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[Soviet Titties V]

Dudley peered at the map for a second and studied carefully. They had entered elvish lands; several shepherds had roamed the lands beside the road and quickly ventured off at the first sight of the two humans. "Here," he said and pointed to a specific spot on the map. They had passed the fork that led down south hours ago. "See the split in the road? We passed that hours ago. We haven't taken any real breaks so we should be around here--more or less anyways."

He lied down after pointing at the map and looked up towards the sky with solace. That night he didn't eat and allowed Amma to eat his portion of food. He sorely missed the taste of summer ale during these nights; the days were getting longer and hotter, summer would arrive soon and the badlands would bake even more harshly then they already did.

"What kind of place do you think Ourania is like?" he asked her suddenly, keeping his gaze upwards.

[Tsaritsa of Salt]

Amma frowned. In the grand scheme of things, they hadn't made it very far. Far from their village, but not from the town they'd left. Why was the world so large?

She looked to Dudley, and shrugged. "Like the village. Lots of grass and trees and flowing water."

It had to look that way. Amma didn't think she could stand it if it didn't. There had to be someplace on earth that still had plentiful life to it.

"And when we find it, we'll stay there, " she said. "We'll build a house and we'll live there, and settle down. It will be our new home.

[Soviet Titties V]

"Do ye really believe that?" Dudley almost sneered. "Why...why do ye believe so much there's an untouched paradise?"

It didn't make sense, Dudley couldn't understand why she believed in this. All they had seen over these days were dead lands and weakened beings. Their village, their home had been an untouched paradise. It was pure and without fault, and yet it was still touched by the corruption the gods had not been able to purge. "And why is it that ye don't want to go back?"

[Tsaritsa of Salt]

"Of course I do," Amma said quickly. "There has to be such a place." Her voice lowered as she continued on. "There has to be, because there has to be something worth living for. I haven't- I haven't seen anything thus far that proves it is even worth it to be alive. The earth is dead, everyone we have seen looks horrible or depressed or they're actually dead."

She stopped, shaking her head. "There's...nothing for me back in the village. And all I will see in everyone is cruelty. I know no one was trying to be cruel, I know that; but everyone must have worked so hard to make me so...helpless and stupid. So I can't go back. I can't."

Amma laid down next to Dudley, using her arm as a pillow. "Ourania has to be the place. I want to be able to feel at home, to find a place to live forever. Then I can find a husband, and raise a child. That's all I want."

[Soviet Titties V]

He gave a cynical chuckled and opened his mouth to say something, but closed it shortly. The way she talked about all of them angered him. Spoiled, selfish, little--, but he stopped those thoughts too. He had wanted to hit her as he did when she was a child, but this was different. All those years of simply waiting for someone like her, and she turns around and talks bad about them.

"Then why am I here? I have just as much fault as they do--I'm just as cruel as they are; after all I am the one who caused all of this," he spoke dryly.

[Tsaritsa of Salt]

Oh no. She upset Dudley. Amma sat up, frowning. How could she even explain this?

"I need you, Dudley," she said, not looking at him. "You- you're my best friend- my only friend. I can't imagine doing anything without you. And I said I know you and everyone else wasn't actually being cruel. I know you all had the best intentions. But look at me, Dudley. If you weren't here, I'd most likely be dead within a day. I just- I wish I'd had some real knowledge bestowed upon me, when I was growing up."

The last few days had been a whirlwind of scary discovery after scary discovery. Monsters, men with cold hearts, the secret her village had kept from her.... It was almost never-ending.

[Soviet Titties V]

"I don't know how that exempts me from yer judgement," he responded without looking at her. He shifted his body around to get more comfortable and closed his eyes.

"Ye'll get what ye want," he told her and stood still. "Anyways, yer keepin' watch tonight; I need to sleep." Perhaps he was being a bit too hard with her, but so was the world and she needed to grow up faster than ever.

[Tsaritsa of Salt]

How could he not see? He was special. Dukdey was her best friend, the closest person to her heart, the one thing in the world she actually cared about; she loved him.

She loved him.

Amma's eyes went wide, at that sudden realization. She loved Dudley. He was the best person in the world, always there for her, he took care of her-

And she was only hurting him one, somehow, with all she had said.

"Okay," she said quietly, and prepared for the long night ahead.

A few times, she started to nod off during the night, but somehow managed to stay awake, and it was almost a relief to see the sun started to rise. That is, at least, until she realized she would have to stay awake all day, to continue along on their journey.

She nudged Dudley awake and fished through their bag for breakfast, coming up with bread and smoked meats.

