Chapter XIV

I hit my head against the tree, and opened my eyes. Afni was leaning over me, shaking me awake.

"What?" I mumbled, rubbing the back of my head.

"Sorry…you just wouldn't wake up…" Shaking my head, I stood, and looked around. The moon shone down on the two of us, and I knitted my eyebrows together.

"What time is it?" I asked. She smiled.

"Way past midnight, yet way before dawn."

"That's helpful," I muttered. "Why'd you wake me?"

"Your supposed to be keeping watch, but you fell asleep…" I nodded, and then looked back at her.

"So you want me to go lay down now, so you can keep watch?" She looked away, and nodded.

"You know me too well, David Levin…" she said. I smiled.

"I was with you for quite a while, Af." When she lifted her eyes, I couldn't see them: the shadows thrown on her face from the way the moonlight hit her hair blacked them out. She reached out, and took my hand.

"David?" she asked, pulling me into the dust with her.

"Yeah?" She paused, unsure. I squeezed her hand.

"How do you…feel about me?" I shrugged, caught off guard by this question.

"I…You're my friend, Afni. You always have been…you always will be. I won't get mad at you. No matter what…" She opened her mouth to interject, and I continued. "Even if you date Christopher." Her lips closed, and she smiled.

"Do you really mean that, or are you only saying it to make me happy?" I had to chuckle.

"I really mean it. You like him. He likes you. It's not hard to see it. No matter what, Af, I want you to be happy. And I really mean you will always be my friend, even if you date him." She moved over, throwing her arms around my shoulders.

"Thank you, David…" The tent rustled, and I turned, seeing someone walk over, rubbing their head. Christopher came into the light, yawning.

"What're you two doin' up?" he asked, plopping down in the dust by us. I smiled, and looked at Afni.

"Talking…straightening a few things out…"

"Like what?"

"Feelings…" I said. Christopher raised an eyebrow, and Afni blushed slightly, lowering her head.

"Huh?" I shook my head.

"I had to make sure she knew that she'd always be my friend, Christopher. Don't worry about it, I'm not going to steal her away from you…" He smiled, his eyes still showing he was tired, and he circled his arm around her waist, pulling her close to him.

"Damn right, Levin." Afni reached over, and took my hand again.

"David…"

"Yeah?" I asked, starting to stand.

"You'll always be my friend, too…" I smiled, and went back into the tent, casting a look at them over my shoulder before climbing in to go to sleep.

Morning came and went, and we headed back out, watching our backs for Kiara. Christopher and Afni stood in the back of the line, hand in hand, as I led us down a trail in the woods. Jalil turned his head, looking at Janet, and then over at April. She seemed to be the only one that still hated Afni. I turned, and motioned him up. Jalil moved beside me.

"Sup?"

"You talk to April last night?" I asked quietly. He nodded. "And?"

"She doesn't like Afni because she's so nice most of the time. And that it seems she can't make up her mind between you and Christopher."

"Afni is dating Christopher now…She and I reached an understanding last night…" Jalil nodded. I turned my head, and saw her suddenly stop, and turn her head, to listen. I stopped, and walked back. "What's up?" She silenced me, and took a few steps. When Christopher began to follow her, she stopped him. Afni took a few more steps, further away from us.

"Afni?" he asked, softly. She gasped, and turned around. She was wide-eyed, and she bit her lip.

"She's here…" As we turned, to look around, a scream erupted from the trees, and Kiara flew from them, slamming her feet into Afni's chest, knocking her to the ground. Afni screamed, her hands over her face, laying on her back in the dust.

"Afni!" Christopher and I moved to help her, but she jutted her arms out.

"Don't! Don't come over here! I'm fine!" She reached down, grabbing Kiara's feet, flipping her away from us and jumping up.

"So…You thought you could get them out of here alive, didn't you?" Afni took a deep shaky breath, and I saw her hand tremble a little.

"No…I…I know I can get them out of here alive…What has Loki ordered you to do to me, Kiara?" she asked, moving up, standing firm, her voice flat and strong. Kiara smirked.

"Bring you back, so you may lead him, as well, to the gateway."

"Never."

"You don't come back, I kill…"

"I know, I know. You kill each and every one of us, saving me for last so I may suffer in watching them die, is that it?"

"Almost…Except him," she said, nodding towards Christopher. He raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"I force you to suffer by killing off everyone but him, then kill you. He stays alive, and comes with me." Afni stepped back, looking at him.

"Why him?" Kiara shrugged.

"I like him…" Christopher's cheeks turned red.

"You can't have him…" Afni said, knitting her eyebrows together.

"Oh? Why is that?" Afni drew her sword, and held one hand up by her shoulder. A blue flame encompassed it, and she smirked.

