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It was a gorgeous day.
The sky was a brilliant blue, with only the odd fluffy cloud floating along to break up the expanse. The air was warm, but not too warm, and a light breeze rustled the leaves of the acacia trees under which they had taken shelter. If he was at home, this was the kind of day that Stephen would spend running and jumping and swimming, he might even enjoy a spar against Cafos in this weather.
Today, however, there was no enjoyment to be found in the sunshine, as Stephen was trapped beneath the canopy of trees to avoid being spotted from the air. The beautiful weather seemed almost mocking to him, as if the world was uncaring of the storm that raged inside his head. His gaze was focused dully on a faraway hill, trying to ignore the hunger pangs that had woken him up a few hours before. He missed his home. But, was his home ever what he thought it was?
Alexis was still sleeping, curled up into a ball at the base of the tree behind him. He felt, against his will, slightly bitter with her for setting into motion the events that had led him here. But he was just as much at fault, and it was his choice to go with her. It was ultimately Lucius's fault for trying to kill her.
His thoughts continued around and around in that manner for another hour or so, regretting his decision to leave, justifying it, blaming himself, his mentor, his friends, then starting over. Finally, as the sun had nearly reached its peak, Alexis stirred.
"Morning sleepyhead." He murmured as she lifted her head, blinking blearily out at her surroundings.
"Mornin'… Stevie." Alexis flipped over on her back, stretching and then going limp in the grass. "You… okay?"
"Yeah." More or less. "How'd you sleep?"
"Like a pardoned prisoner." Alexis sighed, gazing up at the sky. "We should go."
"Go where?" Stephen glanced down the valley.
"Forward, I guess. And look for some food along the way." Alexis pushed herself up. "Water, too."
"Right." Stephen got to his feet, took her hand, and they set off.
They stayed under the trees as much as possible, Stephen anxiously scanning the sky for any sign of pursuers while Alexis watched the ground for food. They came across a couple of wild carrots, but the vegetables didn't last them long, and Stephen was wondering if he would have to hunt for food once it got dark. After about an hour of walking, they spied a river that cut through the valley in the distance - and beyond that, a town.
"Look." Alexis pointed, drawing his attention down from the sky. "There's a town there." Stephen frowned.
"Do you think it would be wise to enter?"
"I can't see why not. We can probably find something to eat in there."
"But we have no money." Stephen protested. Alexis raised a brow at him.
"I'm quite good at getting things for free."
"You- ah." Stephen narrowed his gaze at her. "We're not going to steal."
"It's either that, or we starve, because I'm not begging."
"No, we won't." Stephen gave a firm shake of his head. "I'm not planning on begging either, but you said no one would hire you because you don't look physically capable, right?" Alexis raised a brow, nodding. "Well," Stephen gestured to himself. "I think I could manage."
"Yes, but can you get a job?" Alexis asked skeptically. "Have you ever spoken to anyone outside of your camp? Other than me?" Stephen frowned.
"You do a task for someone and they give you money for it. It doesn't seem that complex."
"It's a bit more delicate than that. There's an agreement that needs made." Alexis told him. "They have to trust that you're able to do the thing they're paying you for, otherwise they won't agree to pay you. If you could just show up and start working and get paid for it, everyone would do it."
"So I find someone who needs work done and offer to do it. If they agree, I have a job."
"Yes, but-" Alexis rubbed at her forehead, looking irritable. "You have to approach in a certain way, and you've never… talked to a person before."
"Well, you have." Stephen pointed out. "So why don't you find me a job?" Alexis quirked her jaw.
"I suppose that would work."
"Great." Stephen cast a final glance at the sky, then began to head towards the river.
He knelt on the bank when they reached it, lowering himself down to wash his face while Alexis took a drink. He rubbed the cold water over his skin until any trace of the previous night's tears had been washed away, then gazed at his reflection in the water. He didn't have to figure out yet what to do with the rest of his life. He just needed to make it through the day.
"There's a bridge." Alexis commented. Stephen looked up, following her gaze to about 500 feet down the river.
"That's good." He wiped the remaining water off of his face, then stood. "It's shallow enough to cross, but it would be nice to keep our feet dry. C'mon." He offered her a hand, and she took it. "Let's get out of the open."
Being surrounded by humans was… strange.
Stephen struggled to keep himself from staring as he and Alex made their way down the center path, though the inhabitants of the town afforded them no such courtesy as they stared openly at the newcomers. Stephen couldn't be sure, due to his limited interactions with strangers, but he was certainly getting the impression that they were not welcome. Alexis said nothing, keeping her gaze straight ahead, until they reached a larger building.
"Alright," she said, keeping her voice low. "I'm going to go inside and ask around. You come with me, but stand just inside the doorway, and don't speak to anyone. Understand?"
"Alright. What is this place?" Stephen cast a curious glance at the windows.
"It's the local inn. It's where people stay if they don't live here, and they also serve food. Oh," Alexis tapped her chin. "You should probably take a fake name."
"Why?"
"In case the valkyries come looking for you." She elaborated. "They would be asking for 'Stephen', wouldn't they? So if the people here know you as, I don't know, Andrew, or Luke, or whatever, they won't know who they're talking about."
