"You're really not going, Ky-ele?" Annie said, surprised.

Ky-ele just sighed, not up to really convince her. He hasn't slept at all through the night. He was surprised he even made it to the water pump this morning.

"Come on, Ky-ele, don't pretend that you don't hear me. Her ship is leaving tomorrow. You should-"

"Should do what, Annie?" he snapped at her, his sleeplessness getting to him. "Go with her and get caught up in this war and die? I'm no warrior, so why bother going if death will be the end result?"

"Don't go for the war then. Besides, if they find out you have talents that lie elsewhere, you can contribute in some other way. Don't just go to aid in the war, Ky-ele, go for her."

Ky-ele scoffed. "She has her prince, why would she even want me around? I'm part of a past that she wants nothing to do with."

"From what you've told me that hardly seems true and I believe you know that. She's been trying to contract you through dreams for years, she still cares about you."

"You call that caring? Those horrible nightmares that she has plagued me with for the past seven years are not caring! She doesn't care, Annie. She left fourteen years ago because she hated being here. She would've never returned if she didn't have to recruit for this stupid war and king of hers."

Annie was quiet as she let Ky-ele calm himself down. "Ky-ele, you're upset because she left all those years ago, you're bitter. But can you blame her for leaving? She had dreams and wanted to go and see the rest of the world. The last time you two spoke to each other, you basically told her that those dreams were childish. You were supposed to be her best friend, someone she loved. That one comment from you, someone so close to her must have been devastating."

He shook his head. "I can't go anyways, my family…"

"Ky-ele, stop with the excuses. Forget any reason you'd give for why you can't go. It all boils down to you and her. You don't want to go because you're still mad she left. And now where she is, and she's apologized and everything. She's already proven that she can help everyone in Summerhollow, she can help your family too. Anyone who signs up is getting two thousand gold pieces, one thousand paid just upon enlisting. That much gold could support your family for a long time." She paused momentarily, watching him. "She just wants her best friend back."

He was quiet.

"You should go."

Ky-ele picked up his jugs of water. "Thanks for the talk, Annie, didn't realize that you were on her side," he said coldly and walked away. But even as stubborn as he was, her words were getting to him.

The rest of the evening, none of his family could pull him from his thoughts. After several attempts, they left him alone. Late in the night he laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling. He sighed, frustrated.

"Why is this bothering me? It should be an easy answer. I can't go," he said to himself. Even as he said it though, deep down he knew he was lying to himself, even if he wasn't aware of it.

After a long time, he fell into an uneasy sleep.

So, this is another part of a three part update. After being gone for so long, I decided that all of my characters deserved some of my attention. I know this chapter is short, but the next chapters will be much longer and filled with much excitement.

Cheers.