onto the edge of the window's rail.
He heard the shing of metal, and Hoss's voice boomed out orders, but the voice that stuck out was Rita's.
"You won't get very far, Tiberius," Rita threatened.
James stared down the side of the building, his legs dangling over the darkness and the ground that seemed to be swallowed up somewhere beneath him in the night. Either way, it was going to hurt. It didn't help that his eyesight was terrible.
Pulling himself up a little on the window, he propped his legs up against the wall and bounced once, twice, and then pulled away, sliding down the wall with his hands scraping across the wood panels until gravity drew him further, and he decided to go with the momentum, pushing off the wall with his legs. He tried to spin around, hoping to catch his fall with his arms and legs, but the ground hit him on his side suddenly, like it had materialized out of the darkness too soon.
He skidded in the dirt and grass, rolling several feet before his body came to a stop and he gracelessly flopped his arm out onto the ground with a suppressed groan. Everything already ached, but the blurry light in the window up above and the sound of another gunshot kept adrenaline coursing through his veins.
With his head pounding, he shakily forced himself to his feet and watched as a blurry shadow descended from the window followed by shouts from above.
Kaia landed on the ground, rolling to break her fall, and quickly stood up next to James. "Come on." She began running toward the forest, her pistol still in her hand. "They won't be far behind."
James barely nodded as he followed after her, forcing his legs to push him forward as he reached out and grabbed her shoulder in an attempt to bring her to a stop.
"Wait," he said between heavy breaths. "Elliot. Faster."
Kaia slowed to his side, turning around to face him. "Where?" she asked, looking about for signs of his horse.
"There's a shed. Out back," James said, already waving her in that direction.
He could hear noise from inside the house as everyone was waking up and rushing down the steps, so he didn't waste time as he sprinted to the shed. It was further back, a little ways from the house, but it was where several of them kept their horses.
Of course, there was someone on guard, but only one person as opposed to the army about to pour out of the building.
James slowed as he tried to percieve who it was standing guard outside the shed while they were still under the cover of the trees, but Kaia pushed past him, rushing up to them. James faltered in his steps for a moment before following, catching up just in time to see Kaia dodge a few hits before landing a final blow on their head, knocking them to the ground.
That was his cue. He hurried into the shed and found Elliot, calmly and sleepily tied up to a pole. James was glad he'd done this a million times before, because Elliot already sensed his urgency, and as James hurriedly strapped on Elliot's saddle and reins, Elliot didn't fight it.
"Okay, okay," James cooed in a whisper, patting Elliot's neck as he led him out of the shed. "Let's get ready to go."
When he stepped out, he saw Kaia turn to him, sharply gesturing for him to get on already.
Not far in the distance, he could make out a mass of shadows. People, pouring out of the building.
He got up in the saddle, and Kaia swiftly hopped up after him.
After a click of his tongue and a flick of the reins, Elliot started off into the forest, at first at a canter, and eventually building up into a gallop as they weaved through the forest in the night.
James wasn't sure just how much time had passed before Kaia suggested they stop for the night, but when she did, he didn't argue. He could sense that Elliot was in need of a break soon, and he himself could feel his strength quickly waning.
It was still dark when they slowed under the canopy of pine trees towering above them, and the only light the moon had to offer was a sliver that shone dimly through the treetops. James couldn't make out much else, but the ground smelled damp, and the scent of pine needles mixed with petrichor. The air was cool, but only cold because he slowly became aware of the sweat sticking to the back of his neck, gluing his clothes to his skin.
He felt grimy, and his face was throbbing and swollen, finally swallowing up one eye, making it impossible to see through.
He slouched forward as Elliot came to a complete stop, and Kaia hopped off first.
Kaia let out the breath that she had been holding for what felt like an eternity as she looked at their surroundings. "I think it would be all right if we camped here tonight." Her eyes turned to James, who was still sitting on Elliot, hunched over in either pain or exhaustion--Kaia could guess that it was both. She let out a small huff and took a step back.
"Okay, let's get you down, James," she said, forcing her voice into a matter-of-fact, neutral tone, though she really wanted to bombard him with questions and scold him for being foolish, as he always seemed to be with a stubborn passion.
James nodded, his expression vacant from exhaustion as he slid his legs off the side of the saddle and landed heavily on his feet beside Elliot. Elliot was still breathing heavy from the gallop through the forest in the middle of the night, and James reached out to pet his side, despite looking like he could fall over at any moment.
Kaia quickly came beside him, putting his arm around her shoulders and holding him up, leading him over to a large tree, where he could rest against it. He slumped down on the ground at the base of the tree, putting all of his weight on the thick trunk once he was sitting on the ground. He was still breathing heavy himself.
Kaia sat beside him, opening a pouch at her waist. "You're lucky that I carried a larger healing kit this time, and that the party I was escorting didn't need it. Because, obviously, now you're the one who's injured. Again." She sifted through the pouch, searching for the items she wanted. "You got any more injuries, besides the ones I can see?" She gestured at his swollen face.
James didn't look up to meet her eyes.
"Nothing you can help with," he said, deflecting.
"Oh really," she replied. "That's too bad, because I make a pretty good healing salve." She pulled out a round tin from the pouch, as well as a few scraps of cloth.
"I'm not bleeding," James said, which was clearly a lie, because there was a swollen cut on his cheek that was clearly bleeding.
She looked at him square in the face, right at the cut, and sighed. "That says otherwise," she said, and rummaged around in her healing pouch again. She fished out a small vial of clear liquid, and poured some of it onto one of the cloths, nearly saturating the whole thing, before pressing it against James' cheek.
His non-swollen eye shot open, and he twitched, looking like he wanted to recoil but forced himself to stay put as he clenched his jaw. A suppressed huff came out through his nose as he shot her a sharp glare like an angry, wounded animal - meeting her eyes for the first time since this whole encounter. But he quickly looked away.
Kaia couldn't hold back a laugh at his expression, before she changed her expression back to the serious look of before. But the corners of her mouth still twitched as she gently dabbed at the cut with the scrap. She then patted it dry and slathered some of the salve over it.
"That should take care of the cut for now," she said. " I think you just need to cover it with this and apply a bit of pressure for a while and it'll be all good." She placed a clean cloth in his hand.
"You're enjoying this," James muttered, lifting the cloth to his cheek.
"What can I say," said Kaia, "when you're the one who is always doing ridiculous things?" She frowned now, and said under her breath, "You and your foolish self-sacrificing. You must love getting beaten." She sighed again, before telling him, louder now, "You can put the salve on your bruises too. It's multi-purpose, so it'll probably help ease the pain a bit. Use as much as you want, since I have to make a fresh batch every now and then anyways."
James pressed his lips into a line, nodding slightly.
So much for a two-way conversation.
"What were you even doing with a group of people like that? The Blue Suns, of all the gangs out there?"
"It wasn't by choice," James said, drawing his arms closer to himself, still holding the cloth up to his cheek, visibly applying pressure. "I got dragged into it. One of them knew me. Made it personal."
