The anvil cloud in the distance had not moved since yesterday and that was a comfort to Rayla. If it discharged over there, they would be safe over here.
When they woke up, they had heard roaring water mixed with the crack and crash of breaking trees from the river and the commotion had not stopped since.
They had found shelter for the night under a large sandstone arch standing on a hill. The arch kept the heat at bay now, as well. Plus, the wind didn't quite seem to know where it should blow from today.
"Are we going?", Callum asked, eyeing the formation worriedly.
"No?", she scoffed, "You see this `Storm`dragon look at that `Storm` bein' all eager to go?"
Azymondias was sitting with his back to the menace, glancing over his shoulder ever so often. He was not eager.
"Point taken", her boyfriend said and scanned the landscape away from the dark shape.
"I think I'll busy myself in those bushes over there, then. I think they're churn berries. It'd be nice to eat something other than Lembas and salt."
Rayla nodded, sitting back. "You go do that"
"What, you're not gonna help?"
"No."
"Okay then?"
As he trudged off downhill, she smirked at his back. It felt good, knowing that his shoulder wound was healing at a great pace, and she could tell it would turn into an interesting scar for him to talk about.
Patting her own arm, she felt confident. When they had switched the poultice out for a normal bandage, the swelling and other signs of infection had been much reduced.
Once he was out of sight, she jumped up. Today was the day her surprise was finally due, with the sandstone of the arch she had everything she needed.
Callum was picking berries, popping a few into his mouth ever so often. The sun felt nicer in the dry heat than it did yesterday and since the winds kept turning, he was buffeted by a cool, sandless breeze most of the time.
The berries were sickly sweet and their juice slightly viscous. He didn't think much of it, seeing as they were a bit dry, too.
Eventually, Rayla joined him, calling him over.
"Got bored up there?", he asked, hugging her.
"Maybe.", she said coyly, "How are the berries?"
"Sweeter than I expected, actually, I thought churn berries would be more tart. I guess drying them out does that."
He offered her a berry.
She eyed the fruit and gave him an incredulous look, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"Callum. Just yesterday, I said that you were becomin' good at survival. One day later, I take my eyes off you for maybe half an hour, and here you are. Blissfully gobblin' twist bell."
"Twist bell?!", he spat.
"How many did you have?"
"I dunno maybe two hands full? I thought twist bell has seeds on the outside!"
"It does! When it's fresh and not dried out by the sun! They pop off when the fruit shrinks! Well, dummy, you are in for the ride of your life. We better sit you down."
They returned to the arch and Callum flopped on the ground.
"I don't feel anything, Ray-ray."
"That so?", she seemed vaguely amused under her concern, "You just called me Ray-ray"
He fell over, laughing. "Oh that is so funny! Ray-ray, why am I so funny?"
"You're not."
"Oh this is bad, isn't it? I feel like I can't stop smirking!"
"You're fine. It'll pass. Bells aren't dangerous if you don't eat many. Some idiots even eat'em for fun.", she grabbed his head and ordered, "Look at me."
His eyes rolled into place.
"Woah. You're really pretty. Like the sun!", he pointed vaguely at it, "Is that why they call you Ray-la?"
She chuckled, checking the whites of his eyes for telltale reddening.
"I'm a moon elf! People wouldn't name me for the sun!"
"The moon has rays, TOO!", he yelled angrily.
She smirked and pet his face, then let go of him, "I just can't let you go out on your own, can I?"
"No, I do dumb stuff when you're not watching."
"Ugh, yeah you do. What did we learn?"
"Don't eat berries"
"None of them?"
"Maybe Moonberries?"
"Maybe Moonberries", she repeated with a nod, "Do you feel lightheaded?"
"Oh. Yes! My head is a cloud. Just, off.", he waved his hands in the air, "There it goes! Bye head!", he looked at her and said, sadly, "It was a pretty head!"
"Pretty stupid, maybe"
She hugged him and he went quiet.
"Wha'?", she challenged, not quite able to keep from grinning.
"Rayla", he said, all too seriously, "You never have to tell me why you're reading weird books and playing with pebbles.", he started giggling, "But only if I never have to tell you why I like picking flowers."
"You like pickin' flowers?"
"I just told you, you can't ask!"
"Alright, alright!", she snorted.
This was absurd. She felt both amused and worried, not sure if the dose he'd eaten was okay for him.
