Their journey went by too quickly for everything that happened. Alvin betrayed them, came back, and betrayed them again. Rowen, Elize, and Teepo joined them through conflict after conflict. However, despite all these new allies, tragedy still befell the group.
Milla, in her haste to apprehend Nachtigal, had been horribly injured. And unable to walk as a result. After some debating, Jude decided that perhaps that wasn't it to their journey. Perhaps his father could help. And thus the pair set off. Milla on horseback, Jude on foot and leading the animal by its reins. He watched his feet as he walked along the dirt-covered trails. Milla was mostly silent, content in watching to on-going of passing critters.
"It's not your fault." Celsius murmured for the thousandth time.
Jude didn't quite agree.
"Jude, it wasn't your fault." Aska said "Milla was the one who rushed after him-"
"DON'T BLAME HER!" Jude snapped. Milla jumped, clutching onto the spooked horse's neck to prevent being thrown off. The horse also stared, gawk-eyed at its current handler. A light blush crept across Jude's face as he assisted Milla back to a steady seating.
She tilted her head, watching him as he sighed and moved back to lead the horse. "Jude, what was that about?"
Jude fidgeted "Er…nothing." He forced a smile "Just….yelling a bit at my friends."
"Ah, yes." Milla said with a nod "The invisible ones." She tilted her head "Is it all resolved?"
"There was never an argument." Celsius insisted.
"….Although that was your fault." Aska added.
"SHUT IT!" Celsius snapped.
A series of concerned and frightened 'BZRRTTS; followed. Jude couldn't help but smile at their antics.
"I see it is." Milla said with a content smile.
Jude laughed, a forced thing that sounded more like a cough. He cleared his throat, clutching the horse's reins, and continued along.
No sooner did they get a good pace going did it start to rain. Water came down in sheets and sheets, and Jude hurried to shelter both Milla and their borrowed horse. After a bit of a frantic search, he set Milla underneath a small ledge, and tied the horse up under a rather shady tree. He patted the equine's neck apologetically before scampering, soaked, to the ledge with Milla.
Jude sighed, letting himself relax a moment. He leaned backwards, closing his eyes and simply breathing in the dark. But, before his brain even registered dozing off, he was jerked back to the physical world by the sound of chattering teeth. He blinked the sleep from his eyes. Milla, in the corner of his vision, was hugging her arms to herself, smiling contently despite her vicious shivering.
"Is this what it is like to feel cold?" She mused "I believe this is the first time I spent a moment to experience it."
Jude smiled, a tad concerned. Getting back to his feet, he called out over his shoulder
"I'll be right back."
Milla waved him off "I'll be here."
Jude's expression dropped to a half-lidded smile. He sighed, then sprinted out into the rain. After several more minutes, he once again returned, soaking wet but carrying firewood.
Milla blinked as she watched Jude set about to laying them out. Her eyes locked on his trembling hands. She frowned.
"Hm, now you're cold." She observed.
Jude smiled through his trembling "Yeah. Don't worry, I'll dry these off with some spirit artes and-"
"Arrivendenci!" Milla shouted, and a sprout of wind magic blew out from the ground, lifting the gather logs and dropping them down, dry as a bone. Jude, his hair now a wild mess, forced an awkward smile.
"Yeah, that worked." He said.
"Should I light it, too?" Milla asked.
Jude shook his head "N-no, you might set me on fire."
"Oh." Milla blinked. She nodded "An understandable concern.
Jude laughed a bit, cleared his throat, and let the fire with a small flick of his wrist and a small spark of mana. Once the fire was lit, he settled down deeper into the cave next to her. Milla watched him as he laid back, closing his eyes and breathing slowly.
"Jude?" She said. Jude yawned and faced her, a frown on his face. Half his profile orange from the flames and the other half shrouded in the dark shadows it cast.
"Is something wrong?" he asked, his voice small over the sound of the crackling fire. Milla smiled.
She leaned over and gave her pendant to him.
The next day, they set off once again. And it was going smoothly.
Until a boar charged them, that is.
