By the time Kaelen returned with two waterlogged trunks dragging in the sand behind her, the sun had dipped beyond the horizon of the savanna. The two had managed to start a small fire as the air cooled, smoke curling into the darkened sky. Kaelen dropped the trunks beside them with a thunk, using the full weight of one leg to stomp the already rusting lock. The lid broke open, revealing jars of pickled vegetables, fruits that were once dried and were now mushy with seawater, and even strips of wet jerky. Naomi divided the rations equally before they scarfed down the less than quality food - though no one complained as it filled their bellies.

The second trunk was bloated and already half busted open, the inside stuffed with several sets of men's linen shirts that smelled strongly of mildew. Even in its filthy state, Naomi was disappointed to find that the size didn't match Cassien's - the fit was for a wider torso and colours warmer than anything he'd normally wear. Still, it was at least usable. Naomi scrubbed out the moldy scent as best she could in the seawater before wringing it out, draping it flat over rock to dry.

Darius plopped the last raisin in his mouth, sucking his fingers for the remnants of sweetness. He sighed deeply, leaning back against a log with his leg outstretched, though they kept his newly healed injury concealed. It felt good - he even noticed the colour of his skin returning to its usual healthy tan since the gash had closed off. After the sudden reveal of her magic's new properties, Naomi had tried several times to repeat it on her own small cuts but to no avail. They chalked it up to exhaustion, leaving it to another day to try again.

Darius yawned over the crackle of the small fire. "So, what's the plan for tomorrow?"

Naomi nibbled on a pickled radish. "The others can't have washed up much further away than us, I think. We should look for them."

"Good luck with that," Kaelen snorted, poking the fire with a stick. "Not sure if you've noticed just yet, doll, but this area is huge. The shoreline alone is probably a good thirty, forty kilometers across."

"So we just give up then?" Naomi pushed back, throwing a look at Kaelen who sat across from her.

"It means we should be realistic," Kaelen rolled her eyes. "If you ask me - which Skunky here did-"

"Hey-" Darius protested, reaching for his hair.

"-then I think it's best that we try and find some other people first. A village, a town, anything. Get us some proper medical attention, food, weapons. Then when we're actually prepared, we'll have a better chance at it."

Naomi opened her mouth to speak, but she slouched back. She knew Kaelen was right - her method was the most practical.

"It doesn't mean we can't try," Darius interjected. "The longer it takes for us to start searching for them, the more likely they've either moved on or…"

"Died," Kaelen finished flatly, picking at her cuticles with a bored expression.

The word hung in the air, cold and heavy as the night sky itself. Darius could see the worry in Naomi's downcast blue eyes, the anxiety as she bit her lower lip. Something in him tugged at him to speak up and at least try to ease her distress.

"...Let's not jump to the worst case scenarios. Aryn's pretty resourceful… and I'm sure Frosty would be too stubborn to die unless Goldie herself asked him to jump off a bridge. Isn't that right?" Darius joked, throwing a half grin in Naomi's direction.

Despite the heaviness in her eyes, she managed a small, genuine smile back. "Right."

For a split second, he was caught off guard by the way her smile lingered even after she looked away. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Anyway, I think we should look for them. If we find a settlement in the meantime, then that's two birds with one stone."

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Kaelen simply snorted again, but didn't bother to argue any further. "Fine. Whatever."

The conversation trailed off soon after, and the hum of fire lowered until only embers and ashes remained with the occasional sound of crickets in the distance. Darius fell asleep within minutes, body tightly curled in a protective pose and a hand always near his dagger. Sleep eluded Naomi, however, and she continued to toss and turn - her mind was full of uncertainty, and the hard ground didn't make for an easy slumber for someone who was used to plush, luxurious bedding.

After the fifth sigh, Kaelen's patience snapped. "Oh my god. Some of us actually want to get some sleep. At least do it quietly if you're going to wriggle around like that all night."

"Sorry," Naomi mumbled, forcing herself upright. She pushed her tangled hair back, hugging her knees tightly.

Annoying. Inconsiderate. Noisy. Her mother's voice crept into her mind.

Naomi blinked back tears she didn't realize had been building up. She turned her head to the side, hoping to see someone that she knew wasn't there.

I hope you're okay, Naomi thought, her chest hurting so badly that for a moment, she forgot how to breathe.

From across the firepit, Kaelen let out a frustrated sigh. "Alright. If you're going to keep spazzing out all night, at least tell me why and maybe the both of us can finally get some sleep. You get five minutes. Go."

The words caught her off guard, and Naomi froze for several seconds as her brain struggled to catch up. "Um. I don't want to bother you with-"

Kaelen gave her a deadpan look. "Four minutes and fifty-two sec-"

"Okay, okay," Naomi straightened her posture. "I miss Cassien. And I'm so worried about him."

"Obviously. But why? He's just some guy."

Naomi looked confused. "Because I love him. And he's not just 'some guy.'"

"Men are all the same," Kaelen said, the barest hint of pain in her voice. "They ask everything of you, take it anyway if you say no, and even then you do everything to please them."

"That sounds… not at all like him," Naomi wiped at her cheeks. "Is that what you think of love?"

"We're not talking about me," She snapped, mouth set in a scowl. "Four minutes."

It was clearly a sore subject, one that Naomi didn't want to push further on. Instead, she let out a shaky breath, staring up at the starry sky.

"I was never supposed to end up with him. Our families have - had - a really bad history, so from the get-go we were pretty much forbidden from even looking at each other. But we always ended up interacting somehow, and every time… He was gentle with me, when no one else was. Even when he didn't have to be."

Naomi smiled subconsciously at one of her favourite memories of Cassien: it had been right after Ysonna caught them leaving her bedroom, and he had her pressed against the door trying to stifle their laughs from embarrassment. She could vividly recall the gold of his eyes, the way he smelled, how his deep laugh made her wish that she could capture it in a jar to listen to at any time.

Words continued to spill from her mouth, no longer caring that Kaelen was still only a little more than a stranger. "I was really lonely as a child. My mother was really strict with me - she dismissed almost everything I did. But with Cassien… I'm never lonely. He makes me feel safe. Seen. Like I'm worth every bit of effort, even when I don't think that I am."

She pulled her knees up once more. "To everyone else, he's unapproachable and cold. But to me, he's my sun."

Kaelen didn't respond for a long time. In fact, she didn't seem to notice that Naomi was watching her expression; jaw tight, mouth twisted with something that resembled not disgust, hatred or even boredom - but envy.

Finally, Kaelen responded in a gruff voice. "Must be nice."

"Do you have somebody?" She knew the question was a risk, but Naomi couldn't help but wonder.

"Do I have somebody who likes to light paper lanterns in the sky for me and gives soft kisses on the forehead? No. I've never had anything like that."

Kaelen grabbed a nearby stone, and for a second Naomi braced herself in defense before she lobbed it in the distance instead. She murmured in a tone so low that Naomi barely caught it. "People like me don't deserve things like that."

"Everybody deserves somebody that's good to them," Naomi responded softly.

Kaelen hated that even while sitting in a ripped, bloodied dress fashioned into a shitty jumpsuit with hair plastered to her face, Naomi still looked innocent and delicate in a way she knew she never would. Of course she would attract someone that treated her like a porcelain doll. She hated that she had never experienced such tenderness from Alistair - or anyone else, for that matter - and especially hated that despite it, she'd do anything he asked of her.

She bit back the urge to spew something cruel for the sake of keeping the silver haired woman at arm's length.

Kaelen turned away. "Time's up."

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