[Soviet Titties V]

It wasn't a good nights sleep, but it was better than nothing as usual. Dudley was groggy and it took a while for him to become fully alerted. He was tired of cold bread and meat, washed down by watery and scalding tea. Buttered eggs with potatoes, cheese, and hot bacon would have been much better--even a cup of tepid coffee would be decent compared to the tea.

After breakfast they walked more and Dudley saw Amma nodding off. The area under her eyes were dark and her face seemed strained. She had never been awake through out the entire night. He gave a laugh and carried her on his back so she could sleep. It was much slower traveling like that, but it was better if they were both rested.

The skies were clear and a slight breeze drifted through the rolling hills of the land; most of the dead grass rippling like waves of the sea. To keep himself distracted he sang softly one of the old tunes his father used to sing, from his own homeland. It was an Emerald Isle, cool and pleasant with sea breezes and charming people who cared for nothing more but relaxing peacefully. And as always, every paradise was touched. They had been forced to scatter and his father had found refuge within the village.

About half and hour later a group of armored elves walked in the opposite direction on the road. They stood tall and walked around a large wagon, appearing like some sort of important caravan. They stopped in front of Dudley, and he himself stopped.

"Where are you going?" one of them called out.

"We're heading towards Port Auin--we want to catch a ship to Ourania, sirs," Dudley responded loudly, taking a few steps forward. Amma sure was heavy, and his arms were sore from caring her.

"Where are you coming from?"

"We came from Bruhl--in the badlands, near the Sentimi mountains. I'm taking my, er, wife, to Ourania. She's very ill, there are no good doctors here, but I've heard that the Kingdom of Faldae has excellent services."

The guards scoffed and laughed at the mention of the name Faldae. Was their kindgom still at war with the Titan of Ourania, or did they still hold resentment against them. "Very well, continue on. There should be a checkpoint three hours on foot from here. You may get papers there to arrange your trip." They parted ways and Dudley continued carrying Amma; she was still asleep.

[Tsaritsa of Salt]

Amma was thoroughly grateful when Dudley suggested he carry her. It wasn't overly comfortable, but it gave her time to rest. She woke up a little every now and then; she heard bits of a song, and a little of a conversation between Dudley and someone else. When he called her his wife, she couldn't help the barest of smiles before drifting back off.

The sun was high in the sky before she woke up fully and asked to be put down, so she could walk. She would be tired, certainly, by the time they made camp, but she had much more energy than earlier, in the morning.

As they walked, Amma asked, "When my arm heals, will you teach me how to use a sword?" Broderick had never gotten the chance, after all. And then, because it was heavy on her mind from the night before, she continued with, "And I'm really sorry about upsetting you last night. I didn't mean to. You're just...you're special to me. And I love you, Dudley. Upsetting you is the last I want to do." She smiled at him, as if this was a truly normal conversation to have, as if what she had said wasn't going to alter their friendship and relationship in some way.

[Soviet Titties V]

Dudley's entire back was sore when he had placed her down, but he mentioned nothing. He longed for a hot bath, fresh meat, and a bit of rum. His back was soaked from both of their sweat and he took of his cap every now and then to fan himself.

"When my arm heals, will you teach me how to use a sword?" she asked him. Dudley perked up with a raised brow. Before answering he grabbed one of the smaller water skins for some water and drank a bit as she continued. "And I'm really sorry about upsetting you last night. I didn't mean to. You're just...you're special to me. And I love you, Dudley. Upsetting you is the last I want to do."

"And I love you, Dudley."

Water suddenly rushed into his wind pipe and up his nose, causing him to momentarily choke. He spat out the water he was drinking and coughed violently. He bent over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breathe. "I uh...yeah, I love ye too, yer like my sister after all. And sure, even though I'm no swordsman," he responded with a coarse and raspy voice. What had she just said? never once had she ever said those...no, she probably meant them in a different way. Not like Hannah would whisper in his ears those summer nights while teasing him with naked skin, but how Alister or his younger sister would mention.

He cleared his throat and sniffed to make sure there wasn't anything inside. After a few blinks he stood up, looked at her, smiled awkwardly and continued on. "Don't worry about before."

[Tsaritsa of Salt]

Amma stared in concern at Dudley, and patted his back as he bent over, coughing, hoping that would help to clear his airway. "Are you okay?" she asked, peering down at him.

And then he said he loved her as well, and Amma's smile widened, and then fell as he said she was like his sister. That...that wasn't what she had meant. Had he misunderstood? Possibly, but now she was scared of correcting him, if only by the incredible knot that was twisting somewhere I. Her chest from his response. If she clarified, and he still insisted that he loved her in only a familial way, she didn't think she could handle it.

None of the women in town, with their husbands, ever spoke of this sort of pain, of this ever happening. The way they had spoken of love, it was as if a person would always end up with whomever they loved, that their love would be returned.