"Because he doesn't love you…he loves me…" she said. Christopher nodded, affirming this. Kiara snarled.

"So be it…" She leapt at Afni, but Afni chucked the fireball at her, knocking her backwards. She raised her sword.

"You wish to fight, bring out your sword…We fight like warriors, not magicians…" Kiara ripped her sword from its holster, and swung. Afni swung, too, blocking it, and pushed the blade by Kiara's arm, cutting it.

"Be careful!" Christopher and I called, and looked at each other. We watched them fight. Afni ducked as Kiara threw a dagger at her, and it slammed into a tree directly behind her.

"Bitch!" Kiara screamed. Afni wiped the sweat off her brow, and leapt up, balancing almost impossibly on the dagger in the tree. She brought her arm up, letting the sword fly at Kiara. Kiara threw hers, too, but was impaled upon Afni's. As she screamed, Afni jumped out of the way. The sword Kiara threw slammed between Afni's arm and her side, cutting both, and causing her to bleed. She jumped away from it, and watched, for the first time, as someone died in front of her. Kiara ripped the sword from her stomach, and stared down, in surprise, as the blood soaked thru her shirt. Afni stumbled, surprised herself. Christopher rushed over, rapping his arms around her, and she just stared, wide-eyed, as Kiara died. She lifted her eyes, from the dirt, gasping for air.

"You…you…you'll live to regret this…" she pushed, her voice hoarse. Afni shook her head, and buried it in Christopher's shoulder. After a second, she lifted her eyes, and looked at me. Her eyes asked if she were dead, and I only nodded. Afni sighed, and pulled back, looking at her arm. Christopher lifted it up.

"You'll be alright," he said. She nodded, but made up some bandages, and turned away.

"David," she whispered. I walked over, and she held out the bandages, her eyes pleading. I pulled her to a tree, away from the others, and helped her out of her shirt. Christopher rolled his eyes, and turned away. I looked up at her.

"You feel okay?" I asked, wrapping the bandages first around her chest, then around her arm, and nodded. She pulled another shirt on, and nodded her head.

"Sore…but okay…" As we walked out, her getting rid of the bandages in her hands, Christopher walked over. Afni stepped over, to take his hand, but he reached up, and slammed his fist into my face. I stumbled back, surprised. "Christopher!" she screamed. He hit me again, and she leapt on his back, pulling him away. "Stop it!" He spun around.

"Afni, get off me…"

"Christopher, don't get upset because I had him put bandages on me…I just…" She took a breath, hopped down, turned him to face her, and put her hand against his cheek. "You have to understand, it'd have been odd if I had had you do it…David, however, was my boyfriend for a good…three and a half years. He's seen me without a shirt. It was nothing new to him. But you…You haven't…Please…" She dropped her hands, taking his, grasping them tightly. "Understand…" His face softened, and he smiled, kissing her forehead. She smiled, and turned, helping me stand.

"Sorry, David…" Christopher said.

"Go to hell," I growled, rubbing my face.

"David?" she asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged her off, and she looked at Christopher. As I started off, I heard her say, "Now look what you've done." She ran up behind me. "David, please…don't run away from me…" I stopped, and looked at her.

"Why? You damn boyfriend just hit me…twice…for something I didn't do…" She sighed.

"I'm sorry, David!" he called.

"And he apologizes for it…But…David…please…You swore not to get mad…Please…" Her voice was pleading, and I sighed.

"Damnit…fine…" Afni turned to go back to Christopher, after hugging me, but stumbled, and stopped. "What is it?" As I turned, I saw Kiara's lifeless body, laying in the dirt, staring up at us. "Guys, let's go…" Christopher patted my shoulder, apologizing again, and put an arm around Afni.

We wandered a bit farther, and finally dropped down. The sun was just now beginning to set, and Afni took a breath, staring down at the dieing grass beneath her.

"Af?" I asked, looking over.

"We aren't too far from the Gateway now…Only another day or so…" I smiled.

"Another day or so from being home for good." She nodded, but didn't smile. I frowned, and wrapped my arms around her, giving her a hug.

"Remember…I stay here…" she whispered.

"I know…" Christopher walked back out from the trees, and Afni looked up.

"You alright?" he asked. She nodded.

"Mmhmm…Yeah. I'm good. Just a little tired, I guess…"

"As you should be, after that fight earlier." She faintly smiled, and nodded, sitting back.

"I'm gonna make a bed now, and get some sleep. If whoever takes first watch needs to get to sleep, wake me…" We watched her make a bed, and lay down, her hands between her head and her pillow. I felt a deep pain of regret for letting her go, but shrugged it off. As Christopher turned away to start a fire, I moved over, and kissed her forehead.

"Take care, Afni."