“I hope everyone had a decent nap,” he announced, sitting down on his pallet next to hers with his serving in hand. “We’ll be night walkers until we reach the oasis,” he laughed.
“Will we need anything besides the waterskins filled?” Rey inquired. “I’m sure there won’t be any resources once we head out.”
“No, we’ll be totally on our own, so be sure the bottles are full as well,” the Mate suggested with a nod. “And, I had an idea. I hunted down a few more staffs like the one Zae has been carrying,” he informed them, giving her a broad smile. “I think they’ll come in handy in the morning, when we’re ready to bed down and rest during the heat of the day. We can use them to construct at least a patch of shade to keep the sun off us in case there isn’t any, which I doubt there will be.”
Finishing his stew first, Baldwin took the receptacles and dutifully went to fill them, with Animir close behind. Rey and Zae set about rolling up the packs, while Ami stirred her bowl, not really eating it.
“Is something wrong with your dinner?” Piers asked, shifting to sit beside her.
Looking up at him with a doleful expression, she said softly, “I’m really sorry… for the way that I’ve behaved. I can see that it would have been wrong for us to consummate any kind of relationship as husband and wife. I need to know more about who I am before I can be a part of a marriage, to you or anyone else.”
“Oh,” he more or less agreed, pulling his knees to his chest and holding them there with his arms wrapped around. “So, I am forgiven for keeping you at bay?”
“Yes,” she nodded, then sniffed, “I won’t pester you about it any longer. You’ve been a good friend to me, Piers,” she said more strongly, raising her clear green orbs to meet his. “I do love you. All of you. It pains me to think we may one day go our separate ways.”
Placing his arm over her shoulders, he gave her a squeeze. “Me too. We have been through the worst of times together and seen each other through.”
Leaning into him, she sighed, “Do you forgive me?”
“Aw, love. You know that I do. Finish your meal, and we’ll get everything washed and packed for the journey.”
“Aye,” she agreed with a giggle, spooning her bites in earnest.
Gathering their supplies, Piers whistled merrily. He felt at peace with the girl, a peace he hoped would last. He knew it had not been easy for her to speak those words to him and to accept responsibility for the tension that had been almost constant between them. He mused that if she were able to maintain it, the change would thankfully make things easier for them.
Feeling better, Amicia washed the last of their dishes and packed them. Then, grouping with the others, they planned who would carry what, as their amount of supplies had grown significantly. Peering at the long poles that the Mate had selected, she held one up and suggested, “Let’s carry them on these, in pairs. You know, like a sling.”
“You mean a litter?” the Mate asked, stroking his beard thoughtfully.
“Can it be done?” she asked with expectant wide eyes.
“Hey, that’s actually a great idea,” Rey agreed, taking the staff from her and balancing it to test the weight. “It will take a few minutes to set them up, but we’ll be able to walk a bit easier. I’m sure of it.”
Setting to work, they spread one of the blankets out flat, then laid two of the poles across it side by side about two feet apart. Watching as they folded the blanket over each staff into the middle as layers, Zae pondered, “How will it stay and not fall through?”
“Friction,” the Mate explained, feeling a bit of pride at her curiosity. “The two pieces of cloth will be pressed against each other by the weight of the load. That will hold them in place,” he stated with a firm nod.
Stacking half their gear evenly across it, he and Rey hoisted it up to their shoulders to give it a test. “See? The blanket is as solid as if it were made of planks.”
“This feels nice,” Reynard observed. “We’ll be able to keep a good pace, don’t you think?” he asked as they strode back and forth a few times, with Piers in front and Rey following behind, then trading to try the other way around.
“Aye,” the Mate agreed. “Let’s set it down and build one for Animir and Bally.”
Using a second set of poles, they constructed the next and let the two younger males give it a test. Walking along for a minute, they were less smooth, but they quickly got better. Bouncing it a few times, the boys laughed.
“This isn’t a game,” the Mate reminded them sternly. Stroking his chin, he suggested aloud, “Do you think we should tie everything down?”
Her eyes wide, all the perils they could face leapt into Ami’s mind simultaneously. “Is the journey going to be dangerous?”
Glancing at her alarmed expression, Rey sidled closer to pull her into a hug. “Are you still upset about the goblins?”
“No,” she replied with a tremor in her voice. “But it was hard being on the raft. So many things happened we couldn’t control…” she trailed away.
“We’re way better prepared this time,” Bally intervened, pulling out the ropes. “Let’s tie it down. We would rather be safe than sorry,” he suggested, smiling up at the girl as he knelt to begin the job.
The sun had set by the time they finished, and they headed out in their typical single file. Piers and Rey leading, Animir and Baldwin trailing, and the girls marching along in the center. Their mood was light, almost as jovial as the first night they had spent together after departing the glen, and their laughter carried through the darkness as they strutted along in rhythm.
Before long, they had cleared the grass, and only sand remained. Her mind turning, Ami became lost in her thoughts as the group fell silent. The sliver of moon above lit their path and she could see far into the distance all around them, with no trees or structures of any kind to obscure their view. Looking up at the cloudless sky, the bright stars twinkled above, and she found herself contemplating a wide range of fleeting topics.