"Because, somehow, everyone in the Outlands is after you," said Kaia sarcastically, but she asked more gently, "What have you been doing since we all parted ways? And please don't just say something nonspecific like 'surviving,' or anything else like that."
James looked at her with one narrowed eye, since his other eye was swollen shut.
"I've been with the Blue Suns for months," he said, looking away again. "Before that I was just traveling through the Outlands alone, uneventfully."
Kaia nodded, leaning back on her hands and glancing up at the dark sky. "Sounds lonely."
"Which part?" James asked.
She shrugged. "All of it? Just . . . leaving behind friends, being surrounded by hostile strangers."
"Well, that second half wasn't exactly a part of my plan," James mumbled.
"Yeah, I'm sure. I don't know if I even want to ask what this plan of yours was."
At that, James turned his face away.
"What about you?" he asked. "I thought you were with Adina."
Kaia lowered her eyes and stared at the ground, silent for several moments. "Well, we found the mage guild," she said at last. "It was perfect for Adina--you should have seen how she started to thrive there, learning how to harness her magic." A small smile spread over her lips, but it didn't reach her eyes. "I decided to leave on my own. I figured that it wouldn't do her any good to be associated with King Blackfield's assassin." She fell silent again, before she took a long breath and continued, "One of the mages used to be a palace worker, you see. My reputation isn't good. So . . . I left. I've been on my own for a while now."
"I'm sorry it didn't work out with Adina," James said quietly.
Kaia blinked at the sudden prick of tears in her eyes, and she didn't look at him. Instead, she shook her head. "Well, I'm just glad that she found her new home. And I've been okay. Sometimes it's nice only having to worry about yourself."
"I understand," James said, his voice still low. He finally turned to look at her again, but his expression was hard to read behind all of the swelling and bruising.
"I know neither of us planned for life to be like this," James said. "When you helped me escape years ago."
Kaia finally met his eyes and grinned. "Feels like a long time ago. We were both different people then."
"That's true," James said. "Though I think I'm still a bit -- what'd you say -- 'foolish, and self-sacrificing.' Guess that hasn't changed. And you're still having to clean up my messes..."
He let out a deep sigh.
"I'm sorry you got dragged into this, Kaia," he said.
"It's not your fault," she answered. "I chose to come after you. It's not like it's anything worse than what I do these days. I've been escorting travelers and fighting off bandits, so no big deal. Same old stuff." She straightened up though, and looked at him more intently. "They're probably going to hunt you down, right?"
James hesitated.
"...At least one of them will," James said slowly. "I can't speak for all of them."
"Tell me about this person. It would be good for me if I could help keep an eye out. That is, if you want to stay with me for a while."
James's response was delayed again, but this time it was hard to tell if it was because he was thinking, or if he possibly had a concussion. For all she knew, it could've been both.
"I'm not sure how badly you injured him," James finally said. "That would affect things. The man I'm thinking of is the one who was in the room where you found me. But... if not him, Rita's likely to send someone else after me. Probably..."
It seemed like his thoughts drifted off somewhere, but he stopped verbalizing them.
"I see," said Kaia. "I was guessing it would be him." She shrugged. "Regardless, I can handle just about anyone who would come all the way to my cottage. It really is in a bit of a remote area."
"Your... cottage...?" James echoed.
"Yes, my cottage. I have my own place to stay now, out in a less populated part of the forest. That's why I said you could stay with me." Kaia smiled slightly, though she was beginning to suspect something was wrong with him. "It's actually a nice little place."
James blinked.
"I must have missed that part," he said, barely understandable.
Kaia stared at him and sighed. "I should have checked earlier," she muttered. "Of course you wouldn't just have a cut and some bruises." She held up three fingers. "How many fingers am I holding up?"
James looked at her, but his head and eyes seemed to lag.
"It's dark," he said. "And you're already blurry."
"Does your head hurt?" she asked, letting his words go. She was pretty sure she knew that he did have a concussion.
"My whole head feels like a bruise," James answered. "Face included. Can't you tell?"
"Oh yeah, you look like a mess," said Kaia. She sighed. "You have a concussion, James. So from now till we get back to my cottage, we have to be very careful that we don't make your condition worse."
"I should be fine," James said. "I've had concussions before."
"No reason not to be careful," retorted Kaia. "The more concussions you have had, the more risky it is. It can lead to permanent damage. Anyways, thanks for telling me that you have a history of concussions, so we'll be even more careful now."
James blinked.
"... What kind of damage?" he asked distantly.
"Some people's minds are just not the same anymore after hitting their heads too many times," replied Kaia. "Just go to sleep now. Take it easy. I'll keep watch." She patted his shoulder awkwardly.
He glanced at her hand, stiffening up his posture.
"I thought you weren't supposed to sleep," he said.
"You can sleep a little," said Kaia. "I'll just wake you up periodically. You know, to make sure you're still alive."
A flicker of a smile flashed on James's features, but quickly disappeared.
"Ha," he said flatly, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. "Yeah."
"We'll have to keep moving tomorrow, but I'm sure Elliot will be gentle carrying you."
James's eyes shot open.
"Elliot," he said, starting to get up.
"No, no, no," said Kaia, grabbing onto him to stop him. "You stay down and rest. I will take care of him."
James stumbled back to the ground with his shoulders back against the tree, but he still seemed restless, like he wanted to push his way out of her grasp.
"He's tired," James said. "I pushed him... he needs water."
"Which I can get him," said Kaia. "You are not going to do him any good if you are in this state, so just focus on getting better." She stood and pressed down on him a little as if to emphasize her point. "Stay there. If you're worried, you can watch me, okay?"
James seemed reluctant, but finally sighed, leaning his head back again.
"Okay," he said in resignation.
"Good," replied Kaia. She stepped away from the tree and walked up to Elliot, rubbing his neck and speaking to him softly before she began to tend to him. As she worked, she glanced at James. His eyes were closed and he was breathing deeply, fast asleep. Her shoulders relaxed a little, and she sighed again.
"What are we going to do about him, hmm, Elliot?" she said, patting the horse again.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
The next twenty four hours were a bit of a blur. Maybe it was his neverending headache, but everything just felt loud and bright once the sun was up, and Kaia kept reminding him of his concussion, among other things.
The day dragged on, broken up only by stops for water and food in-between their long walk. Sometimes he would ride Elliot, and sometimes he would walk, but never for very long. Kaia was babying him, and he was too tired to fight it.
She didn't have to come back for him, and a part of him resented the fact that she did because it only made the guilt in his chest all the heavier. It wasn't just this. It was the countless times she'd saved him, helped him, gotten him out of life threatening situation after life threatening situation when they were all his fault anyway. And even though he knew she made her choice to get involved every time, and it would be taking far too much credit for him to blame himself for everything, he couldn't help but feel like it was all his fault. She would never have been in the Outlands in the first place if it weren't for him.
It was far too late to change things now, but if he could've done it differently, he was starting to think that maybe he would've just let himself be caught. That would've put an end to his hellish years of running in the first place.
