For that reason he regretted setting Romi off on the idea of splitting the group, though part of him, despite all that had happened, was still eager to complete their mission, especially since they had all, in their different ways, paid such a price to get this far. Mount Arzha’s plants had already provided a number of important medicines—it was something in the soil, perhaps, Soza thought, or perhaps the volcanic environment changed the plants somehow—and it was certain that more would be found if they could propagate specimens from there. High summer was the perfect time for collecting, and it had been their aim from the start to be here at this very moment to do just that.
Within two days, their injured were already much improved. Pali was already walking around, though he was badly bruised and sore. Sibu and Reisa’s pallets were moved outside to let them have some fresh air and sunshine, and both were sitting up, carefully propped up against logs and with extra padding under them to make them comfortable. Karik took turns with Netu and Jou at keeping them company, though the rest of the team was happy to dance attendance for whatever they needed.
After Romi confirmed that Wepizi had thought it a good idea to split up, and that subject to getting volunteers, they would be going to Mount Arzha after all, Karik felt he should be the one to tell Sibu. He confessed to her that he felt guilty for even thinking about going on when the three of them had been hurt, but she was quick to tell him not to use her injuries as a reason to turn back. “We’ve worked so hard,” she said as Karik sat holding her hand. “You have to go on—for us.”
“When you get back to Darshian, Kei will help you recover.”
“I’m sure he will. It’s just a few scratches,” she said bravely. She was a medic, so she knew how bad the damage was, but she never talked about it. “Have you seen this contraption Kepi’s proposing to get us both home in?”
“The travois? Yes.”
She pulled a face. “I’m going to be breathing beast farts all the way back to Visiqe.”
He laughed. “It’s only until you can ride a little. Two weeks or so, then you can travel with Jou on her beast.”
“Two weeks of hell,” she said mournfully. “Why can’t we put wheels on it?”
“Kepi’s trying, but he’s not having much luck with the wood. He’s trying to make it as comfortable for you as he can.”
“I know. Kepi’s a good man. I don’t know what that stupid wife of his was thinking of to run off the way she did.” She winced and he helped her get more comfortable. “And how are you doing, Karik? Will you be all right travelling off in a small group—with him?” she said, sending a disdainful look to where Soza and Kizinke were working on some specimens, under Tiro’s watchful and suspicious eye. “At least you’ll have Romi. You and he have become friends at last, haven’t you?”
“I guess we have,” Karik admitted. “I have every confidence in him being able to get us in and out safely. It’s you I’m worried about.”
“Oh, me,” she said scornfully. “I’ll be fine—I’ve got the whole camp running around at my beck and call. Look, here comes another one.”
“Another one what?” Jou asked as she knelt at her friend’s side and did a careful check of her bandages.
“Another servant, of course.”
“Of course, milady Sibu, we’re here to do your every command. Isn’t that right, Karik?”
“I’m her willing slave,” he said with a courtly bow, which made them both smile. “But if milady has enough attendants, I want to find Romi.”
“Off you go,” Jou said, switching places with him. “You and Romi are so close these days, I keep expecting to trip over your umbilical cord.”
Karik flushed hot with embarrassment. “I...I...we’re—”
Sibu weakly punched Jou’s arm with her good hand. “Don’t be horrible.”
“Sorry, Karik, I was only teasing.”
Karik just nodded, not trusting his voice, and got away from the two women as quickly as he could. Was he being that needy? Was that how people saw his behaviour? Just because...well, Romi had been so kind to him...but he was a busy man, and Karik was an adult. He shouldn’t trail around after him like a damn pet.
With Jou’s words fresh in his ear, he decided not to look for Romi as he’d been planning, and instead pulled out the notes he wanted to finish before the main group left in four days’ time, taking them and himself up out of the camp a little way onto a ledge that overlooked it and the stream. Mount Arzha was wreathed in cloud and steam, so huge that it seemed just a few miles away, instead of a good hundred and fifty or more. He opened his notebooks, but the giant mountain held his attention a little longer. What would it be like to climb to the very top—to stare into that enormous caldera, and to know sudden death lay below you? It almost seemed like a living thing, its presence looming over all of them and all that lay around them. A mysterious and dangerous place, that still drew him towards it.
