”Hey, Lalli...”
Emil stopped for a couple of seconds to gather his breath, then started walking again before Lalli got a chance to tell him how pathetic he was.
”Do you remember the soup incident?”
Lalli's voice in his head was remarkable quiet. Emil shifted his grip around the straps to the rug.
”I know it's probably not the best time right now...”
The snow was starting to come down heavily. Emil never liked the beginning of spring for this very reason, one second it was sun and warm and the next it was snowing. At least it wasn't hailing. He stopped again.
”Were you angry at me?”
No answer. Was Lalli angry at him again? He sat down on the ground.
”I'm sorry about bringing it up, I just... I want to know what I did wrong.”
Still quiet. Emil pulled a hand through his hair.
”You know, so I won't repeat it.”
Then he laughed and pulled himself off the ground again.
”I really am going crazy. They're going to lock me up in the mental ward when we get back.”
He kept going. They passed by a few houses with roofs that had fallen in, passed by something that looked like it might have been a barn at one time and reached the last house in the small village they were passing through.
In here.
Emil stopped for a moment, looked at the house.
Weather will get worse, we wait it out there.
”Oh, okay then.”
He went inside the house, placed Lalli's body close to the wall.
”Wait there, I'll see if it's safe.”
It was. Emil found a fireplace, placed Lalli close to it and made a fire. He pulled off his coat and wrapped it around Lalli before dragging whatever furniture and blankets he could find over there do build them a nest. Just like he had done in that first house.
”This time I'm not going to fall asleep though. I'll just wake up even crazier. Maybe next time I wake up I'll hear Sigrun's voice in my head as well.”
He sat down, leaned against the wall and looked at Lalli.
”I wish you were awake though. I wish I had some company.”
No answer, but there wasn't anything to say and Emil knew it. He listened to the flames as they made their way through the wood, listened to Lalli's breathing. He was almost falling asleep.
It was stupid.
Emil was awake, totally, and he looked at Lalli.
”Are you awake?”
He still wasn't. Emil leaned against the wall again.
The soup...
”Are we talking about that now?”
Are you angry about it?
”Nah, I just want to understand.”
The voice in his head fell quiet again and Emil looked at the blanket that was their temporary ceiling. There were holes in it, but for being 90 year-old fabric it held up good.
Your language was wrong.
”My... language?”
It was gibberish.
”Excuse me”, Emil laughed, ”my language is not gibberish.”
I didn't understand it so I got angry.
”Do you want me to talk less?”
Silence, followed by more silence. Emil pulled up his legs to his chest and wrapped his arms around it.
”Before I stop talking though... I would rather say this while you're awake but... I'm sorry. For what I said that day.”
He looked towards Lalli, tried to force a smile.
”I understand if you hate me now. But... thanks for saving me. And I'm sorry. I wanted to believe what Mikkel said. That she might not have been...”
He let out a sigh and looked away.
”I should have known you knew better... I'll... I'll shut up with my weird language now...”
No answer. Emil laid down on the floor, his back turned against Lalli. His body shivered slightly, but then the heat from the flames draped over him again and he closed his eyes. Lalli was sitting on the other side of the table when the dream came to him. He didn't smile, his eyes were sad, but he looked at Emil.
”Don't...”
He looked away again. Emil noticed that his nanny wasn't there this time and he looked out of the window. No fire. This wasn't any of the usual dreams. He turned to Lalli again. Lalli pulled at the tablecloth.
”You can keep talking. It's okay. Just don't disturb any trolls.”
He blushed, looked at Emil again.
”If you do, you're just stupid.”
”I'll try”, Emil smiled.
”And... I don't hate you, stupid.”
”It's okay if you do, everyone else does.”
”Well, I don't.”
Lalli crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back, before relaxing and leaning against the table again.
”Also... The soup... I'm... I'msorryaboutthat.”
Emil blinked, tried to wrap his head around Lalli's blurted out words and then smiled.
”It's okay, I just wanted to understand. I'm glad you're my friend, Lalli.”
”Mf”, Lalli answered and got up from the table before lying down on the couch.
Emil looked out the window again, saw the flames catching the other house out there and he could hear his nanny approaching. Everything was back to normal.