Of course, he couldn't just walk into a Moonlight Kingdom outpost now and turn himself in. That would be like throwing ever favor Kaia and anyone else had done for him in their faces.
The sky was turning dark by the time Kaia said they were getting close. Admittedly, he'd forgotten where they were going - and apparently he had several times, because Kaia had started counting how many times she'd had to remind him. He knew she was already annoyed by him because he was being short with her, and vague. If he could remember things he would've tried to give her less trouble.
He didn't know what he did to deserve someone like her who was willing to put up with him.
Eventually the shadow of a building could be seen up ahead in the dim light of the forest. James couldn't make out much more than the general shape, but it looked small. Homey. Hidden.
As they got closer, it almost seemed to get smaller. It was nondescript, lacking any specific personal touches apart from what looked like a garden out front. He couldn't really see much but the little fence around it, but he figured once it was daylight he'd be able to see what she was growing.
Kaia let Elliot to a pole just out of reach of the garden and tied him up next to her own horse, which was standing under a small, roofed structure that appeared to serve as its shelter from rain or other elements. James squinted in the dark, trying to make out if it was the same horse from about a year ago, but his mind felt like it was a messy, swirling pot of soup. Everything was blending together, and he really couldn't make out much of anything in the dark besides basic shapes and generic features.
He followed Kaia to the front door, quietly hovering behind her from a short distance until she unlocked the front door and opened it, gesturing for him to enter first. He stepped into the single room cottage, looking around in the dark.
He couldn't see much until Kaia struck a match and lit a lantern hung by the door, which illuminated the small room. In one corner, there was a simple bed with a side-table next to it, and in the other back corner there was a small table with two chairs. On the opposite wall there was a tall cabinet that was locked, and on the floor, there was a worn out straw carpet. Hanging from the ceiling rafters were drying herbs, tied in a row on several strings, according to the type of plant.
It was simple, but it was still nice. He was glad she had a home.
He stood in the middle of the room aimlessly, not realizing he'd been staring emptily at one spot on the wall until Kaia shut the door behind them with a soft thud. He flinched, looking back at her.
"Nice place," he said absently.
"Thanks," she said, looking around at the room herself, as if she had not seen it for a long time. "It's not a mansion or anything, but it's mine. And you are welcome to stay for as long as you need, or want to." She cleared her throat and looked at him in the eyes. "I'm serious. I don't mind at all."
James felt skittish under her gaze and he quickly tore his eyes away.
"I'll try not to... to cause any more trouble," he said, stumbling over the mess of words in his mind, trying to form a sentence that made sense and communicated at least a semblance of what he was trying to say.
He looked down at the floor.
"Thank you," he said softly.
Kaia remained silent for a moment, looking like she was thinking of what to say, and at last, she replied, "You're my friend." And that was all she said on the matter.
James nodded slightly, trying not to let the past few days catch up to him. Or the past few months, or the past few years. He closed his eyes and took in a slow, deep breath just like he'd done a million times, pushing it all back behind the wall where things were more comfortable left unaddressed.
"I assume you want to get some rest yourself," James said, glacing at the bed in the corner. "I could go take care of the horses while you do... if you want."
Kaia hesitated, her expression indicating that she would much prefer if he went ahead and rested, but as she gazed at him, her eyes softened. "How about we do it together?" she said. "I'm not too tired right now, and I'd like to see how my horse is doing."
James nodded slightly.
"That's fine with me," he said, nodding back to the cottage door she was standing by.
She opened the door and stepped out, waiting for him to exit before shutting the door and heading to where the horses were tied. He walked alongside her as they made their back, and parted from her side to go up to Elliot, stroking the horse's face. He looked over to Kaia, who had gone up to her own horse.
"Is that still your same horse?" he asked.
She nodded. "Same one," she replied.
"Did you finally give him a name?"
"Yeah," she said, looking a little embarrassed. "I've never really named anything before, so I just named it after an herb. Valerian. Good for insomnia, pain relief, and anxiety, among other things." She shrugged, trying to act nonchalant about it.
"I like it," James said with a small smile in his eyes. He reached out to Valerian, gently petting down his snout. "Has he been treating you well?"
"Always," she replied. "I think he's very well-behaved. Very affectionate too," she added as the horse nuzzled into her face. She pushed his face away a little and patted his nose, saying, "So that's not such a great thing about being away sometimes. I think he gets a little lonely if I don't take him with me."
"Well, at least he likes you," James said, returning his hands to petting Elliot on the neck.
Kaia nodded, and they fell back into silence. At this point, she wasn't sure what to say anymore, since they had filled each other in on everything they had done in the time they had gone their separate ways. She wasn't really used to making conversation in a meaningful way with anyone.
"Did that group of people - the ones you were helping --" James started. "They got to where you were leading them safely?"
"Yes, they made it out of the forest all right," said Kaia, relieved that James had asked something else to keep the conversation going. "No one was hurt, so--oh." She opened her pack and pulled out the rag doll she had picked up on her way to find James. "There was a little girl in that group. She dropped this, so I picked it up. Maybe--maybe I'll be able to give it back to her one day."
James looked it over.
"I'm sure she misses it," he said. "Do you know where they were headed after you parted ways?"
"I know what direction they went in," she replied. "I pointed them to the next settlement, but I don't know if they decided to stay there or keep going. Who knows if I'll see them again." She sighed and studied details of the worn toy. "Perhaps her mother made this for her," she said, her voice quiet, as she was suddenly reminded of her own childhood and the woman who had loved her as her own daughter and had taught her almost everything she knew about healing.
She shook her head and put the doll away. "Anyways," she said, trying to change the subject, "I think I'm about done here. Valerian's looking good."
James nodded, watching as Kaia tucked away the doll as quickly as she did whatever thought passed through her head.
"Do you have a well nearby?" he asked.
"It's right over there," she said, pointing at a stone well several yards away. "It comes in handy for watering plants. And thirsty horses." She gave Valerian another pat and walked over to the well with a bucket that had been sitting on the edge of the horses' shelter. She poured water into it and carried it back.
"Here," she said, handing it to James. "Elliot must be parched."
James nodded in thanks, feeling a little helpless watching Kaia do all of the work, but he didn't fight it. He took the bucket and lifted it up to Elliot, who eagerly started drinking before James set it on the ground, where Elliot could stick his whole nose in.
"So, who takes care of Valerian when you're not home?" James asked curiously, noting that Valerian did in fact, seem well cared for in her absence.
"My neighbors' little boy comes to take care of him and water the plants," she said. "I pay him, and they don't ask questions. They're nice people, actually."
"Ah," James hummed. "Sounds nice. What's the boy's name?"
"Carmin," she replied. "Funny name for a kid who lives out in the middle of nowhere, huh?"
"Considering we both live out in the middle of nowhere," James said. "I don't think it's my place to say."
"True," said Kaia, one corner of her mouth tugging up in a grin. "That is true. I'm not sure how much he likes the name, though."
