by Isaac Crowe
Mr. Penna paused in thought, becoming very serious. “About Evangeline’s claws, Maxwell, never tell anyone that she has them. It is strictly forbidden for any registered lacarna to have them. In fact, their claws are removed before they are allowed to enter a city.”
Max stared in disbelief. “That’s awful…but, why then does Eve still have hers?”
A smile crossed Mr. Penna’s face. “My guess? Someone forgot to check when they first registered her.”
Max brought his attention back to Eve, who sat with her head bowed, scribbling absent-mindedly in the dirt.
“I can see now why you didn’t want to come with us, if people really are that afraid of the lacarna, but why didn’t you tell me?”
Eve raised her head. Tears filled her eyes. She could barely be heard. “I didn’t know how, and I didn’t think you would be my friend anymore.”
Eve quickly looked down at the ground again. Max stumbled for something to say He hadn’t seen Eve cry since the night his father died.
“Shoot, Eve, there have been times when I could have sworn you were the devil himself. The fire in your eyes when you get an idea for an adventure; that red hair of yours blowing about, yet I never stopped being your friend. I knew you would never hurt me. Finding out your long lost ancestors were wild beasts or that there are a few stupid laws your race has to follow isn’t going to change that.”
Eve looked up at Max and stared at him for what seemed like ages. He began to wonder if he would survive until morning. He was pretty sure she would never hurt him. At long last, she made a sound that fell between a sob and a laugh.
“I think that had to be the worst attempt at trying to cheer a person up that I’ve ever heard.”
Max, relieved, let out his breath. “That’s what you get for making me try to, with your crying and all. Hopefully you’ll remember this and never do that to me again.”
Eve laughed and wiped the tears from her eyes. “I’ll try my best not to. I don’t think I could take that again.”
Mr. Penna, who had watched the two in silence, gave a slight nod. “Well, things seemed to have worked out nicely. Not that I had expected any different, being Peter’s son and all. Alright then, time for bed.”
Mr. Penna laid down and started snoring. Max had a feeling he was faking to avoid further questions. He shared a look of confusion with Eve before laying down himself.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Max gazed up at the night sky as he lay on the bank of the river. His mind drifted among the stars. He felt a light breeze blow across him, carrying with it a distant voice. Max propped himself up to listen.
“Maaaxxxxyyy!”
Max smiled. Now he remembered. Eve wanted to work on her swimming tonight. This would make the third night in a row. She had come a long way since she first asked for his help several weeks ago.
Water was the only thing Eve feared, not even wanting to dip so much as a toe in it. If Max went fishing or swimming, she would stay on the bank and watch. Now she had changed her mind, wanting to face her fear, but only when no one else would be watching. So, here he was, on the bank of the river, waiting for her arrival.
“Hey, Maaxyyy!”
Max sat all the way up and saw Eve running across the fields towards him, strangely illuminated by the moonlight. The smile on his face grew bigger. Eve definitely made life more interesting. Joyful and energetic, she always brought with her a new adventure. Whether it was climbing trees, investigating the quarry or chasing animals, she went at it with full force. He often had a hard time keeping up with her.
Here, at night, next to the water, that changed. The water made her cautious, almost timid. Here, he took the lead, guiding Eve carefully into the river. It was during this time that he had noticed things about Eve he never had a chance to before. To his surprise, behind her usual fierceness lay a delicate, quiet side. He thought she wore perfume, although he really couldn’t imagine her doing so. Either way, he couldn’t deny the faint scent of earth and flowers around her that reminded him of spring.
Eve’s voice grew louder, shaking Max loose of his thoughts. “Come on Max.”
Max’s smile faded. Why is she yelling like that? She’ll wake everyone up.
Eve’s voice grew louder still. “Come on Maxy. Wake up!”
Max furrowed his eyebrows. Wake up, what does she mean? Why isn’t she slowing down?
Max realized Eve’s intention too late. He cringed at the impending impact.
