"Alright," Jude agreed. "I'll follow you wherever you choose. My idea clearly did not work, and it really cannot get much worse than this, so what have I got to lose?"
He stood up and limped slowly through the frozen people. He considered picking up an ax or similar, but that did not suit him, and the weight would likely slow him down. His wooden leg, now magic, made travel much easier now, but not that much easier. Instead, he stopped by his father's statue and carefully looked through his father's bag. Finally, he found what he was looking for. The picture of his family that his father carried with them. It was a few years old, and everyone sat stiffly for the posed photo, but it was the entire family in one spot. His father was proud of the ridiculous picture. Jude took out a book from his messenger bag and carefully tucked the picture between the pages before tucking it into the bag once more.
"Okay," he said, returning to the fire maiden. "I am ready. Let's go."
He stood up and limped slowly through the frozen people. He considered picking up an ax or similar, but that did not suit him, and the weight would likely slow him down. His wooden leg, now magic, made travel much easier now, but not that much easier. Instead, he stopped by his father's statue and carefully looked through his father's bag. Finally, he found what he was looking for. The picture of his family that his father carried with them. It was a few years old, and everyone sat stiffly for the posed photo, but it was the entire family in one spot. His father was proud of the ridiculous picture. Jude took out a book from his messenger bag and carefully tucked the picture between the pages before tucking it into the bag once more.
"Okay," he said, returning to the fire maiden. "I am ready. Let's go."
Jude didn't really think as they walked. A sort of numbness had fallen over him, sapping out every bit of mental energy. His mind still churned, wanting to think, to plan, to fuss and chatter, but it was nothing more than a mute mumbling. A steady hum of dispair. A background noise that filled the silence. He no longer cared what happened. He couldn't care. He wasn't even paying attention to where the flame maiden was taking them. He put one foot in front of the other over and over again, walking forward and following her guidance.
“Sorry, we had to stop here first. It’s just my stash.”
He stopped short and blinked, finally looking up to see his surroundings. A massive old tree rose up before him, towering in its grim, silent beauty. It took him a moment to register what she was saying, and he only nodded vaguely, still admitting the tree. They moved on again, but he still looked back once more. Those were the trees that nearly brought his father to tears when he saw them agin, dying, falling, or, worst of all, in the path they needed to cut. His father was a tough, stern man who had never cried in front of his children for any reason... except for the old trees. This was the oldest tree Jude had ever seen. What would his father have said about this one.
“Have you ever traveled before? I mean… outside the kingdom?"
"Um." Jude blinked rapidly, pulling his mind to the present and trying to force it to react to the woman. "No. Not really. Well, once, yes, but I don't know if I would call it traveling. When I lost my leg... They didn't have the resources near here, so the train took me to the town just across the border. I don't remember the trip there at all." A partial lie, but not one he wanted to delve into. "I remember some of the trip back, but I was on medication that made reality... questionable. So, no, I do not count that as having really traveled. Other than that, I've rarely left the outpost."
“Sorry, we had to stop here first. It’s just my stash.”
He stopped short and blinked, finally looking up to see his surroundings. A massive old tree rose up before him, towering in its grim, silent beauty. It took him a moment to register what she was saying, and he only nodded vaguely, still admitting the tree. They moved on again, but he still looked back once more. Those were the trees that nearly brought his father to tears when he saw them agin, dying, falling, or, worst of all, in the path they needed to cut. His father was a tough, stern man who had never cried in front of his children for any reason... except for the old trees. This was the oldest tree Jude had ever seen. What would his father have said about this one.
“Have you ever traveled before? I mean… outside the kingdom?"
"Um." Jude blinked rapidly, pulling his mind to the present and trying to force it to react to the woman. "No. Not really. Well, once, yes, but I don't know if I would call it traveling. When I lost my leg... They didn't have the resources near here, so the train took me to the town just across the border. I don't remember the trip there at all." A partial lie, but not one he wanted to delve into. "I remember some of the trip back, but I was on medication that made reality... questionable. So, no, I do not count that as having really traveled. Other than that, I've rarely left the outpost."
Jude looked up at the beautiful night sky for a moment. His foot catching on a branch reminded him that was not a good idea. He turned to watch where he was going, the fire maiden's light giving him secure footing. He was moving much more confidently on his wooden leg now, better than ever before, but he still did not fully trust it and carried his crutch. He wished he could have a shorter cane instead of a full crutch, but that was currently low on his priorities.
"I never thought about traveling," he remarked idly, not paying much attention to his words. They were just sounds to fill the painful silence. "I had daydreams, of course, like any boy, but it never seemed viable. Besides, the fuss and bother of travel never appealed. I traveled through books." He paused as they stepped onto the road and she warned him to listen and watch for fellow travelers. "Forgive me, ma'am, but you are made of fire. Can you disguise yourself somehow? I do not imagine many people will want to offer a ride to a firey being."
"I never thought about traveling," he remarked idly, not paying much attention to his words. They were just sounds to fill the painful silence. "I had daydreams, of course, like any boy, but it never seemed viable. Besides, the fuss and bother of travel never appealed. I traveled through books." He paused as they stepped onto the road and she warned him to listen and watch for fellow travelers. "Forgive me, ma'am, but you are made of fire. Can you disguise yourself somehow? I do not imagine many people will want to offer a ride to a firey being."
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