-The evening before.-

“Look, I know you want us to keep going, but we just can’t! It’s been a long day! A long two days, really!” Irving protested, standing over Serha, his back to her, arms flung out wide, trying to keep Bellows from getting closer to her. “Even you’re tired, I can tell! And we all know and respect that you need plenty of sleep. They’ll have to stop and rest anyway, and we’ll catch up to them tomorrow!” He pleaded.

Heaven help the dwarf if he put the whip he had in his hand to Serha. Or rather, heaven help Irving if that happened, because he would attack Bellows if he lifted a finger towards the poor selkie.

The poor woman wasn’t used to walking long distances, like they’d been doing for the last couple of days. Bellows had forced them to accompany him and his cronies as they tracked Marri and Rowan, for what purpose, Irving didn’t know.

But the pace Bellows had forced them to keep was entirely too fast for anyone not used to such things, so Serha had started to lag behind, and then had faltered and collapsed.

“Besides, she won’t be able to keep going at all if you whip her!” Irving finished irately.

He could see that had gotten through the evil dwarf’s thick skull, as the furious anger burning there lessened.

“Fine. We’ll take a break.” Bellows growled, “But it’s on your head if we lose them!”

“Those goggles of yours won’t let you! You’ve already said as much!” Irving protested. “Besides, if we haven’t lost them already, we’re not going to! Even when they pick up speed, you said the trail just gets the slightest bit fainter!”

“Maybe.” Bellows grunted.

Irving had managed to catch a peek through the special, rune-carved goggles that Bellows had earlier in the day. It showed two distinct lines of glowing lilac that glowed on the ground, leading off into the forest. Somehow, Bellows was able to track the magic in the bands all of his captives wore with those glasses.

Irving suspected that it had to do with the fact that the runes on the bands and glasses were made by him. That was really the only thing that made sense.

Bellows turned away. “Find yourselves some food.” he ordered.

“Right.” Irving muttered.

Another reason poor Serha had practically fainted was because they’d not had any proper food since they’d been forced to leave the camp, and barely any water.

He knelt beside the poor, lovely selkie, and reached out to gently touch her hand. “Hey, sweetie, are you okay?”

Her large, lovely dark eyes flickered open. “I…I think so. Wh-what happened?” Her voice was faint with exhaustion.

“You passed out.” The ogre managed a wry smile. “But we’re going to have a rest now, I think. You stay here and I’ll find us some food, okay?”

“O-okay.” she murmured, letting her eyes close again.

Staying as close as he could, lest Bellows take the whip to him for trying to run off, even though the metal restraint wouldn't let him, Irving found what he could.

In the end, he didn’t do too bad. There were puffball mushrooms, dandelion greens, some ramps, and blackberries. They weren’t too far from a stream, so he’d have fished if he could, but he doubted Bellows would have let him do so, much less light a fire to cook anything he did manage to catch.

Irving carried his find back to Serha, and found she was now sitting up, leaning against a tree. She was asleep, but some color had returned to her face.

He hated to wake her, but knew she needed to eat. Kneeling beside her, he shook her gently. “Hey gorgeous, I have some food.”

Serha blinked sleepily at him. “Oh…thank you, Irving.”

“No problem, doll.” he murmured, quickly dividing the food between them. “We’ll just pretend it’s salad. Yeah?”

She managed a weak smile, “Yeah.”

He let himself reach out and touch her face. “It’s gonna be okay, alright?”

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“You think?”

“Yes.”

Serha’s eyes flickered over to where Bellows was busy ordering the other fey folk about. This was the first real moment they’d had to talk to one another since the dwarf had made them come with them, as they’d walked long into the night the day before, and had barely had any rest before setting out again. “Marri and Rowan, they-”

“Did you see them when the giants attacked?” Irving cut her off quickly.

She nodded.

“Then don't tell me. The less I know, the better.” he told her, “He can’t order me to tell him what I don’t know. Yeah?”

Understanding filled her eyes, “Yeah.”

He’d suspected, from watching Serha’s reaction to hearing of Rowan and Marri’s escape, that she’d known something about what had happened.

