The Traveler

Instead of accepting the cup from him, the girl Lilly waves off his gesture. “We should go.” Sensing the reason behind her want has a lot to do with the thousand or so villains without a general, he offers the cup to her again but this time, adds, “The tea is not to be wasted on one’s fear of the unknown.”

Studying his face, with a pinch of nervousness in her voice, the girl Lilly takes up the cup. “There you go, talking weird again. Why can’t you just say, hey, we got time, and never mind about the prying eyes all around us. Why can’t you say it like that?” Shaking her head, she has a sip. “Oh hey, this is good.”

Full of essential nutrients and put together with love, gives the girl Lilly weak smile before saying to her, “I thought you would like it.” With that said, he goes to pile rock over the pit of hot ash while occasionally looking out to those keeping their distance. Loyal they are to preacher Tom and thinking most likely when he and the girl Lilly are back on the road, surely all will follow. Placing the last rock, he goes to standing and seeing her handing him the cup, he takes it and the pan and once both are tied to his pack, he says to the girl Lilly, “You ready,” Nodding her head, he goes to hefting the pack and bedroll upon his shoulders and without hesitation, the two set out on the road.

 

 

 

 

The sun is on its way to reaching high noon when the two leave the shade of the forest. Hot and sticky is the air and with nothing but the road to look at, after a while, the girl Lilly is beginning to lag and with that noticed, he stops and pulls the strap over his head. Offering her the hand sewn pouch, he says, “It is a good thing to stay hydrated.”

“Cool. Thanks.” Looking over her shoulder, and though he can’t see them, he has a feeling a good number of villains are out there in the tall grass. Giving the bent stalks one last goodbye, turns his gaze towards the road ahead before he pulls back around in accepting the pouch of water. To his lips it goes and after having a long pull, caps the pouch and slings the strap back over his shoulder. “We should be going.” She is all about it and walking beside him, she says, “Thanks for being nice to me.”

“In return, I thank you for the fire.” Right then, she goes to wearing a funny face and instead of speaking out, the girl Lilly gives up on trying to fix him.

Over time, the miles walked slip by rather easily until the girl Lilly stops dead in her tracks. “Did you hear that?” There is no waiting for an answer as off she goes in following her intuition that leaves him shucking the pack and bedroll in his want to follow after.

Not there yet, what he hears is, “I got you.” Once to her side, he falls down on his haunches only to see a mutt of a thousand colors with his leg pinned under a rock. Paw matted with blood in trying its best to free its leg, helping the dog out with this is the girl Lilly rolling aside the rock in exposing the mangled leg. “Crap. His leg.”

“Hold on, I got stuff.”

Everything happens for a reason, and getting into the hardly used kit, puts together what he needs. Brought to her and with ointment applied, next up is the bandage acting as a cover and winding paper tape up and around in keeping the dressing in place, the girl Lilly tears the roll free before handing the roll back to him. Ever so gently does she lift the dog from certain doom and casting her eyes his way, she says, “Can I keep him?”

Not wanting to sound cold, he says to the girl Lilly, “That decision is yours.”

Staring at the dog long enough for a tear to fall, she sets the dog down and after the girl Lilly stands up, his eyes fall to watching the dog doing its best to forget about its tender foot. Out of his mouth runs, “A sling will help until the leg is healed.” That said, he has what she needs and handing her a blanket, the girl Lilly goes about tying the ends before placing the dog within and with its scruffy eyebrows peeking out, to him, the dog looks right at home.