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2
The Current Pulls
She awoke to the same dread clinging to the back of her mind. Abruptly wrenched from sleep, Rhetaiya struggled to get her bearings. The previous night’s terror had altered during her rest. It seemed somehow distant, but resoundingly more powerful. As this realization sank in, an icy tingle passed down her limbs. Clenching her teeth, she forced herself to ignore it and took note of her surroundings.
The glowing embers, persisting even until she had gone to sleep, had finally gone out. The remaining ash clung to its former shape, a final defiance of death. The trees stood just as they had before night cloaked them from vision. There was no difference or sign at all to suggest what was causing her worries – aside from the complete lack of living sound. Just as Revyll had pointed out, there was no birdsong. There was no chatter of wildlife. Only the rustling leaves attempted to mask the eerie void.
Revyll was gone, but most of his possessions were still sitting next to his bedroll which sat exactly where it had been. Common sense told her that he would be back, but for some reason she felt a stitch of worry that he would not. She frowned. It was only the terror nagging at her mind, of course.
Her hand came up to brush a sudden tickle on her cheek. It was wet. She looked down at her fingertips and the strangely foreign sheen of water that covered them. It took her a good minute to realize it was a tear. Soon she figured out that it was her own, and that they were starting to flow freely from her eyes. Almost in a panic, she swept her face and tried to blink them away. It didn’t work. When it was painfully clear that she could not stop the flow, she let her arms fall in defeat.
Calming herself as best she could, she started to wonder about the cause of her tears. Was it the terror aching in her bones or the dreadful emptiness that seemed to cling in the air about her? A strange and thorough loneliness pervaded her thoughts. Perhaps, with everything piling up, it was the sheer totality of it all. She hugged her arms about her body and let the slow tears flow for a while. In time her muscles relaxed and she felt some small portion of that weight slipping away. Wiping her face once more, she rose to her feet and glanced at the small campsite.
She wanted to feel useful, so, with little else to do, she rolled up her bedding and set it next to her pack. It didn’t take long and the action had become somewhat automatic over the last several weeks. With the work helping to take her mind from where it wanted to go, she started upon Revyll’s roll almost immediately after finishing her own. She had just about tied the last strap when the sound of approaching footsteps met her ears. Pulling the last cord tight, she set it back on the ground and waited for Revyll to appear.
His eyes locked on her almost immediately as he emerged from between the trunks. He seemed surprised to see her, though she couldn’t fathom why. As he drew near and studied her face his mild surprise shifted into more serious concern. This puzzled her as well until she remembered that was still crying.
He glanced down at the folded bedrolls and gave a nearly imperceptible nod before turning to the ashes of the fire and setting down a freshly slain rabbit. A small bit of hope gripped her. “So there is wildlife still out there.” It was more of a question than a statement. Though he was now turned away, his cocked head told that he had heard her, but an answer was not forthcoming. He piled the last bit of wood they had collected, vanquishing the steadfast ashes. She could tell by the way he carried himself that there were similar doubts and fears in his mind. She wished it didn’t make her mood even darker.
As he stooped to strike a new flame, he finally spoke. “I’m surprised I found this rabbit. I’ve never seen a forest so empty.” He froze once the words were out and proceeded to release a hefty sigh. “I’m sorry, I’m not helping am I?” He turned to look at her again, studying her tears. “Is it your – feeling? Has it gotten worse?” He gave a small smile. “You’re not going to have to wallop me again, are you?”
She laughed at his comment, if only a little. “I think you’re safe, for now. The crying’s not bad, actually. I think its helping.”
He made a noise akin to ‘I understand’, turned back to the dead ashes and proceeded to strike a new flame, ready the rabbit, and set it to cook. Finished for the time being, he turned his attention back to Rhetaiya. “It could be that something has simply scared the animals away.”
“Did you see what it might have been?” she asked hopefully.
Uncertainty crossed his face at the question. “Well, not exactly. An army might have caused it, but it doesn’t seem likely. Even if they had missed us, there would be no way to cover up such a large trail. In fact, I seriously doubt humans were much involved.”
