Wild Avalon

32

I used the map to plan out my path. I made my way through the city, hand on the hilt of the hidden dagger most of the time. I seemed to still have at least one crow following me. Making me hope that Rama was in a way nearby.

Eventually I came to another city park, I used the trails to get me close to my real destination. The train tracks. Deciding this was the best hope I had. Follow the tracks until they came near enough to a depot. Then try to start hitching rides on trains as they restarted after stopping, or at least slowed down. Camping and living rough when needed.

I crossed to the other side of the tracks, going deeper into the woods outside the city. Looking for somewhere sheltered where I could camp and hopefully finally rest. Deep in the woods, where there was no sign that a single other person had been here before me. I set up my tent, kicked off the boots, peeled off my socks and set them to air out on a tree. I crawled into the sleeping bag, Falling asleep before my eyes closed just to avoid the burn I knew I would feel in my muscles.

I opened my eyes and I was in my room in Rama's castle. In the bathtub specifically. The water as always the perfect temperature for me. The bath was scented like orange blossom and jasmine tonight. There must be a greenhouse somewhere for all the botanical oils available. I poured a moisturising milk of something and epsom salts into the bath with me, doing a little flutter kick to mix everything in. The water was opaque. I raised and lowered my hand in and out of the water. Marvelling at how completely it vanished just under the surface.

This dream felt real like all the others. I tried to imprint how relaxed and eased my muscles felt right now. Wanting to be able to remember this in the morning when I had to wake up and face reality. I was reclined in the carved tub that felt like it was made to hold me perfectly. Enjoying my dream when there came a knock on the door. Followed by Rama's voice. "May I enter, Lady Avalon?" He was still using the not real title for me. I wanted him to just call me Avalon.

I looked at the bath, I was naked but only my collarbones up were exposed, and occasionally my hands or a knee. Scandalous. "You may enter my Lord, Grace, Majesty Rama." In a sing song voice, I watched him enter. Seeing the confusion on his face which was fun on its own. Followed by the shock of finding me in my bath. How his feet shuffled as he rearranged his stance.

I shifted in the water and saw him gulp. "I could return later Lady Avalon, if you are not ready for company." His eyes never once looked away from me. I knew he would if I asked him too.

This was a dream, one where I wanted to escape. "Stay." I asked him. He prowled towards me like a predator, coming to kneel at the side of the tub.

"Where are you sleeping? Are you safe? I am unable to see you in my pool, I can see everyone but I can not find you." I looked into his eyes, looking at him from closer than I ever had before. I could see the strain across his forehead. The darkness under his eyes. How tightly he was holding his jaw rigid. Taking away my hope that while I hiked towards him, he was keeping an eye on me.

"The ravens and crows have been helping me?" I said. Lowering my body even deeper into the bath until my chin was touching the surface. My knees just barely exposed now. Like little islands in the bath. "Aren't they yours?" I questioned, suddenly very unsure if I was doing the right thing trusting birds to help me.

The nightmare of the birds attacking the witch flashed through my mind. The bird beating itself against the window to ensure it had my attention. The keys and town home. If I had so easily been led into another trap then I knew my journey would end with me dead and nowhere near Rama in real life.

"The ravens and crows are not mine, they are able to cross the realms. Borders of any kind mean nothing to them. Some chose to assist or offer aid to me, as they will. It seems you are collecting your own dedicated murder of corvids." He looked at my face, watching as I recovered from my sharp fear a moment ago.

"I can trust the birds?" I asked, needing, desperately anything that I could count on at this point. Starting to feel tears rising. My lists starting to pile up in my mind playing on repeat with the sound and image of the witch being torn apart.

Tears falling freely from my face as the one thing I couldn't handle became the loudest in my head. "My mom is dead, Rama." I managed to sputter out before all the tears in the world overtook me. There was a splash as water overflowed from the tub. Rama had only taken the time to slip his cloak and shoes off before he moved to sit behind me in the tub fully dressed. Holding me close, as I let all the pain from today finally hit me. Rama said nothing, holding me close and tight to his body.

I would have stayed just like that forever. The smell of him overpowering the floral scent in the bath, calming far more than any botanical scent could. His skin on mine thrumming with electricity. He was my rock, the only place that felt safe to me. Being close enough to hear his heartbeat was where I wanted to be.

Instead I was snatched from my safe place as a train whistle sounded nearby. Startling me from my sleep. Real tears on my face in the waking world. The sun was higher in the sky than I hoped it would be when I finally woke up. I only had a direction to move and no time frame, other than as fast as possible. I wouldn't feel too badly about oversleeping, considering my last few days. I sat on the ground, drinking some of my precious water, and eating a slightly too oatmealy protein bar pretending it was a cereal breakfast bar.

I dismantled the cheap tent, being careful to not tear the thin nylon. Rolled up the sleeping bag, put on my socks and boots and got walking. North and east. The direction I would keep travelling until I was in Canada, then mostly east to avoid the risk of ending up too far north to have enough population to hide in. Cities were fine. A small rural town would notice a single person who didn't belong, and talk about it for weeks afterwards if the town was small enough.

I needed to follow main track lines, and routes between cities. Stay small. Stay unnoticed. Just stay alive and get to Newfoundland. Once there I would figure out how to get back to Nel Mezzo and Rama. I just had to travel on foot across two countries. With six hundred two dollars and twenty five cents.

I started walking. Listening to the call of a crow or raven. "Ok everyone, I'm trusting you." I said out loud. Making sure I told every raven and crow I saw that they were handsome and pretty birds, so clever and smart. Thanking them when I heard several caws, learning that was the crows indicating I should go a different direction. At any road or bridge I checked the name against my map. Plotting my progress as best I could.

I marked the largest towns on the map, then the next largest categories. Making sure my trajectory would put me in a good sized city every couple days so I could shower at a gym or pool locker room in the early hours. Buy new provisions, and fill my water stores. Never stopping in the same place for more than a single evening.