Page 61 of Earthbound

‘I want to go somewhere new, without memories. Where we can just be us, and forget all that has come, and all that is to come.’

‘There isn’t anywhere in this palace I haven’t been,’ Furi said.

‘Then let’s leave the palace.’

‘Mosima becomes very small when you’re a queen.’

‘Tie your hair back, hide your features–no one will know you.’ Furi could tell Yeeran was getting excited now and it was nice just to bask in it.

She gave her a small smile. ‘All right, let’s go exploring.’

They donned a pair of faeguard uniforms they found. Yeeran clearly felt slightly uncomfortable wearing different insignia than she was used to, but Furi appreciated the figure she cut in the leather armour.

Pila and Amnan were waiting for them at the bottom of the Tree of Souls.

Where are we going? Amnan asked as Furi mounted him.

Anywhere, was Furi’s answer.

He needed no further encouragement and began to lope through the Royal Woodland and out to the city beyond. Pila gave chase and soon Mosima was a blur beside them. It was early in the morning and the fray was still the colour of a conch shell, warming with the coming of the day.

Furi kept turning to Yeeran, just to see the radiance of her smile.

I want her to be this happy all the time. I want to be the cause of it.

Love, this was love. She had known it all along, but their time apart had only solidified her depth of feeling.

‘What’s that?’ Yeeran asked, breathless and beautiful. She pointed to a building on the riverbank.

‘Looks like a water mill.’

‘So you haven’t been inside before?’

Furi shook her head.

‘Then a bedroom it shall be.’

Yeeran’s words made Furi shiver.

The last league to the mill seemed to take forever. It felt as though Amnan slowed beneath her, but when she questioned him he seemed affronted.

Am I not the fastest obeah in Mosima?

You are, you are.

Then let me be fast.

When they eventually arrived Furi was the first through the door. The water mill was empty, save for the farm cat who prowled in search of mice. The building itself was stocked high with bags of milled flour. Though the hopper was empty of grain, the millstones still ground together from the waterwheel outside.

Cushca, cushca, cushca.

The room smelled of toasted wheat, and the earthy aroma that comes from being so close to a riverbank.

‘It’s perfect,’ Yeeran said, coming up behind her.

The obeah had slipped away, leaving them alone.

‘I missed you,’ Yeeran said into her hair.