“You look a million miles away.”
Karik flushed again and turned to face Romi, who was smiling at him. “Just th-thinking about the mountain.”
“It’s really something, isn’t it?” Romi said, taking a seat beside him. “I can’t imagine what it’s like when it explodes. Wepizi says their records say the sound was heard as far away as Darshek, the last time it happened.”
“Further, I sh-should think.”
“Are you all right, Karik? You seem a little jumpy.”
“I’m fuh-fine.” Karik cursed his damn stutter which always gave him away. “Did you w-want something?”
“Just to let you know that Kepi and Taz have finally decided they will come after all. It’s a small group but not insanely so. Of course, Soza doesn’t really count as a whole person for these purposes.” Karik couldn’t really find it in him to argue against the harsh assessment, and Romi wasn’t saying it for pure nastiness. “Anyway, we’ve got four or five days to iron out all the details, and to change our minds about this. Wepizi and I were going to try our hand at fishing again—would you like to join us?”
“I...no, th-thank you.”
“Are you sure? I thought you liked to fish.”
“I...I have this to finish.”
Romi frowned. “As you wish. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“I’m fuh-fine. Just busy.”
“Hmmm. Well, don’t let me disturb you then. See you later.”
Romi stalked off and Karik’s heart sank as he watched his stiff, broad back disappear down the trail. He didn’t want to revive the hostility between them, but he didn’t want to become a laughing stock either—or make Romi into one. He just hoped it wasn’t too late to avoid that.
Now he’d been alerted to how his behaviour looked to the others, Karik took care to not seek Romi out more than any other member of the team, or to occupy too much his attention. He asked Wepizi if he could swap watch shift with him, pleading with complete truthfulness that he was sleeping badly and that taking the last shift might help with that. He thought it was only fair to let Wepizi have a chance to spend as much time with his friend as he could, because it would be months before Romi saw him again. To tell the truth, Karik would also miss Wepizi a good deal, but Romi had the prior claim. Romi agreed to the change with only a sharp look in Karik’s direction, but, thankfully, no sharp questions.
Despite the enforced rest as they waited for Sibu and Reisa to recover enough to travel, there was much to be done. Repairs to equipment damaged by the tewis or just through use had to be done and done very well, so that Wepizi’s group would not be delayed by its failure, and stores had to be reorganised and supplemented. Karik was set in charge of checking the health of the beasts and tending to any small injuries which might slow travel down. There was a low thrum of excitement through the camp as many of the team began to anticipate going home to their friends and family. It would have been different if Sibu and the others had been killed, or were not making an excellent recovery, but after the shock of the attack, the soldiers had put it behind them a
nd turned it to good. Karik even heard Wepizi remark that they should have planned it this way from the start. He wasn’t so sure about that, but there was no doubt that there were some definite benefits to the new arrangement.
Finally they were as ready as they could be for the groups to part company at first light the following day. Karik couldn’t help the small knot of worry in the pit of his stomach—ironically, he’d have been less concerned if he’d been travelling on his own, but that had been firmly ruled out as an option by both Wepizi and Romi who had been horrified at the very idea. Karik supposed they had a point, but he couldn’t help wondering what travelling with Soza and Kizinke would be like. Kizinke hadn’t spoken a word to him since the day of the tewi attack, although he smiled unpleasantly whenever he saw Karik, as if he knew something about Karik that Karik didn’t. Soza had made a few attempts to be friendly, and Karik hadn’t brushed him off, but he still didn’t like to be around him. The feeling of unease that had been a feature since the attack had now grown into an active nausea, although he hadn’t dared mention this to anyone. It wasn’t like Soza had really done anything to cause it—it was just his stupid subconscious again, and the stress of the last week, not to mention the prospect of saying goodbye to people who had become good friends.
