Episode 6 – Seared into Wood
There were clouds on the horizon and Abraxas hoped it wasn’t an omen. He watched them roll towards Verdant like shadows cast across the sky. He lowered his gaze, focusing instead on the long plank that he was helping lift into the cart. They wouldn’t be able to bring much lumber with them to Penomier, but the Magistrate was sending two carts of it with them as a gesture of goodwill. The Sculos from Penomier was miffed that only two carts were being sent but relented given the circumstances.
All about them people were preparing for the journey. Even though only twelve people would be departing, a relatively paltry number given Verdant’s size, it would be their first time receiving word from another settlement in almost a month. Those involved with Verdant’s government were invested in their diplomatic relations with Penomier, hoping that Penomier would provide aid. Verdants citizenry felt similar, though many were more focused on the friends and family they had in other settlements. All members of the expedition were asked to carry letters to people in Penomier or to see if they could get them sent further to one of the other cities.
Dimmian, a human who stood a few inches shorter than Abraxas and whose deep brown complexion was the color of cattails, was arguing with Valeria. His right hand—his only hand for his left sleeve hung limp—gesticulated wildly.
“Please, you have to let me come with you guys to Penomier. My girlfriend, Pret, you know her? She’s the best! Anyway, she’s in Penomier and it’s been forever since I’ve seen or heard from her.”
“I’m sorry, Dimmian, you’re needed here. But, I promise that I’ll talk to her for you and will relate to her any messages.”
“I’d really like to give them to her in person. It’s been so long, and I don’t know when I’ll be able to see her again. Besides, some of the things I want to tell her are of… sensitive nature.” Dimmian blushed.
Valeria sighed. “I can deliver any love letters. And trust me, they will remain unopened. I don’t want to know what you’re sending.”
“But…”
Valeria held up a hand. “No. I’m sorry, but I can’t allow you on the excursion. We need people here.”
Dimmian shrugged. “Fine, I’ll hand over the messages for you. Make sure you get them before you head out.”
Valeria nodded, a faint smile resting on her face.
Abraxas had watched the exchange with some degree of amusement. Dimmian had helped Valeria before, often to muted success. It was little wonder that Dimmian had been rebuffed. Still, Abraxas felt sorry for the man.
But he had little time for that. There were preparations to finish.
The sky was darkening as dusk approached. Clouds rolled over the horizon as Abraxas neared. Most of their preparations were finished and they would be ready to head out the next morning. Abraxas felt a mixture of nerves and excitement, just as he always did when going on an expedition with Valeria. Although, this one had much more weight to it.
He was broken from his thoughts by someone approaching from his left. “Hey, Abraxas, so, my offer to join the party going to Penomier was denied. Valeria cited my ‘importance to Verdant’ as the main reason. I wasn’t going to disagree with her, but we both know that’s not the real reason. She thinks that I’ll get in the way. But I won’t. I mean, maybe I will, but I won’t! Anyway, I need to see Pret again.”
It took Abraxas a few moments to process everything Dimmian had said. “Okay?”
“Well, I was hoping that you could help me out, do a friend a favor. You’re going to help me sneak onto the expedition. Please?”
“I–”
“Come on, Abraxas. Isn’t there anyone you’d give anything to see right now?”
Abraxas thought back to his family in Dordel, so many miles away. He sighed. “Alright, I’ll help you. What do you want me to do?”
“Nothing much! I won’t actually be on the expedition; I’ll just be following close behind. I don’t think I’d be able to actually sneak into the group unless I hid in a sack or something. If you can leave markers on your path, marks in trees, or little smoke signals, that would be great. I’ll follow just out of sight.”
“Alright. Sounds like a plan.” Abraxas tugged at one of his sleeves, wrapping it around his finger.
“Hey, thanks for doing this for me.” Dimmian smiled and his eyes sparkled like starlight. “I’ll let you get to sleep. Early morning.”
“Yep.” Abraxas stepped forward and pushed the door to the apothecary. No moonlight seeped in; clouds covered the stars.
It was the next morning. Abraxas had slept well enough, as well as he usually did before going on one of Valeria’s excursions. Although, he felt more trepidation than he usually did. He had been asked along, specifically, by the Magistrate. Usually, he was only an accessory to most excursions, dragged along by Valeria. This time, he’d explicitly been given the Magistrate’s trust. He didn’t want it to be a failure.
Abraxas left the apothecary, saying goodbye to Illoc and tucking a letter into his satchel. He hoped that there might be couriers or travelers in Penomier, that he might be able to send a message home. There was a chance.