“No, Eve! Wait!”
Eve leapt into the air, “Maxy, Wake! Up!” and landed with her hands and feet hitting him square in the chest. Max fell back onto the ground with a jolt.
Max woke with a start from a deep sleep. He rubbed his eyes then opened them to find Eve’s face inches from his own.
Well, now I know what the yelling was about, Max rubbed his chest, and why it hurt when she hit me.
“You know, Eve, most people use cold water to wake someone up.”
Eve giggled. “Well, your face could use a good washing, but pouncing is so much more fun.”
“For you, maybe, but you’ve got me dreading it, even in my dreams.”
“Oh, really? I was in your dream?” A devious grin formed on Eve’s lips. “What was your dream about?”
Max blushed and turned to face the starry sky overhead. “Why did you wake me? It’s still dark out.”
“We have to be packed and ready to go at first light, remember?”
Eve shifted back into Max’s line of sight, staring at Max intently. Above her, her tail waved back and forth in a slow motion.
“Now, what about your dream?”
Max had seen her behave this way when some creature had piqued her curiosity. She could watch them for hours. To his relief, Mr. Penna spoke from behind them.
“I see you have finally gotten Maxwell to wake up, Evangeline. Good, you can help me finish packing while he gets Starlight ready.”
“Well, you heard him, Eve. I’d best be getting ready. Would you mind getting off of my chest so I can get to work?”
Eve searched him with her eyes for a weak spot she could attack. Max focused on her face, trying not to think about his dream. After a moment, she gave up and stuck her tongue out at him. With reluctance, she got off of Max to go help Mr. Penna. Max got to his knees and breathed a sigh of relief. He secretly thanked Mr. Penna for the interruption as he worked on rolling up his bed. He had just fished tying it to Starlight when Tyco, frowning, arrived riding Teak.
“Hurry it up. We need to leave camp before the sun is above the horizon, which means you have about fifteen minutes.”
Tyco rode to the west side of the camp where Max could see that a few other people had gathered. The three quickly finished packing. Mr. Penna and Max mounted their horses and rode over to join Tyco, Evangeline following on foot. Tyco, who had been speaking with the other travelers, turned as they arrived.
“I hope you’re ready. It is going to be a long five days. We will ride from sun up to near sundown, stopping only for lunch and a short rest or two.”
Eve, her usual chipper self, chimed in. “Nooo problem.”
She began to perform various stretches in preparation for the long walk, fascinating Max. She reminded him of a cat waking up from a long nap in the sunlight. Her flexibility never ceased to amaze him.
Max heard Tyco’s voice. “Are you ready, Max?”
Distracted by Eve, Max had forgotten his surroundings. He shook his head to clear it.
“Huh?”
He saw Tyco giving him a cold stare. “You need to be more careful of such…distraction. I asked, ‘are you ready?’”
Max swallowed, “Yes, sir.”
“Good.” Tyco nodded towards the other travelers. “I spoke with these three briefly this morning at the stable where they were renting horses. The two men, Zeth and Bastiaan, are diggers. The girl is an acolyte in the Children of the Immortals. We’ve agreed to ride together. In the dead lands, the bigger the group, the better your cha
nces of not getting picked off by animals or bandits.”
Tyco spurred Teak to face towards the dead lands. “The path will be narrow for most of the way. We’ll ride in pairs. Max, you’re with me. The diggers and the acolyte will follow with Evangeline and Mr. Penna bringing up the rear.”
Max cleared his throat, nervously. “I’d rather stay in the back with Eve.”
“No, Maxwell…”
Mr. Penna interrupted. “Perfect, I’m afraid the dust in the back might be too much for me. I will be better off up front.”
Mr. Penna nudged his mare in the side, moving her forward at a trot before Tyco could raise another objection. Everyone else fell in to place for the long trip. Before them, the sunlight from the new day began to spread across the dead lands.