"Maybe you should ask him," James said, idly brushing Elliot's mane with his fingers as Elliot quietly lapped up water. "You could give him a nickname."
"Hmm." Kaia looked thoughtful as she went back to take care of Valerian. "It never occurred to me to try that. But maybe I will."
"Hey, you're back!" There was a voice from behind them, and they turned to see a boy with dark, curly hair and a smattering of freckles across his cheeks running up to them. He stopped a few feet away and immediately his eyes turned to James.
"Who's that?" he said, looking him up and down and wrinkling his nose slightly. "You've never brought anyone back before."
"Carmin, this is my friend," said Kaia, sending James a look, wondering if he'd give out one of his countless fake names. She didn't want to assume, it seemed, and she was right not to.
"My name's Liam," he said with a small, polite smile.
He found himself hesitating as well. Had Kaia given the boy a fake name, too? He wasn't sure, but he assumed it would be best to avoid dropping her name in conversation just in case.
"We were just talking about you, actually," he said. "She was just saying how helpful you are. It's nice to meet you, Carmin."
Carmin puffed out his chest in pride. "I take good care of ol' Valerian," he boasted. "He's probably the best-kept horse in these parts." He turned back to Kaia. "So now that you're back, does that mean I get paid now?"
"It does," said Kaia, fighting a smile. "I'll go get the money now. Why don't you and Liam have a nice chat in the meantime." She headed back towards her cottage and disappeared inside.
James shot her a very brief, very subtle pointed look as he turned to watch her leave, but then turned his attention back to the boy. He pulled out Elliot's brush and started working on his mane.
"How old are you, Carmin?" James asked.
"I'm ten," said Carmin, who was beginning to kick the dust on the ground. "How do you know the neighbor lady?"
"We were friends a while back," he said, which was enough of a truth and vague enough for his purposes. "We ran into each other a few days ago. It was a pleasant surprise."
The latter bit was greatly nuanced, but he still meant it. Continuing to brush Elliot's mane, he gave the boy another glance.
"The lady must really like you if she let you come to her house," said Carmin. "No one ever comes here except for me, and sometimes my ma. Do you like her? My ma says that when you're all grown up, you start to really like people for no reason." He made a face. "I don't really know what that means."
James suppressed an amused smile, but in the back of his mind he couldn't help but have awkward flashbacks to Brett (with misguided intentions) trying to get him and Kaia together. The situation resolved itself at the time, but the boy's question started a train of thoughts he knew better than to entertain.
"It's not for no reason," he said, ignoring the question and instead addressing the other half of what the boy said. "There's layers of reasons to it. You should ask your parents about that, though."
He was sure the boy's parents didn't want him having that sort of conversation with a stranger. Especially one who looked like him at the moment, covered in cuts and bruises.
"My ma wouldn't say any more than that," said the boy.
"Then you should trust your mother," James said. "I'm sure she'll have that conversation with you when the time is right for it."
"Okay," he replied, not sounding convinced. "But since you guys like each other, you should probably try to clean up a lot. My ma gets really upset when my dad gets stinky and dirty from working outside and makes him go take a bath. So I think the lady probably doesn't like it either."
James found himself letting out a huff of a laugh through his nose as he pressed his lips together, nodding.
"You know, I don't really like being dirty and stinky either," he said. "So I guess a bath is due to me at one point or another."
He looked to Carmin, raising a brow.
"When was the last time you took a bath?" he asked, throwing the question back at him.
"Uhh," said the boy, starting to look elsewhere, pretending like he didn't hear James' question.
"Looks like I'm not the only one who's stinky," James said with a little grin, brushing gently through a knot he caught in Elliot's mane.
Carmin shifted uncomfortably, making an awkward noise in his throat before he hollered towards the cottage, "Hey lady, are you done yet?"
Kaia stepped out of the house and made her way back towards them. "I'm coming," she said. "Just wanted to make sure I gave you the right amount of money. Here." She placed a handful of small coins in Carmin's palm.
Carmin counted the coins before closing his fingers around the money tightly. "Okay, I'll see you later, lady!" He started to run back in the direction he came from. "I think you should find someone better to like," he shouted over his shoulder before disappearing from sight.
Kaia blinked. "What was that about?" she asked James.
James stared for a moment at the spot in the forest where the boy had disappeared, feeling his cheeks burn a little.
"Hm?" James hummed, looking to her. "Oh. You know. Kids."
Maybe his concussion would cause him to forget this. That would be nice.
Kaia chuckled a little. "Yeah, kids. He's especially nosy, and he says a lot of things he shouldn't." She let out another laugh as she thought of something else. "You know, before I left on this last mission, he asked me if I was going to get married soon, or something like that. He said that his mother wanted to introduce me to some 'nice young men' if I didn't have anyone. Crazy, isn't it?"
She picked up the empty bucket in front of Elliot and refilled it with water for Valerian. "I can't imagine someone like me would ever be able to--Ah!" Kaia sighed. "I didn't get to ask him if he'd like me to call him by a nickname. He ran off so fast."
"I'm sure you'll have another opportunity," James said quietly.
It was strange. The thought of marriage or anything remotely close to it was something that never even crossed his mind. It was almost as if he'd forgotten it was such a common occurence in the lives of normal people, so much so that a little boy would even think to comment on it. He couldn't help but feel disconnected. He'd grown so used to the turbulence of his own life that he never made room for the thought of settling down in any sense of the word. It was strange to hear Kaia joke about it, though he knew the both of them were in similar worlds.
Of course, if she wanted to settle down, there were far less outside forces working to stop her. But unless she had changed - and he highly suspected she hadn't, not that much - then she was being honest. She couldn't imagine something like that. Neither could he.
He could barely imagine being alive for another year.
He found himself blinking himself out what must have been a thousand-yard stare.
The concussion was still at work it seemed.
Kaia's voice started to register again. He wasn't sure how much he'd missed.
"Hey, James." Kaia peered at his face, looking concerned again. "Are you feeling okay? If you're done, let's just go back inside and after we have a little to eat, you can rest up."
James stared at her for a moment.
Food. Right. When was the last time he'd eaten? At the thought, his stomach seemed to ache and writhe as a faint grumble echoed off the sides of its empty cavern.
"Sure," he said faintly, nodding as he quickly brushed out Elliot's mane at the end and set the brush aside.
"All right," said Kaia, setting the bucket away from the horses now that Valerian had finished drinking as well. "Come on, then." She tugged on James' arm and walked back to the cottage door.
James lagged, staying behind to pet Elliot on his neck as he leaned in close.
"Catch up with your old friend," he whispered softly. "While I catch up with mine. See you."
With one last pat, he turned and hurried to catch up with Kaia at the cottage. She opened the door and he followed her inside.
"I don't have anything fancy, but it should all be relatively nutritious," said Kaia, rummaging in a cabinet that held cooking tools and some carefully wrapped parcels. "You can just sit down there," she pointed at a chair that was next to the table, "and I'll get the food ready. It'll take a little bit of time." She took down one of the parcels and unwrapped it, taking out some dried meat. Then she opened up a sack and scooped out some flour into a bowl.
