Life Eternal

19

"Don't you forget about your friend,
Death-"

Arabella wiped the sweat off of her forehead. Her eyes held dark circles and gazed lazily as the morning sun hit them. The trees rustled with the wind and a few birds could be heard chirping. Her skin glistened and by this time her coat was removed. She managed to tie up her hair with loose thread but it felt as if the mountains of messy curls would fall out at any moment.

The steady gallop of her white horse was set in a gentle pattern that filled the silence wonderfully but she felt sore from being mounted for so long. Tobias was just ahead of her.

His figure was hunched. No doubt he was going through hell but everytime she asked if he was okay, he waved it off. Tobias was looking worse.

It had been three days of riding and two brief nights of rest. They were able to catch a few rabbits for food, a few birds, but Tobias was never hungry. He wouldn't eat. He couldn't.

He seemed more frail. His frame was thinner. He was losing weight rapidly and that was something he couldn't afford to do.

He was always sick. Traveling had been draining him.

A slow yawn escaped his lips.

Arabella frowned.

If only theyd make it to the coast sooner.

"Tobias? " She called ahead. He briefly glance back at her and nodded. He didnt want to hold her gaze too long. He knew she was worried. "Do you want to rest? "

Tobias hesitated and ran his fingers through his hair, keeping his other hand gripped on the reigns, he sighed. "No." Sweat glistened and dripped down his forehead, he hid his fever and pain well. But not well enough. He occasionally leaned against the neck of the horse, only for a brief time. "The quicker we make it to the coast, the better. I want to be done with traveling, Arabella."

It was as if he was scolding a child. She frowned, but she had to understand the state he was under.

"Hyah!" She slashed the reigns of her horse to force the beast to speed up ahead. Once lined up with Tobias, side by side, she studied him. "Look at me!"

He kept his gaze away.

"Look. At. Me." She repeated with force. Finally, he did.

Sweat damped his hair, glistened his skin. His complection yellowish, and his lips pale and dehydrated.

"Stop your horse." She almost commanded as she did so herself.

He halted next to her, with hesitation.

"What?!" He snapped.

Arabella huffed out a sigh and blinked in thought while she reached out to fiddle with the collar of his shirt. Worry glistened her eyes.

"I want you to be okay-" she began. "The coast isnt going anywhere and-"

He cut her off by shoving her hand away.

"Arabella-" his voice was softer than before. "I want you to restrain from touching me. Not because I dont want you to, but rather, your own health. I just want to make it to our goal."

She paused but slowly moved in to kiss him.

"We deal with this together, Tobias. " she said as she nuzzled into his neck. He sighed but didnt respond. Once she moved away, he spoke.

"Cmon-" He said soft like, and whipped his reigns for the horse to move. She followed close behind.

The day soon turned into the night. Along with it, cool air.

"Just a few more nights? " Arabella called out. "And we'll be there?"

Tobias nodded. "We should stop for the night. "

Arabella studied a bee as it flew by, inches from her face. The sight caused a sour feeling in her stomache, at least thats what she thought. Arabella opened her mouth to respond but before she could say anything, the acid rose from her stomach and she retched her waste to the side quickly.

The sudden urge to vomit startled both the girl and the horse. Frightened the horse halted on its hind legs and let out a screech. Arabella tumbled to the side from the sudden stop.

Her head slammed into the sharp edge of a rock, she winced, the vomit still rising and spilling from her insides.

She was lucky, the horse going wild, stammering about, but missing her completely.

"Arabella!" Tobias was the last thing she heard before things started going black.