Fantasy Tales From Distant Lands

[Equusheart]

"Of course," Rauzlyn said. She gave Elias a warm smile as she collected the dishes. "You need your rest. We all should be headed to bed actually. We have a spare room you can sleep in and, Hava, we have a cot you can sleep in out here." Hava returned Rauzlyn's smile with one of her own.

"Thank you so much," she said as she moved to help Elias into the spare room.

 

[Wendigo_]

Elias did his best to stand and move on his own, but found himself inevitably leaning on Havilah for support. "You should take the spare bed, you've been working harder. I'd be fine on the cot if you'd rather take the room," he said as he used his good arm to open the door as they approached it.

However, the boy found himself being set down on the bed regardless. Using his good arm, he managed to wrestle his boots off with a sort of struggling motion.​

 

[Equusheart]

"You almost died, Elias," Hava said softly. Her voice cracked slightly with some emotion she tried to keep hidden. "You're the one that needs to rest the most."

Hava knelt to help Elias with his boots, her eyes refusing to meet his. Hava couldn't help feel like she was partly to blame for his wound. He had been trying to protect her when he had gotten shot. She tucked her head slightly, her hair falling to hide the tears she felt prickling at her eyes.

 

[Wendigo_]

"But I'm still alive," Elias said in a quiet voice as he could sense the emotions hidden behind her facade. He reached out with his functional arm to place his hand on the top of Havilah's head, patting it softly. "And it's all thanks to you. I owe my life to you, Hava."

The more Elias thought about what could have happened, the more he found his thoughts coming back to Havilah. The thought of never getting to see her again scared him to the point in which his own voice became tinged with emotion. With a great deal of effort, he lowered himself down to her level and pulled her into an embrace. "After all, I can't die. If I did, who else would drag you across the country?" The boy laughed a little at himself as the corners of his eyes began to pool.​

 

[Equusheart]

Hava went to laugh, but instead it came out as a sob. She wrapped her arms around his neck as Hava buried her face into Elias' shoulder. The thought of almost losing him tore her heart to shreds. She cared about him. And the sudden realization of that fact hit her and left her breathless.

"Promise me you'll never leave me," she whispered, her chest clenching as she worked over these sudden emotions that filled her.

 

[Wendigo_]

Elias felt that odd tugging at his heart once again as Havilah hung closely to him, and so he held her more tightly as she did so. For the moment, he was truly content with just being alive and with the shepherdess, despite the pair's appearances.

The boy's heart practically halted when he heard Havilah's words. No one, in all his life, had expressed such a sentiment to him. Throughout his life, people had truly only exploited him for their own benefits and were willing to throw him out the moment it was convenient to them. To hear someone say that they wanted to stay with him regardless was earth shattering to the boy.

Silent tears slid down his cheeks as he whispered back a quiet but solemn, "I promise."​

 

[Equusheart]

Hava didn't know how she stayed there in Elias' embrace. She remained silent as her crying slowly subsided and her tears dried. And yet she didn't pull away just yet. For some unknown reason, Hava found that like the feeling of having him so close with his arms around. She felt... safe and some other feeling that constantly tugged at her heart.

"You should get some sleep now," Hava said quietly as she eventually pulled away from him. Hava moved to stand, helping Elias back onto the bed as she did.

 

[Wendigo_]

It was true that Elias was desperately in need of rest, but for some reason he found both his heart and mind racing. Even as Havilah helped him into bed and made her way towards the door, he couldn't find himself ready to depart from her company quite yet.

"Hey, Havilah..." he said just as she was about to exit the room. His eyes were filled with an impossible to describe emotion. It could only be approximated as something that lay between enamor and fear of loneliness which altered his expression into one of a person who seemed to be reaching out for some final hope. "Would you mind reading to me before I go to sleep?"​

 

[Equusheart]

Hava stopped just as she reached the door and looked back at Elias. She hadn't really wanted to leave just yet. They had spent so much time together over the past few days that the idea of sleeping in separate rooms, while proper, seemed foreign to her. And the look in his eyes tugged at her heart.

"Alright," she said softly. Hava pulled out the book and moved back over to Elias. She laid down beside him and held the book up so he could see the pages while she read.

