Jere felt strange. He yawned as he lazily opened his eyes, unsure what was different. He put his arms behind his head. As he did, his elbow tapped a body next to him. Jere turned, finding the black, frizzy hair and the bare back of Eevi.

It all made sense: he had gotten a good night’s rest. No screams, no bumps in the night, no pangs of guilt. Even Malefica had spared him from nightmares.

The night had been a blur. After making love with Eevi that previous morning, Jere talked more than ever. He talked about his days as a priest in Port Algrid, his journeys on the Thalassian pirate vessel, and his eventual transition into a mercenary on the mainland. Eevi listened attentively, asking questions occasionally, before eventually moving to kiss him again. Then they would make love before starting the process over. It was all they had done until both fell asleep. They lay under a yak blanket Eevi pulled from somewhere, on top of their two cots now pressed together.

Jere watched Eevi’s toned back contract as she awoke. Her scar wrapped down her chest and crossed her waist. According to her, he was the only living person to have seen the entire thing. Her cracked skin wrinkled as she stretched.

When Eevi finally flipped around, Jere politely adjusted his eyes upward. Eevi yawned, smirking as she propped her head on her fist.

“Morning,” Eevi said, smirking. “Looking for something?”

Jere had been too slow. His gaze fell back to Eevi. Her good eye slanted, looking symmetrical with the burnt half of her face as she leaned into him. Her vision dropped to Jere’s chest for just a moment before returning.

“I just had a peculiar dream.” Eevi continued. “I was back at the bar, and you were the one serving me drinks. Only you looked exactly how you are right now.”

“Were they good for once?” Jere asked, smiling.

“I can’t recall… I was distracted.” Eevi laughed, attempting a wink. “Any good dreams you want to share?”

Jere sighed, leaning back. “No… No dreams at all.” He recalled just the faintest visage of black eyes, but it was as if the memory had already faded.

“Hmm, pity. Guess I’ll have to try harder, then.” Eevi rolled on top of Jere under the blanket, placing her legs on top of him. Jere grabbed her waist, appreciating Eevi’s lightly defined abs as she pressed her belly into his. She then folded her arms on top of his chest, stopping ever so slightly away from his face.

“Oh! You were telling me about your father. About how he got you into school.”

Jere grunted, both from Eevi’s weight on his chest and her sudden departure from kissing. He learned yesterday how often she liked to tease. “Not much to tell. Didn’t know him.”

“But he still paid for your schooling, no? That’s not insignificant.”

“Not for him… I grew up on a farm with foster parents most of my childhood.”

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“Explains this,” Eevi said as she pinched his sinewy shoulders.

“At fifteen, a messenger told me I was the son of the Jarl, who wished to repent the adultery he committed in his youth. Offered me a hundred Jiks to go to school and become a priest. In return, I would renounce all family rights to the land.”

Eevi nodded. “What’s a Jarl?”

“Oh. Think of… a chieftain of the Steppe tribes, I suppose.”

“You could have been a lord, but gave it up to be something you ended up not doing, anyway? Why not just take the land and work with your father?”

“Because fuck him, that’s why,” Jere chuckled at his unexpected sincerity. “He was an ignoramus.”

“There’s that word again. You learn any others from school?”

Jere laughed. “Not really. Wasn’t a good student.”

“You insult me.” Eevi leaned closer, her nose now touching Jere’s. He went cross-eyed looking at her. “You mean to tell me for all these years you never believed I was a raider, yet you are royalty among everything else?”

Jere shrugged. Eevi laughed.

“The only ‘ignoramus’ I’ve ever met is you. You’re the most ignorant there is.” As she said this, she lowered her face into Jere’s. He closed his eyes, ready to greet her lips again. Before they could, the door opened from the side.

“Hey you all I- Oh! I’m sorry!”

Adok’s voice pierced Jere’s ears like needles. They were on somewhat better terms since Jere had beaten him, but this was crossing a line. The boy needed to respect personal space.

Eevi rolled off of Jere, adjusting the blanket above her shoulders. “Knock, maybe?!” she yelled.

Adok recoiled at the shout. He looked better, but his face was still brown and his eye still very swollen. Despite his torn lip and missing teeth, Adok spoke remarkably clearly. “I know, I know. It’s just… Heikk was supposed to be back by now.” Heikk indeed told both Eevi and Adok that collecting the water would be a quick task, but to expect them to ask questions or even give him a task.

“What do you suppose we do if he doesn’t show?” asked Eevi. Jere appreciated her asking what he had already thought.

Adok frowned, already slinking out back through the door. “I’m not sure.”

“Give us a moment, then? We’ll talk about it.”

Adok nodded, closing the door. As he did so, Eevi stood up, taking the blanket with her.

“Talk about what?” Jere asked.

“You want to tell him we’re going to abandon his only friend?”

“Never said we’re abandoning him.” Jere wasn’t being honest. If anything, Heikk’s disappearance was another reason to keep moving. He liked Heikk, but not enough to risk his life for him.

“Regardless, we should discuss it. Make sure Adok understands where we’re coming from.” Eevi dropped the blanket and began putting on her undergarments. Jere hated to admit it, but it irritated him. She had already put in the effort to rile him up. “We should plan our next move.”

“And go where? We don’t have options.”

“That includes staying here. If Boah sends Juddken, we need to be ready.”

“We could still wait.”

Eevi paused. She had already put on much of her Raider armor, minus her weapons. She stared at Jere, who laid half-naked on the cots.

“What do you think this is, Jere?”

“‘This?’”

Eevi held her hands up. “Don’t get the wrong idea. Nothing has changed. Escape is the only thing that concerns me. It’s the only thing that concerns either of us.”

“It concerns me, too!” Jere stood up, holding the blanket around his waist. “You think I’m not considering everything?”

“I don’t know. Your plan as of late seems to begin and end with us fucking.”

“That’s… not what I meant.”

Eevi sighed. “Don’t get too close to me, Jere. Please.”

There was nothing else to add. She was right. This was the first time he had been happy for as long as he could remember. He had not been thinking rationally in the spice house, and he wasn’t now. They needed to move.

That was when they heard screaming coming from the northern windows of the tower. Eevi and Jere were used to them coming from the south, but they had seldom come from the north.

But these screams were different. They sounded human.

“Jere,” Eevi said. “Get your clothes on.”

He was already half dressed by the time she told him.