Deny, Denial, Denied

As one lay looking up at the gorgeous sky, the other sat staring at the grass. Both Danielle and Melorandious had kept silent as the sun meandered up. Danielle's shoulders had shaken, but now they were still.

"What a worthless dream," Danielle said.

She drew herself up, displaying her pajamas dotted with pink elephants for all to see. Striding in a direction chosen at random, she kept her chin level. Melorandious scrambled up to catch up. Wild hair and a red tunic with long sleeves trailed his sporadic gait.

"Hey, wait a little," Melorandious said. "Just wait!"

Catching up to her, he leaned forward into her sight.

"Shut up, nightmare," Danielle said.

She hadn't even bothered to glance at him. Melorandious straightened with his eyebrows raised. He stepped lightly beside her while Danielle stomped. Yet both strides kept them side by side.

A few more moments with Danielle striking along through the grass. At least the thickness caused by its wild height kept her bare feet mostly safe. Still, the odd rock was found.

"Ouch," she said.

Lifting her foot gingerly she took a step around the offender.

"Do you want help?" Melorandious said.

"No," Danielle said.

His expression flickered from amused to a frown.

"I wouldn't suggest turning down offers of help," he said. "I think we're both going to need it."

Danielle continued forward, her only response. Only green hills for rolling onwards. Grass to the knee as far as could be seen.

"Will you at least listen?" Melorandious said.

After a moment of only steps being heard, he spoke some more. Ignoring her ignoring him.

"I am a fiend," he said. "You can tell by the horns. Or former horns."

Danielle kept stepping up the next hill as he followed.

"There's a lot of bad tales that get told about us," he said. "So let me begin with what we're not. We're not demons, or familiars of demons, or spirits. We have a natural explanation for our existence, even if we're born, and not made. The name's just a leftover from people's misunderstandings. It, unfortunately, outlasted them."

Danielle leaned forward up the hill. The slope looked gentle enough until on top of it. Wiping her hand left a grass stain on her pajama bottoms. Her feet wanted to slide around on the damp grass.

"The horns are designed for storing mana, which normal folk obviously don't have. Fiends are usually made, and not born. Mostly by magi, but there are a few that came about from bathing in places steeped in mana."

Danielle stood up at the top of the hill, turning back to look at Melorandious. Short stray strands framed her face. Her expression froze him.

"I don't care about your horns," she said. "I don't care if they're broken, and I don't care what you are. I am not concerned about you."

She turned to look forward and jolted. Melorandious peered over the hill with an expression of trepidation that relaxed.

"Did you see something unexpected?" He said.

The greens hills flowed out before them, the wind rippling sunlit highlights across it. A large shadow split and conjoined on the grass.

In the valley flew fish. Or something shaped like a fish, with scales like a fish. That swam through the air as if it was the sea. A school of enough size that a flying ship might be able to net a few boatloads.

"The whole protects itself while the individuals play," Melorandious said.

Danielle glared at him. He shrugged.

"It's a gorgeous sight, but you'll have to tell me what's startling to you," he said.

"Whatever," Danielle said, "it's all a nightmare anyways."

"What a brilliant imagination you have to create the stains on your pants as well as the wind on our faces," Melorandious said. "I guess the man running over here is your creation too?"

He lazily gestured to a point behind her.

"Hah, that's right," Danielle said.

Turning in the direction he indicated, Danielle saw a man with a kite that looked like a little bird. As Danielle watched one of the fishes swallowed it. With the help of some mechanism attached to the line, he quickly pulled the fish down. It was bigger than she'd expected. The size of the man's arm. It had stripes of color, being soft blue on the bottom with green lines covering the top. With practiced motion, he threw the fish into a sack over his shoulder and drew it closed.

"Neat hand," Melorandious said.

He traipsed towards the man as he went about retying his line. Danielle caught sight of the intricate embroidery upon Melorandious's coat. Flamboyant worn flowers in bright colors glanced back at her.