It was time for the final preparations before they left. Those going on the trip, about nine in total, were all inspecting saddle bags or refilling waterskins, making any final preparations necessary. As was returning with four water skins he had filled from the river that bisected Verdant, he spied Crescent examining a satchel filled with various medical supplies.
Abraxas briefly had a flash of deja vu as he remembered the earlier expedition to Willowbrook.
“Are you coming as well?”
“Wouldn’t miss it. I can’t be a traveling salesman without the traveling, can I?”
“No, I suppose not. Well, in any case, we’ll appreciate your help.”
Crescent gave a little mock salute. “That’s what I’m here for.”
Preparations were finishing up and there was a faint murmur of excitement as the group readied to depart. A number of people from Verdant stood by them filling the air with their anticipation. Many of them had friends or family in Penomier. Others had important business contacts. For all of them, the expedition to Penomier represented a return to normalcy—knitting the world back together.
Valeria strode passed them, on her way to assume her place at the front of the party. She smiled at Abraxas, though her face was creased and worn.
Abraxas stopped her. “You alright?”
“I’m doing quite well, Abraxas”
The formality of the words belied their untruth. “That’s right, we’ve done this before, everything will turn out fine.”
“Of course. I’ve done all of this before. I’ve led a caravan to Penomier, while the world falls apart around us and star-cursed monsters prowl the land. It will be fine!” There was a brief peal of crazed laughter that escaped passed through Valeria’s lips before she caught herself.
Abraxas put his hand on Valeria’s shoulder. “Take a breath. We saved Willowbrook. This is just that but a bit more. And remember, you’ve got friends to support you. I’ll always be there. And I’m sure Malik will help take some of the burden off of your shoulders. We’re going to get through this, just like everything else.”
“Right. Willowbrook went great, no problems there right?” But Valeria’s shoulders eased as she stopped for a moment.
“But, no, you’re right. I’m sorry. We will get through this. Thank you.”
Here posture was too rigid, and her voice had become more formal at the end. Abraxas knew both were signs of stress. But Valeria seemed slightly more at ease. He made a mental note to brew her an herbal tea before they departed.
Valeria turned towards Crescent, examining the Tivour. “So, how have you been making it?”
“Oh, I’ve been fine. Verdant’s been a lovely little city, and it’s nice having an excuse to make an extended stay here. Circumstances could be better, of course. But—”” She spread her arms and shrugged her shoulders.
“I see.”
“In any case, I’m more than excited to travel with you people.”
“Well, we are appreciative of the help.”
Valeria stepped away to attend to other matters. Abraxas noticed tension still in her shoulders. He wished she’d be easier on herself. Abraxas remembered his promise to Dimmian, how he was going against Valeria’s express orders, how he’d told Valeria she could trust him. A prickle of shame crept across his back.
“I’ll be back,” he told Crescent.
Abraxas soon returned, his haversack slung around one shoulder, filled with medicinal supplies. He had made Valeria that tea he’d promised then corked it and wrapped the vial in leather. Making additional teas didn’t take much more time, so he had also prepared various drinks or tinctures for pain relief, the soothing of worries, or to serve as other remedies. It made him feel slightly better like he was helping. And the glass vials clinked together in a pleasant sort of way.
He handed Valeria the mug of tea before they left, making sure she drank it. Drinking some tea won’t kill you.”
Valeria smiled. The smile was tired, but he could tell it was real. “Thanks, Abraxas.”
“No problem. Just remember to take it easy. We got this.”
By then, the group of them was all assembled. All were ready. Those few members of Verdant that had come to witness their departure bade them their farewells as the group pressed into the forest.
As they walked, Abraxas glanced around and noticed that some members of the group wore small stones with roughly hewn symbols around their necks. He’d seen people wear them earlier but had never been able to divine their purpose. Idly, he turned to Crescent. “Do have any idea what those people are wearing?”
Crescent turned and studied the strange necklaces with a bemused expression. “No idea.”
“Ah, well.”
They had gone a short way into the forest. Abraxas knew he’d need to leave some sort of marker for Dimmian. He thought, for a moment, about not doing so. But Abraxas couldn’t disappoint Dimmian, and wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye once they returned.
