Chasing Dreams (Peregrine x Viverescribere)






Zemira


Her head turned to look up at him at his hesitance as they walked, realising that her dear friend may have trouble with doing what she requested when it came to lying. She could remember times where they had stolen a strawberry tart from the kitchen to share, and had gotten into trouble because she tried to have Eitan partake in the lie-telling. The corners of her lips twitched as she fondly looked back on the memory, wishing herself that they could go back to those easier and simpler times.

"I will do the lying, don't you worry." She squeezed his arm reassuringly, other hand raising to entwine fingers with the one that rested on his elbow, "You needn't worry, Eitan."

Zemira cleared her throat, gently steering him to the edge of the street so they could cross, finally spotting a stagecoach sign a few buildings down on the other side of the road. "We're going to have to lie about who we are, Eitan. Not just ourselves but... what we are to each other." The last sentence had her feel slightly awkward, uncertain as to how she was going to explain it to her friend.

"Bad people try to do bad things to people who travel on their own, see, and it's perhaps even worse for a woman to be travelling alone." She began, motioning for them to cross, quickening her pace so they cleared the road long before an oncoming carriage reached them, "So we may need to pretend that we are... married... okay?"

The former princess was uncertain as to why she felt so awkward explaining to Eitan what lie they were going to tell and why. They were best friends, and she relished his company, would it be so bad as to simply pretend that they were married?

"Obviously we aren't, but we can't allow people to know that, alright? They also can't know who I really am, or who you really are. Otherwise we'll get into a lot of trouble." Zemira finally pulled them to a stop outside the stagecoach building, not heading inside yet but moving so she stood in front of Eitan. Her gaze flickered over his form, studying him to try and figure out what would be needed to make his outfit a little messier. Hers too, for that matter.

Soon she was stepping closer, reaching out with her foot hovering over his, "Don't move for a moment," she instructed softly before gently scuffing up his boots with the sole of hers, plastering his shoes with dirt and grime and scratching them slightly with the material of her own. She even reached up to ruffle his hair so it looked more unkempt. "There, that should do it." She nodded to herself, giving him a final once over before meeting his gaze once more, "If anyone asks, your name is Ethan, just for while we're talking to other people. My name will be... Emmy."

Zemira attempted to keep their false names as close to their real names as she dared, simply to make it easier for Eitan to remember.

"We're husband and wife, and we're going to Vatten for our honeymoon. If anyone asks any further, I'll deal with them."
She paused, allowing him a moment to catch up as she knew she had the tendency to talk too quickly at times. Zemira finally smiled, head tilting slightly, "Now, let's head inside and get our tickets."
 
"Married?" Eitan repeated, the word echoing through his brain for a moment, before it shook free a long forgotten memory.

'Eitan, come with me-- we have to go quick! Before anyone finds us and stops us!’
'Where are we going?'
'The gardens-- yes, the gardens. I can get my flowers there. Let's go!'
'Okay, Zemi.'
'So, Eitan, you're probably wondering why I brought you here today... we're going to pretend to get married and have a whoooooole lot of adventures together. Doesn't that sound fun?'
'M-married?'
'Yes! Married. You know what that is, don't you? Oh Eitan, it's just pretend! We aren't actually getting married.'
'So... you want to pretend to get married?'
'Yes. Pretend to get married and then pretend to have lots of big adventures. It's just pretend.'
'Okay, Zemi. If you want to, let's do it.'
'I do want to! We'll start with the ceremony, and after that, I will call you husband, and you will call me wife, okay?'
'Oh. Okay. W-wife.'
‘But you don't have to kiss me like the adults do. We'd get in big trouble for that.’

Some of the anxiety in him almost instantly cooled. Ah. This wasn't really lying. Zemi just wanted to play another game.

In truth, Zemi had been playing lots of games they hadn't played in ages. First, the game of hide and seek—which wasn't actually a game, Zemi had said so—and now they were going to play house. Except, they weren't going to have a pretend house, they'd be in a carriage. They were going to play a game of traveling house. While lying.

...This was all uncomfortably complicated.

But he certainly didn't want Zemi to get in trouble. And if any bad people showed up around her and tried to do bad things, he'd punch them. Or stab them with the sword he was presumably going to get at some point in the future. And in the meantime, they were going to play pretend that they were married.

And it wouldn't just be a short game this time.

Unexpectedly, happiness bubbled up from the depths of Eitan's chest, rising up like the bubbles in a glass of champagne. And every time one of those little bubbles of happiness would pop, a warm, heady feeling rushed through him, almost causing him to hum in satisfaction. "Okay. I can do that." He paused, his ears abruptly heating up in exactly the same way they had when they were children, and she'd demanded he play with her. "Wife."

Caught up in the moment, he even forgot to knock the clods of dirt off his shoes after Zemi scuffed them. Instead, he obediently followed Zemi into the building, their hands still intertwined and his ears still burning.

The room was small and a bit worn down, although the floor had been assiduously swept clean. A middle-aged man sat at the far end of the room, behind a large, wooden desk. He glanced up as the two walked in.

“Here to purchase carriage tickets?”
 