Danielle shook her head as she followed at a distance.

"Hello there, mister fisher!" Melorandious said. "How's the weather?"

The man paused.

"Bountiful? I guess I'd say?" He said.

Melorandious looked up as the fish swirled about overhead.

"You're correct," Melorandious said, "no guessing required."

Danielle stood. Not quite able to bring herself underneath into the shadows. Looking at the fish was close enough. Though she wondered if she might just leave the weird man behind. That way she could pretend the entire thing was a dream.

But I don't have to pretend, she thought, fish don't fly and walls of stony flesh don't turn into sparkles. This can only be a dream.

The fisherman began again to work.

"As you can see, me and my friend are strangers here," Melorandious said.

"Sounds rough," the fisherman said.

"It is," Melorandious said. "Could you point us to the nearest town?"

"There ain't any town near here," the fisherman said.

With a snap, the kite went onto his belt. "There's only us, the Rovers."

Melorandious scratched his head.

"Just a band of wanderers, that's what Rovers are," the fisherman said.

"I know of the Rovers," Melorandious said. "It's just that I have gotten us very lost. And I find myself not able to tell even which lands we're near?"

The skin of the fisherman was a deep bronze, with curled black hair not covering the piercing green eyes peering at Melorandious.

"This was the lands of the Andles," the fisherman said.

"The lands of the Andles," Melorandious repeated. "As in the lands of King Andle the Eleventh?"

The fisherman nodded.

"Would you wait here a moment?" Melorandious asked.

The fisherman grunted in agreement.

Melorandious turned to look for Danielle. She had begun walking off, at a very slow pace.

"Hmmm," Melorandious said.

The fisherman watched Melorandious high step through the grass with amusement glinting in his eyes.

"Danielle," Melorandious said, "would you be interested in seeing the people this fisherman travels with?"

"Nope," Danielle said.

"Really?" Melorandious said. "I kind of thought you'd be curious since something about the view caught your attention. Having shoes would be a nice change too?"

Danielle looked at her toes.

"Did they promise shoes?" She said.

"No, but neither did the hills full of grass," Melorandious said.

Danielle crossed her arms.

"Well, your shoes won't get themselves!" Melorandious said. "Come on, it's a whole new world for you. A bit of enthusiasm wouldn't be amiss."

Danielle looked down at her bare feet and ultimately followed Melorandious again.

"So you're expecting me to take you to our camp?" the fisherman said.

Melorandious spread his arms with a smile.

"It's what rovers do, isn't it?" He said.

"We offer help to those in need," the fisherman said. "Do you claim need?"

"We need food, water, shoes for her, and a place to sleep," Melorandious said. "If we're not in need I wouldn't know who would qualify."

"And you?" The fisherman turned to Danielle. "Do you claim the same?"

"He told the truth," Danielle said. "We've only got what's on our backs."

The fisherman nodded and started walking. Danielle looked at Melorandious.

"He didn't say we couldn't follow," Melorandious said.

The taciturn fisherman led them on another walk. It was slow going. After the third time of Danielle stopping at a rock or stick, and her denying any help Melorandious offered, the fisherman knelt in front of her. Danielle frowned in confusion.

"Get on, woman," he said.

"Are you sure you'll be fine carrying me?" Danielle said.

"Yes, I'll be fine," he said.

"I'll carry the fish at least," Melorandious said.

"Hey, let me at least agree to it," Danielle said.

They both turned their heads at her, waiting. She shrugged.

"Fine, all right. I don't want to be hurting my feet any more either," she said.

The sack of fish passed to Melorandious and Danielle held onto the fisherman. Now the going was much quicker. Danielle found herself drifting off in the comfortable silence of the three.

Maybe sleeping here will make me wake up, she thought.

"Is that it?" Melorandious said. "Is that the Rovers' home."

"Yes," the fisherman said.

Danielle opened her eyes to see a collection of box-shaped tents. Adorned with nothing more than bright colors, they were the mansions of the green hills.