This certainly wasn't like that.

She looked away quickly when he finally looked to her, smiling; she couldn't stand to see that smile, didn't want him to see the hurt on her face. "Oh," was all she managed to say, and swallowed, tucking her hair behind her ear.

Amma room a few steps forward down the road, knowing she wouldn't- and couldn't- explain how she actualy felt. "We should keep going," she said quietly, almost to herself.

[Soviet Titties V]

He agreed with a nod and continued. There was strange silence between them as they walked. Dudley convinced himself what she had said earlier was nothing more but sibling affection--after all, he was dead, there was nothing he could give her.

At last a small building upon the road appeared, with several armored Elves stalking about and a multitude of carts and wagons parked in the fields to the left and right. People sat among their possessions and awaited for something.

When they had reached the checkpoint they were stopped. One of the elves questioned Dudley and recorded his answers on what seemed was paper. "And you said you're going where again?"

"Faldae, well all of Ourania actually. We're migrating. We're hoping to settle somewhere nicer. We'll be stopping by Aldaris first."

The guard laughed at the statement and shook his head. "Aha, very well. It'll be three gold coins for papers into Aldaris and Port Auin. The ships leave but you'll be dropped onto Emeria."

"Erm, the island? Why is that?"

He laughed more and explained further. "Where have you been boy? We're still at war with those bloody humans. No ship in these lands will sail straight towards those blaggards--they'd be sunk straight away! Same policy here. Anyways here, just sign here and you'll be on your way--in a moment. We've gotten orders from Aldaris to hold everyone moving in or out. There was a situation in the capital."

Dudley nodded, paid and pulled Amma along and sought out a spot to which they could rest.

[Tsaritsa of Salt]

All throughout the walk, Dudleys words kept echoing in her mind. Yer like my sister after all. Like my sister. Like my sister. It wasn't fair, it wasn't right. Every now and then, the emotions welled up inside her and she felt she might cry, but she refused to, not with Dudley right there. He would ask why, and she would tell him, and it would all be worse.

Finally, signs of civilization popped up, and Dudley spoke with an elf about things Amma didn't understand (papers? Why did they want papers? And what war?). She let Dudley take the lead, and followed him to some shade, beside a building. She didn't eat anything, though this was the time to do so; she only drank a little water.

The tightness in her chest hadn't left, and Amma had the suspicion it wouldn't until she was given the chance to cry. But when would that come? She was never without Dudley.

"What, um, was he talking about?" Amma asked. This would distract her, she decided. She would be distracted and not think of this heartache.

[Soviet Titties V]

"About what?" he asked her, and she responded with both. "Ah well, were should I begin. Faldae is one of the biggest and oldest Kingdoms still around today; I don't know much about it, but it's often referred to as the 'Titan of Ourania'. They have a bunch of things you'd never see here--or imagine. I've heard they have things such as airships, and automations, and things like that. As well Faldae was the sole kingdom that stood against the gods of old during the age of Judgement, and it was thanks to those things. Most people hid in the dark, like those mounts." He paused for a moment to drink some water and made sure she was following along.

Dudley continued: "Even during my time, Faldae was at war with this kingdom and the Piscines of the sea. For what exactly, I don't know. But because of this most of the elves here have grown distrustful...of people like us, just for being human. If we were elves we wouldn't need certified papers, telling the people there, we can just walk around there. But that's that, don't worry much about it," he finished and lied down. "Seems like something serious happened in the Capital, Aldaris, so we'll have to wait a bit."

Dudley drew his cap over his face and fell asleep. He dreamt again of people like Hannah when it was interrupted his name was called. Dreary eyes slowly opened and he removed his cap and looked around. "Dudley!" a voice sounded off again. It was Lucarta, and she walked as elegant as ever towards him. "Noble Dudley! What ever does your spirit do in such a place?"

Dudley beamed and stood up right away to greet her. She gave him a kiss on the forehead and asked him more questions. After getting satisfactory answers she turned her attention to Amma. "Amma?" she asked in a certain tone. "Why I'm surprised to see you; I didn't think you'd end up back with this one after you were separated. But how joyous, truly."

"Well, we are like siblings after all, haha."

"Come come, I have much to tell you!" Lucarta grabbed him by the hand and dragged him away, signaling Amma to follow them. As always she had been resourceful and ended with a possession of a large and covered wagon, fully equipped with food Dudley would never dream of carrying on his back.

In the wagon were barrels of potatoes, onions, fresh meats, honey, jellies, frothy milk, salt, flour, breads, and herbs. Not to mention an assortment of fine fabrics, pillows, and covers for sleeping in the spacious back.