Chapter Four

Chapter Four

I pushed a chair under the door handle, securing it in place just in case. The last thing I needed was an intruder to come into our room while we slept.

"Don't you think that's unnecessary?" Konomi asked from her bed.

"I don't trust these men," I replied, searching the room for anything else I could use. The dresser looked like it was made of solid wood and one push against it proved it was too heavy to move. I just had to hope that the chair would be sufficient. Maybe I was overreacting. I was so tired, it was hard to think straight.

Konomi came over to me, her hand landing on my arm. "I won't let anything happen to you, Mayu. You know I sleep with a dagger."

I managed a faint smile. "I'm aware. It's just... Don't you think it's weird that they guessed exactly where we're from?"

"Not exactly. They didn't mention our village by name. Just the mountain."

"Still, it's a very very good guess."

"Maybe a lucky guess." Mayu urged me to turn around, her eyes seeking out mine. "I'm sure they'll have a perfectly good explanation in the morning. Let's just get a good night's sleep so if something does happen, we're well rested."

"You're so much kinder than I am. I hope you're right," I conceded.

"I know I'm right," Konomi said, her voice soft and confident at the same time. She gently pulled me away from the door and pushed me towards the bed on the right. "Go on, undress so you can go to sleep."

After travelling together for three months, we had few secrets left between us. Still, I stripped quickly, glad that there was only a single candle in the room. It wasn't my body that I was worried about, it was hers and making her uncomfortable by accidentally staring longer than a friend should.

I slipped into the bed and squeezed my eyes shut while Konomi blew out the candle. I only dared open them when I heard the rustle of fabric and the slight creak of the wooden frame that meant she had gone to bed too.

She let out a contented sigh, so soft it gave me goosebumps. I was such a bad friend.

I turned on my side, facing away from her in the hope that I would fall asleep quickly. I was so tired, it shouldn't be too hard.

"It's nice to be in a bed with a mattress," Konomi said, her voice drifting over to me. She sounded different when she was tired, slightly hoarse.

I loved listening to her like that.

She continued without needing an answer. "I think this rabbit stew might've been my favourite since we've gone on this journey. No offence."

Even without looking at her, I knew she was grinning.

I chuckled lightly. "I'll remember that next time I almost break my neck chasing after one."

"I'd rather you didn't break your neck," she said. Then she added something so softly, I wasn't sure it was intended for my ears. "I wouldn't know what to do without you."

I pretended I hadn't heard that. "How long do you think we should stay here?"

Konomi sighed. "I don't know. It depends on how long they'll let us stay without payment. I can help out in the kitchen and if you get lucky hunting, I'm sure we won't be too much of a burden. It'll be good for us to recharge."

"Unless they kill us tomorrow."

A nervous giggle came from the other bed. "Mayu!"

"What? It's possible."

"If that's what they wanted, they could've done that tonight. You shouldn't see the worst in people." A rustling sound came from Konomi's side of the room. "Do you remember when we met?"

An image of a much younger Konomi flickered through my mind. In my memory, she was shorter and her hair was longer, but her smile was still exactly the same. I'd fallen at first sight.

"What about that first meeting?" I asked, pushing the nostalgic thoughts away.

"You were making blankets for the flowers in your garden so they would survive winter. That kindness was one of the things that drew me to you."

"You mean that foolishness. Flowers don't survive winter for a reason."

Konomi's laugh filled the room. "Foolish or not, it was kind. When I saw that, I knew I wanted us to be friends."

Friends.

I tightened my hands. "Why are you bringing this up now?"

"To remind you that you're a kind person too. Don't change now." Her sheets rustled again. "Mayu? Can you turn around?"

Despite myself and my resolve, I shifted on my other side so I could look at her. Silver moon light streamed in through a narrow window, providing just enough brightness so I could see her face. She was so beautiful, it ached. She reached her hand out to me and I took it, bridging the gap between our beds.

Konomi's eyes shimmered in the moonlight. "I'm so glad we became friends."

"Me too," I whispered.

She squeezed my hand. "I'm so grateful we're family because if we weren't, I couldn't have come on this journey with you."

The image of my older brother's face drove away the warm feeling in my chest. If only he knew...

I swallowed the lump in my throat away while my heart pounded uncontrollably in my chest. "I'm grateful that you're here too. We should go to sleep. You must be tired."

Konomi hummed as she closed her eyes. "I am. Goodnight, Mayu. Sleep well."

She was still holding my hand.

"Sleep well," I whispered, wishing I had the strength and resolve to let go, but I couldn't. Instead, I fell asleep with our hands clasped together, floating in the small gap between us that might as well have been a chasm.

Some things just weren't meant to be.