At the feet of the tents, the fisherman dropped Danielle back onto her feet. Melorandious held her up as she wobbled a bit.

"What's the matter?" He said.

Danielle shrugged away from him. She was awake, and everything was still far too real.

"Nimus, where have you dragged these stragglers from?"

"From the closest fishing spot, Gram," Nimus, the fisherman, said.

"And you thought you'd just bring 'em here?"

A lady with long gray hair strode in. Her skin had wrinkles and wear, but her bearing had energy to it. She invaded Danielle's personal space before Danielle blinked.

"They're fiends," she said. "Which is a whole heap of trouble you know, no offense."

"How am I not supposed to take offense?" Danielle said.

She did not speak loudly but the older woman stiffened. It was less offense that moved her to speak than the hustle and bustle distracting her mind. The past hour or so had been hills. Not worth thinking of before that. Not only was this madam barging into her personal space, but also were the paths around the tents filled with people. Most of them were in the middle of soft conversations.

They wore tunics and leggings of bright colors. Most were the color of Nimus, the fisherman, but many were darker, and a few were lighter.

And Danielle was also confused by their bustle. Everyone seemed in the middle of nothing at all.

The woman blinked and smiled.

"I guess this girl is alive," Gram said. "Good for her. But what do you have to say for yourself, Nimus?"

Nimus deadpanned her energetic question for a pace before responding.

"Us rovers have the oath of one night of hospitality," he said. "You know that. We're not in any legal borders, and so no law's gonna come for us for putting them up. They both look in need, as out of the world as in it. And the man seemed more of a bother if left alone."

She patted Nimus on the shoulder.

"I see no issues as long as you're thinking," she said. "But I'll be voting for one night and no more. Anyways, what do they need?"

"Shoes for Danielle here," Melorandious said. "She needs good shoes if we're only staying the night here."

The older woman popped off one of her flats and placed her bare foot beside Danielle's. All this as she leaned her arm on Danielle's shoulder.

"I'll take the girl over to my tent," she said. "I think my shoes might fit. You lot ask for cast-offs."

Nimus shrugged. He took his fish back from Melorandious.

"Should I follow them?" Melorandious said.

"What for?" Nimus said. "You think your feet are a match?"

"No, obviously not," Melorandious said.

By the time he looked for Danielle anyways, she'd already gone from his sight. The two must have taken a turn around a tent.

"So, we'll be looking for handouts?" Melorandious said.

"First, I'll be trading my fish," Nimus said.

"Here's the last of them," Gram said.

A bag of shoes fell next to Danielle. She sat on top of blankets that could be hiding a mattress or just layered more blankets. She opened the bag, looking inside the bag. Gram came back and took the bag from her to upend it alongside other the other shoes.

Danielle paused to recollect how she had ended up in this strange square tent, before chucking all those memories into an emotional void.

The shoes were worn and dirty, mostly looking like flats, although a few lace-up leather boots made an appearance. Danielle went to pick up a pair of shoes that looked so worn as to be soft.

"No, no," Gram said. "You're going to be doing a lot of walking unless you've got a wyvern or horse stowed away. Here, try this pair instead."

A pair of worn boots were shoved into Danielle's hands.

"Won't you need these?" Danielle said.

"Naw," Gram said. "My days of walking are past. We oldies get a free ride with the luggage."

"Oh," Danielle said.

She slid the boots on and tied the laces. They felt weird.

"Try taking a few steps in them!" Gram urged.

Danielle complied.

I'll probably get blisters if I wear these without socks, she thought.

"Hey," Danielle said, "is there any chance of me getting socks?"

"Socks?" Gram said. "No, I haven't had any socks in years. Get holes too fast for there to be any point."

Danielle pulled off the boots as the old woman peered at her feet.

"Whoaho," she said. "I can understand why you'd want them with your little princess feet. I think I've got a good compromise."