 

[Wendigo_]

Elias followed the words Havilah read with his eyes, occasionally falling behind as he struggled to commit the unfamiliar characters and their pronunciation to memory. The boy found the sound of Havilah's voice dangerously soothing, and it lingered in his mind as the reference for how each letter ought to sound. Every now and then, he would inch a bit closer to the shepherdess under the pretense of getting a better view of the pages.
***
The story that the pair read proved to be one of the central legends in the land of Illium. Of the seven deities that oversaw this world, none of them had come to favor the human race. Once upon a time, however, there was an exception.

10,000 years ago, the world was engrossed in mass conflict. The Angelian Empire, driven by a desire to grow further in power and confidence in their military superiority, had began invasions on all fronts. The Human Empire was the quick to succumb to Angelian forces due to their complete superiority in terms of magical capabilities. The surviving humans were scattered, being forced to live in hiding wherever they could find refuge. The surrounding nations resisted with more success, but nonetheless were clearly the weaker sides. It was, at least subconsciously, universally accepted that the Angelians would eventually come to control the entire world.

That is, until the Heroes appeared. Two humans, chosen by the Deities of Light and Darkness, used their strengths to restore balance to the world. Under the Heroes leadership, the remaining opposition managed to halt the Angelian offensive. The legend holds that at one point, the two Heroes alone even managed to defeat an entire Angelian army using only the sacred weapons bestowed upon them by the gods.

With the new threat the Heroes posed, the Angelian leadership decided to participate in peace negotiations, eventually leading to the cessations of land that gave rise to the present boundaries of each nation and the reinstallation of the Human Empire. What became of the Heroes afterwards is unknown.
***
Elias did his best to follow along, but after about half an hour he found his eyelids becoming heavier and heavier. Unable to help himself, he drifted off to sleep to the sound of Havilah's words.​

 

[Equusheart]

Hava heard the change in Elias' breathing as he drifted off to sleep and smiled as she closed the book. She tucked the blankets in around him and sat there for a moment watching him. As she lightly brushed a strand of hair from his face, Hava felt a warm familiar feeling tug at her heart. Before she knew what she was doing or why, Hava bent over and placed a soft kiss to Elias' forehead.

"Good night, Elias," she whispered to him. Hava then turned and left the room to find her own cot.

Safe in the cottage of Rauzlyn and Karo and knowing Elias was alive and going to heal, Hava slept peacefully. She had pleasant, but odd dreams. Hava dreamt that she had been one of the characters in the book they had been reading, though which one wasn't clear to her.

 

[Wendigo_]

The sound of pecking against wood slowly faded into Elias's consciousness as he rose in the morning. Judging from the bright light that streamed in from the window a small bird gracefully fluttered away from, Elias could tell he had slept in a fair amount. The boy sat up in bed and stretched his arms as he dutifully yawned, watering and draining the sleep from his blue eyes.

Then the realization hit him. He froze in place for a moment before circling his arms, testing their ability to move: proving that both had a full range of motion without any severe pain. "I guess we're back in business," Elias said to himself as he got out of bed and pushed the shutters of the window open, revealing a bright and sunny day. A gentle breeze rolled through the mountains as Elias slid into his clothing before entering the main room of the house.

Almost a full week had passed since Havilah and Elias arrived at the cottage, allowing the boy sufficient time to recover from his injury. This had allowed for cottage's four current residents to settle into a daily routine, and so on cue Elias discovered Havilah, Rauzlyn, and Karo up and already started with their day.

"Good morning," the boy said to the group at large as he used the arm on his previously injured side to pull out a chair at the table.​

 

[Equusheart]

Hava glanced up when Elias entered the room and smiled at him as he sat at the table where Karo sat. She had been up earlier at was helping Rauzlyn to prepare their morning meal of eggs with fresh baked bread and bacon.

"Good morning, Elias," she said quietly before turning back to what she was doing. For some reason she couldn't fathom why, Hava had suddenly found herself oddly shy with Elias the past few days. It utterly perplexed her.

This was Elias, her very dear friend. Not some random stranger she had just met. And yet, Hava couldn't help that fluttery feeling in her chest she felt whenever he was around. And yet at the same time she felt the constant need to be around him.

