Nev didn’t enjoy his line of questioning and shifted uncomfortably on her bedroll. “Look, you probably mean well. But I really don’t want to talk about it. I’m sorry I woke you,” she said, sounding defeated and exhausted.
“Alright. I’ll let it drop if you’ll do one thing for me,” Wyatt offered.
“What?” she asked nervously.
“Consider not trying to be as stubborn as me. You will never surpass me. And you trying so hard is really just awkward for me to watch,” Wyatt answered with a grin.
Nev was caught off guard by his jest and found herself smiling at him.
Wyatt returned her smile and watched her curl up and fall back asleep. “Goodnight, Nev,” he whispered, feeling hopeful that he would be able to make her smile again tomorrow.
Chapter 8
The morning had come, and they both felt eager to push themselves closer to Birclan. The light morning rain had given way to hints of sunlight slipping through the clouds. Nev had been quiet during their walk so far, finding herself distracted by her newfound traveling companion. He seemed to smile at her whenever she glanced his way, and she often felt him studying her.
For now, his smile was what perplexed her the most. Her appearance in his life had abruptly upended it. Yet, he didn’t seem upset or angry. In fact, he seemed relatively happy to be in the predicament he now found himself. To be able to feel carefree was something she found herself feeling curious about and envious of.
Wyatt noticed her deep in thought, sensing her trying to figure something out. Watching her and feeling the familiar pull of hunger beginning to gnaw at him, he thought they could both use a short rest. “So, I thought we might take a break for a bit. We should probably eat something, and it wouldn’t hurt for me to look at your shoulder,” he suggested.
Feeling embarrassed that he had likely caught her distracted in thoughts about him, she put her head down and quickened her pace slightly. “It’s fine. We need to keep moving,” she said, as she continued to walk.
“Alright, sure. We can keep going for a bit,” Wyatt relented while running to catch up to her.
They walked for close to another hour before they came upon a small stream. The sunlight skipped across it, catching on the ripples. Along its shore and in its currents, tiny fish and frogs were swimming and playing. Nev gingerly walked next to it, watching each time she stepped to ensure she didn’t accidentally squish any of the tiny inhabitants.
Wyatt had noticed her taking extra care around the creek’s residents, and found her cautious steps to be adorable. He reached down and scooped at the stream. “So, are you a tasty little fella?” he asked, staring at his cupped hands.
Nev turned with a look of disgust on her face. “What are you doing?” she asked firmly.
“Well, like you said, we should keep moving, but I am starving. So, I thought I would just grab a bite for the road,” Wyatt explained, holding out his hands tightly cupped.
She stepped close to him and put her hands on her hips. “Open your hands!” she ordered, sounding coarse.
“Are you sure?” he asked with a coy smile.
“Yes. Open them!” Nev demanded.
“Sure,” he grinned, before opening his hands.
Nev leaned over his hands to catch a glimpse of the critter she had saved. She saw nothing but water in his hands. Before she could question him about it, Wyatt threw his hands upward. The water he had “caught” splashed Nev directly in the face. Her eyes instantly scrunched tight, and she let out a frustrated sigh.
Wyatt, however, let out a hearty laugh. Pulling the purple sash from his belt, he offered it to her. “My deepest apologies, my lady,” he stated with a warm smile.
Nev begrudgingly took his sash and dried her face. She shook her head, handed him back his sash, and turned to walk away from him.
“Hey,” he said, as he hurried to get in front of her. Wyatt stood, blocking her path, and tried to gauge how upset she actually was. “I am sorry, really. I would never harm a defenseless little creature like that. Also, I know you don’t know me very well, so this may come as a shock. But I don’t really do so well with prolonged periods of seriousness or quiet. Addi says my frequent need to ‘lighten the mood and hear myself talk’ are both my most endearing and frustrating qualities.”
Nev let out a sigh and moved to walk around him. “It’s fine, but we really should keep moving,” she said, sounding tired.
Wyatt was about to acquiesce when he noticed a few bright red spots of blood on her bandages. Her wound was bleeding again, and he would need to clean and rebandage it. He nodded his head in the direction of her shoulder. “If you let me tend to your wound, then I won’t bug you to stop again until nightfall. I promise,” stated Wyatt sincerely.
Nev examined her shoulder. Reluctantly, she nodded in agreement. Glancing around the area, Nev spied a large flat rock that was near the creek’s edge. Heading towards it and sitting down, she watched as Wyatt joined her. “Thank you for helping with it,” she whispered, locking eyes with him briefly before staring down at the ground.
“Yeah, of course,” Wyatt replied with a smile. He gently began to remove the bandages. Her injury looked much improved compared to how he’d first seen it. “So,” he continued. “You never have asked me how I kept you hidden,” he said, pausing his work for a moment to look up at her.
Nev was still staring at the ground, but she could feel his gaze as he waited for a response. “No, I haven’t. And you still haven’t asked why I found myself in such a predicament,” she replied, keeping her eyes averted from him.
“Yeah, well, I have an idea about that,” he said, focusing back on