Rhetaiya would have found it hard to believe if an army had been the cause. She could think of nobody that would want to attack, and, even if there were, it would be a strange tactic to come from this direction. She put the idea out of mind and asked the obvious question. “What could it have been, then?”
He studied her with considering eyes. “You remember the silence last night?”
“What do you mean? It’s so unnerving I can hardly take my mind from it.” The question seemed frivolous.
“No, I don’t mean like now. You probably forgot with what happened.” He let out a heavy sigh. “There was a short while where it was different, almost suffocating. There was no sound at all.” He paused and looked up into the trees, a strange expression cast upon his face. “I’ve been around. I’ve been to places where life hardly exists, where the whistling of the wind is broken only by the rare cry of a lost bird. It is the silence of the earth, peaceful, tranquil. Then there is nature, a noisy silence, always moving, always growing, but melded with the earth – coexisting. There is even the human silence of cities, when most are long asleep, unnatural but fitting.” He looked back at her, his eyes hard. “The silence I heard last night was altogether different. It broke nature, covered up earth. I will admit that I was too tired to think much of it, but it comes back to me now.”
Rhetaiya could hardly believe she was listening to the same man. He’d even mentioned something of himself, however vague it may have been. “There was something else,” he continued, “during my hunt today. I couldn’t find anything, no signs of life at all, but then that rabbit jumped out. It wasn’t simply fear of me putting energy behind it. It was already terrified. I drove it out, at best.”
What he spoke of certainly had bleak portent, but it didn’t answer the question. Nature could sense something wrong, just as she did. This strange, deep Silence Revyll spoke of sounded closer to what she wanted to know, but for now it was little beyond a hint, something only to worry about.
Revyll turned back to the rabbit, nearly done by the look of it. Removing it from the heat, he snuffed out the fire with a bit of dirt. He sliced off most of the meat and set it on two sticks he’d hardened in the fire. He cut thin slices of what remained and set them above the now-heated dirt. Finally he came over and handed her one of the sticks. “It’s no banquet, but it’ll fill our stomachs,” he said solemnly.
She accepted the meal gratefully. Though she hadn’t been heeding the desire, she was hungry. She gingerly took a bite, and was surprised to find the meat nicely warm. She had expected it to still be scalding hot. It seemed to have sat just long enough while he was readying the remaining meat. She absently wondered whether it was coincidence or experience. In any case, the fresh meat was delicious. The dried stuff they’d used the previous night, spiced as it was, could not compare. As she ate, their strained agreement to explain themselves suddenly came back to her. It seemed as good as any distraction.
“Revyll,” she began, “I know we talked about it yesterday, and it seems as good a time as any – to explain to each other why we’re here.” He looked a bit taken aback, if only momentarily. He simmered on this, focusing intently on nothing in particular. Since a response didn’t seem to be coming, she spoke again. “If you need more time, I can always be the first to divulge.”
“No,” he answered quickly. “I just find it – hard to clarify.” Letting loose a sigh, he waved his hand dismissively and looked up. “You might as well start.”
She nodded and began somewhat pensively. “This’ll require some explanation. I can’t just tell you because you wouldn’t understand. You remember when I asked about the Shii?” He nodded that he did. “Well, the Shii are a group of women with a unique ability. Because it is rare, they test as many young girls as they can, hoping to find more to keep the order alive in future generations. I was one such girl.” She smiled in remembrance of the day. “It was somewhat of an event, in my case.”
“Why is that?” Revyll wondered. “And why girls?”
She took a deep breath. There was so much he didn’t know, she couldn’t remember to tell all these things. “Well, it’s not something we talk about much, but if I remember right, they searched the boys long ago, when the ability was first discovered. After years and years, they never found a single boy or man that could. I think they just stopped looking. As for me, well, I’m the second in my family to have the ability.”
