Restart Again: Volume 1 by Adam Scott (pocket ebook reader TXT) 📕

how much money do you make with that trading business, Marten? A wry grin crept across my face as all my concerns about money faded away.

The sound of footsteps approaching from the hallway brought me back from my daydreams. I quickly scooped the stacks of silver into my coin purse before moving to the door. The footsteps stopped just outside the room and followed up with a few dull thuds against the wood. Opening the door, I found Lia holding two full bowls of a thick stew, swinging her foot in an attempt to knock. “Dinner is served!” She announced happily, heading inside to set the meal on the table.

“Dinner,” I echoed, entranced by the smell of the food. I followed Lia to the table and sat down across from her. The meal in front of me looked about standard for a perpetual stew at a traveller’s inn, but having eaten nothing but apples, hardtack and jerky for the past few days, it was the most delicious looking meal I could imagine.

Lia and I ate in silence. After the emotional exchange earlier, it was comforting to be able to enjoy each other’s company without the need for words. Although nothing had changed between us, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief from a long-lingering anxiety I hadn’t been able to pin down. Was it guilt over not being able to reciprocate Lia’s feelings towards me? Was I really looking for absolution of any obligations I might have to her? Whatever the reason, I was in much higher spirits than I had been in a while, despite the knowledge that I was indeed a wanted man in Kaldan.

When we finished our meal, we began our preparations for sleep. The bed was much larger than the one in Lia’s bedroom at home and afforded us our own distinct sleeping spaces, complete with extra pillows for the both of us. We crawled into bed on our respective sides and laid facing each other in the darkness. The night sky was heavily overcast, providing me with just enough light to make out the general outline of her head and shoulders only an arm’s length away from me.

Reaching out with great care as to not miss my mark, I found one of Lia’s hands and laced my fingers with hers. “Lia, thank you,” I sighed softly, closing my eyes.

“For what?” Her voice floated out of the darkness sweetly.

I smiled, feeling content. “Just for being...you.”

“O-oh.” Lia stammered awkwardly. As I started to drift off to sleep, she squeezed my hand and pulled it closer to her chest, holding it with both hands. The warmth of her body and breath were the last thing on my mind before it faded to black.

---

I sat down beside the giant ash tree and rested my head against its trunk with my eyes closed. The wind was blowing gently along the grassy hill, cooling the air to the perfect temperature. Sun shone intermittently down on my face as the leaves shifted in the wind. It was another beautiful summer day in Alderea. And I hated it.

“Nothing like nice weather to ruin a bad mood.” Amaya’s dulcet voice called out from down the hill.  My eyes snapped open in surprise. “Just makes you want to be angry even more, doesn’t it?” She stood with her hands clasped behind her back, leaning towards me with a slight smirk.

“Amaya! How did you—”

“I told them I had some last-minute preparations to make before the officials arrived. Technically, it isn’t a lie.” She looked down at the grass with her head tilted and started to make her way up the hill, slowly and methodically picking each step. “All the time in the world wouldn’t prepare me for today.”

I swallowed hard. The thought of being away from Amaya for any length of time left an acrid taste in my mouth. “We could still run.” Standing, I looked off beyond the ash tree and pointed out towards the distant forest. “We could run straight through Leaning Forest, meet up with the main road beyond there, and be out of the country in a week. We’d have a good head start on them, and they wouldn’t know where we were going.”

Amaya continued up the hill towards me. “I can’t imagine Dad would be very happy with that plan.”

It was my turn to smirk now. “It was his idea.” She looked up to me, eyebrows askew with surprise, and we both broke out in laughter. We knew how ludicrous the idea was, but it was a small comfort to entertain it for a moment. Unfortunately, the moment faded, and we fell into a sad silence. “It’s almost time, isn’t it?”

She nodded. “They’ll be here soon.” Amaya stopped as she finally reached the base of the tree. When I looked at her face, I saw the same strength and resolution as always, but her eyes told a different story. They shone like dappled pools of lilac in the afternoon sun, reflecting the same emotions I was feeling: Sadness, fear, and longing. She reached out and took my hand in hers. “I’m sorry, Elden. You shouldn’t have to do this for my sake.”

The shame behind her words struck me hard in the gut. Pulling on her hands, I wrapped her into a tight embrace. “This was my decision, Amaya. Your father told me not to go to the keep, and I went anyway. I made the deal with Eadric myself. None of this is your fault.” I rubbed her back as I took a deep breath, trying to keep my emotions in check. “You’ll always come first for me. If I had to go back and make the decisions again, I would do it in a heartbeat if it meant keeping you safe.”

I felt her nod into my shoulder. “I know. It was upsetting at first, but I would do the same thing for you. And you would be feeling the same way I’m feeling now. I guess it’s silly to be