53. Cherish

Having successfully teased Ivan into blushing once more before we set off I soon fell asleep. The soft trundling of the truck was lulling, as long as I didn’t think too much about the last time I was in the vehicle.

Sadly though having wheeled transport came to an end. We arrived at a little town, a collection of stone built cottages with a large hall at its centre. Families milled about, families played happily whilst in the distance there appeared to be a bustling town square. It was nothing like the squalid, run down shacks we had left behind in the Shadowlands.

Ivan was outside the truck, talking to a grey-haired man in his fifties. He was examining the truck, the hood was up and he was gesturing at various areas. I gave Ivan a sleepy wave, those green eyes of his seemed to light up on catching mine as he gave me a soft smile and a little nod. Then he put his head down and got back to chatting.

Eventually he came to my passenger window, leaning his huge arms down on the open w