Private Tales Filling Our Heads With Love and Loneliness

[Everleigh Ebersol]

After two days he woke up, just as she had expected. He began to stir and she had stopped to find suitable cover for them. Despite having two days to prepare for this moment, Everleigh was still as much at a lost for words as she had been when she had left the Academy in the middle of the night. She set Miklan down against a tree, readying herself for it.

The vomit came before he could even try to speak. She felt bad. The dose she gave him might have been too much since he was smaller than most boys his age. She helped him, leaning him forward as he retched nothing but bile and what looked to be a little bit of blood. Everleigh hoped it wasn’t. When he stopped, she wiped his mouth clean with the hem of her cloak.

It took him a while to get situated. Too long, in her opinion, thinking how his instincts still weren’t where they needed to be after a half year at the Academy.

“Proctor?” His voice was hoarse, his throat dry. The dry heaving hadn’t helped either. How could he be so relaxed right now? He looked about, seeing the small field that Everleigh had ran into. Being here made her nervous. A field that was as well kept as this meant it belonged to someone.

“How do you feel?”

“Where are we?”

“Hopefully nearly thirty miles away from the Academy.” Everleigh answered honestly. He accepted the question. Everleigh considered him to still be delirious then. Her answer should have shocked him. “How are you feeling?” She pressed.

“Tired.” He said. “Dizzy. Like I’m gonna….” He retched once more but could only spit little globules of saliva out and over his dry, cracked lips. Everleigh wiped it away with her cloak once more.

“Miklan, listen to me,” Everleigh whispered, putting her hands underneath his arms and pulling him up onto his feet. “We can’t stop now. You want some water?” He was leaning against the tree but still slumped forward. His head was hanging forward as if his neck was limp. Everleigh pulled out her water skin. “Only a little bit.” She said. “Three sips. That’s it.” She put it to his lips and he gulped. More than three times. Everleigh had to take it away from him and felt guilty when she saw the look he gave her.

“I’m really thirsty.” He said, reaching out for it. She shook her head.

“It’ll make you sick. We need to get going.” She had hoped that when he woke up he’d be able to walk. Her back and shoulders ached all over. “I’ll carry you on my back.” She could do it for a few more hours, she had already done it for nearly two whole days. Night would come and she could make a camp. But she needed to get away from whoever owned this fields and keep away from the nearby roads. She crouched low and helped Miklan onto her back once more. She stood up and was quickly reminded of the strain that carrying him put on her body.

If one of them found her now….

Everleigh pushed that thought out of her head. First thing first: getting out of this field and putting more distance between them and the Academy. At least she had more time to think about how to break the news to Miklan.

 

[Everleigh Ebersol]

The day had been cold, so she made a fire for them. She had taken the time to dig a hole in the ground using a broken branch and a stone she had found nearby. Then she took the time to dig another, using a wet finger to ensure where the wind was blowing and connected the two holes underneath.

"Do you know who came up with this?" Everleigh asked Miklan, who was still sulking and uncertain about the situation he found himself in. He stayed as far from her as he could but never far enough to where he felt unsafe from the outside world's threats. He didn't answer her. He had stopped speaking to her when she had knocked him out after their fight, and he awoke to a new blue sky.

"You'll find the people of the Steppes did this because of the terrain and the harsh winds. But it's useful when you're trying to hide, too. People see fires because of the light it makes. You can't see the smoke at night, so if you can hide the flames….." Her hands were covered in dirt, the grime so far up her fingernails it almost hurt. She went to grab at the dried grass and wood they had collected together. Miklan had helped her carry everything.

The wind bit at her cheeks, the night making it twice as cold. She glanced at Miklan, barely able to see his features in the gloaming sky despite the two moons casting a faint glow through the sparse canopy of branches above them. She had flint in her pack, and she took that out and, with practiced ease, could make a spark.

"Makes it easier to light a fire, too. The wind can't blow it out." But a flame needed to be nurtured, so she lowered her head, gently blowing at it. Once it caught on the wood, she backed up and looked at Miklan. She leaned back on her heels, staring and waiting at him.

"This is something you should know." She said finally. Miklan nodded his head. "Next time, we'll do it together." He nodded again. There was a long pause between them. Finally, she asked, "Are you hungry?" He didn't need to nod for Everleigh to know he was.