Zemira


A spell of relief washed through Zemira as Eitan seemed to finally grasp the concept of what she was asking. It seemed to take him a moment, but Zemi was happy to allow her friend as much time as he needed so long as he understood what she was telling him. She hadn't realised that when she was younger, that Eitan needed a little longer than most children to get his mind around something, but she had soon learned as she grew up.

As she gave him that time, she set about dirtying her own clothes a little - it was a difficult balance to manage, since they needed to look slightly unkempt to pass as village people, but not too much that they weren't allowed on the carriage.

Eitan's voice interrupted her work, and the young woman looked up to her friend with a warm smile only to laugh softly at the darkening hue of his ears. He was adorable, Zemira knew as much and harboured that opinion since she was at least 15, and in that moment she though to kiss his cheek. There would be no one to stop her, and no one on the street would think anything else of it. However, with his ears already warmed, Zemi thought she would spare him any further potential embarrassment or bashfulness.

Leading him into the building, it was a pleasant surprise to see no line, and that there was someone behind the desk. She freed her hand from Eitan's needing it to open her pack ready to pull out money. However, she held off from getting the purse out just yet, not wanting the jangle of multiple coins to give any hint to how much they actually carried.

"Yes-- two please. To Vatten." She smiled warmly, taking a small step closer to Eitan to wrap her arm around his back, "S'our honeymoon, a few days away to the sea. Thought it was a sple-- damn good idea. Not to mention, the sea air is good for the lungs, wouldn't you ag-- ain't'it?"

It was difficult to let go of all of her etiquette lessons, and to force herself to speak with less enunciation and choose words that didn't betray her true class. She probably sounded horrendous, and Zemi knew she would have to work on it - she wouldn't want anyone to ever think she was simply making fun of them.

However, the man behind the counter simply raised an eyebrow, expression suggesting that he truly couldn't give a single care for where they were off and why. Snorting, he sat up and flicked through the book in front of him. "Vatten... another carriage will be along in-- aren't'cha lucky? S'due in five." Slamming the book closed, which caused Zemi to jump, startling into Eitan, the man then reached into a drawer at the side of his desk for a smaller book, before reaching for his quill to dip into ink and scrawl over two rectangles of parchment before ripping them out.

"Here. That'll be a shilling, darl. You lovebirds 'ave a good trip now."

Zemi took the hastily handed over the money and took the tickets from him, securing everything back up tightly before taking Eitan's arm and turning them both away from the desk.

"Easy enough." She murmured, smiling, vaguely pleased with herself. Everything was going smoothly, and she was going to make the most of it since she wasn't sure exactly when all hell would break loose.
 
Eitan couldn't help but glance sideways at Zemi, listening to her stumbling speech. It didn't really seem like her, and, more than that, it seemed abnormal. Did it just seem odd because he was familiar with her? Or did this have something to do with the lying? However, Eitan held his tongue. This likely wasn't the moment for him to be asking questions, and he didn't want to mess up her plan by saying something he shouldn't.

As off-putting as he found Zemi's behavior, it didn't seem to slow down the process of them acquiring the tickets. A moment later, and Zemi was holding two small pieces of parchment, and they were leaving the carriage, Eitan still entirely uncertain whether or not things had gone according to plan.

However, the sight of Zemi paying for the tickets had reminded Eitan of something important. As soon as they were outside the building, standing off to one side, Eitan fished a small, flat purse out of the pocket of his pants. "Here," he said, presenting it to Zemi. "I didn't... remember to bring anything else along."

The admission pained him slightly, but the very fact that Zemi had never even asked him about his stuff led him to believe that she had already figured that out. There was no point in hiding the obvious. "So you can buy the other things we need."

And then there was the other matter he had to address.

"Zemi, I don't understand. Why were you talking like that? It seemed really strange."
 





Zemira


"Oh Eitan..." Her thumb stroked over the flat purse that he had provided, eyes lingering on it for a moment before lifting up to him. So invested as she had been to get him changed in the tavern and then them to the stagecoach building, she hadn't had a moment to spare for it to sink in that he had nothing with him but the clothes on his back. But now he had drawn her attention to it, Zemira realised how glaringly obvious it was, and that she should have said something sooner.

Not that it would have mattered. Neither of them could go back now. She could only imagine the state of which the castle was in now, attempting to find her. She wondered if they would be looking for Eitan too, as her loyal watchdog.

Hastily, the young woman stuffed the purse into her pack, making sure it was secure and hidden safely among the few possessions she had managed to bring with her. It briefly crossed her mind that they would need to get a pack for Eitan when they arrived in Vatten, along with another change of clothes for him.

Interrupted from her frantic thoughts, Zemira straightened after tying her pack closed once more, providing her friend her attention. She smiled softly, reaching out to fiddle with his shirt, as she had seen some of the ladies in court do with their husbands, simply for the sake of having something to do with her hands due to her nervous energy but also to keep up the pretence of two newly-weds.

"I spoke that way because people out here do not always talk as I talk, Eitan. They may not choose the same words I do, or say some of the things I would normally say. It's just like how I change my appearance to fit in when we were playing hide-and-seek when we were little, except with my voice. Does that make sense?"
 
"But..." Eitan replied, trying to keep his thoughts straight as Zemi's fingers occasionally bumped against his chest.

