Chapter 9: The Road Goes On

The rain had ended a while ago, but they’d stayed in bed. Lily had been watching him as he’d slept, he let out soft cool breaths every couple minutes, but apart from that he was dead silent.

He twitched in his sleep every so often too, like a nervous cat. She wondered how much he actually slept. Lily got up, stretching her arms. It was a lazy kind of day, even for adventuring. If she’d been home, she would’ve spent this day lying down and napping.

Thorne would wake up soon and his adventure would start all over again. The never-ending walking and conversation. Still, she didn’t mind the conversation. It was exciting, leading her masked knight to his destination.

They still had to travel some distance. Lily thought back to her past.

She remembered the first time she’d been to Stonehold Keep; it’d been a magical experience. Her mother had taken her their on a trip, they’d been celebrating some kind of festival. Ribbons scattered around the roads, some kind of foreign music playing.

She couldn’t remember why they hadn’t stayed longer.

Lily took off the blue dress, regretting that she didn’t have the room to take it with her. She zipped her boots up to her knee, tightening her belt back on. She put the dress back in the wardrobe, hoping it’d find a good owner someday. The fabric got stuck against something in the wardrobe, Lily pulled it to the side.

A journal stared back at her. She looked behind her, Thorne still slept. Lily grabbed the journal, opening it to the first page. She was disappointed, it was blank. Scrolling through the pages, not a single one had been touched. The name ‘Aurelia’ had been scratched in quill on the front of it.

She pocketed it. Maybe she could make good use of it; maybe one day she could write about him and her.

‘Mh,’ Thorne groaned, sitting upright. His armour creaked; he seemed somehow more tired after resting. He left an imprint of his body against the bed, Lily suspected it would stay there for a very long time.

‘Are you ready to keep on moving?’ she asked him.

‘Oh, mhm,’ he said, ‘You can lead the way.’

He adjusted the small ornament of the twin doves against his helmet, Lily smiled on the inside. He had liked her gift; she just knew it.

They were back on the road before long, leaving behind the castle but keeping the memories.

Lily thought that if she were to forget all her life up until then, she wouldn’t mind it.

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Clouds hung low around the sun, making for a darker day. It was noon, Lily estimated. Merridew dripped from the surrounding foliage; it followed them both as they kept walking.

Thorne walked faster than her; she’d gotten so used to his rigid pace it was hard not to notice. She struggled to keep up with him, holding back her breath to hide that she was panting. Thorne’s scabbard swung from side to side, clashing against his chainmail as they walked.

The weather began to lift as the midday came and passed, Lily watched as a bright blue sky cleared up in front of her eyes.

‘Look,’ she said, pointing upwards, ‘It’s a rainbow.’

The multicoloured arc was large, larger then any she’d seen before. It towered over the two of them, disappearing over the horizon.

‘I’ve never seen one before,’ Thorne remarked as they stood still, looking up at it.

‘Really?’ Lily laughed, ‘Well they say that it’s a sign of good luck in some cultures.’

‘I suppose it is.’

‘Mm.’

They continued walking down the road. Lily would’ve expected them to bump into someone on their way but it had been a quiet trip thus far.

‘Thorne?’

He stopped walking, turning to meet her eyes. He had tensed up.

‘What’s your favourite colour?’ She looked at him with a serious expression before bursting out giggling.

‘Hm?’ he had relaxed a little.

‘What’s got you so stressed?’ She walked a little ahead of him, he followed.

‘No, nothing.’ He paused, then said, ‘We just need to get there in time.’

‘Oh,’ Lily sighed, ‘We will, don’t you worry.’

‘How can you be so sure?’ he asked, a tinge of hope in his voice. Lily skipped further ahead of him; he was still walking too fast for her.

‘Destinations always come,’ she mused on, ‘It’s the journeys that make them all different.’

‘So, what you’re hinting at is…?’ he walked firmly behind her.

‘… is what’s your favourite colour.’ Lily finished the sentence for him.

‘I-,’ Thorne shrugged, he seemed entirely too consumed by keeping his pace up. Lily stuck out her tongue at him but she didn’t blame him. Their little detour had cost them a day, they’d have to redouble efforts if they wanted to stay on track.

‘Blue,’ he said, as though he hadn’t put much thought in it.

‘Why?’ Lily asked, drawing out the word as she said it. It was just the two of them, the sky and the ground, taking this time.

‘My sister’s favourite colour,’ he answered.

‘Aw, that’s so sweet,’ Lily couldn’t help but feel warmth at his reasoning. He had spent a lifetime loving through actions rather then words, and it showed.

Still, she wanted to hear his voice more.

‘Why don’t you paint your armour?’ she asked.

‘It was painted.’ He said nonchalantly.

‘Then paint it again?’

‘No time to.’

‘If you had time?’

‘Then maybe.’

Their words went like this for a while, him bouncing back to her questions. It wasn’t serious, it wasn’t important. But it was special in its own way. It was special because it wasn’t. And she got to hear his voice over and over again.

The gentle hum of the world continued to beat as they talked. It made her feet lighter; the journey easier. And before she knew it, her throat was sore and the sky was dark.

This night they didn’t have any fire; Lily ate food she’d taken from the castle. They sat in the dark, she’d let their conversation die down. Tonight was going to be a quiet night. But not that quiet she hated, rather, the quiet she chose.

Thorne sat down; she heard the clang of his armour as it hit the ground. She was starting to get used to the sound.

She lay back down against the grass and closed her eyes. She listened to Thorne as he shuffled around before finally finding a comfortable position to sleep in.

She smiled to herself.