He slowed his pace slightly, falling somewhat behind Valeria, further into the middle of the group. He then pulled out one of the vials from his haversack. With trembling fingers he uncorked one of the vials, letting a wisp of steam escape. Quickly he closed it again. Blue gemstones on his arm glimmered. The thin tendril of steam sizzled, too loud a sound to Abraxas’s ears. Slowly, he manipulated his fingers turning his wrist as the ribbon of steam curled and danced until it pressed against one of the trees.
There came a sizzling again as the now-heated steam seared the oak tree’s bark. He hoped it would serve as a good enough marker for Dimmian. He then stowed the vial, glancing around to make sure that no one had noticed.
Moments after he stowed the vial, Malik sidled up to him. “Do you see anything?”
Abraxas held his breath for a moment. “No, why?”
Malik turned his impassive, featureless face toward Abraxas. “You seem a bit on edge and you keep glancing around the forest. I thought maybe you’d seen signs of another aberration.”
“Oh, that. No. At least, I don’t think so. Now and again I think I hear something. But, when I turn, nothing’s there.”
“Yeah, that happens to me too. I see something, but when I turn it isn’t there. And I wonder if it’s just memories. It’s probably nothing. But, let’s stay vigilant.”
“I will.” Abraxas cast his eyes about the forest. When he looked, he saw eyes in every shadow.
There was a faint rustling from ahead of them. Abraxas saw Valeria’s armrest against her sword as her pace slowed. A bush by the side of the path, a bright green lady-fern, shook, its feathery leaves quivering. The caravan stopped behind them.
From beneath the fern emerged a rabbit.
There was a moment when the entire caravan paused. First, she stopped, then others behind her. The rabbit looked ordinary enough. It was of normal size with normal coloring, with no strange protrusions or markings. It had no strange features, besides, perhaps, its being just a bit fatter than usual.
“What’s going on?” Shouted someone in the back.
Spooked, the rabbit darted across the path and into the underbrush on the other side.
Tentatively, the group started moving again, with laughter rippling through some of its members.
“I hadn’t seen a real animal from outside of Verdant in weeks,” said Valeria. Her tone was contemplative, pondering. “I hadn’t realized that before.”
“I guess I hadn’t realized it, but I’d worried that the entire world had been warped and twisted, that there wasn’t anything from before left,” said Abraxas.
“Yeah, well, give it time.” Valeria punched him lightly on the arm.
A moment later, she resumed speaking, this time in a more contemplative tone of voice. “But, this relates to something that I had been wondering about. We know that not all animals are impacted, right? We have our horses which haven’t turned. And we’ve still seen insects every day. If those had all been corrupted there wouldn’t be much of a recourse, would there? Besides, we’ve been alright. That is to say, it doesn’t seem as if it’s impacted Humans, Sculos, or Tivour.”
“So far,” Crescent added, with what Abraxas deemed an inappropriate amount of cheer.
“Yes, so far.” She paused as if to give that statement the weight it deserved, before continuing. “But, in a way, that’s what I’m getting at. Is there something that separates the animals that have turned from those that haven’t? I’d had a passing thought that there was a level of scope that was required for the corruption to take hold. That’s why plants and insects weren’t infected. And, perhaps, I’d also figured that intelligent creatures were too complex to be corrupted. But that didn’t explain the horses, and that doesn’t explain the rabbit.”
“Are we sure that plants and insects can’t be corrupted? After all, we’ve only seen four instances of this corruption. I don’t know if that’s enough to speculate on,” said Abraxas
“Fair enough. Four instances aren’t really enough to establish a pattern. And it isn’t anywhere near enough to even begin to guess at everything there might be. I suppose we might see some sort of warped plant. That’d be interesting to see in your garden, wouldn’t it?”
“It would be.”
“In any case, I don’t suspect we’ll see mutated plants. It just feels as though we would have seen some if plants could be corrupted like that, especially since the forests seem to have become relatively full of the aberration. Because there has to be some kind of logic or method to this. For every effect, there’s got to be a cause—that’s basic Tsishun philosophy. From what we’ve seen there have been no aberrations forming within Verdant itself while the forests have been becoming relatively full of them. And for some likely related reason, the forests have become relatively scarce when it comes to animals. That rabbit was the first non-corrupted creature we’ve seen in here since we saw those deer. Perhaps there’s something twisted at the heart of the forest, at the heart of the whole peninsula.
Valeria’s words slowed. “Along that vein, if there was a sickness passed from animal to animal, it’s unlikely to impact plants, correct?”
“I don’t know of any people-sicknesses passing to any of my plants or any of the plants I’ve read about.”