"I guess." Stephen glanced up at the sky. Despite not having seen any sign of pursuers, he couldn't keep from scanning for them at least once every couple of minutes. "So what should my fake name be?" Alexis put a hand to her chin, studying him.
"You look like you could be a Brian." She said at last.
"Alright." Stephen shrugged. "Brian it is."
They entered the inn quietly, and Alexis pointed him to his spot by the door before breaking away. Stephen took this opportunity to study the room. He had seen buildings like this from a distance before, but he had never been inside one. Large windows along the walls let in a great deal of natural light, eliminating the need for additional lighting during the day. The room was divided into two main parts, that of the dining area, where a scattered few men were eating, and a lounging area by a currently-empty fireplace. This must be a gathering place as well as being a source of food and bedding.
Alexis worked her way around the room, fearlessly approaching several of the men and engaging them in conversation. Stephen could see her pointing him out to each one. Still, every one of them turned her away, and by the time she had worked her way around there was a small frown on her face.
"No luck." Her voice was dejected as she addressed him, and Stephen let out a disappointed breath.
"Alright." He tried to keep his voice light. "Surely there are other opportunities."
"Maybe." Alexis didn't seem all that convinced. "Being outsiders isn't helping our chances. This bunch seems prejudiced about us to begin with."
"Ah…" Could they possibly move on to another town? One less… suspicious? Or maybe they could camp out by the river, catch fish for food. But surely they couldn't do that forever. "Well, for today, at least-"
"You two." A voice interrupted him, and the pair turned to find themselves being beckoned by the man behind the counter. He was tall, with a hard face and graying hair. "Come here." Stephen looked to Alexis, who nodded, and they went up to meet him. "You're not from here, huh?" The man asked.
"Nope." Alexis confirmed. "We're looking for work."
"I can see that." The man's narrowed gaze studied first her, then Stephen. "You're young to be out here all on your own."
"We don't have a choice." Alexis told him bluntly. "If you don't mind, could you tell us if there's anyone other than this lot who's looking for workers?"
"I am." The man said. "You, boy. Can you carry?" Stephen blinked, then nodded. "You listen well?" Another nod. "And girl, do you know how to wash?"
"Yes, sir."
"Right." The man rested muscular arms on the counter, leaning over them. "I'll pay you with three meals a day and a place t' sleep for you two to help me out around the place. Sound fair?" Alexis's face lit up, and Stephen broke his silence to say,
"Yes, sir, that sounds fair."
"Good." The man beckoned them behind the counter, and they hastened to obey. "My name is Hugo Vanwell."
"I'm Alexis." Alexis introduced herself.
"And I'm Brian." Stephen added.
"Good to meet you both." Hugo nodded to them. "Now come, I'll show you where to start."
"I almost wish we could switch." Alexis picked at a tear in her sleeve, pulling on a loose thread. "They wouldn't recognize me as easily if they saw me at a glance."
"On the contrary, I haven't seen a single other person with your red hair." Stephen countered. "While from a distance I look just like anyone else."
"I guess." Alexis yanked the thread until it snapped. "Still makes me worry."
"We're safer around other people, I think." Stephen told her. "Unless they come searching. Are you holding up alright?" Alexis patted her bicep.
"Washing dishes for hours makes the arm act up, but I'll manage." She sprawled out on the bench with a sigh. "Been a while since I was properly full." Stephen nodded. It truly was a stroke of fortune that Hugo had offered them this job.
Stephen had spent the day outside, mostly lugging crates from wagons to storage areas and vice versa. Running an inn required a lot of supplies, apparently. He also helped with a wealthy traveler's luggage, but it seemed the town didn't see much outside traffic. Alexis, on the other hand, had spent the day in the kitchen washing dishes. She had worked alongside Hugo's wife, whom she described as 'slightly frightening'. Apparently she would assist with cleaning the linens as well.
When the day had come to an end and the last patrons had been herded out, Hugo had presented them with the promised food and board. It wasn't fancy, they were given a serving of the day's special and allowed to sleep in the lounge part of the room, but it was more than they could have hoped for when they had woken up under the trees this morning. Stephen was already plotting, wondering, maybe he could get a second job and start earning money. Maybe he could finally make good on his promise to get Alexis new clothes.
As long as the valkyries didn't turn up, that is. Stephen's stomach churned uneasily at the thought of it, but it was a concept that he couldn't ignore. He didn't know how long they would search before giving up, but he knew that if they found them, they would kill Alexis. And, after all he'd done, they might kill him too.
"Stevie," Alexis murmured. Stephen lifted his head.
"Mm?"
"Thanks for coming with me." She said quietly. Stephen blinked, then gave her a small smile.
"Thanks for forcing me to."
"Ahh, you needed it." She rapped her knuckles against his knee gently. "It was sad watching you mindlessly believe whatever they said."
"As opposed to mindlessly believing whatever you say?"
"Hey, I was just making you think." Another bonk on his kneecap. "Goodnight, Stevie."
"Night, Alex."