Quite simply, she couldn’t. Jake watched as she slumped forward polishing off her second glass words slurred and eyes glassy. Sighing slightly, he set his nearly empty glass to the side and did his best to help stop her from slamming to the ground. This proved a struggle though, as moving forward he realized he wasn’t any better off himself. Past buzzed into tipsy, his head felt fuzzy, and he stumbled a bit struggling to stand properly as he slipped off his stool.


    The two had been slowly nursing their drinks, making the most of the limited run of alcohol they’d managed to barter for. Even still, the effects of the drink were hitting them hard, harder than he’d ever guessed possible for only two pints.


    “What’s in this stuff?” He asked, glancing toward the barkeep as he wobbled towards the slumped-over Alice. The barkeep, seeing his struggle to walk let out a laugh.


    “Trade secret son, homemade right here. Best drink this side of the mountain. At least, that’s what the miners tend to say. Not that they have much choice!” The barkeep let out a booming laugh while giving the barrel beside him a little tap with his fist.


    “Great…” Jake meant to think to himself slowly shaking his head to try and clear his thoughts, “Medieval moonshine. Perfect first drink, just great…”


    He reached out towards Alice’s collapsed form before finding himself missing, falling forward to collide lightly with the counter. Stopping her from falling to the ground may be harder than he first thought. Above him, he could hear the barkeep laughing again. The sound was booming and friendly, and glancing towards the muscular frame of the man standing behind the counter brought back memories of Leopold. Pangs of worry and guilt settled heavily in his intoxicated stomach as the laughing barkeep grabbed hold of his shoulder.


    “Best to just sit a moment son. Not like you have anywhere to be, stables aren’t going anywhere, right? Here, I’ll grab you some water. Normally I’d charge but, well, lucky for you I live near a stream and I’m feelin’ nice. Also, that was one odd pelt you brought me." Walking away with another laugh and a shake of a head, Jake returned to another stool now sat on the opposite side of Alice.


    She seemed to have drifted off to sleep since slumping forward. Probably for the best, she seemed to not get much sleep last night. Probably pain from her arm. Luckily, she seemed to have drunk enough to dull the pain, as she’d managed to land rather uncomfortably upon the makeshift sling. Didn’t seem like it would be very hard to dull pain though, God what did he put in that stuff?!


    Shaking his head again, Jake gratefully accepted the cup of water offered by the barkeep, chugging half the cup down in one massive gulp. Gasping a bit for breath as he emerged from his over-eager drink of water. Jake felt his body slump down a bit, unsure what to do now. He doubted he could carry Alice out to the stables himself, at least not right now, and he didn’t want to test the barkeep''s kindness…


    “She alright?”


    “Huh...?” Jake asked stupidly, drawn from thought by the question of the barkeep leaning across from him.


    “Your partner there. She alright? Those scars look rather nasty.”


    “What... oh, yeah, she’s ok. Well, not really. She’s slowly dying. But I mean, the scars don’t hurt her. At least, I don’t think they do. She never mentioned them hurting when she’s not crumpening… crumbling…, I should ask her some time…” Jake stopped talking, letting his voice trail off as he realized he was babbling nonsense. He might be a bit more than just tipsy… What the hell did he put in that stuff?!


    “…That a fact?” The barkeep responded looking at him with a look of amusement mixed with genuine interest. At least, that’s what it looked like to Jake. Who knows what face he was really making?


    “Where you two traveling to then?”


    “Who knows? Random every time, won’t know till sunrise.”


    “Well, the village of Hajfield is a little way down the road if you…”


    “Probably won’t get to see it. Be gone in the morning.” Jake interrupted, realizing only after he’d finished talking how rude he’d been.


    “You won’t have time to see the village just down the road? Are you two needed back up the mountain or something?” Confusion was clear in the voice of the barkeep.


    “Never been to the mountain before, probably won’t get to go there either. To drunk. Middle of the day too, who gets drunk in the middle of the day…” Jake leaned forward across the counter, allowing his head to slump forward a bit.


    “You’re an odd pair, anyone ever tell you that?” The barkeep asked, leaning back a bit to watch the mystery man slowly falling asleep beside his companion.


    “Once… or… twice…maybe?” Jake managed to say before he drifted off to sleep against the countertop.


    <hr>


    “Up an at em sunshine. Let you sleep all day, but the whistle just rang. Need you two out of here pronto. Stables ready for yah.”


    Jake sat up with a start to find the smiling face of the barkeep inches from him. His head was killing him. With a groan, he reached up and rubbed his forehead. Absentmindedly he reached toward the cup of water that had sat beside him prior to his falling asleep only to find it missing now.


    “Sorry sunny, that’s gone. No more refills either. Streams hidden around the back, just past the tree line. Can’t miss it. Now you two need to leave. Funny as you were, paying customers will be coming soon.”


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Another groan escaped Jake as he staggered to his feet, but he found he could muster no complaints toward the friendly-faced giant. Already the muscular man was being more than fair to the two. Reaching beside him, Jake gave Alice a gentle shake to try and rouse her awake only to be met with an annoyed groan in response. Trying again, he found this time she didn’t even bother to grace him with a noise.


    Sighing deeply, he bent low and hooked his arm under the shoulder of her non-injured arm. Pulling her upwards, the sling caught her crippled arm as it lolled forward, useless and lifeless. Alice gave another groan now to the sudden movement, opening her eyes slightly but saying nothing. With a slight nod toward the barkeep, Jake began helping Alice out the door to the bar ignoring the slight chuckles he could hear escaping the merry barkeep.