Although they hadn't been out of the palace for long, Eitan had already decided he liked it better than living in the palace. Without the constant escorts, Zemi had touched him more in the past hour than she had in the last year. Whatever came due to leaving the palace, it seemed like a worthwhile trade to him.

No, he was supposed to be thinking about her answer.

"But... you can't change your appearance forever," he eventually replied. Zemi had always been good at camouflage, but even she couldn't hide herself forever. If this change of voice was similar, wouldn't it have a similar problem? "And we're going to be out here for a while, aren't we? Since we're not going back to the palace."

Oops, he wasn't supposed to talk about that.

"I mean... won't it be hard work? You shouldn't tire yourself out."
 
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Zemira


Her fingers paused against his shirt, the young woman taking on his words and mulling over them carefully. He was right, after all, and Zemi had to acknowledge that. Not that she didn't believe that Eitan wasn't right all the time. She knew he did come out with some good points and would try and heed them when they did make sense.

This was one of those times.

The moment in the stagecoach building was proof enough that she wouldn't be able to keep up the charade for even short bursts of time, let alone for the rest of their time out of the palace being free. She would need a backstory, something that would explain her elocution and articulation.

"You're right." She murmured, index fingers tapping lightly against his chest as her palms pressed flat against him. She hummed briefly in thought, finally withdrawing her hands to reach down to her pack and throw a strap over her shoulder. "Alright, you're right. I can't go speaking that way for the entirety of our time out here. I'll slip up eventually..."

She needed a backstory. A feasible one that would allow her the free rein to speak as she was but able to marry who she wished. More noticeably no one of nobility. A tutor perhaps. She had noticed how all her tutors were obviously well-spoken and articulated well, but were obviously poorer due to their profession.

Zemira finally smiled up at Eitan, "It's another layer of pretend, Eitan, okay? You remember how sometimes I'd make up stories for our characters in our games? I'll do the same now. For me. That way I won't get tired out from having to change my voice all the time."
 
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Eitan tried to wait patiently as Zemi considered his words. She was always so good about waiting for him, so it was only fair he try and return the courtesy. However, her fingers were drumming out the process of her thought on his chest. It made it so very hard to hold still, but he didn't want to back away from her. He couldn't help but fidget slightly on the spot.

As though that was some sort of signal, Zemi began to speak, her hand falling away.

Had he chased her off? That wasn't what he wanted at all...

But he focused himself before his thoughts wandered too far off. What was important right now was paying attention to Zemi. However, her words seemed to contain a layer of mystery that he could barely understand. He definitely remembered how she would play games when they were children. She would tell him that she wasn't Zemi, at least not for the next little while. She was a wandering bard, or a dragon rider, or a princess knight. He'd never quite been able to see it, but he'd done his best to play along.

"Okay," he agreed easily, despite the fact that he had no idea what Zemi was supposed to be now, if not herself. She hadn't told him, but he figured it probably wouldn't matter much even if she did. It wasn't as though he'd necessarily even be able to remember it, or help if he did. That wasn't the important part anyways. "I'm glad you won't get tired."

That was important.

"What do we do now, Zemi?"
 





Zemira


Her gaze flickered over him, carefully analysing her friend to ensure that he was alright and not becoming too overwhelmed. That was the last thing she wanted, and while she had prepared for this new life with him in it, she wanted to ensure he truly was okay. He had been with her through everything, and she dearly wanted it to remain that way. She truly couldn't imagine what her life would have been like if she hadn't made that mad dash to stand over him and stop the villagers from beating him. Or anytime thereafter.

"I'm glad you're here, Eitan." She returned softly, giving the hem of his shirt a gentle pull to straighten out the material.

Just before she could answer his question, the clattering of wheels beat her to it and, turning, Zemira's expression brightened into a grin at the sight of the stagecoach.

The young woman turned back to her friend, grasping his hand with her free one, the grin turning up to him, "Now we get out of here. Come on." She told him, spinning around on the ball of her foot to lead him along behind her by the hand. Two others clambered up into the stagecoach before them, their cases and bags being attached to the vehicle.

"Tickets please." A voice drawled out, monotone and bored, from besides the door to the carriage.

Zemira was quick to present them, startling slightly as her pack was taken from her, "Ah-- wait a second." She stopped the footman hastily, fishing through to pull out her and Eitan's purses of money, to which she hid under the side of her cloak. The driver, at the door asking for tickets, looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She tensed as his eyes ran over the both of them, looking them up and down.

"Vatten, hm? What'cha goin' there for?" He asked, keeping a hold of the tickets as he looked between the two of them.

A smile came over her expression, hand slipping from Eitan's to move up his arm to hold his elbow, "Honeymoon. We're newly weds."

The driver's eyes darted to her hand, and she felt nauseous at the suspicion that grew there, "There ain't no ring on your finger."

Zemira laughed, forcing the smile to stay on her face, "We had them made in Vatten, I've got some family there, so family ties, you know? They do the most gorgeous rings. But the delivery never arrived! I reckon it was attacked, see, on the roads. Bandits or something. So we're going there for our honeymoon but also to pick up the replacement rings they're making us. We borrowed some for the service, but had to give them back."