The party maintained a constant pace for the next several hours. No one seemed inclined to speak, giving Max plenty of time to observe the surrounding landscape. They followed a trail worn smooth by years of use. To their left, at most fifteen feet wide, often times less, flowed the Clanrye River. Long, scraggly grass, the only vegetation Max could see, grew sparsely along its banks. To the right, large rock formations littered the dry and sun-baked valley. Some of the rocks formed tall spires while others formed large archways. Together they formed canyons that snaked their way through the land.
Max turned his curiosity to the other travelers. He had heard of diggers before, several having come to Swiftwater to poke around the quarry in hopes of finding some relic from the past. The two that rode with them now were typical of their profession. They appeared to be in their fifties, had long graying beards and wore dusty, weather worn clothing. Packed on their horses were the pickaxes, shovels and other tools that represented their trade.
The woman, the acolyte, presented a bigger mystery to him. He had never heard of the Children of the Immortals.
Are they some secret organization working with the Protectors?
The cape and hood hid the woman’s features as if she did not want anyone to take notice of her nor did she take any notice of him. She rode her horse with confidence with the diggers following behind her.
At noon, Tyco brought them to a stop. “Dismount and let the horses drink from the river. Meanwhile, grab some lunch. Be packed and ready to leave again in half an hour.”
Maxwell hopped off Starlight and led her over to the water. He gently patted her on the shoulder, speaking softly.
“How are you holding up, old girl?”
Starlight lifted her head, snorted at him, then went back to drinking water. Just as he had suspected, she would have little trouble with the trip. He turned his attention toward something that did have him concerned.
“And how are you holding up, old girl?”
Eve had sat down next to the water’s edge at their arrival. She had one shoe off with the other soon to follow.
“Okay enough to knock you into the river if I wanted to. You know I can keep up with Starlight. We’ve raced plenty enough times.”
“Yeah, but those were short sprints, and this is for five days straight.”
Eve stood up and took a couple of steps into the Clanrye. She closed her eyes as she wiggled her toes in the cool water.
“That’s better.”
Eve opened her eyes then glanced back toward the others before switching to a whisper. “It is going to be a long trip, Max. My feet will be killing me by the time we get there. I’ll make it though, if for no other reason than to irritate Tyco.”
Max grinned then nodded at her shoes sitting on the bank. “I am surprised you wore those.”
Max seldom saw Eve wearing shoes back home. The thick, tough skin on her feet provided natural protection for everyday walking. She also had a thin, silky layer of fur on both the top and bottom of them, providing extra padding. Unfortunately for him, the fur also made her footsteps deadly quiet.
Eve crossed her arms. “I figured the trail would be really rocky. I didn’t want to chance cutting my foot; however, the trail is worn enough that I really don’t need them. In fact, they’re making things worse.”
“Well, we can fix that.” Max picked up Eve’s shoes. “I’ll pack them on Starlight for now.”
Max put the shoes in one of the saddlebags. Opening a different bag, he dug out their food. He returned in time to see Spook climb out of Eve’s pocket and run down her arm where she had cupped water in her hands. Spook perched on Eve’s wrist where she delicately drank the water.
Max shook his head, laughing. “You’re very strange, you know.”
“Yep, I know.”
When the little mouse finished, Eve and Max sat down together. He divided the food and gave Eve her share along with Spook’s cheese. They had barely finished when Tyco signaled for everyone to mount up and be on their way.
Two hours of daylight still remained when they arrived at the next camp. Smaller than the first, the entire camp was encompassed by a six-foot high stone wall. There stood another segment of wall that started out several feet away from the rest and ran out ten yards into the center of the Clanyre River. The trail led directly to an opening in the wall.
After passing through the entrance, a short stone overhang along the north side of the wall offered at least some protection from the sun and the occasional rain. On the south side stood a small guardhouse and hitching post for horses. A stack of wood prepared for a fire sat just off-center of the camp. The trail continued out a second opening on the west side. Max guessed the entire camp measured no more than seventy yards in diameter.
