My Highwayman And I Started Picking Out Way Through An Abandoned Fishing Village. The Snow Piled Up Was

I don't remember what I was talking about, but I kept talking for him. There was a content air that surrounded him as he listened to whatever I was babbling.

But I also made sure to keep an eye on where we were going. At this point we had to be close to where the road wasn't as familiar. I could see some snow up ahead. But I didn't stop and kept talking.

In a breath of silence, I looked over at him. Since I was never really around people, I couldn't pin the exact expression.

Once we were a little bit into the cursed forest, I happened to take another look at him when a snowflake landed on his nose and startled him to a stop.

He looked up, eyes full of awe and wonder, as he whispered, "It's snowing?"

I was tempted to remark that it always snows here but his expression stopped me. How could I take this small pleasure from him?

So I settled for, "When was the last time you saw snow?"

"I don't remember," he muttered, not taking his eyes off of the snow.

I found a steady place to sit, cleaned the snow off, and got comfortable. He was having a good moment. I didn't want to take that from him.

I was going to wait until he was ready to go.

“How many people have died to achieve this world domination of yours?” “769.” “…What?” “769 people died to achieve my plans. I counted them, and had each of their names etched on my throne so I never forget what my victory cost the world. Now tell me, how many have you killed to see me dead?”

The flowers proudly displayed their colors. From the delicate daisy to the graceful Sakura.

I reached up to a flowering apple tree and with tender love murmured, "Absolutely beautiful, darling."

Tomorrow, I knew the apple tree would give more blossoms. After all, what living thing doesn't want to be praised?

When we passed a sick rosebush, I sacrificed some life force, only enough for it to get back to perfect health.

The nymph hugged me as tight as she dared. I could see that she was on her way to become compost while she was sick.

"Did you help another plant?" the highwayman questioned after I convinced the nymph to go back to her plant.

"How could you tell?" I didn't bother trying to lie. He always knew when I was being honest and when I wasn't.

"Your breathing is labored and you're slightly shaking," he just as easily answered while he started setting up camp. He looked up at me and with some hidden compassion requested, "Have a seat."

I sat on a slightly slopped rock and waited for him to say or do something.

We sat for a few moments in silence while he cooked some fish. Was he cooking for himself?

"Here," he said after pulling out a ceramic plate and a fork before handing the plated fish to me.

I knew he knew how I regain lost life by eating cooked animal meat. Being gracious and grateful, I nibbled on what he prepared for me. I also wondered when he was planning on leaving.

"I'm not going anywhere until you've finished your meal," the highwayman assured me.

"Aren't you hungry?"

He gave a small smile, "I can wait until dusk for a meal." He looked like he has been in this situation before.

"Do you have enough for yourself?" If he was going to go hungry, then I wasn't going to have all of the fish.

"I'm always prepared, so yes, I have food for myself as well." His eyes drooped a little, his posture slouched, and his head nodding off a little.

I nibbled slowly enough that he fell asleep while he waited for me. When I finished my cooked fish, I have took off my cloak and tucked it around him.

It has been a long day for him.

so wholesome

The highwayman nodded off a little more with each flicker of the fire in front of us. He wasn't supported at all. If he wasn't careful, he might fall forward and into the flames.

Once he was in a deep sleep, I crept to his side. He looked so innocent and vulnerable but overshadowing all of that was exhausted. Whatever it was that he was either running from or towards had him tired.

Still making sure not to disturb him, I moved him so he was resting his head on my lap.

Whatever is haunting him during his time awake, he needed to put to rest.

"No! You let him go, Drosera!" I commanded the larger than usual plant. It was taller than the highwayman and rivaling some trees in height.

"Do you know just how long I've been starving?" The Drosera nymph demanded. "Then, along comes something that I can finally eat."

"You can't eat him! Let him go!" I repeated my demand. My throat hurt like it was roughly rubbed against an oak tree's bark.

"Am I supposed to feel tingley?" the highwayman asked as the Drosera's tentacle wrapped itself tighter around him.

"How much food do you have on you?" I asked my highwayman. How could I let him die when we've gone so far already? But I also didn't know how much food he had stored away. If it isn't a decent amount, then he might starve later.

"Enough to feed this thing," he replied in a vague way. There were seedlings of worry but other than that he was sure in his choice.

"But-"

"Dump the contents out of the side that is furthest from me," he instructed while he gestured to his bag.

As I did what he ordered, I wanted to believe that there was another way. But we hadn't seen any animals since we entered the bog.

"Let him go and I'll give you three pieces," I bartered, moving the three largest pieces forward.

The nymph hesitated. It burned energy it needed to catch him and now I was asking it to burn more.

"How much energy are those worth?" it asked in a cautious tone.

"At least half of what you'd get out of him."

"I'm starting to feel a serious tingle right now and I don't like it," he called.

With great effort, the Drosera let my highwayman go. As I had promised, I gave it the three pieces of meat.

"I still feel a tingle. Is that normal?"

"Go to the creek we saw a few miles back and at least rinse yourself off. The acid is still trying to eat you," I instructed him.

Without a word, he left me with the nymph.

Sunlight rained through the grove. It was a long day and, to be honest, I wanted a nap. There was a stone that was large, flat, and grey, that wasn't too far from me but it was in direct sunlight. Just to test the heat of the rock, I lightly rested my hand against it and instantly recoiled it back. It was way too hot to even consider.

Abandoning the hot rock, I searched for another good place to rest. After a moment, I found one that was completely shaded by a large oak tree and was covered in moss. There was no doubt in my mind that this was the better option.

My messenger bag served as my pillow and my cape as my blanket. It didn't take a long time for me to fall asleep on this rock.

Decay exists as an extant form of life

You know, it occurred to me that the whole "commit arson to burn the Gävle goat" vs "save the goat at any cost (to our taxpayers)" thing is basically a match of Yule themed Counter-Strike Sweden plays with itself every year, and every time they update the Wikipedia page to say TERRORISTS WIN the goat was destroyed, the whole world is like