His brow furrowed in wonder. “The second in your family? So people were surprised that two in the same family had this ability?”
“Well, perhaps, but it’s not like the last was recent. It was a long time ago. More to the point, it’s because I’m a Ji’dani, not because I’m the second.” He’d obviously forgotten or dismissed what that meant, since he hadn’t believed her before. His reply was a blank stare. “The ruling family.”
“Oh,” he said with cringing recollection. The lack of remark hopefully meant that he no longer doubted her, but it was far from a concrete sign.
“To get back to the point, it’s my ability that brings me out here. I’m still very new to it. We must first master a technique that underlies everything we are able to do. It is Khi’tan. Such a simple description hardly conveys the truth of it, but it’s easiest to think of as meditation. You saw me doing it last night.
“The forest is where most of us go when we’re learning this. It’s tranquil and distraction can be very hindering at first. I have no real limit where I may go, but having the city nearby is just as helpful in its own right.”
The pause before his response was considerably long. “So you can do this Khi’tan. Does that mean you’re ready?”
She smiled at the remark, wishing it were the truth. “No, I’m afraid not. It’s not simply that I can do it, but how quickly I can do it. I’m nowhere near ready.”
He nodded, appraising her with a hint of wonder in his eyes. “Thank you for telling me this, but I should really be apologizing, not stubbornly demanding explanations. I was as much at fault as you when we discovered each other. You were rightfully frightened.” Since that brief episode, the man had more than proved his worth. Hearing those words, she desperately wanted to offer him similar sentiments, but she didn’t want to speak over him.
“I suppose I’m now obligated to tell you my part of the story,” he continued. “Unfortunately, there’s not much for me to say. As you know, I don’t live around here. I wasn’t born here. Then again, neither did I live in the last town I visited nor in the small village before that nor any of the places I’ve been in a number of years. The list I could recite would travel back a very long time. The truth is that I don’t have a home. I’ve been wandering about as long as I can remember. Don’t ask me why because I don’t know, but it’s something I feel compelled to do.
“I visit every place I pass, but I can never stay. It’s like something you want to do deep down, even though you strive not to. It just keeps wearing on your mind, driving you crazy until you can’t stand it anymore. It’s because of this that I don’t hear much gossip. I hardly have time before I’m leaving again, and I’m not much of a talker, anyway.”
Her curiosity overcame her. “Well, what about the first place on that list. You still haven’t told me where you’re from.”
Revyll seemed somewhat grim over the question. He sat staring until something in him finally gave way and seemed to relax. When he spoke he sounded almost relieved to get it out. “I can’t say. I don’t remember, never have. I don’t know a thing about myself.
“So, you still planning to come with me?” he asked. The question took her unprepared.
“What?” she asked, utterly confused by the change of topic.
“You know, leave camp, travel. You were doing it quite well yesterday.”
“Well, I…”
“Here’s what I think,” he said firmly, “I think we would do better to stick together until we know exactly what’s been happening. Now, I’m still headed out of the forest. If we get up above these trees, the cause may become more apparent. Unlikely though it may be, we may even stumble upon somebody who might know better than us. It’s basically the same way I was going before, if not for different reasons.” After he had said it he seemed to regret it and hastily appended his speech. “If you’d rather stay closer to the city, that’s fine with me. It’s not my place to tell you what to do.”
Given the time to actually decide, it wasn’t a hard choice. “I’d be glad to go with you. To tell you the truth, I’ve wanted to leave for a while now. Close to home as it is, this place does get tiresome. This whole mess is just a nice excuse.” She took her opening while it still stood. “And I’m sorry too, Revyll.”
It was his turn to be perplexed. “Sorry?”
“For yesterday. I deserve as much blame as you.”
Oddly enough, he appeared nervous after hearing her statement. “Your reactions were perfectly natural. All I might fault you for is being inquisitive, and that’s not something I can rightfully do.”
