"Dove, you should be resting. Your fever hasn't completely recovered yet," Neil said as he removed his palm from Dove's forehead.
"I am fine," Dove insisted.
"You're stubborn as a mule. So annoying," Neil sighed.
"I know. I'm sorry. I just can't let you go alone," Dove said.
"Do you think your company is going to make any difference?" Neil asked.
"I know I'm not as strong and buff as you. And I may not be the best asset physically, but I still think that I can make a difference. I can help make things easier for you," he said earnestly.
They walked along the creek. The heat was light, the drifts were deep and hard to move through. Wherever Neil looked, the surface was smooth and undisturbed, and after a time he lost interest. He stopped looking for tracks and waited for Dove to keep up with him. The breeze was moving from him to Dove. He steadily quickened his pace, breasting hard into the drifts, he heard his heart and felt the flush on his face but he never once stopped.
After some time, he halted. Dove caught up with Neil at a bend in the creek. They were standing on a log that stretched from their bank.
Dove followed at Neil's heels along the path, obeying instructions when going through fences. He knew Neil still had his qualms and doubts about him, but he seemed more caring and warmer towards Dove since he had forgiven him. A close relationship with Neil didn't seem like a distant dream anymore.
Now and then, Dove would get excited at seeing birds whizz up suddenly before his face, or a rabbit leaping across his very toes. There lay a bundle of tiny rabbits, dark gray, their sleek wet down lying in a minute even ripples over pink skin, like a baby's head just washed. Their unbelievably small delicate ears folded close, their little blind faces almost featureless.
They looked so adorable to Dove that he couldn't help but stop his expedition to admire them for a minute.
"Dove? Dove! Seriously, what is wrong with you? Can't you answer my calls?" Neil yelled as he came running towards him, panting.
"Look at these bunnies. So adorable!" The boy released a soft squeal as his eyes sparkled. He slowly tried to sneak a glance at Neil but instead, he found him staring back at him. It was difficult to take his eyes off Neil's expressions. He felt his heartbeat quicken for a fraction of a second.
But then Neil cleared his throat, "Now's not the time to admire animals. Are you coming with me, or do I have to carry you there to make sure you don't wander off again?"
Dove flinched slightly at his words, and a very light reddish tint filled his cheeks.
"No need to carry me. I'm sick, not paralyzed. I won't wander off again. Let's go."
They crossed a couple of stony ridges with their deep intervening hollows and came at last into a wild desolate gorge, full of loose rocks and bushes, and ribboned with game tracks. In a few hundred yards, the valley became a pass, and in a score more, the steep, bare sides had drawn in until they were walls on either hand, and the way trailed along the bottom of what was little better than a knife cleft in the hills.
The quarry was plunging along only ten yards ahead. In front was the outing of that narrow ravine, long reaches of Belyrnna twinning in countless threads through interminable leagues of green pasture and forest. They halted breathlessly and saw it all, like a beautiful picture in the narrow black frame of the rocks. The evening wind was blowing softly up the cañon, and the sky was already gorgeous and livid with the streaks of sunset.
They walked another twenty yards, and then Neil pointed at the tree directly in front of them. The forest floor was crinkly when walked on it to arrive a little closer to the tree. The tree was sap paradise-green. The bark of the trees felt like frozen, bubbled soup. Caroling birds sat on antler-shaped branches. Feathery combs of moss hung from its jutting branches.
"That's the tree where the golden oranges grow," he said. Dove squinted his eyes to have a better look at the mildly faraway tree. The oranges growing on them seemed rather normal to him. He failed to understand what was so special about it.
Neil removed a few arrows from the sack and got his bowstring ready.
"Isn't this too far to aim? Why don't we go nearer?" Dove asked.
"No, this is perfect for me. Remember, don't move around much, and don't make any noise. The old lady had warned me there were many carnivorous plants along with deadly creatures lurking nearby in this area. We must be quiet so that they are not alerted," Neil said.
Dove nodded. His eyes were now glued to Neil. His svelte face was still with concentration. He closed his right eye, trying to get his bearings right. His sinewy arms remained taut as he pulled back his bowstring, his lithe fingers both relaxed yet strained. His brown eyes were unblinking as he released the arrow.
It was as if it had been playing out in slow motion, time seemed to stand still as to savor Neil's seraphic form even for a fraction longer. His stoic expression made Dove's heart skip a beat. The arrow embedded itself in its target with ease. The impetus created by the collision between the tree branch and the arrow's tip caused two oranges to fall on the soft layer of grass below. Neil straightened his back and time seemed to swoon at this sight.
'He is so handsome.' Dove thought. It was the first time he had seen Neil in this light.
Distracted by Neil's figure, Dove moved forward in a dazed state, captivated by the desire to get a closer view of his face. However, his attempt took an unexpected turn as he tripped over a pile of vines near Neil's leg and stumbled forward, his focus abruptly shifting.