James stood in the middle of the room looking around. He looked a little lost, but also like he was seeing everything for the first time, even though he hadn't. Finally he seemed to look at the table, and pulled out a chair, sitting down.
"Well, since we're both just hungry, I think just mixing flour and water together and cooking it should be good enough," she said, though it was a little embarrassing to be making something like this for the first meal she'd had in a long time with someone else as her guest. Or, well, the first time ever.
"Thank you," James said, his eyes still scanning the room.
Kaia made an acknowledging noise, but didn't say anything to that. "You can have some of this first if you just want to fill your stomach some while you're waiting," she said, setting the portioned-out dried meat on the table.
The moment she set food on the table, it seemed to catch all of James's attention. His eyes widened a little as he quickly grabbed a piece and started chewing on it.
Kaia found herself smiling at this, but she quickly cleared her throat and headed outside with the bowl of flour, a small jug of oil, and an iron pan. "I'll just be outside," she said. "It shouldn't take too much longer, maybe half an hour or so?" She went out the back of the cottage to her outdoor kitchen. As she looked back over her shoulder, though, she had the sneaking suspicion that all of the jerky would be gone by the time she was done cooking.
First, she put some wood down to make a fire. After collecting a bucket of water and using a little to rinse her hands clean, she added some slowly to the flour until it formed a dough. Then, dividing the dough into a few pieces, she flattened them and, placing the oiled pan over the fire, began to let them cook.
It was rather nice, to finally be able to sit down peacefully, doing something as simple and mundane as cooking. It was one of the things she had begun to truly enjoy after she had come to live here, despite it, as always, being a skill of necessity. Perhaps it was the freedom to do whatever she liked, with the resources she had and no expectations upon her shoulders.
After the flat bread was all sufficiently cooked through, Kaia placed them all onto a plate and carried them inside.
"Well, it's ready," she announced, wiping the sweat that had formed on her forehead away. "I can't say this particular dish tastes great, but it's fine, at any rate." She stopped short as she reached the table and looked down.
It was as she had expected. Seeing how all of the meat was gone, she decided not to say anything about it. She put down the flat bread and simply went to get a couple more pieces of meat for herself.
James took a piece of bread a little more hesitantly, like he was trying to be more mindful of how much he was eating. Though he didn't say any apologies out loud, it seemed evident in his manner.
As Kaia sat down, she considered this and quickly said, "I'm glad you're eating well. I'm sure you've been in need of a good meal for a while." She hoped he didn't think she minded, since she understood it. "Help yourself. I can always make more."
James looked down at he tore off pieces of the bread as he ate.
"I ate fine at the-- with them," he said. "I hadn't eaten after I got back from running into you. Until... now."
"Ah," replied Kaia. "I see. At any rate, it's been a long time since I've shared a meal with anyone. Not really since I left the mages' guild, though Carmin's mother tried very hard to invite me over one time." She took a piece of bread for herself and took a bite.
"Why didn't you?" James asked between bites.
Kaia hesitated. She wasn't quite sure of the reason, herself. That had troubled her slightly, though she felt quite certain that it would never be a good idea.
"Well," she said slowly, "it's best not to get too close. I think it would probably do more harm than good. Though Carmin is nosy, his parents try not to pry into my business too much, which . . . is for the best."
"Do you think they'd pry if you came over for dinner?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I don't really know what normal people talk about at mealtimes. But I could imagine most like to get to know the other person better if they are doing something like inviting a guest over."
James nodded slowly, and his eyes flicked up to her.
"Right," he said with food in his cheek. "I guess we're not normal people."
Kaia looked up at him, and couldn't stop a laugh from escaping her mouth.
"What?" James asked with a raised brow, mouth still full. "Am I wrong?"
"No, it's not that," she said. "We're definitely not normal. But--" She laughed again. "You just--you look funny." With the food stuffed in his cheeks and the bruises all over his face, it was almost too comical in this moment.
James narrowed his eyes at her and finished chewing, swallowing the bread down.
"Amazing," he said flatly. "I'm not even trying."
"Sorry," replied Kaia, the laughs still bubbling up from her chest.
James looked down at the piece of bread in his hands, and she watched as he split it in two, balled up each piece, and then stuck them both in his cheeks. He then looked up at Kaia blankly while his cheeks were puffed out from bread.
"How bouf now?" he said through his bread-filled mouth.
That proved too much for Kaia, and a new round of laughter erupted from her. She had to put her head down on her arms, laughing into the table. "You're--so--crazy," she struggled to say through her gasps.
She could hear what sounded like a muffled huff of a laugh from James, and then his voice came out clearer.
"Yeah. First I jump out a two-story window. Now I'm eating bread like a squirrel. Who knows what's next," he said with amusement in his voice.
After taking a few deep breaths and composing herself as well as she could, Kaia straightened. She wiped a few tears that had escaped from her eyes and took another breath before placing her hands on her cheeks, feeling how hot they had gotten from the exertion of laughing.
"I don't know what came over me just now," she said, "but you would have laughed if you were me." She paused. "Actually, you probably wouldn't have, but really, it was funny." She willed herself to not begin the whole thing over again as the image of James' stuffed face entered her mind again. She glanced up at him slowly and blinked, mild surprise overtaking her amusement.
He was smiling. Not like the ones she'd usually seen from him, the ones that she knew he didn't mean. This one somehow felt genuine.
"I'm glad it made you laugh," he said softly as he looked down at the table, his small smile starting to fade.
Kaia remained silent for a moment, thinking of what to say now. Her shoulders drooped slightly as she sighed softly and said, "I'm glad we were able to meet again." She then stood and briskly picked up the empty dishware. "Anyways, you need to rest now. You can take the bed."
"We both are running on little sleep," James said, looking up at her. "Where will you rest?"
"On the floor, of course," she replied nonchalantly. "I have extra blankets." It wasn't anything she wasn't used to. She had spent many nights in sleeping in worse conditions out in the wilderness, even on her recent missions.
James opened up his mouth like he was going to say something - maybe to argue - but evidently decided against it as he instead let out a sigh.
"Alright," he said, pushing out the chair and getting to his feet as well.
Kaia put away the dishes and pulled out her spare blankets. She gave the floor a quick sweep before she placed the blankets down, smoothing them out near the bed.
"I don't know about you, but I'm pretty tired," she said. "So tired that I don't feel like washing my face, or doing anything else." She pulled off her boots and pulled the top blanket over herself.
James sat on the edge of the bed and slowly pulled off his shoes as well.
"Would you want me to wash up so I don't get your bed dirty?" he asked, but he sounded just as tired.
"Only if you want to," she replied, turning her head to look at him. "Things can always be cleaned later."
James wearily slouched, dropping his boots to the floor.
"I'll clean the sheets later, then," he said, already looking like he was quickly fading. He pulled down the blanket and started to crawl in, drawing the blanket over his shoulders as he laid down heavily on the bed.
