Chapter 6
The following day, Death and Strife walked through the woods. Death led on foot with his hawk on his left shoulder while Strife rode on Despair. Strife didn't have time to tell Death what happened last night that morning because Death ordered him to pack up and get ready to leave. He still didn't have any idea where they were going. Death had been so quiet and proud looking that he refused to answer any of Strife's questions.
"We'll stop here." Death said, sitting on a large rock in front of a tree. He wrapped his cloak around him to keep warm from the early afternoon's cool air.
"This isn't a good day for travel." He said, leaning against the tree and closed his eyes. Strife rolled his and dismounted Despair and tied the reins around a tree so the horse wouldn't run off. Strife sat on the ground in front of it.
"I could get some more rest after what happened last night. That tiger would've killed me." He paused to wrap his brown cloak around him.
"But it was strange. It attacked the demon and left me alone." He looked at Death who didn't seem interested in the story, but continued anyway.
"There was a woman, with snow-white skin, a marking on her forehead and bright golden eyes, like a bird and she had the voice of an angel." Death's eyes opened in wonder.
"She spoke?"
"Yes."
"What did she say?" Death asked amazed, eyes lighting up.
"I asked her if I were dreaming and she said I was." Death smiled faintly and lowered his head, looking down as if he was sad and wanted to hide the pain that was coursing through him. Strife took Death's silence as an offense, thinking Death didn't believe him.
"I am a liar and a thief, but I'm telling the truth this time." Death looked up at Strife, his eyes hiding an emotion he couldn't read.
"I believe you." Death reassured.
"I believe in dreams. Did she have a name?" Strife shrugged his shoulders.
"She didn't say. Why?"
"A name can close doubt." Death said, glancing at the hawk, his face becoming an open book of how his mind was racing with memories of better times. He realized this and closed himself off. He pulled his hood over his head further, hiding most of his face.
"Get some sleep. The bird will alert us to any danger." Strife shook his head, not at Death, but at himself. Death looked as if he was revealing something deep from him, but swallowed it up. He got a bad feeling about this whole situation he found himself in. Something wasn't right. He has followed Death for two days now and he has yet to say what he wanted Strife for. Did it have anything to do with his deep feelings he was hiding? Every bone in his body was telling him to run, get away from Death as fast as he could, but another part was telling him he couldn't.
"I am crazy to stay here. Completely out of my mind." He muttered