Silence met her answer, and the man looked between them, tapping the tickets against his other palm, "What do you do?" He asked again, the suspicion in his eye moving into his voice.

"I'm a tutor for the nobility. This one's a knight-in-training." She glanced up to Eitan, smiling warmly. That wasn't a lie. He really was. So Zemira hoped that would help her friend.

The driver glanced to Eitan, looking at him for a longer length of time as if to size him up. Eventually he snorted, holding the tickets out for Zemira to take again, "No surprise there. Built like a bloody ox as he is. Alrigh', get in. Wasted enough time assit is."

Thanking the man hurriedly, Zemira lowered her hand down to Eitan's to give it a soft squeeze and finally climb into the carriage, breathing a silent sigh of relief once she did.
 
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Eitan tensed slightly at the feel of Zemi's nervousness beside him. The carriage didn't seem particularly dangerous, but he was absolutely certain Zemi was nervous. A part of him prepared to fight, ready to chase away whatever was upsetting her.

Yet, instead, what followed was a great deal of talking.

He did his best to keep up with the flow of the conversation, but between his tension, Zemi's nervousness, and the fact that they were talking about things that didn't seem to have anything to do with reality, Eitan quickly got lost. However, Zemi's chatter easily filled the missing gaps, and Eitan gradually allowed himself to relax.

The inside of the carriage was not spacious, but it would probably have had enough room for another two or three people. Following behind Zemi, he quickly took in the space, before gently grabbing onto Zemi's shoulder. He swapped places with her, before gesturing her towards the corner seat closest to the door they'd just climbed through. "Here. Sit here."

His actions were gentle, but filled with determination. That was, after all, the seat that was best protected from any internal threat in the carriage—Eitan had not forgotten what she said about bad people doing bad things—but would also allow him to respond quickly to any threat coming from outside the carriage.

Only after making sure that Zemi had settled into his chosen seat did Eitan place himself beside her. He smiled at her for a moment, before almost immediately turning to glance at the other two people in the carriage.

One was a middle-aged man, who was already leaning comfortably against the wall of the carriage, looking as though he'd taken this journey dozens of times. His clothes were made of a relatively fine cotton, boots of soft leather. Beside him sat an excited looking young teenage boy. He was staring back at Eitan even more intently than Eitan was watching him.

"Hello!" he greeted, the moment the two of them made eye contact. Eitan almost recoiled. "This is my first time out of the capital," the boy continued, taking absolutely no note of Eitan's rather distant behavior. "What about you guys?"
 
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Zemira


The young woman wouldn't argue with her friend, one look over her shoulder to him allowed her to understand everything she needed, so she complied with what he wanted. She knew that now they were on their way, that Eitan may become more protective over her, especially after what she said regarding bad people.

Once they had sat down, Zemira ensured to lower the purses of money onto her lap, still keeping them hidden by her cloak. However, as she turned her gaze out of the carriage, ducking her head slightly to see some of the passers-by on the street, she reached out her free hand to rest over Eitan's. Her fingers curled around the width of the back of his hand and her thumb began to gently stroke at the knuckles, telling herself she was doing so in order to ease any nerves he had. Really, it was to also help steady her own.

She paid no attention to the people inside the carriage, keeping her attention to the outside, as if concerned that they may suddenly be told to get off and she and Eitan were caught.

At the sound of a voice, Zemira turned her head back to see who was talking and who they were talking to. At the sight of the young boy addressing Eitan, she hesitated in response herself. Would it be found odd if she were to answer for Eitan, since he was the one that was directly asked the question? Or would it be possible to divert the attention off her friend, to avoid his discomfort?

"First time out in a while," Zemi verbally stepped in, offering the teenager a warm and kind smile, "Where are you off to? Are you excited?" She questioned, attempting to put it back on the stranger.
 
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For a moment, Eitan's mouth was slightly agape. He was struggling to figure out how to answer the questions the boy had directed at him. This was supposed to be the moment for lying, right? But he didn't know what to say. Yes? No? Something else? Were there even any other options?

Zemi's response sent a surge of relief flowing through him, and he was finally able to close his mouth without worry. Apparently there were options other than yes or no. It was only once he'd relaxed that Eitan remembered Zemi had already told him that she would be the one to do all the lying. If he'd been a little bit calmer, he could have remembered her assurances. After all, he'd have to get used to this. They were going to be traveling for a while.

Fortunately, neither Eitan's pause nor Zemi's response seemed to have registered in the boy's mind as something strange. He gladly redirected the recipient of his conversation to the dark-haired woman without pause.

"We're goin' to Kriggen!" he instead replied cheerfully. "I can't wait!"

Eitan quickly became unable to keep up with the young boy's tide of chatter as the carriage began to roll. His conversation easily carried them to the city's wall, easily prompted by an occasional word from Zemi. To his side, the middle aged man looked at the boy with a sort of indulgent exhaustion.

Throughout a mix of what Eitan could only consider mostly useless information, he was still able to pick out a few details about the duo. The boy, Zig, and his uncle, Tyrik, were merchants. Or, at least, Tyrik was, and—after what Eitan presumed included a great deal of pleading, patience, and hard work—his uncle had finally agreed to take the boy along with him as some kind of apprentice or another.

