Hero's Journey

Chapter 23

"Delia?"

The coppery-blond haired writer cracks open a stormy colored eye. "Hmm?" She mumbles sleepily.

Maya, the person who had awoken her smiles down at the tired girl. "I'm so sorry to interrupt your sleep, but it is your watch."

"Mm, okay." Delia yawns and stumbles clumsily to her feet.

"Don't forget your boots." Maya reminds her as the Delia almost leaves her tent barefoot. "And your coat for that matter, it is a chilly night and our higher altitude only makes it colder."

"Okay." Delia says doing as the girl said by tugging on her worn boots and a jacket she had received from back in the makeshift village.

After a moment of fumbling in the dark Delia exits her tent. Immediately she is met with a stinging chill that fully wakes her up from her semi-sleeping trance.

Delia rubs the rest of the sleepiness out of her eyes before strutting onward in search of Iglesias. Eyes catching upon a human-like shape Delia walks over to it and sighs in relief when she sees it is indeed Iglesias.

Taking a seat on the log next to him, the two sit in silence admiring the beautiful night.

Sparse trees dot the rocky mountain, giving them slight coverage, but still allowing them a great view of the sparkling stars twinkling above them. Also, from their placement they can see the dying fire of the enemy camp, they ignore this though in favor for the rest of the pretty scenery surrounding them. They could deal with the camp below and the Shadowlanders within it tomorrow, for now peace is all that is wanted in the quiet of the night.

"I've missed this."  Iglesias sighs after minutes of comfortable silence between the leader and writer.

"Was your village near here?" Delia inquires curiously.

Iglesias smiles and shakes his head. "No, it was north from here, but the scenery is very similar."

Delia hums a light response and the two fall back into the quietness of the night for a couple of brief moments as they study the stars and crescent moon that shine upon them.

"What about you, Delia? What was it like where you lived."

Delia's eyes drop to her lap as she ponders how to answer the question honestly and by looking at the bright side of it all.  She doesn't wish to speak of depressing matters, not now and when she doesn't have to.

"The town where I lived is within the forests of Pik near a fairly well-traveled path. The land is nice and I love the trees." She says. "There were many different plants and wildflowers." She adds.

"That sounds nice." Iglesias agrees. "However, I prefer the rocky terrain of Lanthos." He grins at the girl.

"How was it like living here?" Delia skillfully redirects the conversation to him.

"Well, the economy of Lanthos isn't very good and we mostly depend on our mining, but I liked it.  It is a rough living, but even as a boy I enjoyed the hard work." He says. "I learned a lot from it."

"As children there wasn't much time to play, though. But when there was time we would make games out of anything and everything around us.  When you can't afford board games and such that came from the big cities in Pik and Lithko you learn to be resourceful on ways to entertain yourself. So, I would say I had a good childhood.  As I said I did learn a lot. And what about you?" He asks her.

Delia shrugs her shoulders, thinking back to before her mother died when she was but a young and --for the most part--happy child. It was only after her mother passed that her childhood spoiled. 

"I played typical games like chase and hide and seek." Delia thinks for a moment. "I played with dolls my mother made me and would help her cook.  When she had free time, my mother and I would play a game where we tried to see who we could make laugh first." Delia smiles at the good memories that seep in. "I would usually win. She laughed often."

When she wasn't crying she was either smiling or laughing....

Iglesias smiles at me. "That seems like a good childhood."

".......It was."

Another lapse of silence, this one a thoughtful one. A sweet pain ebbs at Delia's heart.  She hadn't remembered for a long time. 

Even though it hurts, it feels good to remember. Delia thinks melancholically.

"Delia," Iglesias suddenly turns his dark eyes to the writer, interrupting her bittersweet thoughts. "You never did tell me what you were doing in the woods when we found you drenched in water and all alone accept for the boy that was with you."

Delia smiles sadly. "I was traveling with an adventurer. There was a storm and I was swept away into a stream that was actually the beginnings of the Ta'ace. It took me up to its banks that that's where I washed up on. That is also where the boy --Kipdale-- found me. We were trying to go and find my traveling companion when we were ambushed by you and the other men."

"Oh." Iglesias nods in understanding before continuing. "I know I've already told you this, but I'm sorry about all of that trouble we caused you.  It was not right."

Delia waves it away. "It happened and is over with. You don't need to apologize any more." She smiles.

Iglesias suddenly looks sheepish. "I hope you don't mind but I have another question."

"Go on." Delia encourages.

"Why didn't you continue your search for the adventurer you were with? Not only that but you came all the way here to help us. Why?"

This surprises the scribe. "I suppose that I didn't really think about going back and looking for him." She says, thinking back to all that time ago. "Then I got caught up in this mission, I wanted to help you all." Delia explains.

"Hm, that's interesting." Iglesias says, thoughtfully.

"Why?"

"It's because it seems to me like you hold more secrets than most, Miss Delia."

Her eyes widen for a moment, but then she settles on a soft and small smile. "Not really. Everything about me is fairly simple."

Deep down a voice within her answers differently. You have no idea.....

Iglesias shakes his head, a grin playing on his lips. "Nothing is simple about anyone, and from what I can tell, especially not you."

Heat rises into Delia's cheeks and she's happy that it is dark out. "Th-thank you." She says, blush staining her face pink.

Iglesias smiles. "No, thank you for coming to help us. We wouldn't of been here without you."

"That's not true." Delia tries to say.

"No, it is." He argues lightly. "Must I remind you of the ogres? Without your and Maya's help we would all be digesting in those ogres' stomachs."

"I think you would be past digestion." Delia says, trying to brighten the mood.

Iglesias chuckles. "Yes, that is true."

Delia tucks a piece of coppery-blond hair behind her ear and the two share a smile.

During the rest of their watch they share more than that smile as they talk and laugh as friends into the night.