Jackal Among Snakes

Chapter 330

“You didn’t have the foresight to bring boots?” Elenore asked Argrave as she leaned on his arm.

Argrave looked down at Elenore, smiling with bitter patience. She wore cloth pants for travel, and he could barely see her pink feet. Indeed, pink—the new flesh was like a newborn’s, markedly different from the leg just above it.

“We,” he rephrased. “We didn’t have the foresight. You might be my lackey, but you have lackeys of your own. We’ll get you some footwear once we get outside—one of the two mages has some to spare, maybe.” He adjusted his arm slightly and she moved nervously. “How do you feel?”

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “I get a chill in my spine anytime I feel my… feet… fall upon a surface.”

Argrave nodded. “But no pain?”

Elenore looked to him, and his eyes fell upon hers. They were still red and raw—it looked like she’d been hit by pepper spray, or something—but the bulk of her eyes had been fully restored. She had gray eyes, the same as he did. Seeing the change made him feel indescribably good inside. In the wake of the tremendous hardships of the past few days, he felt like he’d found a great buoy of happiness to draw him from the somber ocean he’d found himself in.

“No pain,” Elenore confirmed. She blinked rapidly, then closed her eyes and squeezed them shut tightly. “Ugh. Dizzy,” she said simply.

“I’ll be with you the whole way,” he assured. “Your bones could still be fragile, so try not to put your whole weight down. Just lean on me.” He turned his head, vaguely gesturing towards Anneliese. “If you want, I could get Anne on the other side.”

“Why not carry me on your back, spare me any strain at all?” she said sarcastically. “No. I’m fine.”

“Then… move anytime you want,” he suggested gently.

Elenore stayed frozen in place. She took several deep breaths, but her knees stayed locked in place and she made no attempts to move.

“…anytime,” Argrave repeated teasingly.

“Yes, anytime. That includes now all the way to eternity, maybe even until Gerechtigkeit himself blows away this tent,” she retorted, clearly flustered.

while passed. Argrave waited for her first step with a patient smile on his face. Slowly, she lifted her foot up and stepped forward. Argrave advanced slightly with her as she gingerly settled upon the

“I would clap, but that might cause problems. Anne, you want

to clap, but she looked on with a smile. Elenore looked deep in concentration as she moved the next foot forward for her second step. Slowly, surely, her confidence started to return and her pace increased. Argrave followed her about as she tracked a rough circle about the tent. Before

mouth rose, bringing some bright life to her tired face. She

tease. She kept walking carefreely, enjoying every moment of it with such enthusiasm she seemed a whole different person. The only thing that slowed her exponential growth of confidence was a slight

“I didn’t think… it would be so different from

outside?” Argrave asked

looked towards the tent flaps marking the entrance. Faint dawn light

aside, offering more entrance to light. Galamon stood there patiently, guarding them. He was eating some rations—dried meat. Elenore shielded her newly formed eyes, blinking rapidly and slowly adjusting. Only after a long while did

a hill, and it offered a fantastic view of the rising suns. The two balls of fire illuminated the spring beauty of the region of Atrus. Near Vysenn, civilization was especially absent—there was a lake, a beautiful field of wildflowers, and long stretches

countryside with unabated enthusiasm. It overwhelmed her to the point her breathing grew uneven, and she leaned

need to… sit,” she

free arm, then shepherded her until they came to the rock he pointed to. She sat down eagerly, then Argrave

to Vasquer’s holding area, I could not see the snake until I grew very close.

corrected. “They’re

the wetness on her face as she smiled brightly. “I remember… when I was young. I went traipsing through the royal gardens in my bare feet. When I returned, one of the royal maids chided me for acting unladylike.” She placed her hands on her knees. “When I told my father, he came with me the next day. I climbed trees and jumped down, where he caught me in

Argrave listened silently.

she laughed again. “I don’t think I

arm around her and jostled her about. “Deserve? Nobody gets what they deserve. Who decides what

she said, then sighed. “There I go again.

want,” Argrave said dismissively. “I’m here.

eyes still wandering the landscape. Her eyes settled upon something. “Our army is a bit of an eyesore to this

didn’t respond, looking upon the distant tents just barely visible beyond the mountains that formed the valley Castle

prepare to return,” Elenore looked to Argrave, her gray eyes sharp and focused. “There is

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