Fated Volition (#Wattys2015)

Chapter Three

Changes

If it was quiet he wanted, then it was quiet he would get. She would not make a peep. She always won at his little games, and she planned to win again. After about ten hours, Ryhan's stomach was howling at her. Cursing herself for being in such a hurry that she didn't pack food; she scanned the scenery looking for something edible.

Luckily, there was a tree not far ahead growing some sort of fruit, so she quickened her pace enough that she passed Roger. He did not say anything only began stretching his long legs a bit more as he walked, until he was at least even with her. She laughed at little, and he looked away from her. Rolling her eyes, she began to run.

A little space between them was just what she needed; the tension was giving her a headache. Of course, he began to run also, but she had always been much faster than he had. Reaching the tree first, she quickly realized that she was about two inches too short to reach any of the fruit.

Once Roger arrived, and realized that she could not reach, he laughed a little smugly and picked several yellow apples. Instead of offering her any, he ate one, and put the rest in his bag. He left nothing for her to pick, it was surprising the tree was able to produce the few it had, and it looked as if it would topple over any minute.

Furious, she went and opened her bag and took a sip from her waterskin. It held roughly four servings of water and it was only about a third full. If they did not find water soon, she wasn't sure how far they would make it. They kept a slower pace for the next hour, while Roger was looking for a place to set up camp. Her stomach was protesting loudly, and the evening air was getting cold. Amused, she watched as Roger tried several times to start a fire unsuccessfully.

The more frustrated he became the more angry glances he shot her way. She was getting tired of his lack of understanding, and his frustration was starting to make her angry. Who did he think he was anyway? She had never lead him on, or treated him like more than a friend. She was always very clear that she didn't have feelings for him. She did not think punishing her for something she had no control over was fair.

He was still rubbing two sticks together when she started to get a strange feeling. Once again, she felt a stabbing pain behind her eyes. Falling to her knees, she tried not to cry out. The pain moved to her neck and through her spine, then to the rest of her body. She faintly heard Roger call out another curse, and then felt the warmth of a fire before darkness took over.

When she opened her eyes, Ryhan had almost forgotten where she was. She felt warm. Realizing that Roger had covered her with a blanket, she sat up and searched for him. There was a dying fire on her left and across the other side of it, and he was snoring loudly. Trying to remember what happened, she spotted a few apples by her bag.

Smiling to herself, she hoped that meant the silent war between them was over. She grabbed all three apples and ate the first two so quickly that she almost choked a couple times. The pain in her stomach had eased up enough, that she ate the third one more slowly, actually noticing the sweet crisp taste.

Staring at the smoldering wood, she wondered if she had started the fire. Could all of it really be true? She prayed that she would not have to go through that pain every time she tried to use her power. It was strange to think that she could possibly be anything that her mother said she would be. She began to think that maybe they had gotten the wrong person.

Growing tired again, she laid down and drifted back to sleep. When she awoke, Roger was already up. Something smelled good. Roger was cooking something on a small pan he had brought with him. She stretched her sore limbs, and folded up the blanket, placing it back in his bag.

"Good morning. I know you are probably starving, I found a lizard and some eggs." He said.

Lizard was not an appealing breakfast, but it was food and she wasn't going to complain.