“So, that’s as far as my intuition has lead me. I do wish I could study the beasts further, but I realize how risky that might be. I don’t—”
Ahead of him, Valeria’s pace slowed.
“What is it?” Abraxas’s voice was low, cautious.
Wordlessly, she pointed at the ground a few paces in front of them. There, pressed into the ground was a set of pawprints larger than his head. The prints were delicate, lightly pressed as if they hadn’t been left so much as misplaced. The prints crossed the trail and led off into the underbrush.
“Do you know how recently they were left?” Malik asked.
Valeria knelt towards the earth, tracing one of the paw prints with her finger. “It’s faded at the edges. I think that they had to have been left over a day ago.”
Abraxas took a single tentative step forward. “Alright, what’s the plan?”
There came a chorus of several voices
“We should make a detour.”
“We should probably follow those tracks; I don’t want whatever it is to follow us.”
“This thing can’t catch us unawares. We need to stop and ready ourselves”
Abraxas even caught Crescent’s voice adding her opinion. “I’m not going anywhere near whatever left it.”
Valeria then spoke above the tumult in her most commanding voice. “No, we stay the course.”
Immediately there came scattered murmurs of dissent. Crescent’s was the loudest, and perhaps the most reasonable. “Couldn’t we just take a detour that way?” She pointed in the direction the paw prints were emanating from. “I don’t know anything natural that could have left them. And, given the current happenings, we can’t be too cautious.”
Valeria’s voice was softer this time, less sure. “There’s a village only a mile or two ahead of us. We can stop there and ask if they’ve seen anything. It’s going to take a long enough time to get to Penomier as is. We cannot afford to spend any longer out in the open than necessary.”
The members of their small group mostly knew Valeria and would follow her. None seemed quite ready to argue. But some looked nervous. Emily, who idolized Valeria as though she were one of the stars, swayed where she stood, not venturing forwards, not quite stepping back. And Crescent continued to stand behind the others, one eyebrow raised.
Abraxas needed to support Valeria and so he spoke up. “We listen to Valeria. She knows this route better than any of us.” But his voice trailed off as people’s eyes turned towards him.
Still, Valeria cast him a thankful glance before looking toward the group of people, as if daring them to dissent. Malik drew a step nearer and his skin rippled with faint swirls of scarlet and it seemed as though he wished to speak. He glanced at Abraxas, and then at Valeria, as though considering. “You support this?”
“I, er, yes,” said Abraxas, quite convincingly.
“Then I’ll follow.”
For some reason, this seemed to settle matters for everyone. Even Crescent, who had been standing near the back, her eyebrow seemingly permanently raised, nodded once to Abraxas.
“Alright,” Valeria said. “We continue onwards.”
Abraxas seared his third mark into a tree, watching the bark blacken and sizzle. He’d grown less cautious, but still kept his movements to a minimum. He didn’t want to see the look of betrayal on Valeria’s face. Finishing his work, he let the steam dissipate, tendrils drifting off towards oblivion.
“So, what’s going on?”
He jumped and glanced over at Crescent who had snuck up next to him. “Nothing.” There was a faint quaver in his voice.
Crescent slowed her pace, increasing the distance between her and Valeria. Abraxas did similarly.
“So,” she said, a faint smile curled across her lips, “You haven’t been marking trees, leaving a trail for someone to follow us?”
“I– how–?” Abraxas glanced wildly around him, making sure no one was listening in. But the group of them had spread out over a few dozen meters and no one seemed curious.
“You’re not very subtle. And for that matter, neither is your friend. Whenever you leave one of your marks you drop back a few paces. You need to act less shifty whenever you do these things. And tell you’re friend not to follow so close behind; I’ve caught a few glimpses of him. You’re lucky that you humans don’t have eyesight quite so keen as mine, and that the Sculos vision is really only good up close. Even so, if someone was really paying attention behind us, they would have spotted him.”
“Okay. So, you’re not telling Valeria?”
Crescent laughed. “No, I’m not telling her anything, so you can stop cowering. Don’t be so fettered by things.” She spread her arms, gesturing around her. “The most important quality a person can have in this world is swagger. You need to have an unshakable faith in everything you do. It’s the only way to get anywhere in this life.”
“And what happens when you fail?”
“Then you pick yourself back up, carve a smile onto your face, and do it again. You can’t ever let your faith be shaken. You just gotta believe.”
“That seems painful.”