He wasn’t surprised that he slept badly, and after he woke from a dozing nightmare, he just knew he wouldn’t get any more sleep that night. He pulled his boots on and went outside. Wepizi and Romi were surprised to see him up. “Can’t sleep,” he said briefly. “I may as well start my watch early, if one of you want to go in?”
Romi shoved Wepizi’s shoulder. “Go on—you’re an old man, you need your sleep.”
“You’re very impertinent, my friend,” Wepizi said, but he stood and stretched. “Perhaps it’s true—I’m getting too old for this. Thank you, Karik.”
“You’re welcome, Wepizi. You’ve got a long day ahead of you.”
“We all have. See you in a few hours.”
Romi seemed a little distracted, poking the fire without looking at him. “I can manage alone for an hour, if you want to get some sleep too,” Karik said politely.
“What? Oh, no, I probably won’t sleep either. To tell the truth, I wasn’t going to wake Tiro. I wanted to talk to you.”
“Oh.” Karik delayed the inevitable while he poured himself some tea. “Have I done something wrong?”
Romi turned and gave him an exasperated look. “Now why on earth would you think that? If you’d done something wrong, I wouldn’t wait until the middle of the damn night to tell you.”
“S-sorry. W-What did you want to talk about?”
“Gods, don’t start stuttering at me either.”
Karik stiffened. “I c-can’t help it. I’ve a-always stuttered.”
“You didn’t when I first met you.”
“B-Because I k-keep it under control, mostly. Unless I’m u-upset or n-nervous.”
Romi shook his head. “That’s what I mean. I just want to talk to you—you don’t need to be upset or nervous about it. What do you mean, you keep it under control? You can turn it on and off?”
“No. I u-use breathing exercises and tricks to get o-over difficult sounds. It’s why I t-talk a little strangely.”
“Oh. I thought you had that accent because of your uncle. That drawl is just like the Prij nobility.”
“I kn-know. One of life’s ironies.”
“Yes, I suppose it is. But that’s what I wanted to talk about—if I’m going to upset you and make you stutter, maybe we shouldn’t go on this expedition together. I’ve noticed you’ve been avoiding me—I thought it was something you needed to work out, but if it’s me...is it me? I thought we’d got past all that.”
Karik felt his face grow hot. “It’s not you. I j-just wanted to give you time with your friends.”
“Oh.” Romi looked nonplussed. “That’s considerate, but there’s no reason why I can’t do both.”
“Jou...um, well, people think I s-spend too much time around you. That I t-trail around after you.”
Romi looked even more confused. “But you don’t, and even if you did, it’s for me to complain.” He gave the fire another savage poke, then pulling his smouldering stick out of the fire and contemplated the glowing end. “That attack really hit your confidence, you know that? The man I met in Urshek wouldn’t have even thought of that.”
“You have no idea if I w-would or I wouldn’t—you didn’t know me at all. You didn’t w-want to know me at all.”
Romi wagged the smoking stick at him. “Be fair—you were a little snot.”
“You were an ah-arse.”
“Yes, I was. Still am.”
“Am I still a s-snot?”
“Of course,” he said with a grin. “But seriously, what do you care if people think you spend too much time around me? I don’t think you spend more time with me than Wepizi or Kepi or Jou do. If I’d minded, I’d have said.”
“Didn’t want to be like Soza,” Karik muttered, now embarrassed at not just having spoken to Romi about it. The truth was, he still expected Romi to be touchy, but he wasn’t, not any more. Maybe it was true—maybe the attack really had destroyed his confidence.
“You have about as much chance of becoming like him as I have of fitting Mount Arzha up my arse.”
“Is that something you w-want to do?” Karik asked, amused at the image.
“Not any time soon,” Romi said dryly. “But that’s my point. Before the attack, the idea that you could be thought of that way wouldn’t have occurred to you. Even when you were annoying the shit out of me, I admired the fact you knew exactly who you were and didn’t give a damn what anyone else thought.”