“Ami,” Oldrilin coaxed, tugging at her sweater.
“What is it, Lin?” the girl snapped to attention, afraid she had been ignoring her tiny friend.
“I’ve had my fill of walking,” the siren confessed. “Would you carry me now?”
Smiling, she called, “May we take a small rest?”
When the procession had come to a halt, Rey helped get the mermaid positioned on her back. Recalling the first time he had carried her on his shoulders, he laughed. “Watch out for her hair, Lin,” he reminded the mermaid gently.
“It’s in the braid,” Amicia observed. “I doubt she could pull much.”
“Oh, you’d be surprised,” Rey countered with a snort.
Bally chuckled as well, running his hand over his chest, tenderly observing the bruises she had given him when Ami had led them through the haunted woods filled with goblins. “I’m sure she’s going to be fine,” he agreed with more confidence than he felt.
Passing one of the elf bottles, they used the stop to have a refreshing drink. Looking around at the wide-open expanse of nothing, Amicia sighed, “I guess taking a piss would be out of the question.”
“You can,” Piers informed her with a shake of his head, “but it’s not going to be the most private. We’ll turn our backs if you want,” he offered.
“Hey, let’s just leave the gear here in the middle and each take a side,” Rey suggested, helping Lin out of her pouch and placing her on the ground. “Boys go left, and girls go right,” he chanted with a laugh.
In silent agreement, the group parted and marched out into the soft sand for about fifty yards, putting nearly a hundred yards between them. Returning to their packs when all were refreshed, they took up their loads and reformed the line.
After a short distance, Amicia dropped back a few paces so that she could walk beside Animir instead of in front of him. “I was hoping we could have a small chat,” she offered, noticing that he seemed focused on balancing his end of the litter, as h
e followed while Bally led.
“Of course, my lady,” he agreed readily with a grin. His white teeth shone brightly in the moon lit night, but he had been worn down by the journey, as they all had been; a conversation would help distract him from his exhaustion.
“I’ve been thinking about the stone, the hamar you called it. I had been so angry, I didn’t really ask what you meant, but I’m curious. What sort of practice?” she asked anxiously. “Is it something I should be worried about?”
“Practice?”
“Yes, I was making it glow and adding colors when you joined me, and you said it would take practice,” she recalled aloud.
“Oh, that,” he laughed. “You have the ability to draw the power within the stone, but only on the surface. In time, and with a bit of training, you would be better at it. Stronger, I guess you might say.”
“Will I be able to use it to do other things?”
“Perhaps,” he gave a firm nod. “You would be able to use more power and do more impressive things if you were properly trained and focused. When we make camp, I would be most pleased to show you what I know.”
“You’re a wielder of magic?” she gasped.
“Well,” he hesitated, “elves are considered magical people. Only about ten percent of us are truly powerful, though.”
“The ruling elves, like Lady Cilithrand,” Bally interjected, having been listening as usual.
“Correct,” Animir confirmed. “Even though not all of our class can readily use magic. It is more difficult than one might think. But I would be willing to help in any way that I can.”
Her heart beating faster, Amicia grinned, “That would be lovely, Animir. Yes, when we have settled to rest, I would love to hear more about it.” A spring in her step, Ami hurried ahead to retake her place in their line as they marched on.
The sand beneath her boots had tired her, and the added weight of the siren had only added to the issue. Her legs ached, but she pushed herself for every step. Piers had asked them to keep a positive attitude when they first set out on their journey on The Bobber, months ago, and she would do her best to fulfill his mandate. Besides, she didn’t want to be the one bringing everyone down by complaining. Raising her chin, she focused on her breathing and putting one foot in front of the other.
Pulling them up for another break as the moon sank low on the horizon, Piers could see the exhaustion on their faces. Passing around the bottle again for another swig, he hesitated to let them sit for long.
“We need to keep moving,” he informed them when Bally dropped down onto the sand.
Squatting next to him, Amicia giggled, “This is a lot harder than the raft.”
“Aye,” he agreed, stretching out flat and staring up at the star filled heavens. The ground had been warmed by the sun all day, and it still held a small amount of heat. However, the air around them had cooled drastically. “Tell me again why we’re walking at night?” he demanded quietly.
“To conserve our water,” the Mate replied, longing to join his young friend. Resisting the urge, he shifted from one foot to the other, placing his arms across his chest. “This place will be an oven by midday tomorrow, so we need to push as far as we can tonight and set up our camp once the sun comes up.”
Glancing between them, Amicia sighed. They needed something to lift their spirits. Her gaze falling on Animir as he had his share of the water, she grinned brightly, “Can you show us your magic?”
His eyes darting around the members of their group, the elf drew an anxious breath before he agreed. Closing the flask, he placed it on the sand and took a few steps back. Then, holding out his hands in a stopping motion, he focused on the container for a long minute before Bally gasped, “Oh my God, it’s floating!”
It had only risen about six inches from the ground, but it was enough. Giving it an imaginary push, Animir sent it over to him as it silently levitated over the sand.
“That’s impressive,” Piers observed as he knelt down to check the level of clearance he had achieved. “Can you make it go higher?”