The group stopped by the overhang, the diggers and acolyte going a little farther down from the rest of them.
Max slid off Starlight and began unpacking for the night like the others. “Not much here.”
Tyco looked up from laying out his bedroll. “This is a way point. Travelers spend the night then move on. Only the guards stay for any length of time.”
Max looked around the camp. “I only see one guard. What if bandits attack?”
Tyco gave a short laugh. “Don’t worry Max, there are three more in the guardhouse. That’s plenty to handle most anything a bunch of untrained bandits can come up with. Any attack organized enough to be a threat will cause enough stir beforehand that the first camp would be able to send help. Farther in, where help is scarcer, you’ll see twice as many.”
Tyco finished unpacking. “Now, I would recommend refreshing yourself in the river. The Clanrye slips underground not much further west from here. This will be the last chance you get until we reach Moenia. Be sure to come back before dark; however, just in case.”
A dip in the river sounded pretty good to Max. He turned to look for Eve only to see her already heading out the east side of the camp with Mr. Penna. Max ran after them, catching them short of the river’s edge.
“Gee, thanks for waiting.”
Eve grinned. “Sure, no problem. Well, see ya.”
Eve turned and walked away leaving Max confused.
“What? See ya? Where are you going?”
Max started to follow her, but Mr. Penna grabbed hold of his arm.
“Sorry Maxwell, you cannot go with her. Do you see the wall stretching into the river? It is ladies only on the other side.”
Max had noted the separate segment of wall running into the river earlier. His face reddened.
“Oh.”
Mr. Penna let go of Max’s arm. “Come, let us get cleaned up a bit. It will be four days before we have another chance.”
Max followed Mr. Penna as he removed his outer clothes and waded into the river. The coolness of the water felt great after the day’s long ride. Mr. Penna, always thinking ahead, handed Max a bar of soap. As refreshing as the bath was, Max kept worrying about Eve. She still had a lot of work to do on her swimming. To make matters worse, she did not return before they finished. Max started to wade over to the wall but was stopped once again by Mr. Penna.
“I am sure she is fine Maxwell. We saw the acolyte go over there ahead of us.”
“But we don’t know anything about her.”
“Aside from us, Evangeline will not find a safer place to be than with the Children of the Immortals. So, it is back to camp with us.”
The two gathered their things and headed back for the camp, Max looking over his shoulder the whole way.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Eve left Mr. Penna and Max at the water’s edge and headed for the other side of the dividing wall. She couldn’t wait to feel the cool water on her toes again. She was used to the soft earth and grassy plains of Swiftwater, not the hard, rocky surface of the trail they traveled now. Her tough feet would adjust, but it would take a little time. Until then, she would have to take extra care of them.
Eve walked around the edge of the wall. Ten feet farther, next to the water, stood the acolyte. Her robe lay on the ground as she worked on removing the rest of her clothing. Eve, like Max, was curious about the woman. Now she could at least see the acolyte’s features. Her hair was blond, ending right below her shoulder blades. She had a rounded face that carried only the slightest tan. She was slender and fit with fair skin. Eve guessed the woman to be in her early twenties.
Eve, not wanting to be caught staring, walked to the river where she let Spook out before removing her own clothes. Laying them in a pile, she carefully inched into the water, staying close to the wall for support. She stopped when the water reached her knees. A little scared, she very slowly sat down. After a few minutes she began to relax, enjoying the soothing water. A moment later she had an odd sensation of being watched. Turning her head to the right, she saw the acolyte looking back at her with an open mouth.
Eve’s face flushed. “I...is something wrong?”
The woman shook her head as if clearing it. “I’m sorry; I just didn’t expect to see you go out into the water.”
Eve had known people would make fun of her fear of the water. That was why she had asked Max to help her learn to swim. Embarrassed, she took hold of the tip of her tail in both hands.