    Thankfully, the stables were right outside the door to the bar, allowing the pair to nearly instantly collapse down into the stall’s rough-trodden straw. Rolling over flat to his back, Jake slowed his breathing, struggling not to puke as his head throbbed, an unbearable migraine plaguing his brain.


    “You awake? Or alive?” Jake asked next to him, glancing slightly at Alice. He didn’t particularly feel like talking, fearful he might barf all over himself, but still felt it important to check in with her. He got no immediate response to his question, only dazed mumblings and groans. Turning to view her more concretely, he saw her body curling tight as she seemed to sink into the straw. Her eyes were shut tight, he could tell she was already drifting back to sleep. The last words he heard her mutter just barely reached his ears.


    “… My fault… it’s my fault…”


    Jake lay in silence a while after that, his gaze leaving the still-sleeping form of Alice to gaze up at the roof of the stables above. A lump formed in his throat, uncomfortable and firm. He’d known it must still have been bothering her. Despite how cheerful she tried to act yesterday; you couldn’t just bury regret like that. Still though, to hear her pained mutters…


    He wished he knew a way to help her. Wished he could just... magically make her feel better somehow about the accident, the crash, or whatever else she blamed herself for. But he couldn''t, and he didn’t know what else he could say to her, what else he could do to try and help her move forward. He didn’t even know if she wanted to move forward. Perhaps she was only still agreeing to travel with him as a kindness or maybe a penance to herself. The thought scared him as soon as he had it, and though he tried to shake it loose from his mind it seemed to burrow deep and take root instantly.


    Forcing himself to sit upright, Jake slowly used the low-hung walls of the stall around him to stand. However she felt right now, there was little Jake could do to help her with it. What he could do, though, was collect some water. She’d need it when she woke up. Now seemed the best time to get it, before a gaggle of miners descended upon the pair. Also, if he was going to puke it probably be best to do it away from where they’d be spending the night.


    <hr>


    Views more beautiful than she could ever have imagined drifted past her face in a lazy haze as she seemed to drift free through the air. No wings sprouted from her back yet still she effortlessly glided amongst the clouds, views unobstructed.


    A dazzling field of green trees with leaves crown-shaped covered in plum-colored spots. She blinked to find herself reclined back above a desert, the sand below shifting in gentle waves as whirlwinds of dust formed high into the sky, nearly reaching her as she drifted past. Another blink and she sat amidst a rainstorm, the cool feeling of the water splashing across her face as she twirled with delight. Another blink and she hovered atop a shimmering field of colors. Brilliant hues of emerald and ruby and sapphire all danced forth for her splendor, till with another blink they were gone.


    Quick as they came, never overstaying their welcome. Here long enough for her to enjoy the vast majesty of the many sceneries around her yet never staying so long she felt stuck… trapped. A slight shiver ran down her back as she imagined the feeling, gracefully moving above a field of shimmering metal that flexed and bent with her every breath. She felt so free here, finally allowed to roam, allowed to see the vast wonders of the unknown around her…


    Then something odd seemed to happen. Before she could even blink, the world seemed to shift. It was jarring and unnerving. Before she knew it, the sprawling, bending field of shimmering metal was gone and replaced with… nothing. Sprawling fields of pitch-black shadows that played tricks on her eyes seemed to dance and sway in the nonexistent breeze around her.


    She took in the odd sight around her, beginning to appreciate the bizarre beauty of the shifting void before suddenly, without her approval, she was thrown rapidly into a blinding world of light and sound and taste and smell. She was knocked back, her senses dazzled as she struggled to adapt to the sudden culture shock. Suddenly just as fast she found herself submerged beneath the waves of a roaring ocean.


    Then a split second later she felt her toes graze the sands of a creek, and heard the chirping of birds around her. With no time to take in the sights though she was thrust away again finding herself falling through the sky before suddenly, she was underground before suddenly, she was locked in a box before suddenly, she stood alone in a dying forest before suddenly, she was…


    She screamed out, begging the world to stop. To let her enjoy the sights and sounds around her, to let her enjoy the travel she so loved again. Yet nothing seemed to appease the vastness of reality as the dizzying display continued around her. The endless wonders she craved to see ruined, slowly distorting and stretching around her as she sank to her knees. She wondered if she was crying, nothing seemed to escape her. How long she sat like this, trapped by the unending speed of everything around her she didn’t know.


    Perhaps it was only a moment or perhaps it was an eternity, both felt like they could be true, but in the end, the world stopped. All around nothing moved, not even the snow suspended in the sky as she looked around in a panic, worried what could possibly be next.


    “Help…” A voice distorted and far away called out to her. She spun around, desperate to find the source of the unfamiliar voice.


    “Please… Why…” Another called out, closer now but still unknown.


    “Why… Please…” A third joined in. Then a fourth. Then a fifth. On and on till hundreds upon thousands of voices surrounded her, hidden amongst the snow as she spun about desperate to find them, to reach them, yet no matter how hard she tried the seemed too far away. Panting heavy now she found herself beginning to inhale the suspended snow around her. Taste its disgusting flavor… the disgusting flavor of ash.


    “ALICE… PLEASE… ALICE…” She heard Betsy just behind her now, calling out amongst the sea of faceless voices, crystal clear and so close. Spinning around desperately she lunged forward but found nothing. Only the falling ash as the sea of voices continued their pleas upon her.


    “STOP! STOP!” Alice cried out to the voices, waking up with a jolt. Her head was throbbing, pain radiating out to join her crippled arm in making her miserable. Her cheeks felt wet, she could tell she’d been crying, but she didn’t care. She simply lay a moment in stunned silence as the weight of her dream crashed upon her.