Now he was off on 'the adventure of his dreams', and as soon as the conversation reached about that point Eitan completely gave up on listening. At the very least, he had determined that the two were not going to be threats, and that was enough for him. Instead, he devoted his time to watching the world outside the carriage window. For a moment, he almost wished he'd taken the outer seat, before it occurred to him that would mean not keeping himself between Zemi and strangers. And that was unacceptable, so he'd simply have to content himself with a more distant view.

At some point, someone managed to quiet Zig, and when Eitan glanced over again, he noticed both the boy and his uncle reading. Tyrik held a heavily bound book, reading it with ease, while Zig was staring at his own, smaller book with his brow deeply wrinkled. For a moment, Eitan couldn't help but stare at the boy, seeing an echo of the trials and tribulations he himself had gone through when Zemi had tried to teach him how to read.

A moment later, and Eitan looked away again. He was afraid that his gaze might accidentally catch the youngster's attention, and the boy would choose conversation as a much more pleasant alternative to whatever he was reading.

By that point, it was late in the afternoon. The summer sun was still high off the horizon, but it had taken on that particular muted radiance Eitan always associated with evening. Outside the carriage, the sound of muffed hoofbeats rhythmically filled the air, and Eitan found himself gradually growing drowsy. At first, he was able to keep himself awake, reminding himself he needed to stay on guard. But as the minutes stretched on into hours, and nothing so much as approached the carriage, the young man gradually lost the battle with sleep, his head nodding downwards, and his eyes fluttering closed.
 
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Zemira


Eitan's hand remained within Zemira's long after he had fallen asleep. The former princess was not yet ready to release it from her grasp, even if her friend clearly felt safe enough to fall asleep within the carriage. She allowed him to stay that way too, not wanting to wake him and disturb his moment of rest. Undoubtedly he would be on guard from the moment the reach the tavern they would have to stay at overnight during their journey to Vatten. An extra cost out of her purse, but also another issue she would have to face.

With their cover story as man and wife, it would look odd if they were to have separate rooms. A tutor and a knight would not be able to afford to separate bedrooms, nor would they be expected to sleep in separate beds if they were truly married, so they would have to share.

The thought made Zemira's cheeks warm, the young woman totally innocent in that regard, as she was raised and taught to be. Of course she had napped with Eitan when they were younger, on sofas or in their makeshift library den. But that was before she was expecting to be proper, before the world expected something of her. Before she 'became a lady' in the eyes of those at court and in the eyes of her family.

However, she wasn't certain how to best tackle the situation. She couldn't remember if she and Eitan had ever had such a conversation about the such things, and if so, how she ought to discuss it with him. Because he was already coming with her and providing her with protection, she was not about to make things awkward when it came to sleeping arrangements. He needed a good sleep as much as she.

Her head turned to look up at Eitan, smiling softly as she took in his sleeping form. She turned her face reluctantly away from him, going still as she found an older woman watching her as a result.

"It's so wonderful to see two people in love." The woman smiled, swaying slightly as the carriage rocked over the dirt road, "You don't see it enough lately. People are always rushin' around, always busy."

Zemira bit her lower lip, refraining from frowning at the woman's words lest their cover be given away. She loved Eitan, there was no doubt about that. But she suspected the woman spoke of love in a different manner to which Zemira believed she loved Eitan. "Yes, we are... very lucky to have found one another." She agreed, although she knew that wasn't a lie. She had been lucky to find Eitan. He was her dearest.

"Well, always remember that. Some people tend to forget after a number of years and the magic dies away. Make the most of every moment." The woman suggested, shifting in her seat and rearranging the grip she had on the book in hand.

Smiling, Zemira inclined her head to her fellow traveller before focusing back on Eitan. Her hand raised to gently encourage his head to rest on her shoulder, reminding her once more of those times in their library nook where she would read to him only for him to fall asleep on her shoulder or with his head on her lap.

It didn't take long for the former princess to follow after her friend, eyelids drooping despite the tight grip that remained around the purse hidden beneath the folds of her cloak.
 
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When Eitan woke, he woke abruptly. His eyes shot open, and even though he didn't move his body went tense. Instantly, his eyes began to roam back and forth as he searched the area, assessing it for any dangers or threats. What gradually asserted itself before him was the interior of a semi-familiar carriage.

Ah. He knew where he was.

And he'd fallen asleep. He wasn't supposed to have done that. He was supposed to be protecting Zemi. They were in an unfamiliar spot and Zemi...

Zemi was sleeping delicately beside him, her hands curled into her chest. Eitan felt himself going soft, a silly smile crossing his lips.

His hand raised for a moment, fingertips reaching out to brush the hair on top of her head. However, the instant his fingers came in contact with her hair, he froze in place. The tips of his fingers felt like they were tingling, and he didn’t know whether or not to pull back, or continue to touch her.

Even though she’d always ruffled or moved his hair, Eitan had never really returned the favor. He’d always been careful about touching her, both out of fear of hurting her and of doing something improper. Even when he’d been small, that was the case.

Touching her now had been an entirely unconscious action, and he didn’t know how to react to his own behavior. Was it okay for him to touch her now?

He was saved from his pit of indecision when the carriage lurched gently. The horses outside whinnied slightly, and the people in the carriage almost instantly began to move. Outside, Eitan could hear the voice of one of the drivers.