He rolled on the grass, his head colliding with the trunk of a sturdy tree. Attempting to roll away, he found himself facing a group of eerie-looking plants, their unsettling presence intensifying his alarm. A thorn from one of the plants pierced his soft skin near his left collarbone. Beads of cold perspiration formed on his forehead as a surge of fear coursed through him.
Dove experienced a dizzy, senseless moment, his senses muddled and his body bruised. He landed on a soft, marshy mound that seemed to yield beneath him like a feather bed, causing him to lose consciousness.
When he eventually regained consciousness a few minutes later, an overpowering smell assaulted his senses. The sickly, noxious taint in the air refused to be ignored, even after he took a deep breath. It permeated every corner of his being, staining his blood yellow. It resembled the damp, musty scent of a charnel house, infused with wickedness and carrying a hint of the slaughter pitâa repugnant blend of blood and corruption.
As Dove struggled to breathe in the foul air, a sudden warmth enveloped him, easing his nerves. Gradually, his thoughts cleared, and he realized he was seated on Neil's lap. Neil had tilted his head slightly, his soft lips pressed against the wound on Dove's neckâor rather, he was sucking the wound. Surprised, Dove involuntarily released a low, inaudible groan, unaware of the sounds he could produce.
He instinctively wrapped his hands around Neil's neck, adjusting his position on Neil's lap to grant better access to the wound. However, Neil abruptly pulled back, spitting in response.
Dove parted his lips to say something, but Neil tightened his grip on Dove's body, pulling him closer to his chest. Neil resumed sucking the wound on Dove's neck. Dove closed his eyes, surrendering to the sensation of Neil's lips against his skin. His heart pounded loudly within his chest, and he worried that Neil might hear it due to their proximity.
Confusion, fear, and a strange exhilaration swirled through Dove's mind as he locked eyes with Neil. The realization hit him like a ton of bricksâhis emotions for Neil had been a tumultuous sea, crashing against the shores of his consciousness, intertwining with the intensity of the moment.
"Dove? Dove?" Neil shook his hand lightly, grounding Dove back to reality.
"Y-yeah."
"That wound you have, it's from a poisonous plant."
"Oh. That's why I felt so weak and dizzy."
"I tried to suck off most of the poison, but I'm afraid some might have entered your veins. We need to return to Grandma's place; she might know a cure. Can you walk?" Neil's voice held a genuine concern.
Dove nervously untangled himself from Neil's lap, attempting to stand upright. The dizziness persisted, causing his body to sway and topple to the left. In a swift motion, Neil's arms encircled his shoulders, providing much-needed support.
"Did you manage to get the golden oranges?" Dove's voice quivered with a mix of worry and anticipation.
"Yes, I did," Neil replied, his tone carrying a glimmer of hope.
"And what about the flower?" Dove pressed further, his curiosity piqued.
"I didn't find it. But right now, your health is deteriorating, and that's our priority. We must return as soon as possible." Neil gestured towards his back, an unspoken invitation. "Climb on. Time is slipping away."
Dove hesitated, his nerves tightening their grip. "Are you sure it's okay?" he voiced his fears, uncertainty etched in his words.
"Why wouldn't it be? We can't afford delays, especially with the weather worsening." Neil pointed towards the sky, coaxing Dove's gaze upward.
A clanking sound reverberated from aboveâa colossal anvil dragged reluctantly across the heavens. Buzzing and hissing, the clouds trembled with the fury of their eternal burden. The light drizzle swiftly transformed into an abrupt downpour, as if the heavens themselves wept.
Neil crouched down in front of Dove, offering a temporary sanctuary from the rain's relentless assault.
Tears welled up in the corners of Dove's eyes, mingling with the raindrops. He was overwhelmed, adrift in the storm of his own emotions. It was his first encounter with love, a love that dared to defy societal expectations. The weight of it all pressed upon him, cloaking him in a shroud of shame and guilt.
Thankfully, the heavy rain acted as a benevolent veil, disguising his tears upon his rain-kissed face.
Dove's body trembled as he climbed onto Neil's back, his arms enveloping Neil's neck with a tender embrace.
"Let's go! Hold on tightly," Neil's voice resonated over the drumming rain.
Neil was not oblivious to the truth that lay beneath the surface. Someday, the curtain would lift, revealing everything. And when that happened, he would fade from Dove's life as swiftly as he had entered.
This was exactly what Dove feared. But he also knew he couldn't dwell in the shadows of fear, unsure of which path to take. He couldn't keep hiding. Both roads before him held the potential for dead ends.
But until then, he would hold on, allowing the journey to unfold, for it was in that uncertainty that the truth would be revealed, guiding them to their destined destination.
A/N
Hi thanks so much for the read! If you enjoyed please leave a vote or a comment that's the best way to support me! Thanks so much xx, Anne.