“Yes,” the younger man replied, “but I don’t want to risk the bottle, should I drop it.”
“Is your control not that good?” Rey asked, also on all fours to look beneath it.
“I don’t practice it much,” the elf confessed. “I was forbidden to use magic as part of my banishment. I’ve always feared being caught and punished even worse than being made to serve.”
“Aww,” Ami comforted as she stood, picking up the pouch and preparing to take on her passenger. “Maybe you can practice now,” she consoled.
“I guess so,” he shrugged. “It has not meant that much to me.”
“Hasn’t meant that much,” Bally chortled, also getting to his feet. “Man, if I could make stuff float, I would practice it every day. Imagine how much work you could save if you sit in a chair and just think it into being.”
“It’s not that simple,” the elf replied with a laugh while watching the girl. “It requires a bit of effort and skill to do anything useful,” he confessed.
Falling into line, the group pushed on, but their pace had dropped off significantly. Trudging through the dunes, they met a patch of ripples, which gave the landscape odd shadows. The moon had set, and although the stars still burned above, the darkness pressed in on them.
The night seemed endless, and the air around them continued to drop in temperature. If they had not been moving, it would have become more than Ami could stand even with the warmth of her passenger. Wrapping her sweater around herself more tightly, she kept going, but she wore a heavy frown from the effort.
Catching the first streaks of sunrise to the east, Piers announced, “We’ll stop as soon as the sun breaks into the sky. We want to get our shelter assembled before it starts getting warm.”
He wouldn’t have to tell the group twice, as they were all ready to pull out their blankets and lie down. Pushing for every foot, he finally made the call, and the two youngest males nearly dropped their litter getting it off their shoulders.
“Easy with it,” the Mate directed. “We need to unload them. We’re going to use the poles to construct a shelter.”
Doing as he instructed, all their gear was stacked to the side and the blankets unwrapped. Taking the poles, they leaned the four of them into a point that met at about six feet in height. Using three of the blankets, they covered three of the sides, but left a gap of about a foot at the bottoms.
“This is an odd shelter,” Ami observed.
“Well, it’s just to keep the sun off,” Piers explained while making sure their ties were all secure. “The opening is to let the air move through,” he explained while pointing at the feature with an open palm.
“We’re going to be cozy,” Rey observed, as two blankets spread side by side covered the floor of their make-shift dwelling.
“Who cares, as long as we get to sleep,” Bally whined, dropping their gear on the four corners of the mat to hold it down.
Quick to agree, Ami announced, “We should eat before we sleep, don’t you think?”
“Aye,” the Mate seconded. “Pull out the rations and let’s eat, drink, and get down for our rest.”
The Desert of Peaswan
Sitting in the shade of their tent, the group parceled out portions of meat and cheese and each enjoyed a goblet of water. With the four waterskins and two bottles, they would have one container per meal if they ate twice a day, which should see them to the oasis.
Stretching out across the blanket, Ami wiped the perspiration forming upon her lip. “I’m not sure I can stay under this,” she mumbled as she squirmed.
All taking a section of the accommodations, they drifted off to sleep, but their comfort did not last as a blast of hot air sometime later stung their skin with flying grains of sand. Squealing loudly, Zae covered her face with her arms to hold the blast at bay.
“I think we’ve left too much space,” Bally observed, squinting at the bright light shining on the groun
d on the other side of the wall. Lying on the edge, closest to the gap, he had the perfect view of the sand storm, as well as the waves of heat that floated in through the gap.
“Everyone up!” the Mate ordered, then seized one of the blankets to roll it, tucking it around one of the sides and changing the size of the hole between the earth and the wall. “Get the other side,” he instructed Rey as he adjusted the height.
Ami knelt as he did so, pushing her hands into the soft grains they had been lying upon. Her fingers wriggling, she could feel the coolness of the layer below. “I think we should pull out some of the sand,” she observed.
Pressing his hand in as well, the Mate agreed. “Aye, the heat of the day has not reached so far below. Let’s use the bowls to scoop it away and pack it against the blankets for support.”
Each using their dinner dish, they removed and shaped the sand, arriving at a cool, damp layer several inches down. Stretching out upon it, Amicia sighed at the small amount of comfort the change provided. Closing her eyes, she breathed deeply, and a few minutes later, she had drifted into exhausted slumber.
When she awoke, the sun hung low in the sky. Lying still and staring at the point where their poles came together, she could hear Rey, Animir, and Bally talking quietly in front of the opening to their manmade cave. Lifting her head, she could see the backs of their heads as they laughed, using sticks to draw pictures in the sand. “Silly boys,” she muttered, laying her head back and running her hand across her forehead.
“Another headache?” Piers asked, observing her movements.
“No, just tired,” she replied, sitting up for a better look around. “Looks like we survived the first day,” she attested with a chuckle.
“Aye,” he agreed, pulling out their second bottle. “Let’s have our dinner before the sun sets, then we can tear down the camp with what’s left of the light and be on our way.”
“I can make us light if we need it,” the girl reminded him with a small grin as she portioned out their meal into each of their bowls.
Journey of Darkness Page 9