It took almost fourteen hours to get all the way down the mountain. Cassie wasn’t counting her Mississippis or anything but she watched the sun pass over them and it certainly felt like fourteen hours. Thorn said they made good time, but all Cassie knew was that her legs were aching, her head had an angry little man with a hammer inside it, and she was very, very hungry. Halfway down, Thorn did end up putting her on his back, which was uncomfortable in a completely different way, as part of his spine was so bony that it practically stabbed her five times over with every step. When they finally were done, he practically dropped her and went about looking for shelter. Cassie looked around before getting up on wobbly legs. There were little glowing balls of light around the plants. They were the size of her hand and came in all sorts of colors. Instinctively, Cassie reached out to touch one.
“Don’t do—“
The light landed on her palm. For a moment, nothing happened. From Thorn’s warning, she assumed something terrible would occur upon touching it, but nothing continued to happen. The light just rested there, tickling her skin before it flew away.
“It felt like fur.” Cassie cocked her head, “What was that?”
“One of the most poisonous flying creatures in the land—it’s a bright fly.”
“Oh. That’s a very—apt name for it. How does it poison you?”
“By touching you like that. You’re supposed to die instantly.” Thorn didn’t seem particularly frightened and her lack of instantaneous death was fairly telling.
“Well that doesn’t seem to be occurring.” Cassie looked at the hand in question closely and found no strange markings indicating poison.
“Seems not. Feeling weak or faint or anything?”
“No.”
“Like you’re about to vomit?”
“No.”
“A tiny headache?”
“Nothing.”
“Hmmm. That’s interesting.” He opened his mouth to say more but then thought better of it.
“Guess I’ll see how long I stay alive then. Have you got a watch?”
“Have I mentioned that you are far too calm right now?”
“You have.” Cassie stretched overhead, “So since I’m not dying yet, did you find anything worth sleeping in for the night?” Thorn frowned, sliding his hand down his face. “You look like you’re about to give me bad news. What is it? Did my face turn blue? Is my hair falling out? What?”
“You’re on your own now, Cass.”
Cassie frowned. She never had a nickname before…well except for Cassie itself being short for Cassandra. She quite liked it, but didn’t like the fact that he was not only speaking, but leaving her sight, “Hey! Hey! Wait!” She ran up to him and grabbed his talon hand, gasping when she felt a rush of pain rip through her hand as he pulled away.
He turned as blood bloomed from the slash on her palm, “Shit.”
She stared at it a moment longer before responding, “How did that happen?”
“You see these?” He shoved his hand in her face, waving each of his bizarre fingers individually, “They’re claws. They are razor sharp.”
“Yeah I see that. I think they’re more like talons though.” Cassie flexed her hand, “I should—“
“Hold still.” Thorn took her hand by the wrist with his soft humanoid hand and then let go, “Keep it like that until we reach the water.”
Cassie smiled, trying to walk in step with Thorn, “So you aren’t abandoning me after all? How nice of you!”
“—Did you do that on purpose?”
“Well no but it produced a decent result.”
“You could die horribly from infection now. My claws have been wasting away in a dungeon for the past three years—“
“You always try to see the dark side of things. I could’ve died horribly trying to get down the mountain without you. Actually I probably would have. Anyway, we’re alive and free and that’s the bright side, right?” Thorn looked like he was about to start foaming at the mouth, so Cassie thought it would be wise to change the subject very quickly. Flattery could work. “You seem like the sort to know your way around.”
“I threatened to eat you.”
“But you didn’t.”
“Those still aren’t healthy grounds for a friendship or alliance.”
“It’s not like you actually did eat me.” Cassie sighed dramatically, “I’m sure that deep, deep, down you’re a soft and cuddly person with an ooey gooey center.”
“God, are you going to be like this the entire way?”
“Only if you keep trying to be reasonable. You’re bound by meaningless common sense, my darling.” She laughed, despite the pain. She smiled, despite the hopelessness. She linked her arm with his good one, despite the sudden loneliness that overtook her. Cassie thought it over for a moment longer before realizing that she could not take the situation seriously at all. Her attempt at angst strayed into the territory of whiny teenager that thinks she wasn’t hugged enough as a child. It was better to laugh, always better to laugh.
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