Kaia sat back up and watched him as he fell asleep within seconds. She was glad she didn't have to fight him over sleeping arrangements, with him being the concussed one and all. It was just nice, feeling like the old days, when their band of misfits had still been together. It was an odd thing for Kaia, in all of her years since her parents died, but all of them brought out a sense of belonging, and even gratitude. That was probably why she felt like she was willing to do anything for them.
Kaia yawned, and she undid her bun, letting her hair tumble around her shoulders. Then she lay back down and pulled up the blanket, and promptly fell asleep.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
It was instinct. Outnumbered, surrounded on all sides, and getting hit from every direction, the only thing he knew to do was curl up, trying to protect his head and his gut.
Shadows fell over him, blocking out the flickering firelight on the walls. Their voice blended together, angry, and loud, but incomprehensible.
Every kick started to feel more like a pounding wave, and before he knew it, the water was flooding in around him, carrying him away. Reaching out to get his bearings as the ocean pulled him off the shore, he frantically tried to grasp for something. Anything. Anything to ground him and keep him from getting pulled under.
But before he knew it he was swallowed up, and with a panicked gasp, the water filled his lungs. He felt the water shift and rush all around him, swimming in his ears. The waters rose, lifting him up, and through the wave's stretching wall he could see the rocky shore down below.
Falling, the wave carried him, throwing him against the shore with no mercy.
Everything went black for a moment, and his whole head began to throb. Coming to, he felt like he could vomit, and his head spun too fast for him to move. It felt like someone had fractured his skull, even though he knew it had to be intact for him to be functioning.
He groaned as he tried to somehow get his bearings, but before he had a chance to move on his own, a large hand lifted him up off the ground by the collar.
Towering over him, Butch held him up like a wet cat. His head still pounded, and his vision spotted with white.
"Still haven't learned your lesson?" Butch taunted.
James had no witty retort this time. His head was breaking, and he could barely think.
Everything shifted, and suddenly James was on the ground, and Butch was pinning him down. Reed hovered closeby, and he started to explain in detail, step by step how he planned to break him before they handed him over to the authorities. No amount of fighting had broken him free. Fear rose like its own tidal wave as Reed closed in and made the first cut into his skin.
James's eyes shot open as he heard the echo of his own voice, crying out in pain. Sweaty, shaking, and wholly disoriented, James reached out around him, trying desperately to ground himself.
His breaths were short and fast, and his heart was pounding in his chest and his skull. Head still hurting, he found bedsheets around him, strewn about.
He was in a small room. A cottage. On a bed. His bleary, misty eyes quickly scanned the room and landed on the floor, where he could make out the blurry figure of a person.
Something in his memory finally clicked.
Kaia.
He was with Kaia. In her home.
Blinking rapidly, James slowly laid himself back down, having no idea how to recover as his mind continued to swirl with fear. He didn't know if, in his waking from the nightmare, he'd woken Kaia or if she was already awake.
He tried to form words.
"Sorry," was all that came out, but it was barely audible.
Kaia was silent for a moment. She was still sitting in her makeshift bed on the ground, but one of her knives was in her hand. That made him feel worse.
She let out a slow breath. Then she put the knife down and pushed her loose hair back away from her face. She forced a bit of a smile on her face and said, "Morning."
She did not ask him what he had dreamed about, but she gingerly stood and, after a long pause of indecision, gave him an awkward pat on the shoulder.
At the touch, he realized he was still trembling, and he flinched involuntarily. He felt a pang of guilt. He didn't want Kaia to see him like this. She'd already had to put up with him enough.
He tried to force his breaths to slow enough so he could speak again. It made his chest hurt.
"Morning," he said faintly, trying to keep it together.
"Would you rather get bathed and washed up first or have breakfast?" she asked, bending to pick up her weapons and fold up her blankets.
Frankly, James preferred neither, but his stomach still felt queasy, and his intuition told him if he ate soon, he'd quite likely throw it up soon after.
"I can wash up," he said distantly, sitting up even as his mind kept telling him he was in danger.
Logically, he knew he wasn't. But his body and mind didn't seem to care.
"All right," she said. "How are you feeling? Physically, I mean. Do you need help with getting water?"
James hadn't taken time to accurately assess how he was doing. His face throbbed from the black eye. His head, too, from the concussion. He had countless bruises all over that contributed to an overall ache, and his body already hurt at a low level constantly on a normal day. He didn't know what kind of assessment Kaia was looking for, but James didn't think he'd have trouble fetching water, so long as nothing out of the ordinary happened.
"I should be fine," he said quietly. "Do you have a tub, or...?"
"Yeah, it's over on the side of the house," replied Kaia. "Separate room." She motioned towards the left. "You'll have to go from the outside."
She turned back to him and bent down closely to examine what she could see. Her eyes scrutinized the bruises on his face and the other wounds visible, then she held up her index finger.
"Follow my finger with your eyes," she instructed. She slowly moved it left, then right, then back to the center, observing James' eyes as she did so.
James felt like it wasn't very fair, considering he'd only just woken up, and his head was still throbbing. Still, he tried to follow her finger with his eyes.
"Hmm," said Kaia, the sound neither pleased nor extremely concerned. "Perhaps I should help you all the same."
"It's just getting water from a well," James said. "I could do that in my sleep."
"Hmm," said Kaia again. "Show me, and then I'll believe you." She stood back and stepped to the door, waiting for him to come.
James had to pause to grab his shoes and slip them on, but he tried to be quick about it. Once he tied up the laces he hurried to the door to follow her out.
He couldn't think of anything to say, so they simply walked out to the well in silence.
The bucket was already at the well, tied up to a rope to guide it down into the ground. James took it before Kaia could and let it fall, guiding the rope loosely with his hands until he felt the rope slacken when the bucket hit water.
Waiting a moment for the bucket to fill, he leaned on the edge of the well's stone walls, trying to will himself into fully waking up.
The sun was only just starting to come up. It was peeking over the horizon, bathing the forest around them in warm, soft morning light. The dark green leaves of the late summer absorbed the sun, making them glow a bright green, as if they were new buds.
The day seemed a tad warmer than the former, and the air a little more muggy, making the dirt and sweat on his skin feel all the more sticky.
He hadn't really stopped to think about his appearance aside from the bruising and swelling, but he knew he was filthy, and felt filthy. His hair felt greasy from having been tied back too long, and he felt like he could fuzzily remember someone pointing out how awful he looked.
Probably Kaia.
He knew he was starting to smell too, after waking up covered in sweat. He let out a small sigh.
Kaia always seemed to see him at his worst. He supposed there was no changing her opinion of him, but he couldn't deny that it stung his pride more than he wanted it to. And he'd thought he didn't have much pride to sting left.
Aware of Kaia in his peripheral, he tugged on the rope. The bucket was large and heavy, but it wasn't too much for him to handle.