She stood up and teasingly shook a finger at him. “In that case we’re both innocent. You did nothing wrong, I believe that now.” Not caring to debate the point, she gave her limbs the stretch they yearned for and returned to her possessions. She busied herself attaching her small bag to the thin leather belt around her waist. That’s all the belt was actually for. Her dress, being a dress, didn’t need to be held up. She called over her shoulder to Revyll. “I assume we’ll be leaving soon.”
“Yes,” he said simply, exasperation barely masked in his tone.
It didn’t take long for her to prepare, the bulkiest of her items being the thin sheets that served as her bedding. Tied lightly to her back, they were easily carried. Examining her companion, Revyll was obviously still readying himself. He had a lot of equipment, and little of it seemed at all unnecessary. Many of the things she had were luxury in comparison. The contrast just went to show how inexperienced she was at this sort of thing. It was something she wanted to rectify.
She let him continue uninterrupted and took note of how her surroundings had changed during their interaction. The sun had risen, of course. What had been the dim glow of dawn had bloomed into bright morning sunlight which spilled across the gritty soil of the forest floor. It was much cooler than it had been for a long while. She hadn’t paid much mind to it in the early light, but it was obvious now. The thick humidity did its best to hide the fact, but not enough. She thought it a pleasant change.
There was still no living sound. She understood, though, that it didn’t have to be quite the ill omen she had originally perceived. In all likeliness, something had simply scared the creatures off. This was not a major comfort since they had no idea what would have caused this flight, and it had to be something fairly remarkable to have that effect. Still, her mood was greatly improved. Even the terror that had so plagued her seemed to be fading, gut wrenching as it felt. Her tears were even passed.
A pleasant smell radiated from the strips of meat hanging above the remains of the fire. While the air did not dance with the ferocity it had at the hottest point, a few lazy waves still undulated skyward and twisted the form of the trees standing beyond. As if on cue, Revyll stepped up and took the dried strips from their resting places. After placing them carefully in a bag, he turned and appraised her. “You seem to be ready.” He looked down at her body and seemed to contemplate something. “I know you probably chose that dress for traveling, but I don’t think it’s the best choice if you’re going to go with me. It’s fine if you’re moving about much, but it’s going to start tattering out here after a while. I realize you can’t do anything about it now, but I thought I might as well say it.”
She had to admit that her dress probably wasn’t the best choice, even though she liked it. “I’m sure you’re right. It’ll do well enough until we reach the next city. When we do, I’ll make sure to get a set of clothes more suited for traveling.”
He nodded. “That’ll work, I suppose. So, are you ready? We should get going. It’ll be most of the day before we’re out of the trees.”
“Lead on,” she said with a forward push of her body.
Wasting no time, Revyll threw his large pack across his back and led them out of camp. Not a word passed between them for a long while. It gave her time to reflect on all she had experienced since meeting the man. His attitude towards her had shifted a number of times, she recalled. At first he was annoyed, of course, and probably indignant over what had probably sounded like a ridiculous story. Eventually he’d warmed up to her, fortunately enough. She wasn’t sure exactly when it had happened, but she was thankful it had. Something else had changed after she had told him her story. While he was still quite genial, he seemed uncomfortable. She supposed it was a lot to take in.
It was obvious that the further they walked, the weaker the fear was within her. She wasn’t sure whether it was distance, time, or a combination of both, but she was elated to feel the heavy, oppressive blanket slipping from her shoulders. At the same time, she couldn’t help wondering what this meant.
Was the cause gone, no longer to worry them, or was it simply too distant to feel? It was futile to dwell on something so completely unknown. The mystery was the worst part. She thought that certainly, to recognize the cause must be better.
The trees slowly changed as they walked. Direct sunlight showered down before long, dappling the forest floor in its warm glow. It was good to sense its familiar presence on her skin. It wasn’t for the heat, of course. There was always a slightly pleasing sensation to sunlight after being away from it for a time. Nature was obviously enjoying it as well. The trees limbs grew closer to the forest floor, soaking as much of it as possible. The smaller shrubs and bushes now grew with a more frequency as well.
