With a sigh, Aeron turned away and meandered back to Gwyllion who straggled along at the end of the group. He saw Raefindan and Mellonin exchange a glance or two, but he did not care. It was that blasted ranger's fault that things got out of control. He should just learn to ignore Gwyllion's quirks like he had learned to. If she threw a fit, calm her down. Do not try to analyze her because that will not help anything. Aeron chuckled softly. He had tried to figure it out for fifteen years. Why did the ranger think he could do better?
Gwyllion trudged along besider him. Her feet dragged along the ground, leaving a broad in her wake. He sighed, and looked at the softly rolling grasslands around them. They were on a small path. Ravion had told them that it would lead them to some forest...what was it? Loth something. Why would a blacksmith go towards a forest? He shrugged. It did not matter. He and Gwyllion were as safe as could be...a good deal safer than in the town.
He looked at Gwyllion and said, "Are you still angry with me."
With turning her head, she said, "Yes."
"It was just a little cut...a mere scratch. It is probably not bleeding anymore." She was growing more sensitive if the blood still bothered her.
"It is not that," she whispered. "Well, it is in a way...but you made me hurt him."
"All you did was throw a pebble at him," he said. What was so wrong with that. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The ranger deserved it, anyway.
"Well, I think it was a bad idea," she snapped.
"You did not have to do it," Aeron countered.
She relapsed into silence. He could feel the barrier begin to grow...could feel it begin to bristle. Aeron frowned. Why was she doing this? He had not done anything...she was the one who had thrown the pebbles...she could have decided not to have done it...he shook his head. Already he had two enemies -- and one was the one he loved most. He shrugged. She would be over it by morning...hopefully. If not, he would win her back by being his likeable, adorable self. He smiled.
His stomach twisted and he called, "Are we going to stop for lunch or just keep marching all blasted day?" It was a hot day and he was hungry. He could feel a pain creep up the back of his neck and spread across his head.
Ravion, without looking at him, said, "No. Too much time was wasted earlier on to take a lunch break. "
Aeron gasped and was about to protest, when he saw the evil glare that Gwyllion shot at him. Well, if they did not want to eat, that was fine by him. They could all starve. Maybe it would serve to fuel a bit of animosity at the ranger.
He sighed, and looked around him. Grasslands stretched to the distance, a few treest dotted the area...not prospect of adventure. Was this how all adventures were? Trudging in the mild lands, waiting for something to jump out of the shadows and eat you? He grimaced. Adventures were boring. There was no way around that.
Ravion did hand out something like cram though, which Aeron thought was rather kind of him. The stuff was very unpleasant though and Aeron spat it out and quitely tossed it by the way side. Let the birds have it. He wondered if he should have just given it back to Ravion, but then he would have to listen to another lecture that day.
Twilight did not come swiftly enough for Aeron, and the boy was beginning to think that it had been detained by some malignant force. Finally, it did come with a rush (to make up for lost time, Aeron suspected) and Ravion ordered camp to be set. Aeron built the fire and collapsed in front of it.
Mellonin sat down beside him and stared into the flames. It was strange. She was just as passive as Gwyllion. Aeron thought she was worried about her brother. What kind of peson was her brother? Raising himself to one elbow, Aeron said, "Tell me about your brother." It felt strange, breaking the silence.
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