She sighed, leaning her back against one of the walls. In her hand was the blanket he told her to get, and Adina was very tempted to lay it over her legs.
But she didn't want to hog the warmth from James.
Adina held up the blanket.
"I'm sure we could figure out how to share this. If you're cold."
name: key/string/perks pronouns: she/her/hers and they/them/theirs
novel: the clocktower (camp nano apr 24) poetry: the beauty of the untold (napo 2024)
James looked over at Adina, glancing at the blanket. He didn't understand why she thought so highly of him. It had been almost three years since they'd seen one another, and he was sure that they'd both changed in that time. She, of course, had gotten a little taller. She looked stronger, healthier, and happier than he'd seen her when she had first been captured as a recent runaway, fleeing for her life.
She still had some of the childlike spirit about her that made her endearing, but he could tell from the way she held herself that she felt more confident. He was sure that having a home and newfound friends helped.
"I'm fine for now," he said. "But I'll let you know if I get cold."
He didn't anticipate the weather becoming unbearably cold, but he didn't want to share the blanket. The physical proximity necessary to share a blanket was an unwelcome thought.
He tucked up his legs and rested his forearms on his knees, tilting his head back against the wall again. His hat slid back a little with the gesture, as it got caught between his head and the wall. He paused, and took his hat off, setting it to the side before assuming his previous posture. He didn't care to fix his hat hair that he knew he had. He didn't think any amount of fussing with it would help at the moment.
"Oh!" She laughed. "Now that is an interesting story. After a few days of finding the Guild, this strange person comes up to me and says, 'You must be new, I haven't managed to scare you off yet.' And then he held out a hand."
Adina shook her head, amused still thinking about Chelim. "He didn't even give me his name before dragging me into some crazy idea he had."
"After that, though, we became friends. And, that's why I wanted to find him his favorite flower."
name: key/string/perks pronouns: she/her/hers and they/them/theirs
novel: the clocktower (camp nano apr 24) poetry: the beauty of the untold (napo 2024)
James's expression softened. Adina was still the sweetheart she always was, and he wasn't surprised that she'd practically run out into a storm to find a flower. He was concerned, of course, and was glad that he found her before the bear decided it was hungry, or the rains decided to pour, but this felt... right. He would've laughed if Adina hadn't ended up putting herself in such a tight spot over a flower. It really was a kind gesture, but it seemed like Adina still had a lot to learn about the world. He was glad it sounded like she still had people to look out for her.
"What's this flower look like?" he asked. "What makes it so special?"
What did the flower look like? Adina thought of how Chelim described it, even while he most likely exaggerated some of what he said.
"Well, it's like a blend of a violet and a sunflower, with small, droopy light purple petals, and a bright yellow center."
She huddled into the blanket a little further. "An' it's special 'cause that was the first thing he remembered seeing as a child, growing right in front of him in the middle of some forest."
name: key/string/perks pronouns: she/her/hers and they/them/theirs
novel: the clocktower (camp nano apr 24) poetry: the beauty of the untold (napo 2024)
James hummed, trying to picture it, and if he'd seen it around. He felt that he knew the type of flower Adina was describing, but he couldn't remember the last place he'd seen it. He'd been preoccupied with other things, and flowers weren't on his mind - they were barely even a passing thought.
"He must have a good memory," James commented. "If he can remember a little detail like that from his childhood."
James nodded a little, trying to imagine what Chelim looked like. Trying to imagine Adina with her new friends, coming into her own, finding a new home. Happy. Safe. Somewhere she could be herself, without hiding her magic for fear of death or judgement.
He was glad for her, really.
But he was beginning to wonder how long he was going to be stuck with Adina in this little hut while they waited out the storm. It wasn't that he didn't mind Adina's company, but things felt different now. She was a mage, and a part of a secret guild cut off from the world. And him - well, he was still staying on the move, like he always did, but a lot had happened in between.
He didn't know how long he'd be able to dance around personal matters. He hoped... he could stick to asking Adina questions. For the moment, at least, she didn't seem to mind or even notice he was doing so.
"Have you made any other friends? Besides Chelim?"
Adina peered back at James, letting her mind wander before answering his next questions. She was grateful for his company, so she would gladly keep talking with him, but she did want to know more about his past.
"Most of the people at the Guild are quite nice to me, but everyone else is pretty much on the same level, besides Chelim. We were all busy training the first couple of years, so there wasn't as much time to get to know each other."
She shrugged, waving a hand. "Of course, since we're going on an adventure for a flower, we have a little more spare time to interact with other Guild members."
name: key/string/perks pronouns: she/her/hers and they/them/theirs
novel: the clocktower (camp nano apr 24) poetry: the beauty of the untold (napo 2024)
"Ah, well, not really? Everyone at the Guild knows Chelim and his usual tricks, so unless it's been a week, no one would really be worried."
Adina shrugged. The closest the leaders had gotten to panic only happened when nearly the entire Guild didn't show up to their daily meeting. When the truth came out later, something involving quite a lot of people drinking a rather extraordinary amount of alcohol, the entire town came out to laugh at the miserable crew.
Of course she hadn't overindulged herself, rather so that she be entertained by her drunk comrades.
"Plus, Chelim was never known for being too on time. Things have been pretty quiet at the Guild, and so they gave us a few days off."
name: key/string/perks pronouns: she/her/hers and they/them/theirs
novel: the clocktower (camp nano apr 24) poetry: the beauty of the untold (napo 2024)
"Ah." James admittedly, didn't really understand. He had never been a part of a guild and he didn't know how they worked, especially in what was, to everyone besides probably himself and the actual guild, a post-guild world.
"But uh, the guild. You've been alright? Are you enjoying it? Has it been good for you?"
"Yes, yes, don't worry." Adina shook her head. "I really wasn't sure what to expect at first, with it being a secret and hidden for all this while, but I'm glad I made it here."
She moved back enough to the wall to lean her back at an angle. "I've learned a whole lot of things, from magic to just life."
Adina glanced up at James, a half-smile across her face. "I wish you all were able to be here with me, though."
name: key/string/perks pronouns: she/her/hers and they/them/theirs
novel: the clocktower (camp nano apr 24) poetry: the beauty of the untold (napo 2024)
James stared at her for a moment, blinking as he met her eyes.
She wanted him with her? At the guild? Why? He didn't have any magic, and he had nothing to offer. He was pretty sure they wouldn't want him anyway - sure, they were both in the same boat as people wanted by the law, but Adina was one of them. James was a traitor. That kind of reputation didn't do well for building trust.
That, and he simply couldn't imagine what that kind of life would look like.
He wanted to ask Adina why, but words suddenly became a very difficult thing to procure. Language was suddenly in very high demand, and he didn't have any of it.
He tore his gaze away, looking back at the makeshift door.
Another roar of thunder boomed throughout the sky, and the rain seemed to be coming down harder.
"Well," he said, swallowing. "I'm - I'm here now." For now.
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