Page 33 of Azriel

Azriel left before dawn to go hide in the woods where they'd gone before. Birds chirped as the sun rose, and a red one landed on a branch of the tree Azriel was in. It tilted its head and eyed him.

He expected it to start cussing and saying rude things, but then he remembered where he was. He was pretty sure birds couldn't talk here.

"Hi, birdie."

It started squawking, so it probably was swearing at him in bird language and telling him to get off its tree.

"I'm just waiting for my friend."

The bird flew off. Azriel tried to make himself as small as possible when he spotted a rider cantering down the road in the distance and away from Riverview.

It didn't take long before he saw a wagon. The area was abandoned now, and Vali waved an arm. Azriel launched himself from the tree and headed for it.

He landed by the wagon, and Vali pointed at the back. "Get in."

Azriel had to climb over some crates in the back to reach the front so he could poke his head out as Vali got the horses going again. "Did you have to load this all yourself?"

"No. Mother's boss helped. He gave me money for an inn tonight, but I didn't say I'd be sleeping in the wagon. I don't know what to do with it. It’d be wrong to pocket it, but I can’t bring it back.”

“Why don’t you give it to someone who needs it?” asked Azriel.

“Yeah, I think I’ll do that. I’ll use a little to buy myself something to eat for dinner.”

The cover over the frame of the wagon came down on both ends and could be cinched in to close it. Azriel made himself comfortable on a crate where he could watch the world without being too noticeable, and if they saw anyone, he hunched down to hide.

When they stopped for lunch quite a way from the road, Azriel got to pat the horses. Vali had lunch in a bucket, and Azriel saw something far more interesting than food, horses, and birds combined.

“What’s that?” He pointed at it, and Vali told him. “Does it bite?”

“They’re harmless, but their wings are really delicate.”

“Come here!” Azriel ran through the grass after it.

“I don’t think he wants to,” said Vali.

The butterfly seemed to be trying to evade him since it kept weaving around. Azriel chased it all the way to a clump of flowers where it settled, and he stared at its black and orange wings. It was so tiny and pretty, it should be impossible.

He gently cupped his hands around it, and it fluttered for a moment before shifting and clinging to one of his fingers. With his new prize settled, he rushed back to Vali.

“I got it!”

“Don’t touch his wings.” Vali had sat in the grass by a wheel to eat, and Azriel crouched by him. “He’s pretty. You don’t have butterflies in your realm?”

“No.” Azriel stared as it walked along his finger. Its legs were so tiny and skinny, he was surprised they could support anything. “What’s that thing sticking out of his face?”

“They drink nectar from a flower with that.” Vali leaned over and pecked his cheek. “You’re so cute.”

“No, he’s cute.”

“You’re both cute.”

“Wait, what if it’s a she?”

Vali paused with a piece of cheese. “I’m actually not sure how to tell them apart.”

“Oh, well. The butterfly knows.”

The butterfly took off, but Vali pointed after a second. “It’s on your horn now.”

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