As the trees thinned and, though there were greater numbers of other fauna, the soil steadily grew rockier. The land had also begun to rise. While the roads ascended more gradually, out in the wilderness it was a much more abrupt change. With all these alterations compounded together it made traveling much more difficult. A false step would cause a slip onto potentially sharp rock. The increasingly lower vegetation caught and scratched at her extremities.
While Rhetaiya knew the land, she was still only vaguely aware of where she was and found herself struggling to match Revyll’s pace. Revyll, however, seemed quite sure of himself. Was he just so accustomed to traveling that he could find his way, wherever he was? In some aspects, he astounded her. On the other hand, his stubbornness concerning certain topics was a bit wearing. She wanted to know more about the man, but knew she shouldn’t prod too hard.
It seemed they were moving faster than he had speculated. The trees were thinning at a drastic rate. They couldn’t have traveled more than a few hours, but it wouldn’t be long before they were out of the forest altogether. Revyll seemed invigorated by this fact as he began to press up the ever-growing incline. The steep, jagged ascent was much more grueling, even when the brush started to thin as well. Rhetaiya began to have major trouble keeping up with the man. The hill was steep enough that she feared a mistake would send her tumbling back down the craggy slope. Revyll went up as if it were all but flat, each step as sure as the next.
As sweat began to run down her face from the exertion, anger welled up within her. She was as mad at him for going fast as she was at herself for struggling. At the very least, he didn’t have to make it look so easy. She tried emulating his path, but with him as far ahead as he was it was difficult to remember every step he took and every support he used during the ascent. Still, she fought her way up.
When she looked up and first noticed how close the top of the ridge lay, a new sense of purpose filled her. Her goal was in sight. It was then she realized what she was doing. Every step forward was a step into the relative unknown. While she knew of the surrounding land through many maps and stories, she had never been this far from home. She would soon be seeing things she had never seen before.
While it could not have been more than another half hour, the remainder of the grueling trek seemed to take an eternity. When Revyll disappeared over the ridge ahead of her, the panic of losing him brought the time rushing back. Muscles burning, she pulled closed the distance. As the ground became flat once again she caught sight of Revyll sitting quietly on the barren rock and gazing out into the distance.
Soon she strode up, breathing heavily, and collapsed upon her calves. She’d been afraid he’d go on without her, but she should have known better. Her eyes widened at the grand vista before her. She knew that flatlands stretched for miles beyond the forests of Tristiff, but she could never really envision it. Not like this. It was so open, so big. The rolling swells of grass seemed to run on forever. Even the sky seemed all the more vast. The light, wispy clouds were lost amongst the immense blue.
“It’s beautiful,” she whispered.
Revyll looked at her quizzically. “Most everywhere seems that way the first time you see it, but the plains have as many hardships as the forest.”
She pursed her lips. “Don’t ruin it.” With only a slight grin he turned his view back to the seas of yellow-red grass.
Though the sun shone brightly upon them, it was surprisingly cool. A whipping wind, though not terribly strong, cut through her clothes and worked to turn her sweat to ice. To Rhetaiya, it was a strange mix. She clasped her arms together to cut the chill and couldn’t contain the question. “Why is it so cold with the sun shining right on us?”
Revyll actually chuckled. Glancing up at the bright ball, he spoke softly. “Nobody knows why, but the higher you get, the colder the air becomes. It seems backwards, but it’s the truth. Some mountains get so high their peaks are eternally covered in snow. They make this seem like an anthill.” He was silent for only a few moments.
“You know, I just can’t get my head around you. At first you seem to hate everything about me even though you follow me around. I think you some kind of strange thief. Somehow I start to like you, and now you have me believing you’re a princess and that you have some sort of strange thing I know nothing about. What would a princess apologize for?” She let out a strangled laugh, realizing his sincerity but finding it funny just the same. He glowered at her.
