The Journey--Ch. 4

They continued on through the ruins in silence, just in case they were being followed. The path led them upward through brick strewn streets and collapsed dwellings. They were heading out of the canyon, reaching the rim as the sun began to settle on the horizon.

Then suddenly, they were free of the sandstone walls and walking towards a forest. Jexxi turned to stare at the way they'd come. Her sky blue eyes drank in the beauty of the canyonlands. The shadows were painted in hues of violet and indigo. The setting sun graced the rocks with golden pink light, filling the young woman's soul with awe.

"It's all so magnificent," she breathed. Beside her, Lenz smiled in understanding. He knew just how she felt.

"Yes, but now you know both sides of the coin," he replied. "The canyons and desert are indeed beautiful but they can also be deadly. I think you've learned this lesson well."

She smiled in response and they walked on.

Huge spindle pines and massive tea oaks forested the area. Underfoot, the old path turned into a road paved with flat smooth rock. It was little used, as a thick blanket of pine needles muffled their footfalls.

Jexxi took a deep breath. She was no longer winded, just enjoying the sweet tangy scent of the trees.

Then Lenz went still for a moment beside her.

"Munt says a village of humans lay to our west. We'd be better off avoiding them and heading north." His eyes slowly faded from falcon to his normal brown.

They turned from the road and followed a deer trail instead. It led them in a northerly fashion through the trees and undergrowth.

"So, how much further is Talastera?" Jexxi asked. "We've come pretty far already."

Lenz held back a sapling for her to pass by. "Once we reach the foothills of the Granite Mountains, you'll know," he said.

Daj stepped over a rotten stump ahead of them. "I've never been to Talastera. Only heard about it from minstrels and merchants. Is it a big place?"

Lenz snorted.

"Yes. The city makes its profits from the rich gold mines in the mountains as well as the Oracle. We have to be very careful once we reach the city. The wealthy citizens are just as dangerous as the common cut-throats."

Jexxi pulled her robe loose from a dead thorny vine. "I know how to deal with city life. After all , I am a merchant's daughter from Merosant. And I've always been a bit of a tomboy.'

Daj, who'd taken the lead on the game trail, turned to glance at her quickly. "You? A tomboy?"

Jexxi held her head up proudly. "I could sneak into the best of places with my friends. I even dressed like a boy sometimes, if the situation called for it." She laughed shortly." It was hard to climb fences and walls wearing dresses."

Lenz laughed too. "You know, I could imagine you doing that."

She grinned at him in reply.

Up ahead, Daj signaled for them to be quiet. They stopped, watching him take out his sling. Quick as a wink, he spun the stone laden weapon and released his missile with a flick of his wrist. A half second later, he launched another stone. Then he strode over to retrieve his prey.

"We feast tonight," he said with a smile. Two fat boulder-hoppers hung from his right hand.

A few minutes later found the group making camp near a small stream. The light had faded from dusk quickly, bathing the forest in shadows as night crept in.

Jexxi dug her traveling cloak from her pack. She pulled its rough warm material around herself tightly as she sat next to the fire.

"Nights are getting colder," she remarked, trying not to shiver visibly.

Lenz nodded. He blew a lazy smoke ring as he puffed on his pipe. The sweet scent of his plumwood tobacco teased Jexxi's nostrils, and she found the aroma comforting somehow.

"The farther north we travel, the cooler it will get," he said, staring into the flames.

Daj had gotten out his cloak too. "Man, I'm gonna freeze to death," he complained.

Lenz chuckled. "You've never been to the lands of winter before, have you?"

Daj scowled, his blond eyebrows bunching up. "No. I've got enough sense to stay where it's warmer. I love the southern climates. I plan on going back as soon as this journey is over with."

"We'd better get some rest then," Lenz said as he stretched. "I'll take first watch."

Jexxi made herself as comfortable as the hard ground would allow. She was asleep before she knew it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They progressed through the spindle pine forest for two more days, never encountering more than a cedar fox or a harmless tangle bear. At night, the weather grew notably cooler. Jexxi felt edgey about the uneventfulness of their trek, as if some bigger danger lurking just out of sight. The feeling stayed with her, but she was careful not to voice her concerns to the men. They'd more than likely tell her she was being overly anxious.

On the day they finally left the forest behind them, they woke to frost covering their bedrolls and the dead leaves on the ground.

Before them stretched a grassy plain with gentle undulating hills. And in the distance were the mountains at last. Their peaks were blanketed with snow.

"Are those the Granite Mountains?" Jexxi asked. She walked behind Lenz, clutching her cloak close to her body.

He nodded. "We'll be across this plain in three or four days, depending on the weather. Talastera is just to the north." He gestured with his hand, but Jexxi didn't see any city.

"Where?" she asked.

"You won't be able to see it yet. But it won't be long before you start seeing its lights at night."

Munt sat perched on his shoulder, going along for the ride. His feathers gleamed in bronzes and browns. The cold kept him from flying as much as he was used to.

Lenz put out his left arm, so the falcon could hop gracefully to his leather covered wrist. He whispered softly to Munt, and the bird seemed to nod. At once, he flew into the air, to take up his scouting duties even if for a short time.

Daj kept a critical eye on their surroundings. "I don't like this, Lenz. Too wide open. We could be ambushed any minute," he muttered.

Jexxi felt a rush of relief. She was no longer alone with her feelings of apprehension. She added, "There's nowhere to hide either."

Reaching into Munt's mind, Lenz was able to evaluate any immediate dangers quickly. All without breaking the group's pace.

"He doesn't see anything amiss but he says to beware of the wraiths."

Jexxi's eyes widened.

"Prairie wraiths? I thought they were only in nursery tales."

Daj snorted derisively. "I've only seen one from a distance years ago. Tore a grown man apart. Never heard of any good way to fight the things either."

Lenz, who had released his awareness from Munt's mind, hurried them along. "The Main Road isn't too far ahead of us. If we can reach it, we'll be safe from the wraiths. The road's patrolled by the High Guards of Talastera."

Jexxi needed no more prompting. Fueled by anxiety, she broke into a full run.

Behind her, Daj yelled, "Jexxi! NO!!"

She turned to look back and then she saw it.

Rising from the dead prairie grass, its grey vaporous form swayed in the breeze. She could even smell its fetid breath and her heart slammed inside her chest.

Her foot caught in a small hole in the soil. She was falling before she knew it, slamming into the ground with a thud. Her head struck drought-hardened tufts of sod and the world went black.