Preparing the Rabbit

JP with Voah and Gonyaul:

Gonyaul was concerned by this news. Though, then again, he was forewarned by Alexis. He wondered if all followers of the Pillar, or maybe it was the inquisition, did so out of fear? Was forgiveness even a concept they understood? Their actions seemed less defensive and more offensive, like kill all threats before become, if they ever would, threats.

“I see evil too since left home. It is sad. I think a good and evil in all of us. But evil have no part of good. And good can no part of evil.” He was mainly saying this to himself.

He paused, “Does this mean you must hide me or you in troubles?” Was she ashamed because he made her appear weak to her inquisition or was she strictly fearful for their well-being?

“…I was hoping to hide you in plain sight… for both of our safety. They don’t know anything about you and maybe I can teach you enough about the Pillars to be convincing… if you are indeed telling me the truth, then I can trust that you aren’t a witch as well as a non-believer… if you were a believer, you wouldn’t be hiding. Knowing this, do you still think it is a good idea to come with me?”

Of course she didn’t want him to go away, but neither did she want him to go forward to a possible doom.

Hiding in plain sight was a good strategy. He had seen so many creatures in the jungle use mimicry and camouflage; they could be right in front of you and you wouldn’t even know it. He was also confident he could learn enough to grasp the basics of the Pillar ideas in the amount of time they had to travel.

“I not know. … I think you a good idea.”

He gestured to his clothes and then to his face.

“This might bring questions.” His people were almost extinct so no one else looked quite like him and his fashion was also different.

“Indeed it will bring questions, questions we must anticipate. I have so many questions that I still want to know for myself, and yet I fear I must not ask…”

She was quiet for a second before looking into his eyes.

“But I brought you along because I chose you too... and I can think of no place safer for you than next to me… except back in the company of Greyriver, but not among those mountains…”

She said as a side note, “Gods, I hope her journey is safe and that she finds the others with no further trouble.”

She was about to retreat into both gloomy and hopeful thoughts when she bit into the cooked rabbit.

“Mmm. That’s good.”

He agreed that preparation would be key. The will to win doesn’t matter, the will to prepare to win is what matters. He was predetermined to learn as much as he could from her. One, because he wanted to know and two, because he wanted them both to be safe.

Gonyaul felt a flutter of excitement when she mentioned she chose him too. And also began partaking of the meal.

The flavor of the meat was an explosion on his taste buds that had been eating nuts and jerky for a week it seemed. “Much good.” He added.

“Alexis is most capable.” He had high hopes she was safe and on route to finding them already.

“Indeed…” she chewed a morsel of the lean meat.

“Alexis is one of the most capable people that I have had the pleasure of meeting. With a heart as sweet as yours. I am honored to call her a friend. But if I could have stopped her from going back into Fang I would have. She is in no condition to be fighting again so soon, especially in Fang. I just hope that she finds Islana and Hunter very soon.”

Voah took a drink from a waterskin and passed it to Gonyaul. She stood behind him and rested her hands on his shoulders as he sipped water.

She tilted his head back to see her. The sun was well beyond the horizon now and the sky was full of stars mirrored off of Gonyaul’s eyes.

“Now that is beautiful.” she bent over to kiss him. It was an awkward position but the kiss was so worth it. Once their lips parted Gonyaul felt the cold silver steel of the Holy Blade against his throat.

“Let’s start with the Goddess of Sex and Fertility, infidel.” she looked down at him and smiled. It was a cruel joke perhaps, but if he was going to be under pressure near the Purger, he had to be ready.