“It can be. But it’s not as bad lying on the ground and letting yourself bleed out. ‘Course I don’t have to worry about that anymore.” Crescent paused briefly. “But you have a better time when you charge ahead into everything.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“You do that. And remember, when you do something you aren’t supposed to, don’t try too hard to hide it; it looks suspicious.”
Crescent quickened her pace, leaving Abraxas alone to ponder.
Ahead of them, through the trees, they caught glimpses of the village. Valeria was, of course, the first to notice it and she made sure to point it out to all the others. It did something for everyone’s mood. It was later in the day and what sunlight had filtered through the clouds was growing scarce. The prospect of food and firelight was a welcome one. Still, it was a span of time before the group reached the village.
They drew close nearer to the village that it was more than just a vague shape, its shape no longer blocked by foliage. The first thing Abraxas noticed was how dark some of the buildings were, stricken black, not the color of any natural wood he’d ever seen. As he drew closer, he found that the texture was off—charred and crumbling.
He realized that no one was talking. In front of him, Valeria was trembling.
The buildings had more gashes than windows. Large chunks had been torn out of them. Some were collapsed. But many still stood, looking like corpses, empty shells with all the life ripped away from them.
They were at the village. Ash and dust drifted beneath their feet. Valeria called out for anyone who might still be there. But even as she said the words, Abraxas knew there would be no response.
She swayed and he rushed to her side. Tears speckled her face. Her chest heaved. He helped her sit, guiding her to the ground in case she fainted, shouldering her weight. She said nothing. He did not think her able. In the background, he could hear Malik’s gruff voice urging the others not to bother them. Abraxas paid them little heed.
After a moment, when Valeria’s flow of tears began to stem, Abraxas spoke. “Hey, can you hear me?”
She nodded but didn’t speak.
“Alright, take some seconds, breathe. I have some water in my bag. I want you to drink that, okay?” He pulled out a small waterskin and pressed it to her lips. After a moment, she began to drink and soon emptied the waterskin. “That’s good. Can you talk now?”
“Yeah.” Her voice sounded small, far removed from her usual confident tone.
“You feeling alright then? Do you just want to sit, or can you stand?”
“I- I just need a second. This entire village— it’s just gone. All those people wiped out.”
He already knew in what direction her thoughts would be moving. “There wasn’t anything we could do.”
“We saved Willowbrook.”
“We saved most of the people from Willowbrook. And even then—” He stopped, not quite knowing how to finish that sentence. “We can’t be a shield against all the world’s problems, for all the world’s peoples, no matter how we might wish it. There will be more tragedies ahead of us. We can’t let them shake us; we need to be strong. You’ve always been good at that.”
Valeria began to stand. Abraxas extended a hand to help her up, but she smiled at him and did her best to stand on her own. It was something she needed to do for herself. “You’re right. We- we can’t let this break us. There will be others that need our help.”
“That’s right. And where would we be without our brave and fearless leader?”
“Somewhere else, presumably.”
“Presumably.” Abraxas chuckled.
Valeria planted her feet. She was still trembling, but there was no quaver in her voice when she spoke. “Ready? We’re moving on.”
They had intended to stop in the village, but no one wanted to rest amidst the ruins. It was too haunted by the sights and memories of death. No one protested as they continued onwards.
They had traveled some ways from the ruined village of Briarknoll. Some of the group kept looking backward as if transfixed by the sight behind them. Malik was among these. Others, Valeria foremost, stared resolutely ahead, marching onwards. Perhaps this was why Malik was the one to first notice the movement in the bushes behind them.
“Everyone, keep still.” Malik’s voice came quiet and calm.
Everyone turned towards him, and he pointed towards a shape moving through the foliage. Unlike the other times they’d glimpsed something, this creature didn’t dart away. Instead, it moved closer to the path, emerging from the shadows of the forest.
Abraxas strained his eyes to see what was approaching. The shape began to take form, and he realized it was a deer. He no longer had it within him to dare hope that it was any type of sane normal deer. And if he had hoped, it would have been in vain. The creature’s fur was a dark, ashen gray, and its eyes glowed with an unnatural, eerie light. It moved with an otherworldly grace. Dappled starlight ran across its back, a figure of both beauty and horror.
Beside him, Abraxas saw Malik grip his hammer. He realized that Malik never gave all the details of what had happened to him before he ended up in Verdant.
Valeria whispered, in a voice of forced calm, “Careful.”
The group tightened their formation, hands on their weapons, as the strange deer approached. For a moment, for just a moment, Abraxas saw a fragment of humor in the situation, with all of them cautious because of a deer. But the humor quickly died as the deer drew nearer, like some specter.