Luckily, Bellows hadn’t interrogated anyone particularly closely, as it was clear he thought that Marrina had somehow orchestrated the escape, saying something about her strange singing magic maybe affecting the runes somehow. Apparently they could be finicky. That was news to Irving, news he filed away for future reference.

If the runes were finicky, there was every chance they could be messed with. They’d never been ordered not to mess with them.

After the chaos of the sudden giant attack had subsided, Irving had noticed that Arden was missing too. So maybe he’d gone with them? Given he seemed to have fallen head-over-heels for Marri very quickly, it seemed likely. Although he probably would only slow them down, being only human…But Meeks hadn’t said a word about the missing circus employee, and Irving suspected Bellows hadn’t really known that Meeks had passed off basically all of his fey-related duties onto the newcomer.

The lazy asshole.

As much as he wished it had been him who’d escaped, Irving couldn't find it in his heart to be upset with Marri and Rowan taking whatever opportunity had presented itself and getting the hell out of there as soon as they realized they could. Would it be nice for them to have all gone? Yes. But it was likely a situation where if they tried to get everyone out, then no one would have gotten out, and he really didn’t begrudge them their freedom.

“I’m sorry I couldn't find more.” Irving told his lovely selkie companion.

“Don’t apologize, Irving. I’m just grateful you brought me anything at all.” she reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently.

He kept hold of it. “I won’t let you starve.”

Serha’s dark eyes searched his face, “I-I know.”

“Are you thirsty?”

“Yeah.”

“Let me help you to the stream.” Irving jerked his head in the direction of the little creek.

“Thank you.” she murmured.

He helped her up, and they made their way to the creek. They drank their fill.

Serha picked up a brown, dry fruit of some kind that had fallen off a nearby tree. “This is a walnut.” she murmured.

“Oh? I hadn’t realized, or I’d have grabbed them.” Irving blinked.

“They might not taste good, but they’d be okay to eat.” she said thoughtfully.

“Let’s see what we can do.” he muttered.

They were soon pulling off the hulls, cracking the shells open, and extracting the actual edible part.

“That’s the cherry on top of our meal.” Serha smiled at him. He could see she was doing a lot better for finally getting some water and food in her.

“Are you full?”

“Yes, actually.” she nodded, still smiling a little.

“We’ll keep opening some, and fill our pockets with as many as we can carry. I don’t know if or when Bellows will let us stop again. We should drink as much as we can while we’re stopped, too. I know we’re both probably dehydrated.”

“Yeah.”

“I wish there was a way we could keep some water with us.” Irving frowned.

“Maybe we’ll think of something.” Serha shrugged. “Let’s keep thinking.”

They worked quietly away at shelling more walnuts.

Finally, Irving spoke again. “If…if we…ever…manage to get free…I know you don’t have family anywhere. I’ll take you back to mine.” There was really no reason why they wouldn't have him back, and Serha was so quiet, unassuming, and pretty, that he couldn't imagine anyone protesting her addition.

She was quiet for a few moments, then murmured, “I’d like that. Although I don’t know if I’d fit in well.”

“Of course you would.” He reached out, staying her movements briefly and pulling her fingers gently to his mouth for just a brief moment, lest Bellows see and punish him for it. “Someday, alright? I promise.”

“Someday.” She favored him with another weak smile.

Irving thought vaguely of Marri, and felt guilty for a moment. Marri who he’d known for so long, and had shared so many difficult times with. He loved her too, of course. It had been terrifying and paralyzing when he’d realized he was falling for Serha. He’d been unable to make up his mind, and had tried to flirt between the two of them. He could feel himself pulled to Serha, but Marri had seemed to need him too, in some way, and he was very, very fond of the pretty young mermaid. They’d been through too much together for him to be anything but fond of her.

But Marri had that Arden guy, now. And, despite being human, Arden seemed to be exactly what she needed. When he’d finally seen that, Irving finally realized that they’d never have suited, and felt such a release. Marri wouldn't have wanted him romantically, anyways. He could see that, looking back. And that was okay. Good, even.

The ogre knew he’d still love Marrina forever. Very much. Just as a sister in his strange, cobbled together family.