They didn't stop walking until the sky began to darken.
The forest grew thicker the farther south they went. Tall trees blocked the wind, and the smell of smoke slowly faded. Aelric kept his hand near his sword, listening to every sound, every crack of a branch.
Serayne walked a few steps ahead of him.
She moved carefully, like someone used to running but not resting. Every few moments, she glanced back, as if expecting soldiers to burst out of the trees.
They didn't speak.
Not yet.
When the light finally dimmed, Aelric stopped.
"We rest here," he said.
Serayne hesitated. "What if they catch up?"
"They won't," he replied. "Not tonight."
She studied his face, searching for doubt. Finding none, she nodded and lowered herself onto a fallen log. Her shoulders slumped the moment she sat, like her body had been waiting for permission to stop.
Aelric gathered a few dry branches and started a small fire. Nothing big. Just enough to see.
Serayne watched him quietly.
"You fight like a soldier," she said at last.
Aelric glanced at her. "I was one."
Her fingers tightened around her cloak. "Were?"
"I left."
She didn't ask why.
The fire crackled softly between them. Shadows danced across the trees.
"What about you?" Aelric asked. "Where were you heading before the village?"
"Anywhere," she said. "Somewhere they weren't."
He nodded. That answer made sense.
Serayne stared into the flames. "They always come the same way. First questions. Then threats. Then fire."
Aelric felt something twist in his chest.
"Why stay near villages?" he asked gently.
She laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Because people are kinder than soldiers. Most of the time."
Silence fell again.
Aelric leaned back against a tree, eyes half-closed but alert. He had slept in worse places. War taught you that comfort was optional.
After a while, he noticed Serayne watching him.
"What?" he asked.
"You didn't turn me in," she said. "Most would."
He thought about that.
"I'm tired of doing what I'm told," he said finally.
She looked surprised. Then thoughtful.
"My magic…" she began, then stopped. "It doesn't always listen."
"I saw," Aelric said. "You controlled it well enough."
She shook her head. "It came out because I was scared."
"That doesn't make you dangerous," he replied. "It makes you human."
Her eyes softened at that.
The fire burned lower.
"Where will you go?" Serayne asked.
Aelric stared into the darkness beyond the trees.
"I don't know," he said honestly. "I don't have a place anymore."
No banner.
No order.
No home.
She nodded slowly, as if she understood more than he had said.
"You can walk with me," she said. "For now."
Aelric looked at her.
"That might bring you more trouble," he warned.
She gave a small smile. "Seems trouble finds me anyway."
For the first time that night, Aelric smiled back.
"Alright," he said. "For now."
The fire finally died, leaving only glowing embers. The forest grew quiet, but not peaceful.
Somewhere far away, the kingdom continued to burn.
And two people with nowhere to belong shared the same road.