"Good morning," Rauzlyn said as she looked up at Elias. Noticing that he was using his injured arm a bit more she smiled as she moved over to him. "You're shoulder and everything feeling better, huh?"

 

[Wendigo_]

Elias couldn't help but notice Havilah's recent aversion to him in recent days. In all honestly, the boy didn't know how to react to it. Could the shepherdess had somehow picked up on Elias's recent shift in feelings for her, and decided to avoid contact with him as a result? Had she grown tired of needing to care for him as a result of his injury? These thoughts scared him, especially since everything within him seemed only to want to be with her. Havilah's quiet greeting coupled with her quick shift of attention back to her task stung Elias a bit, and it showed on his face for moment.

However, Rauzlyn's greeting and subsequent observation about his condition didn't allow for him to brew on it for very long. "Yes, I'm practically brand new thanks to your treatment," he said as he raised his arm as if to make a show of strength. Despite not being very impressive, he wore a grin on his face that gave the impression that it was. "I think we should be able to get on our way later today."​

 

[Equusheart]

"That's good," Rauzlyn said as she lifted the boy's shirt enough to inspect the wound. "It's knitted well. Though I would caution you from straining yourself too much just yet." Rauzlyn smiled as she lowered Elias' shirt. "But you're healed enough to travel if that's your decision."

Hava glanced over at them and watched silently. They would be leaving today. She had known that this moment would come and as much as she had enjoyed Rauzlyn and Karo's company, it was look passed time that they started off on their own again. Hava's eyes fell on Elias and felt her heart do a familiar flip.

Once they were traveling it would be just them again. Hava didn't know if she was more nervous or excited. Hava sighed as she turned back to gathering up the plates. What on earth was wrong with her? Rauzlyn stepped up beside her and, as if sensing Hava's waring emotions, gave her an encouraging smile before helping Hava carry the plates to the table.

 

[Wendigo_]

Elias said a quiet word of thanks as a plate was set down in front of him, and he picked at his food absentmindedly as his thoughts returned again to Hava. He considered asking Rauzlyn for advice, but ruled that idea out since it was unlikely he would get to talk to her in private before the two departed. As he quietly ate his breakfast, he silently resigned to simply ignore the issue for the time being, hoping that it would simply resolved itself as they got back into the swing of traveling.

Once he had finished, he picked up his spot, wordlessly passing Havilah as he went to wash off and put away his dishes.​

 

[Equusheart]

Hava glanced up as Elias passed by her. His silence made her feel a little uneasy. It wasn't like him. Usually he was so chatty, especially with her. Hava felt a small pang of sadness, but not knowing what to do about it Hava remained silent while she finished her meal.

After they were all done, Hava gathered up the dishes while Karo and Rauzlyn went about their own thing. She stepped up beside Elias as she started to help with the dishes. For a moment she was silent, not knowing what to say but wanting to say something.

"I see your shoulder's finally better," she said finally. "Though Rauzlyn's right about not stressing it too much."

 

[Wendigo_]

The boy worked silently on the dishes for a moment as he thought of how best to reply. What could he truly say given the situation? All he could imagine was that Havilah was talking to him out of obligation rather than genuine interest, and her momentary silence seemed to corroborate his false impressions.

"Yeah, it's healed up enough for me to take care of myself again," he said in an indecipherable tone. "I'll try to be careful so that I don't become a burden again." Elias picked up a small cloth at the edge of the counter to dry off his hands. "Why am I being so cold?" the boy thought to himself as a more rational side of him reflected on his behavior. However, the more emotionally charged side of him regained control of his thoughts. "She's finally getting tired of being around you. She's going to abandon you just like everyone else has, and there's nothing you can do about it." His heart tightened with the conclusion of this thought, and a mixture of sorrow and anger filled his eyes as he folded the cloth, replacing it on the counter.​

 

[Equusheart]

Hava didn't know what stung worse. What Elias had said or the way he had said it. He had never spoken to her in such a way before. It was if he was completely closed off to her. A stranger. Tears pricked at her eyes, but she blinked them back.

