Hestian glanced at the girl walking a few feet in front of him. Her long, black hair was pulled out of her face into a tight braid down her back and her dark eyes were widened with caution, constantly searching their surroundings.

He, too, had lived life as a fugitive. He understood Thea's wary demeanor and mistrust. But, she was too quiet. Too tense. She was hiding something, and though he didn’t like to admit it, secrets and lies scared him. She didn’t know it, but he had a faint idea of what she had done to earn such a large bounty on her head. He had heard whispers of murder that had occurred during the storm in New Orion. But despite the rumors, Hestian felt an odd sense of security when he was around the girl. She had a peculiar air to her and he felt drawn to it.

Hestian stumbled as he tripped over a tree root and Thea jumped at the sudden noise, spinning around. She stared at him for a moment, her lips pursed, and then continued to walk up the rocky trail. Since their first encounter yesterday, Thea had barely spoken. Though she was very alert, she would occasionally drift into a daze, her eyes glossing over as she recounted some event in her past. He longed to ask her where she was from, how she had ended up in the North Woods, but he didn’t want to scare her off with questions. She reminded him of a wild hare that would spook at the slightest sign of danger.

He sighed and wiped the beads of sweat building on his forehead. Thea glanced at him, arching an eyebrow, “Are you tired?”

“I’m fine. The heat’s getting to me a bit.”

She nodded and then hesitated, “The sun is starting to set, I suppose we can set up camp.”

Hestian shrugged, “I’m okay to go a few more miles.”

Thea smiled softly, “It’s alright if you are tired, I have no problem stopping.”

“Aren’t you in a rush to get there?”

She laughed, “My only priority is to not get killed. I’m in no hurry to get anywhere.”

“Should we stop once we reach the river? We can fill up our cantons and there are fish and cattails we can gather if you’re hungry.”

Thea nodded and licked her lips subconsciously. He laughed and resumed walking up the steep trail, the promise of water and a full stomach motivating him to persevere through the hard path.

“How long have you been living in the woods?”

He glanced at her, surprised at the attempt to make small talk, “Around a few months. I used to live in Arcana, but I’ll probably find something in New Orion once everything dies down. I’ve heard it’s quiet there.”

She hummed in agreement, “The calmness is definitely nice.”

“Have you lived in New Orion your whole life?”

She hesitated before shaking her head, “I used to live in Zodiac. My parents moved my brother and me to New Orion when I was seven.”

Hestian raised an eyebrow in surprise, “You have family?”

Thea bit her lip and shook her head, “Not anymore.”

“I’m sorry.”

She shrugged and went back to staring at the forest floor as they walked. He silently cursed himself for bringing up her family. Though he never had one of his own, he couldn’t imagine how hard it would be the last of his blood.

“What about you? Do you have family?”

He glanced up at her and shook his head, “No. It’s not like I lost anyone though, I just never had one to begin with.”

“So you’ve grown up alone? Without anyone?”

Hestian turned his head to look at her. Her forehead was furrowed in worry, and he frowned, “I guess so. I’ve never put much thought into it though. Being alone is all I’ve ever known.”

“No one should be alone,” Thea whispered, “I’m sorry you had to.”

He stared at her for a few seconds, confused by the sudden compassion, “Thank you.”

She nodded before pointing ahead of them, “Is that the river you were talking about?”

“Yes...but be careful though,” he called out as she ran ahead of him, “It’s a fast current.”

She merely laughed, “I’ll be fine.”

It only took her a few seconds to get completely drenched. Fumbling with the ribbon, Thea let out her hair out of its tight braid. The stringy strands lay plastered down her back, dripping water down her skirt. Her eyes were bright with enthusiasm and her tense shoulders relaxed as she drank from the stream greedily.

He joined her at the riverbank, splashing the cold water onto his face as he sighed in pleasure. A fish suddenly leapt up towards him, smacking him in the face. He jumped, losing his balance and falling face-first into the muddy shallows with a startled scream.

When he got back up again, Thea was doubled over, laughing hysterically. He scowled at her, “It’s not funny!”

She pressed a hand to her mouth in a poor effort to stifle her giggles and held her side, gasping for breath. Hestian shook his head, attempting to clear the worst of the dirt in his hair.

She waddled over to him, a grin still plastered to her face, and pressed a brightly colored handkerchief into his hands, “Here. Use this.”

He accepted the cloth gratefully and wiped his face and the back of his ears, his face twisting into a grimace at the vile taste of mud in his mouth.

Thea smiled, “I saw a berry bush not far from here. Maybe we can try fishing again tomorrow?”

Hestian nodded gratefully, still shaken up from his encounter with the salmon.

He made to follow her, but Thea put up a hand to stop him and gestured to his pants, “I’ll be back in under an hour. How about you...freshen up while I’m gone?”

Hestian looked down. His pants were caked with mud and his previously white shirt was now a dark brown. He would have to undress to clean them properly.

“Good idea,” he replied, blushing.

He waited till she had disappeared behind the thick brush before slipping his clothes off. He soaked them in the water for a few minutes before spreading them out on a flat rock, using a sharp rock to scrub the remaining dirt off the fabric.

Once he was satisfied, Hestian wrung the cloth out and pulled the clothes back on. It was still a bit wet and stuck to his skin uncomfortably, but Hestian felt a lot cleaner than he had before.

