Late at night, when the sky was a pitch black, as was the woods around him, through the trees Zac spied the low burning embers of a fire. Quietly he dismounted. He wasn't positive that the fire was Melli's but he thought it was in the right area and so decided to investigate. As he walked through the dark clearing something alive touched him and he whipped around with his knife ready, just like Kedrik had taught him. Luckily for him a sliver of moonlight filtered through the cloud cover and he saw what and who it was that had startled him so. It was Soulfire.

Zac breathed a sigh of relief and she nuzzled him. She had never done that before. She nuzzled him again, harder. It was almost as if she was pushing him towards the cave he now knew Melli must be in. He put his hand on her muzzle to stop the urgings and to say he understood. He then turned back to the cave and proceeded forward.

He walked inside and spotted Melli. She looked so peaceful sleeping there. He sat down near the makeshift bed and studied her.

For the second time Soulfire nuzzled him and he finally got up. He had just sat too long. His eyes had been closing agenst their will. Zac stroked Soulfire's nose and quietly mumbled thanks. She no longer seemed interested in him or his doings and wandered out of the cave.

Zac made his way out after her and, after washing his face quickly in the stream, unloaded everything from his horse. His stallion wasn't quite as trustworthy as Soulfire so he tied him up on a lead rope after removing the saddle and bridle. Most likely if let loose he would run home to the stables back at Leena.

Zac arranged his stuff in the cave and added the generous food supply to the meager amount Melli had brought. After that was done he threw another sleeping fur over Melli, folded her now dry clothing and rebuilt the fire. By this time the sky was a shade or two lighter than it had previously been. Zac was exhausted from his long day. He had been awake all of 20 hours or so, and that from a drunken stupor. Never-the-less he settled himself next to Melli and arranged himself to wait for her waking. Then promptly fell asleep.

I was so comfortable rolled up in my sleeping bag. At first I didn't realize where I was and was ready to jerk up and get ready for work in the fields which judging by the light quality I was late for. I opened my eyes grogily and looked up at the jagged ceiling of the cave. Then I realized where I was, what had happened and that I had no obligations what-so-ever. I decided with the warm fuzziness of sleep to close my eyes and sleep late like I used to in my warm cozy bed at home. At first it almost seemed to work, but the thought of home slowly brought me awake. I really missed it. I was sick of this world. That brought back the memory of Zac. I just wanted to go home and forget that I ever came here. That I ever met and fell in love with Zac. But I didn't know how. So I would just stay here. I had almost everything I needed and if I ran out of anything I could just go back to Leena and get some more supplies. The only obligation I had left there was that I had told them I would go back someday. The only problem was I wasn't sure I could last out the winter here in my cave, but I would deal with that when I came to it.

I adjusted my body to get rid of the stick that was digging into my back and brought in my breath sharply. Sunburn. I was sunburned all over my body in every area, even where I had been tanned. That means some areas that probably never before had been exposed to the sun except for when I was very little. To put it bluntly: Ouch. I was pretty much a mixture of red and red/brown with only two green/blue pinpoints where my eyes were, white when I smiled and a little blondish cap on my head.

All my clothing had been wet so I had slept nude. I hadn't cared at the time since I was alone. I still thought I was but as I carefully sat up I saw Zac laying deeply asleep on the edge of the bed. To be honest, I was surprised. My eyes widened and I snatched the sleeping fur he had evidently thrown over me to wrap around myself. I quickly went over to the clothing that was no longer drying by the fire and carefully dressed myself in a tank-top and cloth shorts that would abrade my abused skin the least amount.

I was kind of angry that Zac had found me, but I couldn't stay that way. I was touched by the way he had followed and found me, obviously wearing himself out in the process. I dragged him more onto my bed and covered him trying to make him as comfortable as I could. I sat for a moment and just gazed at the face I still found so beautiful. Though now slightly more hard and tan than the last time I had seen it in the light of the cave, it still had the special quality around it, the light, and the tenderness about it, even some of the childishness was still there to grasp and love. He had not changed so much as I thought. Without realizing what I was doing I bent down and lightly kissed him on the forehead, soft as a feather. He hardly even stirred.

Quickly and quietly I got up and, fetching my Journal and pen I walked to my newfound spot, once again eating an apple. This time entered through the cleft and settled myself under the large fronds of the corner trees on the soft green moss. Burnt as I was, I had no desire for the sun to touch me quite so much that day.

For a while I just sat in the shade, listening to the sounds of nature and the budding life around me. Finally, I opened my Journal, and wrote.