"I'm so sorry my Gem but the borders are strict. There is no way for you to cross. The bastard has eyes everywhere. I won't be able to contact you for a while, he is suspicious of everyone. Please be safe my Gem.", the man cupped her cheeks and gently kissed her forehead. Then he rested his forehead against her as he said his last goodbyes. "You cannot die on me Iris. You must be free.", he parted with those words. It hurt his heart to leave the woman he truly loved but it was to protect her.
He gazed at the small child he passed on his way out of the small house. "Keep each other safe all right?". Although little Aviva had no clue who he was, she nodded in confusion and ran to her mother's arms. "Who was that, Mama?", she hugged her mother, seeing tears fall from her brown eyes. Her mother hesitated but smiled sadly when she answered her daughter. "He is a good friend of mine, baby."
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Aviva leaned against the tree, her left hand gripping the bark. Her other hand resting on her knee as she tries to catch her breath. She tried to breathe the pain and exhaustion away. Amelia frowned at her sister's labored breathing. "Are you all right Ori?", her sister's concerned voice pulled her attention away from their surroundings. Aviva swallowed and stood upright before resting her hands on her sister's shoulders. "We are just fine darling.", Aviva promised and pulled her sister against her, holding her for confirmation that they are indeed just fine. Amelia immediately clutched her sister's dress in her hands. She was scared but she knew she needed to be strong, just like her sister so she tried to swallow her tears. She buried her face in Aviva's stomach.
Aviva frowned when she felt her sister shake. She gently pushed Amelia away from her and crouched to her height. She raised her head when Amelia refused to look anywhere other than the ground. Amelia refused to let the tears fall, she has to be strong. "Hey darling, you can cry. Don't keep your tears in. You know it's not healthy.". Aviva coaxed Amelia to show her feelings. Amelia shook her head and hiccupped. "No, -I need to be strong too, just like you Ori!", She sniffled at the end of her sentence. Aviva shook her head and smiled sadly at her sister. "There is no need for you to be strong now, Lia, cry all you want. I will be strong for both of us, okay? You are just a child, and I will make sure you grow up as one.", Aviva did not know how to comfort her sister to make her believe that everything will be okay. She herself was unsure if everything would be okay. "I don't know what waits for us in the future Lia, but I will always protect you and you will never be alone. We need to continue for a few more hours before we can rest.", Aviva stood to her full height once Amelia was calm. She hopes she can find a campsite soon enough because they had no food or water.
The issue with the water supply can be resolved quickly, yet despite the lush greenery surrounding them, none of the plants or trees bore anything edible. The vibrant foliage, while visually appealing, offered no solution for their hunger. She should have taken something from the kitchens.
Aviva decided to walk at a decent pace to allow her body to rest a bit. She knew there was bruises on her back and her muscles screamed in protest with every step she took. She enjoyed the serenity of the night, the fireflies lighting up certain spots with their blue glows and Amelia's giggles as she stepped on every other glowing root she could reach. The younger one enjoyed it when the roots exploded with a different color once stepped on. Like the glowing green root just changed to a vibrant orange before returning to its original color. Only certain spots in the forest would glow like this and each had its own array of colors. No one knew why it was only certain spots, but it certainly was beautiful.
"While I'm no expert in folklore, there's a belief that these were once homes of fairies. This was often supported by the perfect circle of yellow-spotted mushrooms that encircles the area.". Aviva's blood ran cold from the voice behind them. Though she felt somewhat relieved it was him and not Tristan. She turned around and pulled her sister behind her. A feeling of DeJa'Vu swept through her. "I suppose you aren't here to enlighten me about folklore.". For every step that Rowan took forward, Aviva moved backwards. In defeat, Rowan stopped walking and held his hands up in surrender. "I won't hurt you, I already promised that.", he smiled at them, hoping she would see his sincerity.
"Do not come to me now Kayda, Rowan found us. Please be careful, I don't know where the other two is.", Aviva warned Kayda before she accidently showed herself. She had offered to fly ahead to scout for any campsites, but she abandoned her quest when she heard Avi's voice in her head. Kayda growled as she turned around mid-flight. Why can't the Dragon Riders just leave them alone? "They already know of my existence, why can't I be with you? I could protect us.", Kayda pleaded her guardian. She was watching from a branch, away from prying eyes. "Because they can still take you away.", Aviva warned, and Kayda took that as a sign to stop the conversation.
"You promised that but those are just empty words to me. Why can't we just leave? I need to leave.", Aviva stressed with urgency in her voice. "Does this have anything to do with the unconscious Elder I found earlier?", Rowan wanted to know what has her so scared. Aviva's eyes widened and she unconsciously took a step back, the small cut on her forearm burning in remembrance. "He refused to let us leave. Will that be added to my list of charges?", Rowan knew her question was sarcastic, yet he couldn't help but laugh slightly. He shook his head no. "I will keep that between us besides those Elders has nothing to do with Dragon Riders.", he shrugged.
They stared at each other, not knowing what to say. Aviva knew if she were to run now then he would follow, and she wouldn't be able to escape him. "Are you alright? You probably haven't eaten yet since you woke up this morning.", Rowan asked as he stared at them. Aviva was suspicious of him, why would he care? He realized that she won't answer him. "You are really smart. Someone rarely succeeds in fooling all three of us. I am impressed and at the end of this, I would like us to be friends. You look interesting.", at this point Rowan was close to rambling. He wanted to know how she found out what to use and where she learned it. He loved learning new things, especially from people. "Friends?!", Aviva couldn't comprehend this situation. He was not letting her run, yet not capturing her either and all the while speaking of friendship. Was he stalling?
"Right, I got carried away again. Will you please come willingly to the Dragon Village? I promise on my life that nothing will happen to you or your sister. I will personally make sure of this. I don't want to force you, but it is either me or one of the other two. I will do everything in my power to ensure both your safety and the two beings you care so deeply for.", Rowan slowly stepped forward with every word. He truly meant every word he said, he just hoped that she would see that.
Aviva was usure. One voice said run and the other said to trust him, maybe something good will happen. "They can't take Kayda away.", she whispered and stared into his eyes. She tried to find any signs of manipulation but was unsuccessful, was he that good at pretending? "Nothing will happen until you are a hundred percent informed about all your choices.", he was a short distance away now. "That doesn't ensure me that Kayda will stay with me.", Aviva wasn't stupid. She knew how to read between the lines. Rowan nodded his head and shrugged slightly. "I'm not going to lie; I can't promise that she won't be taken away, but I can promise that she will be safe.". Aviva bit the inside of her cheek.
"This is your choice, Kayda. I won't be able to escape now but you can still escape. Do you want to come with or-", Aviva's question was cut off with a growl from the trees. "I am not leaving you! Ever!", Kayda discarded her hiding place and settled firmly on Aviva's shoulders. Her tail wrapped around Avi's neck as usual. Kayda was silently growling at Rowan. He was the reason that her Aviva suggested that they should separate. Aviva was too stunned to speak or even scold Kayda for revealing herself.
"You promise they will be safe?", Aviva asked after a moment passed. It was strange to put trust in another human being again. Uncertainty washed over her. This could be a trap.
"I promise that I will personally look after Amelia and keep all three of you safe from harm till we know what will happen.", Rowan smiled and held out his hand for Aviva to take. Personally, Aviva was tired of the word 'promise', but she surprised herself by taking his outstretched.
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