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            “It’s alright if you can’t remember. Just make new memories.”

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            Kol’s head hurt, and it wasn’t due to stress. Several days after dream-sharing with that boy—Oreek, was it?—and memories he’d rather forget started to haunt him. The first time it happened was when he had gone to sleep for the night. Normally, he would see only blurred images and colors as he slept, then things all of a sudden became clear. He’s sat up ramrod straight in his waking, breathing deeply through his nostrils. All the other times after that would happen at random whether Kol was asleep or awake.

            He could still hear that unforgettable voice in his head. Her voice. It switched so quickly between kind and spiteful. What the man couldn’t stand the most was when it sounded heartbroken. It tore at him in ways he refused to understand.

            “You are in conflict,” a voice said beside him. Kol turned his head to see he was being stared at by Aree. Since their first conversation, he had learned to be more cautious around her. She said things that made him feel…strange. Her quotes of wisdom went against and somehow defied his logic of the world. Humans weren’t supposed to be so intuitive. At least, to him they weren’t.

            Kol put on one of his kindest-looking smiles, masking his annoyance as well as confusion. He asked, “Am I now? What makes you say that?”

            “You seem to not know how to feel,” Aree answered.

            “Feel about what exactly?”

            “Nothing in particular. Just feel.”

            There went that intuitiveness again. He didn’t at all know why but holding a conversation with this woman was difficult. She seemed to know everything and nothing about Kol al at the same time. And Kol, he decidedly did not like it.”

            “I do know how,” he lied easily, “I’m just not known for being very social.”

            Aree only hummed in response.

            Kol looked at her strangely. “Well, what do you want me to say? I usually spend my time traveling alone. I’m also not really a people person to begin with.”

            For a moment there was silence. Aree then carefully stood up and turned to leave. Kol wondered immediately if he had insulted her until she looked back and smiled at him. “I was wrong earlier,” she said. “You do know how to feel, but for some reason are afraid to do so. Have a nice day, Kol.” She then walked over to join Livae in making lunch.

            Kol noticed his headache had suddenly gotten worse.

■ ■ ■

            “Do you always look down on everyone?”

            “I don’t look down on you.”

            “Do you ever?”

            “Never.”

■ ■ ■

            His headache was getting worse.

            At some point the group had decided it would be best to travel non-stop for the next few days. Everyone was a little on edge due to lack of sleep, some of them having to take turns carrying the children since they kept dropping off. Kol remained in the back away from everyone, a frown on his face and Tilvé sitting on his shoulders. She had fallen asleep not long ago and had her arms wrapped around his head. Kol could easily say it was not helping matters.

            His head was pounding without rest. The memories had begun to become more vivid. Whenever he could not find something to distract himself with, that was when they would hit him. And they would hit him hard. It was seriously becoming very irritating.

            Kol finally found relief from his burden several hours later. The group chose to actually set up camp for the night, which made more than a few people happy. He gently set the small child down on an empty cot before standing back up. He then made his way over to a large rock and sat down on it. Kol, closing his eyes, took slow, deep breaths.

            Several minutes went by of him doing this. It did help a bit. His headache lessened considerably until it was nearly back to how it was in the beginning.

            Afterwards, Kol opened his eyes. He turned his gaze up to the open sky, staring at the stars. A number of things had happened since he chose to travel with this family. The most significant of those things was the strangeness of the family group. They way some of them acted or what they would say constantly threw him for a loop. It made him rethink if it was the right decision to join them in the first place.

            Something didn’t feel right to him, and he knew right then it was time to leave.

            Rejoining the group around the campfire, Kol announced to all of them it was time for him to be moving on. As expected, many of them were surprised at the news. Others on the other hand, such as Aree and Jrek, seemed to have expected this. There were protests and some arguing, but eventually the Lrav family came to accept that Kol had to leave.

            With a few well wishes, a sack of food and a water skin, Kol left them behind that very night. It was odd. H usually would kill off those he traveled with, but there was some urge he had that told him to just leave them be this time. The thought boggled him, which in turn made his headache slightly worse. Perhaps it was better to store that thought away for another time, preferably when his head stopped hurting.

            If Kol had ever looked behind him, maybe he would have seen how the Lrav family’s campsite had suddenly disappeared.

■ ■ ■

            “Did you remember something?”

            “I remember a feeling. I was…happy.”