“Night’s stop, e’eryone out.”

As people began to pass by the two, seated near the door, Eitan’s hand naturally drew back. Instead, he shook her shoulder gently.

“Zemi… Time to wake up. We’re supposed to get out now.”

He needed her to lead the way again. He could protect her, but when it came to what they were doing and where they were going… Eitan had a feeling that they’d end up sleeping in an alley if he had to lead the way, and that was frankly unacceptable. Especially since she had all the money now.
 
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Zemira


The young woman blinked her eyes open reluctantly, confused and dazed in her sleepy state as to where they were and why they had stopped. However, as she peered out of the window, she came to realise they had come to their first overnight stop. Zemira winced as she stretched, breathing a small hiss as an ache shot a brief pain from her neck down into her shoulders.

It was just approaching dusk, so it would allow them to opportunity to explore the town they had arrived in for their first stop to Vatten before retiring for the night in the local tavern. Zemira knew how important this first stop in their journey would be. They would be able to get a new, separate pack for Eitan plus some extra clothes for him. She would be able to give him the circle sword and the dagger she had brought without anyone raising an eyebrow, and allow him to purchase anything else he may believe he needed.

Plus, food and proper rest.

"We set off at seven a-m! Be 'ere or we leave without yas!" The driver hollered to the passengers as he walked past the glassless windows of the carriage to help unload the cases and packs that had been attached to the carriage.

Groggily, the former princess glanced across to where Eitan sat, brow furrowed as her mind worked to unclog her thoughts of sleep.

"Yes... yes, we are."
She murmured, a heel of left palm rubbing her left eye as she yawned. She'd forgotten how much she detested long carriage rides. Zemira barely ever went on them before her escape, only to visit her betrothed and even then they took it in turns about who would go to who.

She smiled reassuringly up at her dearest friend, although the expression held the last of her tiredness, and she pushed herself to her feet. "We'd better get out and get our things." She instructed gently, ignoring the protest of tightness that formed in her legs and the numbness of her behind - all consequences of sitting down for far too long.

Zemira clambered out of the carriage, both of them one of the last to do so, and made sure to collect her sack from the footman on the back of the vehicle. Waiting for Eitan, the young woman threw the strap of the bag over her shoulder and reaffirmed her grip on their money purse with one hand, while the others sought out Eitan's hand to grasp onto. She entwined her fingers with his, and lead them towards the tavern, to which she hoped they would be able to get a room for the night with a fireplace to warm her stiff muscles in front of. Or at least once they had gone into town to get Eitan the item's he would need... perhaps a walk would do them good too.

 
Eitan followed along closely behind Zemi, both as they dismounted the carriage, and as they began to head deeper into town. After all, this was the first time that Eitan had ever left the capital. He knew that Zemi had gotten the chance to see more of the country, when she had traveled with her family as a princess of the country, but Eitan had never been allowed to accompany her. He didn't even really have a sense of where they were at this point.

Of course, he knew that Zemi knew, and that was enough. But he didn't want to get separated from her. If he did, he wasn't entirely sure how he'd find her again.

It was just then that her fingers twined themselves around his. Eitan gulped slightly, but didn't react with the same nervousness he had earlier that day. After all, this was their new normal. And he liked it a lot. Especially the latter. And they wouldn't get separated. There were a bunch of benefits to it.

Thoughts swimming in circles, he trailed after Zemi like a persistent shadow. The carriage had come to a halt in the middle of town, just like where it had picked them up before, and it had already vanished off down a street behind them. Eitan scanned his surroundings as he walked, relying on Zemi as much as his own reflexes to make sure that they didn't run into anything.

Gradually, Eitan came to the conclusion that... it really wasn't all that different from the royal capital. The buildings were a little bit more run down, the streets slightly dirtier, the smell and sounds a bit different, but it was still a place where countless people lived and went about their daily lives, with almost all the ease of living those in the capital had.

If he had to pick out one difference, it would be that the streets were darker and emptier. Eitan had yet to see the presence of any sort of guard since they'd arrived. Eitan therefore made sure that he continued to accurately scan the area, making certain that no possible threat would take him by surprise.

And the fact that his attentive scrutiny went completely unneeded on their walk did not bother him in the least.

When they finally came to a halt in front of a mixed stone and wood building, Eitan scrutinized it somewhat critically. "Is this a good place to spend the night?" he finally asked. "Have you been here before?"
 





Zemira


"We're in a small town between Tarnung and Maenia, I've not stopped here before... but we have passed through it." Zemira explained to him, her own eyes taking in the building cautiously. The royal family of Tarnung have had to stop in places along the way when visiting another kingdom, but those times had been in establishments suitable for nobles and royals alike.

"I've never been to places like this until today." She confessed, once her assessment of the tavern before them was done. She turned her head to look up at Eitan, smiling eventually, "We'll be fine. We have each other, do we not?" She gave his hand a squeeze, despite knowing that she wouldn't be entirely capable of protecting him as she so wished. Not anymore.

Turning back to the tavern, she took in a deep breath and led him inside. They needed a room, and they would get one before they left for town.

Once inside, Zemira didn't take long to find the man in charge.