The creature stopped a few yards away, its glowing eyes fixed on them. It stood, like a sentry, like a watchman. It stood, motionless and unmoving, still in such a way that no living thing should be still. The aberration stared at them with a somehow unnerving gaze.
Abraxas glanced towards Valeria, looking for direction. The aberration hadn’t attacked—possibly wouldn’t attack—and yet he wondered if she would want to take such a chance. She held up a hand, signaling for the others to keep back.
Abraxas peered into the forest, searching for signs of any other deer. Whenever one had appeared previously, there had been more not far behind. This deer, however, appeared to be alone. A prickle of something akin to fear rolled down his back. St
Still, the deer didn’t move.
Valeria took a step back, the rest of the group following her lead. The dear did likewise, stepping closer so that the distance between them remained unaltered.
“Abraxas,” Valeria whispered, “is your gun loaded?”
“Yes.”
“I want you to shoot at the deer. It’s okay if you don’t hit it, though I wouldn’t mind terribly if you did. But I want you to fire your gun and see if it drives the deer off.”
There was a faint tremble in Abraxas’s voice. “The first time we encountered them, they seemed undeterred.”
“They were charging us at the time. Now, it might be different. We can hope.”
He nodded, then curled her finger around the trigger
Bang.
There was a flash, a trail of smoke, and a jolt as the recoil rocked his body. The deer scampered away, the bullet shooting right past its left flank. The group watched as the aberration returned to the forest it had come from. There was an outtake of breath and Abraxas couldn’t be sure which of them it had come from. All seemed to be equally relieved.
And then, a figure emerged from the forest, running towards them. Abraxas felt a slight pang of horror as he realized who the person was.
“I heard a gunshot. What’s out there? How can I help?” His voice was breathless, as the person had evidently run quite some way. For it seemed that, at the sound of the gunshot, Dimmian had abandoned his intentions to stay hidden in favor of doing his part for the group. It was noble. And it was stupid.
Valeria looked at him with some mixture of amusement and disdain. “Nothing, Dimmian. We sorted everything out. But it’s nice of you to join us.”
“Oh. Good. Er- hello, Valeria.”
Abraxas stepped backward trying to attract as little attention as possible.
“Why are you out here?” Asked Valeria.
“Well, remember Pret? I wanted to-”
Valeria held up a hand “Of course you did. And which member of our group did you guilt into helping you.”
Dimmian’s eyes drifted towards Abraxas before he swiftly averted his gaze. “Oh, I didn’t have any help.”
“Abraxas, did you help him find us?”
There was no point in his denying it. He had never been good at lying to her. “Yes. I did.”
“I see.”
Valeria turned to the group of onlookers, which had drawn close. “You guys, start setting up camp. Malik, can you help direct them?” Her voice then became a bit more cool “Abraxas, can you come with me?”
He followed her, already an apology forming upon his lips. “Valeria, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have gone behind your back like that.”
“No, you shouldn’t have.” They had walked a ways and now She turned to him, a slight frown marring her face. “You said you’d always have my back.”
“I know it’s just…”
“Let me guess, Dimmian talked to you about how much he needed to see Pret again, and you yielded like starlight come daybreak.”
“Yeah, that’s what happened.”
“Abraxas, what am I ever going to do with you? I need to be able to count on you, especially, given everything that’s been happening. So, stand up for yourself, have more confidence.”
Abraxas just stared at a spot a little bit towards her left, feeling ashamed. He twined his satchel string around his fingers, wrapping it tight until it would leave a mark.
“I depend on you and I have full confidence that you’ll always be there to support me. Then her lips quirked into the semblance of a smile. “Don’t look so dejected. You’re my friend, not someone under my command. Just don’t go behind my back next time, talk to me, okay?”
A sense of relief washed over Abraxas. Smiling, he saluted. “Will do.”
He turned to go.
“Oh, Abraxas?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks for having my back today. I’ve appreciated it.”
“Always.”
The group of them set up their camp, just barely still in sight of Briarknoll. They would have preferred to have journeyed further, but under the circumstances, they were too tired to continue onwards. Dimmian stayed with them, joining in the preparations as they made camp. There wasn’t any point in his hiding anymore.
And soon all of them were sprawled out upon the earth, the stars all laid out above them, a fire behind them to warm their backs. There was a kind of peace, the firelight acting as safeguard, a reminder of home and hearth.
