The News

The garner article was a shock. winfry and isa had discovered the underground text while reading the librem for news of nilbmah. Every once and while, they would pick up news from one of the nilbmah periodicals or a general narration of the current events. Mostly it just spewed convoluted jokes involving obscure puns that made isa sigh a lot and walk out of the room and brought winfry to throw the book across the room - underneath these displays of aggression winfry was just hiding his smiles. He secretly loved even the worst of librem's jokes. But he couldn't let isa know that. But he didn't really know why isa couldn't know. But he didn't really think about that. He just hid his laughter by biting his lip and throwing things.

Anyways, the garner article was a shock. winfry thought it was amusing at first until he glanced down and saw isa’s face. He hadn't seen her face like that since cafe luminot. The article must have hit her emotional funny bone. winfry let her finished the article. He generally read pages 7 seconds faster than isa but this time isa must have re-read it several times because it took her 7 more minutes to finish. For the next hour, isa sat silently with the sunlight slipping out of her room in the Lokton Edge of the Wood's Bed&Breakfast. winfry sat too, watching the sun go down. After the second hour her realized his normal strategy wasn't going to work this time. Usually whenever a memory from the past upset isa, winfry waited silently at her side until she was ready to release everything clogging up her aortic valve. winfry needed another strategy.

New inter-personal encounters were not winfry's strong point. He wasn't comfortable with new interactions. He lost his confidence. He had trouble

No. This was ridiculous. He knew isa to well to still be this silly. They were, you know, together, dating...

"isa, I'm sorry that article was hard for you to read." winfry was a little bit too rough when he put his hand on isa's shoulder but she didn't seem to mind. She turned her neck to look up at winfry and squeeze out a smile.

silence.

"We can take a walk if you like."

"Yes. I'd like that."

And that's how winfry and isa came to be walking after sunset by themselves in the ghost town of Lokton.

Timoteo said they should stay in the B&B at night, that it was too dangerous for them. But Timoteo said a lot of things. And they had spent a month of nights in the woods fighting demons before they found Lithuania. So they slipped out the back and into the cool night air. winfry tried to put his tweed jacket over isa's shoulders but she shrugged him off saying he was too romantic. But she was smiling. But she was probably right.

"I'm sorry I got upset. You are incredibly patient, winfry. You know that? No one else would wait that long for me. Thank you."

"Oh, that's ok. You don't have to apologize."

"It's just hard to hear that someone, no not just someone, that wretched jacob martin of all people (I always knew he was no good, no good at all) and he dug up my body, my body, to start a war and not just a war but a war for Assmachestan. And insult to the injury, the whole thing gets plastered over the press for everyone to read with the morning toast...

It was too much. Too much. Thank you for staying with me, winfry. You are too kind."

She had stopped in the middle of the abandoned street and hugged winfry.

winfry tried not to notice how isa's breast felt pressed against his chest every time she tightened the hug, but he wasn't very successful.

They turned around and walked back to the B&B no one had noticed they'd left.

"I do have one question about the garner article." They had made it back to isa's room.

"Yes, winfry what is it?"

"It said that your were supposed to have died 20 years ago but how were you able to change that in the official records? It's impressive enough how your formed your new identity using an orphan but actually changing the date of your own death, that's amazing."

And just like that isa shifted to the minor key. "I didn't change the date. That's when I died. I died 20 years ago."

"What? But that's not possible. You said... you said" winfry's eyes were rolling around his head searching for a reason.

"I never told you when I died. That night at the cafe. I never said when I died and you never asked me."

winfry had just had the rug pulled out from under him. His mind was frantic trying to make sense of everything.

Finally he said, "But you are so young. If you died 20 years ago how can you be this young?"

"I don't age, winfry. I did too good of a job coming back to life. I didn't want to it just happened."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I..." isa, in a rare moment, seemed stumped.

"Why didn't you tell me you died 20 years ago and don't age? Why would you hide that from me?"

"I... winfry... I don't know. I'm sorry. After the cafe I knew I would have to tell you but I just never found the time with the librem and running away and everything. I wanted to tell you. I'm really sorry, winfry. Really I am. "

"I just don't understand. After everything we've been through. I thought we were, you know, after everything, I thought we were..."

"You thought we were what winfry?"

"You know... umm... well, dating. I thought we were together."

"Oh"

isa, who had been locked with winfry's eyes suddenly found her shoes more interesting.

...

"winfry, I didn't realize"

Now winfry was interested in the geometry of the carpet.

"I never thought of us that way. Sure we had those weird moments in the library and nighline but that was the quilaire acting out. Right? I mean I really really like being with you, winfry. You don't know how much I enjoy being with you. You are my best friend. The best friend I've ever had. Probably will ever have. I'm sorry how all of this is coming across. I really want you to know how grateful I am for you. I can't imagine being without you. Really I can't."

"I think I should go."

Winfry turned, head down and left before isa could call him back.