Thea had not come back yet so he busied himself with building a fire. Glancing at the path and then the river to make sure that he was still alone, Hestian closed his eyes and focused on the pile of dry brush in front of him. Instantly, a flame ignited and the brush caught fire.

Basking his face in the warmth, Hestian closed his eyes and leaned back on his hands, staring at the orange sky in the distance. The sunsets were one of the only things he liked about Rae. It was also one of the only beautiful things that he remembered from his childhood.

“Oh, you made a fire?”

He flinched, startled by Thea’s sudden appearance.

She had used her apron as a makeshift basket to hold the blueberries she had collected. Dark juice stained the light fabric, but she didn’t seem to care as she plucked a particularly fat one and popped it into her mouth.

She sat down beside him, spreading out the apron in front of the fire so he could have some too.

He selected one and chewed it carefully, sighing as the tarty taste spread out on his tongue. He took another one and then another until the apron was empty. He glanced at the darkening sky and yawned, stretching his hands above his head as he stood up.

Thea wiped her mouth with the corner of her sleeve and brushed the apron off, tying it around her waist once more.

“I’ll take the first watch.”

He briefly recalled her aversion to heights and shook his head, “Let me.”

“It’s okay.”

“I don’t mind, I can do it.”

“You’re tired. Sleep.”

“I’m fine, let me-”

“I will do it.”

He opened his mouth to protest but the look on Thea’s face made him swallow his words. She didn’t trust him. The knowledge made him falter for a second and fought to maintain his composure as sat down and leaned against the tree she had climbed up, folding his arms behind his head.

He didn’t know why her feelings had affected him so badly. He had only known her for a day. There was a thin line between friend and enemy and he hadn’t expected her to trust him after such a short time. His thoughts drifted to how carefree she had looked when they were splashing around in the river. She was kind and trusting then, what had changed? Had he done something to break her trust?

Even if she didn’t trust him, Hestian had felt completely at ease with her. From the moment he had laid eyes on the girl, he had felt responsible for ensuring her safety. He had no reason to travel to a safe house. He had done things alone his whole life and had no interest in seeking refuge. Why had he offered to accompany her? He wasn’t usually tongue-tied around other girls, but Thea was different. She was a puzzle that he was going to solve.

Sighing, Hestian shifted into a different position, just to find that he was even more uncomfortable as the sharp strands of grass tickled his face.

He usually slept in the trees, but he didn’t want to make Thea feel uneasy if he had high ground.

Hestian groaned, placing his head on his arms and bringing his knees to his chest, leaning against Thea’s tree. He attempted to close his eyes, but it was no use. A few hours later, he was still wide awake.

A quiet sniffle sharpened his attention and he fought the urge to find the source of the pitiful sound. Something in his gut told him to remain still.

The sniffle came again, followed by a sob.

“I’m sorry, Adam. I’m so sorry.”

It was Thea.

Without thinking, he twisted around and started to climb, until he heard a startled cry. Before he had a chance to react, something hard hit his head. Wincing, Hestian rubbed the sore spot and craned his neck at the silhouette a few feet above him.

“Thea?”

“Oh,” she swallowed, “I thought it was someone else.”

“Are you alright?”

Silence greeted his question and he lifted his leg over the branch and grabbed onto the trunk, hefting his body higher so he was sitting at the same level as her.

“Thea,” he repeated, “Are you okay?”

She nodded, and used the sleeve of her blouse to wipe her face, “I’m fine.”

“You know, you really do need to work on your lying skills.”

She laughed and he smiled and then frowned as more tears filled her eyes.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“No. No, it’s not you, it’s just...I don’t know,” Thea sighed, exasperated, “I don’t really want to talk about it.”

“No one wants to talk about it, but everyone has to.”

“It’s not something I would love to advertise,” she admitted, “I’m fine, really, thank you for caring but you should go back down and get rest.”

He understood the hint, but paid no mind to it, “Whatever it is - no matter how big or small - you can tell me.”

She held his gaze for a few moments and his heart broke at the misery sparkling in her warm eyes. Shaking her head, Thea broke eye contact and stared off into the starry sky, biting her lip.

“I said before that I don’t want to talk about it. Please just go.”

“Come on, Thea. It can’t be that bad, just tell me.”

“I won’t ask again. Leave me alone.”

He relented, unsure what else to do, “Okay, I’m sorry for bringing it up.”

Digging the heel of his boot into the trunk, Hestian slowly made his way down. Just like before, he was perplexed as to how to comfort her.

Using his arm as a cushion for his head, Hestian managed to adjust himself in a somewhat comfortable position. He silently listened to Thea’s quiet sobs for a few more minutes before she hiccuped and the noises stopped altogether. It seemed like she had gone to sleep.

He felt guilty as if he had seen something that he wasn’t supposed to. It wasn’t entirely his fault, but he knew that he had invaded her privacy. Everyone had a mask to hide their broken soul behind. And he had just seen under hers.

He frowned. She had been crying about a boy named ‘Adam.’ Who was he? A family member? A past lover?

Jealousy filled his heart and he quickly forced it down. She clearly had no interest in having a relationship with him. Once they reached the safe house, they would go their separate ways. He would never see her again and he would only hurt himself chasing after her.

His body felt heavy - like it was filled with lead - as he rolled over. He closed his eyes and his breathing gradually became deeper as he allowed himself to fall asleep.