The monster itself Jude was quick to take care of, striking it down with three hits of his fist. He panted a little after the deed was done, and quickly turned his attention to Milla. She sat on the ground, leaning over her immobile legs with a bit of a pout.
"Well this is unfortunate." She muttered, looking out behind them "The horse ran off."
Jude fidgeted, sighed, and hauled her up onto his back. She yelped a bit in surprise, but secured her hands around his shoulders.
"Hold on tight." He smiled up at her. Milla return the expression ten-fold.
"Thank you, Jude."
When they arrived at Leronde, they were greeted ceremoniously by the very-enthusiastic Leia Rolando. She assisted them by pushing Milla along in a wheel chair, giving Jude's back a break. Jude stretched, shooting a grateful grin at his childhood friend. Milla gave her a grateful nod as well, and Leia was flustered from all the praise and attention.
However, that didn't stop her from nagging Jude's ears off. Jude sighed, 'mhhmm'ing as he only half-listened. It was not that she was boring to listen to- well, that too, but it was mainly due to Celsius's singing, Aska yelling at her to shut up, and a series of Bleeps and Bloops, with only a word from Shadow here and there to assure Jude he wasn't down one voice.
Thankfully they quieted down when they got to the Mathis Clinic.
"Jude!" A male shouted, sprinting to them.
Jude stared, wide eyed as Leia all but fell over. He cleared his throat, trying not to let his confusion be that obvious "Hey, Dad."
Derrick smiled "Welcome home, Jude."
Jude blinked, a frown creasing his face "Er…thanks." He shot Leia a look, to which she returned with a confused shrug of her shoulders.
"Hello, Mr. Mathis." Milla greeted, waving from her chair.
"Oh…." Derrick murmured, his voice dropping as he eyed the woman "What on earth happened to her?"
"Well, it's a long story." Jude said, gripping his wrist. He looked over to Leia "Can we get Mom here too? So I can explain it to all of you at once?"
Derrick rose an eyebrow, but nodded curtly. "Ellen should be inside. Let's go."
After the hefty explanation of what he's been doing, and the awkward silence that followed, Jude hung his head, bracing himself. Instead, he got….
"Well I suppose we should help her."
Jude stared. Ellen blinked, frowning. Mother and son exchanged a look, then both looked to Leia. Leia gave another, slightly exaggerated shrug. Milla smiled.
"That would be great, thank you-"
"I never said we could help." Derrick interrupted. Milla's smile dropped to a contemplative frown.
"B-but, Dad!" Jude protested "You've fixed a patient's legs before-"
"That was different!" Derrick snapped at him. He sighed, massaging his temple "All right, all right….I'll see what I can do."
Jude stared a moment before a bright smile spread across his face "Thank you, Dad!"
"Yes, yes." Derrick waved him off "But today has been pretty long for all of us, hasn't it?" He smiled "Let's get some dinner."
Jude smiled back, his eyes shining "Okay!"
Ellen smiled a small smile. Leia jumped up from where she sat, flexing her arms above her head.
"YEAH! I'll go get my Mom and we'll make a big dinner-"
"No." Derrick interrupted a bit too abruptly. Leia blinked, staring him down until the man smiled "I would like to make dinner, if that's all right. You head on home, Leia."
"Er…9kay." Leia frowned, crossing her arms in a pout "Bye Jude, bye Milla."
"Bye, Leia!" Jude chirped, "I'll go set the table- Milla, want to help?"
Milla's gaze remained on Derrick, narrowed into a puzzling glare. But at Jude's voice, she turned a moment and nodded "Yes, as much as I am able to, anyway."
Jude smiled again, pushing Milla's wheelchair into the kitchen with him. Derrick waved Leia off. Ellen frowned, wringing her hands.
In the kitchen, Jude was happily setting down plates and silverware, humming a soft tune. Milla watched him, hands folded in her lap as he worked. She frowned, listening intently to the clank and clammer of Derrick in the kitchen. The woman drummed her fingers along the tops of her paralyzed legs. Jude seemed happy, at least.
…