"You aren't a burden, Elias," she said flatly. Before Elias could respond, Hava quickly turned and walked out of cottage. Not wanting to be around anyone at the moment, Hava went to the barn. Pippin wagged his tail when she entered while the gelding gave a soft nicker in greeting. Hava picked up a bush and began to run it over the horse's coat.

Only now that she was alone did Hava let the tears she'd been fighting fall. It was all so confusing. These feelings she had been feeling since that first night they stayed here. What was wrong with her? With Elias? None of it made any sense.

 

[Wendigo_]

Havilah's footsteps as she exited the cottage thundered fatefully within Elias's eardrums. Despite the boy's social ineptitude and current confusion in regards to the shepherdess, he knew Havilah well enough to conclude that his attitude had upset her. The part of him that longed for the girl urged him to chase after her and apologize, to try and explain what was going on, but his feet stayed firmly in place while his heart crawled into his throat. How could he hope to explain his feelings to her when he himself didn't understand them? Unable to work up the courage to confront her again, Elias slunk off to his room to pack the pair's belongings.

The matron of the cottage had no choice but to overhear the young pair's exchange, but had emerged from her business in a side room only to find the area deserted. Following the sound of Havilah storming off, Rauzlyn made her way to the barn to find the sobbing shepherdess. She watched the girl for a moment before making her presence known.

"I see you two seem to be having quite the spat," Rauzlyn said as she picked up a spare brush, helping groom the horse alongside Hava. "Although, I would be wrong if I said I couldn't see it coming..."​

 

[Equusheart]

Hava sniffed lightly as she tried wiping her tears away. She didn't want to cry in front of Rauzlyn.

"I just.... I don't understand," Hava said softly with a shake of her head. Elias had never acted like that towards her before. Not a couple days ago, Elias acted like he couldn't be parted from her. But now it felt like he was pushing her away. Now of it made sense to Hava.

"What do you mean?" Hava asked glancing at the healer.

 

[Wendigo_]

Despite her best efforts, Rauzlyn found herself unable to conceal the smirk that tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Well... How should I put it..." she said contemplatively while waiting for the proper phrasing to come to her, "I don't think our dear Elias means to treat you so coldly, I believe he just doesn't know what else to do." The woman continued to brush the horse for a moment in silence before softly hanging the brush on an aged post and finding a place to sit in the form of a creaky stool.

"After all, it's quite clear the boy is simply smitten with you." Rauzlyn's smile could not be contained now as she sat calmly, awaiting the inevitable questions to come.​

 

[Equusheart]

Hava stopped brushing and turned fully to look at Rauzlyn. Elias? Hava wrap her mind around everything that had passed between them over the past couple weeks. They had been rather close with each other and, if she was honest with herself, Hava did feel very fond for him. The thought causing a warm feeling to grow from the pit of her stomach until it blossomed in her cheeks.

"But... I...," Hava stuttered, not really sure what to say in response to Rauzlyn's words. "Why..? Still, despite the warmth, Hava couldn't help feeling confused. Why would Elias be acting this way if he liked her? Uncertain and torn, Hava looked to Rauzlyn hoping to find answers to the questions she struggled to ask.

 

[Wendigo_]

"The reason that he would be cold despite feeling that way about you," the woman began in a patient tone, "Is likely because he doesn't know exactly what the feelings he's experiencing mean. Boys don't tend to be the wisest or most honest when it comes to matters like this."

Rauzlyn shifted slightly in her seat, crossing her legs to take on a teacherly posture. "It's likely quite new to him. This is not to blame you, but I couldn't help but notice you being a bit flustered when he spoke to you. He might mistake that as you growing tired of him. That misunderstanding coupled with those newfound feelings would be enough to put anyone in a sour mood."​

 

[Equusheart]

Hava's hand raised to continue brushing the horse's coat, but her strokes were slow and not very well placed. Her mind wasn't on the horses at all, but rather what Rauzlyn had said.

"I don't mean to be shy around him," Hava said softly. "In truth... I've never acted like this before. Elias... I care about him. A lot." Tears came again to Hava's eyes as she thought about how close she had come to losing him. Thought of anything happening to him terrified her.