When the bucket rose up, within reach, he grabbed it and hoisted it into his arms. A small amount of water splashed over the side onto his shirt, but he had the bucket steady, now.
"Beside the house?" he asked, almost forgetting where to take it.
"To the bathtub," she said, gesturing to the annex on the side of her cottage.
He nodded, and turned to the bathhouse, walking steadily until he made it to the door.
Kaia hurried around him and reached for the door handle. She pulled it open and stepped back.
"Thank you," James said quietly as he stepped into the small room.
In the center, there was a large object on the ground, covered by a thick cloth. Kaia gingerly picked it up, folding the surface inwards, revealing the bathtub. "Don't want all the dust to go flying everywhere in here," she said. "I'll shake it outside in a bit."
There were a couple of windows high above their heads with sunlight beginning to stream through them. They were most likely a way to not always have to rely on artificial light but also to avoid passerbys being too curious for their own good. In addition to the windows, there was a small, square table covered in dust and a couple of hooks on the walls.
"Well, it's nothing fancy, but once I give the inside of the tub a quick rinse just in case, it should be ready to go," said Kaia, stepping outside to set the cover down. "Once you're done, feel free to let me dump out the water. There's a--well, I won't bore you with the details."
She took the bucket from James and poured a quarter of its contents into the tub, letting the water slosh all around the bottom. After being satisfied that it was clean enough, she picked the entire thing up and tossed the water out the door with an expert flick of her arms.
"Now, don't try that, okay?" She looked James in the eye. "It's not the same with the whole thing filled with water. There's a different technique for it--ah, who am I kidding? It's not like you've never done it before but . . . anyways, like I said, just let me take care of it when you're done."
She dumped the rest of the water from the bucket into the tub and handed the bucket back to James. "Okay, get going then. I think you'll need to take at least a few more trips."
James nodded, and quickly obeyed.
It took another four trips before the tub was filled within a few inches of the rim, and at that point, James felt it safe to stop to account for the displacement of the water when he got in. He left the bucket outside of the building for emptying the tub later and took a moment to look himself over.
Had he changed clothes since arriving? He couldn't recall. It didn't seem that he had.
Had he been able to pack anything before escaping? No. He wouldn't have. It was too hurried. It had all happened so fast.
Kaia had stepped outside to do some chores while he travelled between the well and the bathhouse, but as he stood in the entryway, he suddenly saw her come up behind him, out of the corner of his eyes. He jumped ever so slightly as he turned to look at her.
"Are you okay?" she asked, studying his face again.
James forced a small smile.
"Hm? Yeah. I'm fine," he said. "I'll get to it in a moment."
"That's good," she replied. "I was actually just coming over because I realized that you must not have a change of clothes. If you need some, I think I can lend you a set."
James looked off to the side.
"That... would be nice," he said. "Thank you."
The more he ended up borrowing from her, the more he felt guilty for how much she had to help him. But he knew refusing the help was pointless. It didn't make sense to sit around in filthy clothes as punishment.
Kaia watched his expression, which was not quite as guarded as usual, probably due to both his concussion and it being early in the morning. A smile twitched at the corners of her lips and a laugh escaped her.
She quickly cleared her throat and said, "Sorry, I know that was not an appropriate time for laughing. I know I've been short with you on more than a few occasions since we met again, but James, we've been through life and death together, so it's just a little silly to feel any sort of guilt. There are no favors between us, so please don't feel burdened. I am glad to help you, and I'll keep saying that as long as it takes to get through your thick skull." She offered another smile and turned away. "I'd better get those clothes then. Oh, and soap and a towel. Just hold on for a bit."
James stood awkwardly in the doorway as he watched her walk off. He didn't like feeling so transparent, nonetheless Kaia speaking as if she'd practically been able to read his mind.
He supposed she was right about him having a thick skull. Not thick enough to avoid a concussion, though. With a sigh, he plopped down on the floor and slipped off his shoes and socks, setting them along the wall, out of the way. He hadn't really registered how sore his feet were, and it slowly trickled back to him how he'd jumped from a two-story building.
The memory of the impact made his feet ache more, and he could feel it in his ankles the most.
Gingerly massaging his bad ankle, James found himself regretting his impulsive decision to throw himself out a building.
He couldn't keep doing this to himself, and he knew it. It was adding up, and as the months passed by, he could feel it in his bodily frame. Most people his age didn't feel all of the aches and pains he did on a daily basis. Then again, most people didn't have deal with the amount of stress he was constantly under, always having the fear of someone following him lingering in the back of his mind.
He just didn't know what would come first. Either he would break under the pressure, or the pressure would find him and do it itself.
Kaia walked back into the bathhouse, holding neatly folded clothes and a towel in one arm and a bar of soap in the opposite hand. "We're about the same size anyways, but I tried to pick out my biggest set of spare clothes, just in case," she said. "I've got to buy some more soap after this one, though."
"Thank you, Kaia," James said, trying to sound less pitiful, because he really was sincere. He slowly got to his feet, mindful of his twinging ankle, and took the everything from her arms. "Will you be... around, when I'm done?"
She shrugged. "Well, I will be around, I guess. I was planning to just air out my bedding, or prepare to wash it if needed. So yes. You can call me if you need me."
"Alright," James nodded.
Kaia stepped out, closing the door behind her, and James turned back to the tub with a sigh.
Kaia hung the last sheet up on the clothesline she had set up outside her cottage and yawned and stretched. She walked over the well and pulled up a bucket of water to get a drink. She glanced over at the annex, wondering if James was done yet. It had been rather quiet for several minutes.
"He didn't fall and hit his head, did he?" she muttered. But if he had, she would have definitely heard the thump on the ground. Right?
Just as she was about to knock on the door and check on him, the door opened. James, clearly not expecting her to be right there, jumped back a little before composing himself, but she noticed a small skip in his step.
With his towel and dirty clothes bundled in his arms, he glanced back at the tub behind him, then back at her. His hair was still damp, but he looked a lot better in fresh clothes, and the swelling on his bruised face seemed to have gone down more.
"I uh, just finished," he said. "Did you need something?"
Kaia's eyes flickered from his ankle back up to his face. "Just checking on you," she said. "Is your ankle bothering you again?" She gave him a warning look to not lie about it.
James smiled weakly.
"Oh," he said, glancing down at his feet. "Well. It's always been a bit of a bother. I just agitated it with my... acrobatics. A natural consequence."
"Hmm." Kaia stepped back so James could come out. "I will take a look later. Why don't you go sit down for a bit? I need to clean up too, so after that, maybe we could see about breakfast. You can leave your dirty things over by the clotheslines."
James stepped out, nodding in agreement.
"Sure," he said, already passing her. "Take your time."
But he didn't make it far before he paused in his steps and looked back.
"Do you want me to fetch more water for you?"
"Go sit down," she said, stopping herself from sighing at James' persistence. "I'm sure your ankle hurts more than you're letting on. Why don't you think about what might be good for breakfast instead? I haven't thought about it at all yet."