"A room, please." Zemira kept her voice strong as they got to the tavern counter, the man behind it wiping a cloth around the inside of a tin tankard. He looked up at the sound of the words, expression neutral and deadpan, remaining silent and causing Zemira to slowly lose her confidence, shown through her awkward shuffling of feet.

"Just the one?" He finally drawled, putting the tankard down and turning to a cupboard behind him. Clearing her throat, Zemira nodded, "Yes-- yes. Just the one." She repeated, hand tightening around Eitan's hand.

A grunt sounded as the man unlocked the cupboard to reveal a line of keys hung up on individual hooks. Taking one, he locked the cupboard again and motioned for them to follow him to the one end of the counters. Glancing to her friend, Zemira kept a firm hold on him, as to not lose him in the tavern crowd as she hastily slipped between the patrons to catch up with the tavern owner.

Her head turned as they walked up the stairs, taking in the people from above for a moment as she watched them interact, laughing and jeering and drinking.

Exhaling softly, her eyes moved to Eitan to provide a reassuring smile before looking back the way she was going. The man led them to a room, unlocking it and pushing the door open. "It's two shillings for the night. Chamber pot is under the bed, wood by the fireplace." He explained, voice monotone in his monotony of probably doing this every night. "You wantin' food?"

Zemira entered the room slowly, taking the simplicity of it in. A double bed was pushed up against the wall by the headboard, a small, meagre fireplace opposite the door. A small chest of drawers were to her right besides the door and a table with two old, worn armchairs were placed in the corner by the window opposite the bed.

"How much for food?" She questioned, turning back to look at the tavern owner who raised an eyebrow, "It's one pence for a tankard of ale, three for wine. You can have a bowl of stew with bread each for seven pence, or bread and cheese for four pence."

Having not eaten since breakfast, Zemira knew instantly what she wanted. However, she wasn't certain what would be in the stew. She had heard tales from her brother about what people in the villages may put into their stews if they couldn't get the right meat, and it had put her off eating the castle's for a year.

Unfortunately, she was aware she couldn't afford to be fussy, and put down her sack they had brought with them, "Stew, please. Just water to drink." She requested, pulling their coin purse from the folds of her cloak to give the man what they owed for the room and for food.

The tavern owner made a show of counting the money, before nodding his head and handing her the key. Then he left, closing the door behind him.
 
Eitan continued to gaze at the tavern somewhat suspiciously, but he still nodded in response to Zemi's words. Frankly, he thought the place was entirely unsuitable. It was one thing for her to use a tavern as a hiding spot until he found her, but it was another place to actually spend the night in one. But, he also thought her words made sense.

"We have each other," he agreed, repeating her words with a voice filled with confidence. With her to handle the talking, and him to handle the punching, he believed they could overcome any potential challenges the tavern might present to them.

The first challenge: not leaving again the moment he walked inside.

Eitan's nose unconsciously wrinkled as they reached the door. He knew the way he smelled and saw things was different from other people, but he was vaguely amazed at the people who stayed here without any indication of discomfort. He hesitated at the threshold, only moving again when Zemi's tugging hand urged him forward.

At least the interior was more accommodating than he'd expected. The inside reminded him of the kitchen around lunchtime, with the freed knights coming and going as their duties allowed, filled with the happy chatter brought about by full stomachs. None of the people took even a scrap of interest in them, which Eitan also found unexpectedly reassuring.

Distracted by the gathered people, he didn't notice Zemi's growing discomfort until he suddenly felt her shifting by his side. He immediately snapped to attention, eyes quickly landing on the barkeep, who was staring at Zemi with a level of attentiveness that left Eitan feeling uncomfortable. That man shouldn't be looking at her like that. She didn't like it, and he didn't like it.

Just as Eitan was considering stepping protectively in between the two, the stalemate broke. His attention was diverted by Zemi's response.

Just one room.

Eitan pressed his lips together for a moment, considering, before silently accepting her decision. There was obviously a reason they could only get one room, although he didn't know what it was. He could only trust that she wouldn't get a room for him for good reason. The fact that he wouldn't have a bed for the night didn't really bother him. This wouldn't be the first time he'd sneakily slept in the hallway in front of Zemi's room. He'd done it a lot, in particular, when he was still small enough to hide behind the curtain outside her room without anyone noticing him.

He'd be able to protect her well from there, and reach her quickly if anything happened in the middle of the night.

Unfortunately, it was clear that there would be no curtains for him to hide behind tonight. The tavern was plain wood everywhere they went, without even a trace of decoration. However, there were also no guards, he silently considered. And that meant no one to chase him away even if they caught him lingering. It would be fine.

The room reminded him more of his own quarters than Zemi's former room. Unfitting, he decided again, but kept the words to himself. Instead, he settled almost immediately at the chair by the table. He wanted to stay with her until it was time for bed, at least. Especially since there were no maids this time to chase him out.
 
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Zemira


The young woman breathed a sigh of relief once the owner had left, moving around to the one side of the bed to dump her bag beside it. From there she sat on the edge of it, inwardly wincing at the sound of the bed stuffing underneath her. It sounded like straw with perhaps a feathers few and far between. A far cry from the complete featherbed she had back at the palace. However, Zemira knew she couldn't be fussy. This was her new life now, but at least it afforded her freedom.

