We returned to the camp, handed out the water bottles, and set the pan of water in the embers to heat. First, we’d make soup, then tomorrow morning we’d empty and clean it and use it to fetch the washing water.
Brynn and Reggie had made grilled cheese sandwiches, and Ray had cut up some apples and had them cooking in a pan with a little honey and water for applesauce. I bit into the hot sandwich, sighing as the tension drained out of my body.
“There’s something about a hot meal that always seems to take away the stress,” I said.
“I’ve put the bouillon and what vegetables we had left in the pot,” Brynn said. “We’ll need to buy more in the village. I also added several pieces of jerky to fortify it with protein.”
“Well, tomorrow we’ll make it to Tyrnis. We’ll need clothing, bedding, whatever we can buy to protect us from those mountains. The marshes were bad, but the mountains are going to be hell,” I said. “And I hate to say it, but we should be watching over our shoulders in the village. We don’t know if Zaran managed to travel faster than we did. He might already be there, waiting for us.”
“Right. We stick together then. Don’t wander off. All right,” Thornhold said, “Watches? Nobody stays on watch alone tonight. We divide into either two groups, or three—and one of us takes a double watch.”
“Two,” I said. “We sleep a little longer and get up early—before sunrise if possible. We can function on a little less sleep.”
We divided up, with Reggie, Ray, and me on first watch. Brynn and Thornhold would take second. As we huddled near the fire—the night was clear and the temperatures dropping—Reggie motioned for me to sit in front of him. He began gently rubbing my shoulders.
“Oh, man, I need that,” I said. He was skilled, and I began to relax.
“My sister is a massage therapist,” he said. “I learned a lot from her.”
Ray stared at the fire. “I miss Jaylene,” he suddenly said. Jaylene was his girlfriend, though I wasn’t sure how long they’d been going out. “But I miss my dogs more,” he added. “Jaylene will find someone—she’s a catch. I don’t think we were meant to be together in the long run, but my dogs…they don’t know why I abandoned them. They don’t understand.”
The catch in his voice nearly broke my heart. I motioned to Reggie, nodded at Ray. Reggie silently moved over to Ray’s side, beginning to work on his shoulders while I took Ray’s hands. We sat there in silence, listening to the crackle of the flames as the night deepened and the stars shone ever brighter.
CHAPTER 46: WE COME TO TYRNIS
Come morning,we woke to a layer of frost on the ground. I shivered, realizing that the temperature here was lower than what it had been in the marsh. Remembering the dragon from the night before, I turned toward the mountains and shaded my eyes, but all I saw were lemon-chiffon streaks among the pale blue skies. The morning was clear, and I had a feeling we had left the rain behind.
From here, the silhouettes of the mountains were massive and covered with white, stark and craggy as they rose so far into the sky that we couldn’t see beyond them. Wondering how we would find the passes through the peaks, I didn’t notice that Brent had wandered off towards the spring. All of a sudden, we heard her call out.
“Come here! I found something!”
Collectively, we dropped what we were doing and headed in the direction of her call. As we broke through the bushes, we saw a sign to the side. It looked familiar, and it read,waypoint ahead, to the right.
“Is this the mountain waypoint, or the marsh waypoint?” I asked.
“I think it’s somewhere in between. Or maybe itisthe one for the marsh. I believe the mountain waypoint is higher up in the hills.” Thornhold motioned for us to follow him, and we jogged over to another large stand of bushes. Brynn was peeking out of them, motioning to us.
As we passed through the second stand of bushes, we saw it. A large platform on the ground, like the other we had found, and it was formed of dark bronze. It looked almost exactly like the Dark Woodland waypoint. Square, with the clockwork design on the bottom, it—too—was enclosed by a large acrylic booth.
I opened the door and stepped into the chamber, almost immediately finding the button which brought up the screen on the acrylic door. The list of waypoints was there, but only the Launching Area, the Dark Forest, and the Cryptic Marshes were lit up. The other designations were faint and difficult to read. I opened the door and peeked out.
“We found the Cryptic Marshes waypoint. I’m surprised it isn’t in the middle of the marshes, but at least we found it.” I paused for a moment, thinking of Liesel and Star. “Do you think we have time for a visit —”
Ray cut me off. “We would, except for the fact that Zaran is on our heels. If we took the time to go home and visit Liesel, Zaran will have reached our location — or beyond. And the last thing we want is to walk into a trap that he has set up ahead of us.”
I sighed, wanting nothing more than to hide out for a day or two in the comfort of Liesel’s home and to reconnect with Star. “You’re right. We’ll come back when we’ve taken care of him. But mark this on the map so we know where it is.” Reluctantly, I closed the door on the booth, and we went to the spring to fill our water bottles again and to have a brief wash-up before we broke camp and headed out on the road.
“How long until we reach the village of Tyrnis?” Reggie asked.
Thornhold looked over the map. “We can probably reach there by nightfall. So let’s break down camp and get moving. I suggest we eat on the road. We have enough bread and cheese to eat on the move.”
“Sounds good,” I said. As we walked away from the waypoint, I couldn’t help but look back, longing for the comfort of a quiet little house with a wooden stove and a Frazzle Cat.
As dawn blended into midmorning,and midmorning brightened into noon, the sun startled me. There was no warmth in the golden glow that lit our way, but it was cheerful to see, and it lifted my spirits after the days we’d spent in the marsh.
The trees here were different from those of the dark forest. The forest was mostly deciduous, and the trees had shed their leaves and now stood barren and stark. The frost faded under the sun, but it was cold enough that I knew we’d have to buy supplies once we reached the village. If we were cold now, I couldn’t imagine what it would be like if we ventured into the mountains without sufficient protection.
“You know, I just realized something?” Reggie said.