James looked off to the side, and without having said anything yet, Kaia knew she'd already won.
"Alright," he said simply, turning away again. She noted he looked to be deliberately trying to hide the hesitation in his gait every time he stepped on his bad ankle. She considered telling him to stop trying to hide the pain, but she shook her head and gave up on the idea. It was a short walk and James was too stubborn to admit to weakness anyways.
Kaia sighed quietly and turned to get the tub emptied and refilled for her own bath.
***
After she was done bathing, Kaia headed back to the main side of the cottage, gently squeezing water out of her hair before opening the door.
"So, what do you want to eat?" she asked, looking for James as she came in. She stopped in her tracks and stared.
The cottage smelled faintly of garlic and basil, and on the table there was a plate stacked with flat pieces of bread, browned with golden edges. Another plate had an arrangement of dried meats and some dried fruit - apples and peaches, it looked like. James was putting a pan away when Kaia stepped in, and after closing the cabinet, looked back.
"I hope it's alright that I went ahead and made something," he said quietly, gesturing to the table.
It's not like I could make you un-cook everything, thought Kaia. "You didn't have to," she said, moving to the table and sitting down.
James took a seat as well, offering a small shrug.
"But I did," he said, plucking a piece of fruit off the plate. "And now we can both eat."
"That's true," she replied. She surveyed the selection and commented, "I don't have any dried fruit here at home."
"I had some in my bag," he said, looking off to the side, out the window. "I just... well, haven't been all here."
He tapped the side of his head and then threw a piece of meat into his mouth.
Kaia nodded and pushed her wet hair behind her shoulders before reaching for a piece of flatbread. "Well, everything smells great," she said. She felt that she should at least compliment him for doing something well, since he probably still thought she was thoroughly annoyed with him for trying to do anything. In many ways, it did exasperate her that he couldn't take "no" for an answer when it came to working in his condition, but there was really nothing she could do except let him do little, hopefully mostly safe chores.
She took at bite, and her eyes widened slightly. "Tastes great too," she added. "Seems like you should have helped with the cooking more often when we were all together."
"It's probably better that I didn't," James said, and it felt like he was going to say more, but instead he merely stared down at the table, looking lost in thought.
Silence fell over the table. Kaia was not the kind of person who couldn't stand a moment of silence, but she felt that it was too awkward to leave James' last statement lingering in the air like that. She mulled over everything she had learned from him in the past few days, and she wondered if she should bring up the Blue Suns and ask what he planned to do about them now that they'd put some distance between them and the gang. Or maybe she could see where he was planning to go next--but then, that might make James think she wanted him to leave as quickly as possible when that was exactly the opposite of what he should do.
She shook her head and decided that now was probably not the time for any of those things. They could wait a little longer. She leaned forward. "I was thinking that I would have to pay a visit to my neighbors soon--Carmin's family, that is. Since I'm not here all the time, I can't quite raise chickens or other animals, so I get eggs from them every so often in exchange for certain things. Sometimes I'll pay them in coin, but sometimes my healing services are needed, so it works out either way for me. Maybe we could make something extra delicious soon and have a feast."
James looked up and nodded slightly. The expression that crossed over his face was subtle, but Kaia was beginning to recognize it as a recurring one. Though it sometimes passed as bashfulness, she wondered if it was simply shame.
"Are you thinking you'll visit them today?" he asked.
"I was thinking about it," she replied. "Do you want to come with me?"
"I don't think I should," James asked. "It would be simpler for me to stay behind."
"Oh, there's nothing to be concerned about," said Kaia. "They're really nice people. I don't think they'll be all too nosy about you, so it would be fine. Unless your ankle is bothering you still?"
James looked down again.
"You think they'd ask about my ankle?" he asked.
"Huh?" Kaia blinked. "No? I was asking if your ankle was still hurting. Like, if that's the reason why you don't want to go with me."
"Oh," James said with a weak, huff of a laugh. "I... I just didn't want to cause trouble for you. But if you think it should be fine, I'll go."
"It's up to you, I just thought it might be nice to get a little walk in if you're up for it. The area is beautiful, definitely much prettier than the Outlands or the castle back in the Moonlight Kingdom."
"That's high praise," James said, poking at a piece of flatbread and pulling off a piece. "I could be up for a walk, then."
Kaia smiled. "Great. Why don't you clear the table and I'll get ready for us to go, then."
James grabbed the rest of the bread and folded it, shoving it into his mouth. He nodded as he grabbed the plates and started to clean up.
Kaia headed outside. Though James said that his ankle was better, she knew that he shouldn't put too much weight on it yet since it was probably still painful. She glanced around at the wood she had stored away, and she pulled out a couple of long, sturdy branches. Perhaps she could fashion a makeshift pair of crutches for now and improve them later.
She sat beside the stable and began to carve the wood into a shape that resembled the ones she remembered her mother had had her father make for castle patients to use in case of a broken leg or twisted ankle. Kaia herself had made a pair more recently for one of her child patients in the area who had needed some, but it felt as though none could measure up to that set in her mind.
She looked over the roughly cut branches and decided that was sufficient for now. She just had to make sure the upper portion that would fit under James' arms wouldn't be splintery, even though she still planned to wrap that part with cloth for cushioning. After making the finishing touches, she stood and headed back inside with the crutches.
"James," she called, poking her head in the doorway, "come try these out while I get my medicine bag."
The kitchen had been fully cleaned and tidied up, and James walked over with a curious look in his eyes. When he saw the crutches, he let out a quiet: "oh."
He took them with a bow of his head.
"Thank you," he said.
"I figured they might help," said Kaia, "so I just made these real quick. They're pretty crude, but I think they'll get the job done. Go on." She patted his shoulder to motion him outside.
He tucked the crutches under his arms and stepped outside, testing them with his weight. They held up just fine, and she noted that he did lift up his bad ankle, letting the crutches do their job.
"How long of a walk is it?" James asked.
"Well, not long enough to warrant taking the horses out," said Kaia. "About a fourth of a mile, I think. It usually takes me about half an hour to walk there."
"Well, I'll try not to slow you down, then," James said.
Kaia shook her head. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure you won't, but make sure you don't strain yourself just to prove to me--or yourself--that you can do it." She gave him a pointed look, though it was a gentle one, so he wouldn't feel bad about himself all over again.
"I'll take it easy," James said with a small nod. "I'll just... follow your lead."
"Sounds good," she replied, and she scooped up her medicine bag from the corner where she had placed it the night before. After adding a few more bandages and basic herbal remedies to it, she hung it over her shoulder and exited the cottage. She locked the door.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Ready," he echoed.
"All right then," said Kaia. She called towards the stable, "We'll be back later, Valerian and Elliott. Be good."
There was a soft whinny in reply, and Kaia chuckled. "Let's get going." She headed in the direction that Carmin had run off in only yesterday.
"Alright," James said quietly, and steadily followed after her.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7
"Now I realize that there is no righteous path, it’s just people trying to do their best in a world where it is far too easy to do your worst." — Castiel
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