"Look at the kitty-cat!", he yelled, startling her.
He was pointing at Zym who was cleaning his wing, stopping mid-lick to eye them inquisitively.
"He is not a kitty-cat, Callum, he's a dragon!"
"Yeah I know, a real drag-on my nerves! He needs to learn how to fly for long stretches! He can't ride you all day, I want my turn!"
She swatted at him.
"I can't carry you, dummy!"
He just stared, giggled weakly, then fell forward into her arms.
"What, did you run out of steam already?", she asked.
He nodded shakily. "Oh. Rayla, I'm gonna be sick."
She quickly spun him away from her, just in time.
"You are such a pain in the rear end!", she said lovingly, patting his back, "Can't give you a simple task, like firin' a bow and arrow or pickin' berries."
He groaned, "I really don't feel good right now"
"What's wrong?"
"Just…need sleep.", he mumbled.
"Alright, you big, dumb human, come here."
Rayla - despite what she had just said - picked him up and carried him to where they had slept last night with some effort. He clung to her like a baby and she could almost call it adorable, were it not for the fact that he was bulkier than her at the same height, making him very awkward to hold on to.
Twist bell had a way of rapidly drilling into your head, exiting the same way it had entered the body and then leaving you completely incapacitated for a few hours. After untangling herself from him, she tucked him in, shaking her head at his pale face.
When Callum came to, the dark world was spinning in five directions at once. He was panicking.
"Rayla!", he yelled and soon felt her kneel next to him.
"What's wrong?"
"Is it normal that I see five copies of everything that all move in different directions?"
"Close your eyes, it'll go away in a moment. You're going to be totally fine."
He did. "So how come you know how to deal with this stuff?"
"You think you're the only one who ever gets those two plants mixed up? Fat chance. Lil' Rayla made the same mistake. Runaan was so annoyed."
"I bet that wasn't fun."
"Not likely. It was also way more dangerous. I was little, I could've died. He was mad for the right reasons."
He felt her hands lift his head and then the half-firmness of her thighs. Her fingers started tussling his hair.
"This is nice", he said quietly, "I still feel like I'm spinning a little though."
"Well, stop it", she said, kissing his forehead.
He opened his eyes and she came into focus.
"Hey", she said warmly, "feel better?"
"Seeing you always makes me feel better."
She snickered. Sappy prince. "notice anythin' different?"
"New pendant?"
There was a round pendant adorning her neck. It seemed roughly chipped and a bit unrefined.
"I got it for you in Larwein, actually. It just needed a new sandstone base, the old one was cracked."
He blinked. "For me? Why?"
"Because I like you and I wanted to do somethin' nice for you, dummy. It's a mage's pendant. Supposed to help you channel primal power."
She took the pendant off and put it around his neck. He didn't feel any different, but didn't want to make it seem like he didn't appreciate her gift.
"Woah", he said, getting up, "thank you!"
He leaned forward to kiss her, the pendant swinging toward her neck. When it hit her, she startled a little but didn't break the kiss.
"Sorry, I'll tuck it.", he said, stuffing the jewelry down the front of his shirt.
"Mmh. Good idea since I'm not done with gifts yet."
He blinked at her tone and the flush that was spreading on her face. She extended her right hand and he opened his. A flower dropped into his palm.
He recognized Ismil.
He looked up from the plant, smiling broadly and got up. The prince got something from his bag and sat back down.
Rayla's gaze followed him expectantly, getting more and more flustered and anxious as the seconds ticked away. Why wasn't he saying anything? Had he forgotten the song?
"So much for not following the rules", he smiled, flushing. His hand opened.
In it, she found Ismil.
She picked up the flower and gave him a loving smile. "You thought of the same thin', aww, dummy!"
He spread his arms and she threw herself at him. They rolled on the ground in a tight embrace.
"Now we just need to stay up till midnight", he said, petting her hair.
Thunder clapped in the distance. Callum and Rayla both looked over at the slightly weaker anvil, still angrily destroying the land below and ahead. Where the cloud ended, the stars had come out. There was a soft eastward breeze that brought warm air and rustled the spikes of cacti and bushes all around them. Azymondias was sitting high above them in a little hollow in the arch, totally fixated on the storm, whipping his tail back and forth.
"It's breathtaking, isn't it?", he asked.
"Yeah. Kinda like you."