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He shrugs. "I do not recall. Only that I know it is truth. Perhaps in the last Anticipation?"
I keep forgetting that this has all happened before. "Do you remember much about it?"
"Some. The memories are fragmented, I suspect because when all Aspects reunite, the individual is lost."
"Mmm." That's strange to think about—that the man I'm holding onto might not exist once this is done. I wonder if it bothers him to think about that, or if he's accepted it as fact. "So who won last time?"
"Won?"
"Yeah. Which Aspect won out? Hedonism? Lies? Arrogance? Apathy?"
He thinks for a long moment, considering. "Hedonism, I think. I know it was not Arrogance."
For some reason that makes me sad. It's hard to think that it's all the same person, just split into four different ways. That this isn't the real Aron, just some piece of him. I'm growing fond of the guy, all said, and I don't like the thought of him disappearing, or dying, or whatever happens when this is over. Not that it'll matter to me, of course, since I'll be home.
But I still think about it. "But it wasn't Lies that won last time, either?"
I guess I'm pretty transparent, because Aron casts a look over his shoulder at me. "If you are worried about confronting him, speak your mind, Faith."
"Well, seeing as how we haven't exactly been killing it on our own, yeah, I'm worried."
"Killing it?"
"Doing well? Thriving?"
He snorts, turning back to the road. "I think we are doing quite well. We have supplies and weapons. I have an anchor. You have a full belly and no plague. I see nothing wrong with our position."
Plague? He just casually throws plague out there? I bite back my horror and decide to point out the bigger problems first. "Vian and Cathis said that the other Aspect had mercenaries with him. Like ten. And a wizard. A motherfucking wizard. Aron, what do we do against those things?"
"We make sure that we remain aware of them and plan accordingly."
"How do you freaking plan against a wizard? You need to help me on that part because where I come from, the only wizards are racist assholes and can't actually do magic." I poke his side again, and I'm surprised when he shudders. Aron's…ticklish? What the heck? Why do I find that so ridiculous and yet delightful? "Maybe you should have hooked up with a wizard."
"Did you see any wizards volunteering upon my arrival?"
Good point. "I'm sorry you're stuck with me."
He grunts. "You have not been a bad companion, Faith. Do not vex yourself on that front. You have been adequate."
"You're killing me with all that praise," I murmur, but I am pleased, weirdly enough. That's a compliment, considering where it's coming from. "Still, what do we do against a wizard?"
“That depends.”
“On…?”
“On whether or not he is a true wizard or a pretender. True wizards are rare. Pretenders are far more common.” His tone is dismissive and clearly unworried.
Obviously I get to be the worrier of our party. “Let’s assume he is real. Just for giggles. What do we do then?”
“Try to stand behind him.” He chuckles at his own joke.
“Helpful” is obviously not in Aron’s repertoire. I frown at his back. “Wizard aside, they said the other Aron has troops. Like ten or twelve of them. Should we get mercenaries or soldiers for our protection? We’re only a day or two away from Katharn. Much as I’d hate to go back, I’d hate being dead a lot more.”
Aron shakes his head, idly flicking the woale’s reins as if it’s a lovely afternoon jaunt and not a ride into danger. “You worry too much, Faith. And before you prattle at me about how one of us needs to be concerned, remind yourself how many men I took down that first night we were attacked, and I was far more confused and disoriented then.”
My open mouth snaps shut. He’s got a point. He took down a half-dozen men in the blink of an eye and without a weapon. “I’m sorry to doubt you. This is all really new for me.”
“Troops are a distraction only, nothing more.”
I nod to myself, thinking. “You did say he was lies. Unless…they said he had a consort with him. You don’t suppose he’s Hedonism and just trying to throw us off?”
I’m not ready to confront any other Arons, but on my list, Hedonism is dead last. I don’t want to think about what that’ll mean for us, because it makes me get all flushed and awkward and things are already awkward enough.
“No, he will be Lies. Hedonism will be far more obvious. A consort does not mean anything. My cock works as well as any other mortal’s.”
Oh, I remember. My cheeks feel hot with just how much I remember. I change the subject quickly. “You think they’ll be setting a trap for us?”
He chuckles and glances back at me over his shoulder. “Undoubtedly.”
“Then we should practice weapons more, Aron.” I tap a hand on his arm. “Maybe we should stop early for the night and get some sparring in. Some swords, some staves, all the good stuff so I can be prepared.”
Aron just shakes his head, watching the road in front of him, and flicks the reins. If anything, the woale speeds up. Slightly. Like a gently caffeinated snail instead of just a regular snail. “Faith. You are trying to stall, are you not?”
I mock-snort. “Me? Not wanting to rush into danger and certain death? Psh. Can’t imagine why a girl would stall.”
“I will keep you safe. Do you doubt me?”
“Dude, you’re Arrogance. Of course you’re going to say that.” I ignore his bark of laughter that peals down the dirt road. “It’s just that…you’re a badass fighter. He’s you, so he’s going to be a badass, plus he’s got a wizard, plus he’s got mercenaries. All you have is me.” Just thinking about it makes my hands tighten on his belt. At what point do I trust him and at what point is his arrogance going to get us killed? I don’t have the answer, and that worries me. “All I’m saying is that we should practice some fighting when we stop, so I can help with the combat.”
“Faith. We could stop and practice for two years and it would not be enough.” His voice is surprisingly gentle, for Aron. “If Lies is meant to conquer Arrogance, then there is nothing I can do.”
The thought makes me sick. I’m not ready to die. I’m not ready for him to die. “I refuse to lie down and give up, Aron. Not without doing as much as I possibly can to stop it from happening.”
“No one is saying we are going to give up,” he tells me. “But perhaps our time would be better spent trying to think of a trap for them, since they will inevitably be setting one for us.”
“Fair enough.” It doesn’t make me feel much better, though. Aron’s life is tied to mine, and mine to his. If the other Aron decided that he needed a posse to protect himself…why aren’t we doing the same?