Will Of The Fates

27.

After a while, Sidas' laughter was the only sound in the clearing. Hanna had jumped all over me when I'd held out the pockets of gold change I'd picked up. Pippa sat by Pyr with wide eyes on a single coin she held. It was actually quite heart-warming to watch her.

Eventually Risna caught on. Sidas and him danced all around the clearing. And happiness returned to my father's face. He got lost in their reverie, and even I forced myself to join in.

We laughed, yelled, rejoiced. The snow came down on us, we yelled at the sky for no reason. Sidas threw more coins in his excitement, and then scrambled to collect them. Elikai scribbled something in his notebook, Risna almost cried for some reason. Hanna did cry because Pippa cried— Pyr laughed at them. I danced with father. He seemed happy too. Happy for me, or something else, I wasn't sure.

We'd run out of ale so we didn't really have anything to celebrate with. I managed to get away for a bit to think, to calm myself down. I had started to believe the chance for any poison or trap couldn't be true. There were no effects no far. I felt fine. The headache had only intensified. It was probably from the night watch the stress from Elikai's words. The man really didn't know how to watch his words. He'd probably forgotten what he said as well.

I sighed as I crouched to wash my hands. We were lucky. We had gotten lucky. If we hadn't met those three, where would we be now?

The cold water felt good. I splashed some on my face to refresh myself. It felt good. It felt much needed. My eyes were heavy as well, I needed sleep. But I was also hungry. And if those guys had stopped their dance and the coin rain, we could eat maybe.

I stayed by the stream as I let the water drop off my face. The snowflakes fell into the water and floated on the surface before they dissipated. I reached into my cloak and pulled out a single coin. In the dark, it was just plain yellow. It didn't shine, or glitter, or glow. It was metal. It was just... metal.

I raised a hand and let it fall. It splashed as it hit the water. Droplets hit my face, I flinched. The gold barely swayed with the current as it sunk and hit the mud. It sent up a small cloud of dirt that got swept away. Some fell back to the coin. If it stayed there long enough, it would get covered with mud. It would stay there. It wouldn't require a dungeon hundreds of years later to open to be discovered.

Streams shift.

I looked up at the sky as I heard that voice. "Sosthenes?"

Streams shift with time.

I went quiet, my eyes still on the sky. Snow fell on my face.

I... I do not know how I know that.

"Time changes everything." I mumbled.

Except me.

"You have changed. You lost all your memories."

I don't remember having any to begin with.

I sighed as I stood up. "A blissful existence."

That's not true.

I turned away from the stream. The question it raised in me was answered a moment later.

Your past memories are painful to you. But these ones are happy. And even I can tell that they are enjoyable to you even if you have to force yourself.

Of course he noticed.

I... I wish I had memories.

I raised an eyebrow as I made my way through the forest. That's quite a leap.

I want to feel.

You feel what I feel.

I do.