Since kicking his drug addiction, Eremis' appetite had returned with a vengeance. If he kept eating like he did now, he'd regain all the weight he lost in no time. He wiped his bowl clean with a slice of bread, swallowing it down bite by bite while listening to Rowan.
“I can hardly deny that I deserve such censure. Though I am a touch mystified as to why I should hear it from you. You’ll pardon me for saying this, but you’ve no more right to warn my lover against me than I’ve the right to do the same to yours.”
After refilling his java mug, the healer stared at the elf. "I haven't spoken against you to Soran, but I've shared my opinion, and what happened between us at the Silk Palace, with Cas. He might pass my impression of you along to Soran and then again he might not."
Eremis shrugged then moistened his mouth with java. "As to why I disapprove of you: I guess you could say I'm old fashioned, and don't think it's right for a person to hop from one bed partner to another so quickly. Marz had a reputation for doing that, and I was against his getting involved with Tristan because I figured he'd break the dragon's heart by cheating on him. The bad thing about overly sexed people like you and Marz is that you never stop to think how much you could be hurting someone by your actions."
He glanced at Darlanta, who seemed to be listening intently then he met Rowan's eyes. "Although I'm entitled to my personal views, I know that what goes on between you and Soran is none of my business. If he wants to try a relationship with you, that's his prerogative. I just feel sorry for him if he believes he loves you because I think you're incapable of falling in love with anyone therefore HE'S going to be the one that suffers when you decide to move on. I've gone through that kind of heartache and it's not pretty!"
His eyes turned to the stream where Cas and Soran sat. He wondered if he'd eventually share a close friendship with the blonde like his lover did before he turned his attention back to Rowan. "So far, Marz has proved me wrong. Maybe you'll do the same, but for some reason I doubt that. You're a lot older than Marz and if you haven't grown up by now you probably never will."
"I think you're being too hard on Rowan," Darlanta interjected. "It's not his fault if Soran developed feelings for him."
"He could have kept things platonic," Eremis shot back. "Instead, he lures a vulnerable youth, who's probably craving affection, into his bed by being overly nice to him then expects the kid to be satisfied with sex alone since that's the only thing Rowan seems to care about."
Eremis shrugged again. "Like I said before, what you do with your life in none of my business. You're the one who has to live with the consequences of your actions, Rowan. I guess I should give you some credit for convincing Soran you'd like to TRY a relationship with him. But, I have to wonder if you really do want to try, or are you simply telling Soran what he wants to hear only because you don't want him to stop having sex with you because you're not bored with him yet."
*******
Soran grinned at Cas. He felt happy to hear that Eremis wasn't pissed about being dragged off on this mission. Cas sounded pretty relieved about the fact that his lover wasn't experiencing any cravings for drugs or booze. No doubt, Eremis would have a much harder time avoiding the temptation to get high once they got back to Bizmar where drugs and alcohol were easy to obtain as long as you had the money to pay for them.
“I’m a little mixed up right now, man,” Cas said, quietly. “I dunno what it is I really want. I don’t wanna leave Eremis, but I don’t wanna live the rest of my life, cooped up in that raking city and playing nursemaid to his crazy moods.”
Soran understood exactly how Cas felt. He'd never had the freedom to do what he wanted because he was responsible for his sister's well-being. Thanks to Marz and Tristan he didn't have to worry about Maddy any longer. Now, he wanted to get involved in tons of things and wouldn't stand for sitting still in one place any more. Bizmar would always be his home but he wasn't about to settle down there until he grew tired of exploring the rest of the world. Cas shared his desire for travel, adventure, and becoming rich as fast as possible; no wonder they became fast friends!
"Give him some time," he said, cocking his head at Cas. "The drugs really messed up his body and mind so it might take him a month or more to get completely back to normal. Was he a lot different than he is now, before he got addicted?"
"He was already addicted when I met him," Cas said, with a frown.
"Oh." Soran thought about that while sipping his java. "That sorta means you're gonna have to get to know him all over again then. From what I've seen and heard, people on drugs act a lot different than they normally would. You fell in love with him when he was an addict so you might not feel the same about a sober, clear-headed, Eremis."
Soran threw his arm around Cas' shoulder. "Don't worry, brother. If you two were meant for one another it'll work itself out in the end. Just remember, we have each other to confide in when, and if, things get too tough to handle, okay? I think there are times when a best friend can help you through a difficult time better than a lover can."
His head spun around after he saw an arrow hit the water. "It's only Jeremy acting like a asshole again." He squeezed Cas' shoulder then released his grip and got to his feet. "It's late and I'm sure Eremis wants to drag you into a tent to make up for lost time."
When they reached the campfire, Soran knelt down behind Rowan and wrapped his arms around him. He smiled at Alex and scowled at Jeremy when they sat down next to Kato then pulled Rowan against him to whisper in his ear. "Ready for bed, love? Oh, before I forget, I was wondering if you could start teaching me archery tomorrow and would it be okay with you if I worked with Kato to learn a little about magical spells? He told me I might be destined to study magic because of my great instincts."
*******
Once Jeremy finished a bowl of stew, he pulled out a bunch of candy bars, passing them around to whoever wanted one. He grinned at Alex, glad the youth had accepted his apology and had agreed to continue to teach him archery. When he saw Soran wrap his arms around Rowan, he forced down a nasty comment and bit into his Snicker's bar instead. He reminded himself that he had to pretend to be nice to the jerk so that when something bad happened to him in the future no one would think to place the blame on him.
After opening two cans of Pepsi, he handed one to Alex. "Should we share a tent tonight or do you want some privacy?" While waiting for a reply, Jeremy pulled out his CD player and popped in the Metallica disk. Whatever magic Mad Max had used on his backpack made all his supplies replenish each day and even recharged his batteries. Laughing at the puzzled look he saw on Alex's face, he set the earphones over his ears then pumped up the volume so he could enjoy the full force of the heavy metal music.