“I always care. I just don’t always change what I do.”
“Hmmm. Anyway, now I know you don’t have a problem with me, that’s one less thing to worry about.”
“Why would you w-worry about that?”
“I don’t—it’s just one less thing.” Romi gave him an annoying grin and Karik decided he wouldn’t give the bastard the satisfaction of grinning back. Arse.
~~~~~~~~
Romi was glad Karik had come out to take watch early. After they had sorted out the little mental idiocy, they had been able to talk as he had become used to, and had grown to like. There were still unspoken limits which neither ventured across—anything to do with Karik’s family, or Soza, or Romi’s love life, were subjects that were left strictly alone. That didn’t limit them much in reality—there was so much to plan for this last part of the expedition, so much to learn from his companion, and so much, flatteringly, that Karik seemed to want to learn from Romi. Someone’s attitude had undergone quite a change, Romi thought wryly.
He hadn’t told Karik that he’d seen Soza and Kizinke holding hands a few days before the tewi attack. Karik himself never mentioned either of them, or the change in his relationship with Soza. Romi didn’t know if Karik knew about the situation with Kizinke and didn’t care, or didn’t know at all—but he wouldn’t bring it up, either way. Especially not now, when Karik’s confidence was once more at a low ebb. It was if he blamed himself in some way for what had happened to Sibu and the others. It wasn’t his fault that Soza was the world’s biggest fool.
Romi was still worried about this trip to Mount Arzha, though he said nothing to Karik. If they weren’t taking Soza and Kizinke—even if they were only taking one or the other—he would be more relaxed. He strongly distrusted the two of them together, and he grew more and more convinced that Kizinke had been mischief-making when they had encountered the first group of tribal people. But that was another reason to make sure their most vulnerable team members were sent safely away, without being subject to any of the man’s tricks. Tiro had independently, though covertly, verified Kizinke’s maps and directions from the notes he and Pali had made thus far, and they were sound, he was sure of it. At least with Kizinke travelling with his particular friend, Romi had to hope that his own smaller group would be safe too.
Dawn finally began to break. Karik built the fire up and set the pot of water on to boil for the meal porridge, while Romi began to roust people up, and then took Netu’s place while he went for breakfast, sitting by Sibu’s pallet. She was awake, and in pain by the look of it, though she didn’t complain. She wanted to sit up, so he helped her, then Reisa, to do so. “You two all ready to be dragged around like bean sacks?”
“Oh don’t, Romi,” Reisa said with a groan. “I’m already dreading the jolting.”
“Kepi swears the travois is quite comfortable,” Romi assured him. Twin looks of scepticism greeted that statement. “It can’t be worse than trying to ride with broken bones, Reisa.”
“We’ll see. So we’ll be back in Darshek a good six weeks ahead of you. Can’t say I’ll be sorry.”
“I will,” Sibu said, somewhat to Romi’s surprise. “I’m going to miss all of you—and Karik.”
“Bet you won’t miss Soza,” Romi said and she pulled a face. “I’ll miss you too, but you know what the army’s like—there’s every chance we’ll be mustered together at some point.”
“If they keep me in the army,” she said quietly. “If I can’t move properly once this heals—”
“Give Master Kei a chance, Sibu. You’re young and fit. Karik says he’s seen a lot worse.”
“Besides,” Reisa said, “you can be based in an infirmary—you could do your full healer training, if you want to.”
She seemed less than enthralled at the idea. “We’ll see.”
“It could have been much worse,” Romi said. “You’re alive and you’ve got all your limbs. Most people who tangle with a tewi don’t survive.”
“This is true. Sorry to be so maudlin. I guess I’m sad because we’re saying goodbye.”
“Only for now, soldier. I’ll make you a promise—I’ll see you in your barracks before the end of next year, if I have to take leave to do it.”
Staying Power (Darshian Tales #3) Page 35