The old woman bent over in the shoe pile and threw first one boot and then the other over her shoulder. Danielle caught them, nearly tripping over yet more shoes.

"Take forever to lace up," Gram said. "But they won't easily come off and they've got fur inside them."

Danielle peered at the boots that would go at least to her mid-calf.

"Won't they get hot?" Danielle said.

But she regretted questioning a gift as soon as she spoke.

I need to stop thinking with my mouth, she thought.

Gram turned around and squinted at Danielle.

"Yes," she said. "On the other hand they'll keep your feet warm. Depending where you're going that's more important. Where are the two of you headed?"

"Uh," Danielle said. "I don't know."

The look that Gram sent Danielle made her realize that she didn't have to reply that honestly.

"About that traveling partner of yours," Gram said. "The blondie with the broken horns. Is everything quite all right between you two?"

Danielle's mouth made a little "o" as she realized the old woman was prodding for signs of distress.

No reason to worry this old lady, Danielle thought, especially in a dream.

"I was just tired," Danielle said. "And Mel— well, the two of us aren't the best of friends anyways."

What was his name again? Danielle thought.

Gram raised an eyebrow and sniffed.

"Seems a bit odd," she said. "A young lady traveling with somebody she wouldn't call a friend."

"We can't always choose our traveling companions," Danielle said. "I guess."

"Us Rovers do," Gram said. "But I guess I shouldn't bother a pair of youths, huh."

Melorandious followed Nimus with his arms filled and bags hanging off each. Not only food and clothes but bags to put those things had been freely given by faces of various descent and demeanor. He stopped to look at a wind chime that sounds tinkled out with each breeze. A collection of found cloak pins made it. It did shine on in the sun.

"You!" Nimus said.

He'd had to stop and turn around to find Melorandious. Again. Looking at what Melorandious saw, he softened a bit.

"This may be very exciting and new to you," Nimus said, "but I'd rather not lose you in the camp. Seems like your friend still has a bone to pick with you anyway."

Melorandious felt himself smiling at Nimus' tone. Like speaking to a young child. It was good to be among people again, under the sunshine. He followed after Nimus.

"We'll be fine," he said. "I think we'll work it out once we can have a free conversation."

Nimus snorted.

"As for the chime," Melorandious said, "if I hadn't stopped to look at it I would never have noticed how different the fashion of pins is."

Nimus shook his head.

"It's a wonder the two aren't dead," he said.

"It really is," Melorandious said.

Nimus stopped, causing Melorandious to stop, and as all he was holding could not stop itself a panicked moment passed as Melorandious tried keeping everything in his arms. He succeeded.

"Oh, it's you two," Danielle said. "I was about to head to the bathroom."

"Danielle!" Melorandious said. "Just who I was hoping to see!"

"Really?" Danielle said.

"We should really finish our conversation," he said.

Danielle frowned.

"The bathroom?" Nimus said.

"The old lady called it a privy," Danielle said.

Nimus nodded. Danielle went to head out, but Melorandious followed her. He paused only to unceremoniously dump his bags onto Nimus.

"A moment please, Nimus— wait a second!" He said.

Danielle stopped and turned on her heel with an expression of disdain.

"I would like to explain what I can," Melorandious said.

"I don't need an explanation," Danielle said. "And if I did, I wouldn't want it from you."

"As long as you are somewhat aggravated with me, you prove the reality of this on some level," he said. "Look. Look. If you continue on in ignorance, you'll only be hurting yourself."

"So, whatever you did earlier was for my benefit?" She said.

"Yes!" Melorandious said.

Danielle laughed. It had a sharpness to its sound.

"Why don't you sit and wait for me, Mel?" She said. "I'll decide whether or not to listen when I come back."

As Danielle walked away, Nimus came next to Melorandious and redeposited the clothes and dried foods. A few pats and he disappeared into the tent.

Melorandious stood still. He blinked a few times.

She's going to be in for a surprise, he thought. As long as their privies have mirrors.

He shrugged. He couldn't force her to listen.