She fought back the laughter, but smiled at his unexpected comments. “My title doesn’t change who I am, Revyll. I can recognize when I’m wrong.” It was obvious that this was affecting him more than he had let on. She had seen this kind of thing before. It heated her words. “I’m starting to regret our talk. Why is it that people always think we’re somehow better than them? We didn’t gain our status because some powerful person pointed at my ancestors and claimed they were better than everyone else. Long ago my family did something that caused others to look up to them – to prove their leadership. Don’t be scared of me because of my name, Revyll.”
He ran a hand through his hair and got a bit red in the face. “You’re right of course, I just know so little about you. I’m used to figuring people out pretty quickly, but I don’t know anything.”
Rhetaiya hadn’t a clue what to say to this. At the same time, his very words fit her view of him. He even exceeded those words. He seemed to be going somewhere, but at the same time he wasn’t going anywhere. He knew his way around, but he didn’t even know where he was from. His actions were clear, but what was he trying to do? He was kind but remote, stubborn but understanding. His sense of humor was odd, but he had a keen mind. At times he seemed rash and at times surprisingly wise. It seemed all she knew about him was his name, Revyll.
And his words made her think. Why exactly had she started following him? What about him so attracted her? She didn’t want to think she’d follow any strange man that stumbled upon her. She sat quietly alongside him, neither of the two sure what to tell the other.
It had been a
few hours past
Whisking back a
stray strand of hair, Rhetaiya turned to look down the large, forested valley
to the grand city of
Revyll heard a sob from behind him. He was about to ignore it when the strangeness of it struck him. Rhetaiya hardly seemed the kind to cry over this. He turned around to find her back on the ground, staring out at the forest. Her vigor seemed entirely drained, her arms slack at her side. He could hardly believe what he was seeing. He followed her gaze up and found the smoke and immediately understood.
Calling her name in worry, he took a step towards her piteous form. Without warning, she sprang to her feet and started to run. Her sudden flight startled him so much that he didn’t have the wits to go after her for some time. He had trouble grasping the fact that a place he’d just left was the site of such destruction. When he did finally go, he ran.
It was somewhat astounding that she was doing as well as she was. With her struggle to get up the hill she didn’t appear to be slowing much on the way down. He spot a strip of torn dress, however, and that alone fueled him. She was putting herself in danger by losing herself so completely. She was already quite a distance down the slope – past the most difficult section – and it wouldn’t be long before he’d lose her in the forest. It was troubling trying to keep track of her while not getting himself hurt in the process. No matter how long it took, he had to catch her. Whatever had burned the city like that was sure not to take kindly if they ran right in. He had to make her see.
She was certainly not being careful. He spotted more bits of cloth when he reached the shrubby area at the fringes of the forest. It was infuriating that the soil was so hard. It made it very difficult to track her and keep at a fast pace, and she wasn’t slowing. If he didn’t catch her before losing complete sight he could not do so while staying on her trail, it was impossible. Obviously they were headed to Tristiff, but if he ran there himself there was nothing ensuring they’d take the same route. Besides, they’d probably both collapse of exhaustion long before then. He yelled her name on the sliver of a chance that it would stop her, he was desperate. He wouldn’t leave her, not like this.
His head spun over what had just taken place. It explained some of the recent events, but threw more questions as well. If the animals had left because an army had passed through, why were they still alive to talk about it? If an army passed through, where were the signs? There were none. What was the Silence? What had attacked Tristiff? When he realized the questions were beginning to flood his mind, he pushed them back. His concentration could not slip.
While Rhetaiya had the uncanny knack to befuddle him, he was not one to forget someone in trouble. He had seen numerous accidents in the wilds and never abandoned someone when there was a chance to help, yet nothing had come close to what was happening now. Rhetaiya seemed to have a cool head, but it was not the same woman that had run off up on the hill. While the concept of home was not easy for him to grasp, he understood how others usually felt about it, and she had just seen her home devastated.
It became apparent that he was not going to catch her in time, and he knew the breakneck pace would only exhaust him before he had a chance to help so he slowed his pace and focused on tracking her movements. She would have to slow down eventually, whether by exhaustion or need. He could only hope that when he found her it wouldn’t under bad circumstances.
