"We've only just met, not even a month ago."
"So?"
Ezra let out a deep sigh, exhaling slowly. "This isn't like you," she whispered. "You're not someone who trusts easily. Especially not a stranger you've just met."
"I don't think so," Evan countered. "I trusted a thief like you on the first day. And look, you're not a bad person. At least, I hope...."
"What do you mean by that last part?"
Evan shrugged, returning his gaze to the silver ring.
A ring that, from any angle, looked like an ordinary one. More than that, it appeared fragile, with cracks of various sizes all over it. Evan couldn't determine if the cracks were caused by age or by some sort of impact. However, he couldn't find a reasonable explanation for the latter. It would make sense if the ring had belonged to a man, damaged after enduring many battles, but for a woman? He could hardly believe it. What he did know was that ancient heroines were often remembered for their weapons, and it was those weapons that kept their legends alive to this day.
Could this ring really be a weapon? Evan quickly dismissed that absurd thought.
Ezra had also been observing the ring on Evan's finger for a while. Just an ordinary ring, she thought. Yet, she felt something unusual about it.
"Evan, do you feel anything?" Ezra asked, causing Evan to lift his face.
"I don't think so."
"Really?"
Evan nodded confidently.
Ezra decided to sleep first. Evan said they would rest here for some time. It was still morning, and they had just realized that exploring the underground cave had taken more than half a day, almost a full day—or at least if today was the next day from yesterday, not the day after or even longer. Only now did the exhaustion really hit her.
"Wake me up later," said Ezra before curling up in the middle of the red rose garden that surrounded them.
Evan watched her, mesmerized. Like a princess, his heart whispered. He then smiled without realizing it. What would happen if Ezra met Freya? Both were equally stubborn.
Evan couldn't sleep, no matter how much he wanted to. His drowsiness and fatigue were suddenly replaced by an overwhelming curiosity about the silver ring. He kept examining it, yet nothing changed. He took it off and put it back on, but still, nothing happened. After an hour of this pointless activity, Evan realized he had been doing something rather foolish. He decided to wake Ezra and continue their journey.
"It's better to stay here forever than to go through that lizard-filled corridor again," the girl said as she washed her hair in the river. Now her hair looked shinier than before, free of the dust that had accumulated from rolling around the cave floor too often.
"We won't be going through that cursed corridor again, don't worry. We'll leave through there," Evan said, pointing to the tall wall beside them. "I'm going to climb it."
Ezra's eyes widened in shock. "Are you serious?" She eyed the tall dirt wall, thinking that only crawling animals could traverse it without slipping—or worse, falling. "It's no less than five meters high."
"Is there a problem with that?" Evan chuckled. "Back at the academy, we were even required to climb cliffs much higher than this. If you didn't reach the top in the designated time, you wouldn't get lunch." Evan laughed, recalling the time he had to steal a friend's roast chicken because he was a few seconds late reaching the top.
"Your academy wasn't meant for humans," Ezra imagined, shuddering.
"That's how they trained knights," Evan said, moving closer to the wall. He felt the rough, uneven texture of the surface. Evan nodded several times before a broad smile appeared on his face. "This isn't difficult."
"For you," the girl replied. "It's different for me."
"I don't recall asking you to climb on your own," he said with a light laugh.
Ezra frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"
The red-haired young man was already crouched down. "Climb on my back!" he ordered. "It won't take longer than the time you spent washing your face. I won't use this chance to do anything bad," he said when he saw Ezra's face reddening.
Once Ezra had settled herself comfortably on Evan's back, he told her to hold on tight. Ezra had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. After that, Evan started to climb. His movements were too fast for someone who was climbing. The higher they went, the more terrified Ezra became. Looking down, she almost screamed.
Ezra was too frightened to realize that they had already reached the top. She only dared to open her eyes when Evan tapped her hip a few times.
"We've arrived. Get down."
Ezra huffed before jumping off.
"Where's your village?" Evan asked, taking a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air of the outside world. He didn't know how long it had been, but that cave had been too cramped, stifling, and suffocating. Now that Evan could see the sun again, it felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
Ezra, however, was thinking about something else. She looked at Evan with confusion.
"Is something wrong?" Evan asked, puzzled, checking himself. "What is it?"
"Isn't your rib still not healed? It was shattered by the lizard's tail just yesterday, wasn't it?"
Evan's eyes widened. He had just realized it.
***
"I think it's because of the ring," Ezra said, observing Evan's hand intently. There was nothing noticeably different about it. "But I'm not really sure."
"This ring... is it really just a ring?" Evan muttered, doubtful. No matter how many times he looked at it, it was still just an old, cracked ring.
After a while, Ezra shrugged and backed away, looking indifferent. "Who knows, just consider yourself lucky to have healed today. Maybe it really is just an ordinary ring that annoyed her, so she gave it to you."
"But why not you?" Evan still didn't understand. "Usually, it's women who like jewelry, right?"
"For your information, I don't like cracked rings."
This was a dead end. They couldn't find any logical explanation for Evan's healed ribs.
"We'd better keep moving."
Evan lifted himself to his feet. "You're right. Your brother is probably worried about his sister. Oh, by the way, the cake you bought for him... is it gone?"
"I thought you would've noticed."
Evan wasn't sure what to say. He just laughed.
"That stupid lizard must've gobbled it all up," Ezra growled, her eyes wide. "Let's go quickly. We're almost there."