She exhaled softly after a moment of thought, head tipping back for her face to point up to the ceiling. "I could have asked for a bath to be brought up with hot water. But that can wait for another stop. We must make the money last until we can figure out other ways to make it." She murmured, more to herself than to Eitan.

Her head tilted back down and turned as her eyes opened so she could look at her friend. He hadn't asked her any questions yet, about the room, so she would leave it until he did. Zemira had already thought of a solution in regards to the bed. They could both sleep on it, but with one of the under the covers and the other over the top with a blanket. She trusted Eitan, and since there were no voices nagging her about proper etiquette, she figured they could simply go back to how they were when they were children. Besides, the people they came across would come to believe they were married, so they were hardly going to say anything.

"I was hoping we'd be able to go into town, once we got our room, to get you a weapon you liked and some extra clothes... but I fear that nothing will be open at this time now." Zemira spoke softly, hands planting either side of her thighs, "I have a dagger and a short sword in the pack for you, will that do until we reach Vatten, if we don't stop until nightfall again someplace else?"

She pushed herself to her feet and took the few steps required to the fireplace. She studied it for a moment, brow furrowing as she attempted to work out what would be necessary to start the fire. There were maids at the castle that saw to this duty, and Zemira had no understanding of just what to do.

Eventually she kneeled, hesitating there for a moment before reaching for the log pile to pull a cut piece from the top and begin to settle them into the centre of the fireplace. "I should have watched the maids more closely before I left." Zemi laughed a little, the sound awkward and unsure of herself as she leaned back after putting in three logs, "Learned more about the domestic side of things... been more prepared."
 
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Eitan couldn't help but frown somewhat worriedly at Zemi's softly spoken words. She didn't really seem like she was talking to him, and he was quite confident in assuming that she wasn't asking him for a solution, but that didn't really make Eitan any less worried. The palace had always been a place of luxury, even if it hadn’t really been luxury he had access to. Certainly, almost anything Zemi wished for could be brought to her on command.

It was so different from the life they were going to be living now. Together. That warm thought almost caused Eitan to lose track of his worries, as it flickered like a little torch in his chest. But, no. Being together would make up for any sacrifice on his part, but he didn’t want Zemi to have to endure such hardship as well.

Eitan had brought all the money he’d earned and saved since he’d joined the knights, but he had no way of knowing how much of a difference it would make. Despite his best efforts, Eitan had never really been considered truly one of the knights. They maintained distance with him, wouldn’t train with him, and nor was he allowed to accompany them on expeditions. Considering that the knights received their meals as a part of the palace, and Eitan had been living in the same room since Zemi had brought him back to the palace, he’d never really had much use for money.

In the past, it had been enough money for him to occasionally, proudly, buy a treat for Zemi from somewhere in the city. Only now did it start to seem like a problem. How did people make money?

It wasn’t until Zemi spoke again that Eitan was snapped out of his wandering thoughts. He wanted to help her so much, but he was ignorant on the matter. It was almost painfully frustrating that he couldn’t do anything but wait for Zemi to find the answer for him. But, at least, when she did figure it out, he would do whatever it took to make sure he was as helpful as possible.

“It’s okay,” Eitan replied, thinking about the weapons, before abruptly catching himself. That didn’t sound as appreciative as he was of her thoughtfulness. “No, I mean, it’s good.” He’d trained with a short sword for a long time when he was young, back before he could be entrusted with a full sword or greatsword. Of course, he’d been smaller back then, so it had been more like a normal sword in comparison, but he was sure it couldn’t be all that different.

It would certainly be many, many times better than just his fists. Eitan still couldn’t believe that it hadn’t occurred to him to bring along his sword when he was leaving. It was embarrassing.

“Thank you… for remembering. To bring weapons. I forgot.” Embarrassing or not, that was no reason for him not to thank Zemi for looking after him. She was always careful and attentive, and Eitan could only regret that he couldn’t do the same for her.

However, he quickly moved forward when he saw Zemi begin stacking wood into the fireplace. He might not be able to plan the trip or know what to do to get to Vatten, but at least this one he could help with.

“It’s okay, Zemi. Here. Let me.” Eitan had gone through the same survivalist training as the other knights. Starting a fire was one of the easier things he’d learned. Surely he could pay Zemi back now?

He kneeled down next to her, removing the big logs, and picking up some tinder from the nearby basket instead. How had Zemi always taught him? She’d taught him so much, surely he could learn from all those memories and do the same. “The flame… will just be a baby at first. If the wood is too big, it will squish the baby flame instead of feeding it. So instead, you have to give it small, gentle things to begin with. As it grows, you can give it bigger, stronger things.”

Around the little nest of straw kindling, he stacked some of the wood splinters into a little teepee, and only then some of the slightly bigger sticks over that pyramid. He then grabbed and lit a nearby match, placing it down by the kindling. The flame immediately latched onto the straw, spreading through it. A moment later, and it blazed brighter, licking up the splinters.

“Too much air will... hurt a flame, but the more a flame grows, the more it likes air.” Eitan waited a couple of seconds, before nodding to Zemi. “You can blow on it now. It will help.”