Soon his breathing was heavy. His energy reserves were slowly slipping, and he still hadn’t caught her. He could tell her steps had slowed, but not nearly enough. Still, he could catch her. Though her endurance was impressive, three days’ walk through a forest was not quickly traversed at any speed. He just had to keep going until he found her. He couldn’t allow himself to stop. She might come to her senses, but she might also blindly push on. He grimaced at the thought. This woman might be the death of him.
His steps grew wearier and wearier as the day drew on. Back under the shadow of the surrounding hills, daylight was beginning to fade. His sweat felt like ice on his skin, and worry ached within him. He started to fear that he would not be able to go on. He was nearing his limit. He might not find her.
A sob pierced the quiet night.
Panting with final effort, he ran towards the noise and found her sprawled on the ground, lying on her side. Falling down to his knees, he grabbed her shoulders. Her body was burning with exertion.
“Rhetaiya? Are you alright?” he asked between breaths. Her blue eyes looked into his, her expression vacant, tears running down her face. He shook his head. “Rhetaiya, listen to me. You’ve got to stop. Even if it is your home…”
She shook her head frantically and struggled weakly against his grip. “No! Let me go!” He wasn’t really holding her down, though he would if he had to. She was too exhausted to move much. Eventually she let herself sink heavily against the ground. “They could be dead,” she sobbed, “and I’m too weak to even help.”
“So you want to die too?” he chided. “This was all done in a single night. How are you going to fight something of that ferocity? You’re going to run in blindly?”
She turned her head away, a deep frown upon her face. “I could have helped. I could have done something,” she whispered almost inaudibly. “This didn’t have to happen.” Her voice grew in ferocity. “I should have known!” She rolled over onto her stomach and shielded her face.
Revyll shifted off his knees and sat next to her, running a hand through his hair. “How? How could you?” he said angrily. “Come to your senses, woman! This caught us both by surprise. Why are you letting yourself fall apart?”
This seemed to affect her, somehow. She had been shuddering with grief but stilled herself considerably. Aside from her rhythmic breathing, only a sobs shook her body. Revyll could feel energy returning to his limbs as the minutes passed. Even so, he knew he’d be sore before long. Rhetaiya would be worse off than him.
Rhetaiya finally brought her arms back down and even struggled over onto her back. Now that he could see her face, it was even more evident the degree at which she’d changed. Her face showed nothing of her previous state. It hardly showed anything at all. Her eyes, though still tear stained, showed that she was thinking once again. A weary sigh escaped her lips. “I’ve been rather foolish,” she said. Her eyes focused on him. “I don’t suppose you could help me over against that tree?” She motioned towards a nearby trunk with her head.
He nodded solemnly. As he rose wearily to his feet, he said, “I’m not in top shape, myself, but I think I can manage that.” Though the tree was only a short distance away, it was frustratingly hard maneuvering her to it. Once they were done, he dropped down against the trunk next to her.
“Why are you still here, Revyll?” she asked, exhaustion prevalent. “This is not your problem.”
“Well it is now,” he answered stonily. “If I were to walk away from this, I would hate myself for the rest of my days.”
She turned her head to look at him then nodded. “You’re as good a person as I could ever hope to meet, Revyll.” She faced front once more and closed her eyes. “If it weren’t for you, I’d have been lost twice. I sincerely thank you.”
He blushed at her words in the dimming dusk light. She really was something. She’d been half crazed only to come completely back to her senses in the space of a couple minutes. He’d never seen the like. No matter, they’d have to discuss what they were going to do once they were fit to go on. “Rhetaiya?” he said softly. When she didn’t answer, he cocked his head to look at her. He let out a curt laugh when he realized she was asleep. She really was exhausted. He doubted they’d be moving too fast come morning, anyhow. There’d be plenty of time to talk about it.
“Goodnight,” he whispered.