Corinthian Roses

Chapter Seven: I Will Always Heal You

I sleep in Wilson's tent once again. It got too dark for him to make a tent in time. He sleeps outside in one of his sleeping bags. My nose begins to get used to the smell of beefalo from the hides. I still smell that faint scent of Wilson from this bedding, however. As odd and... uncouth as it may sound, it's very relaxing to me. I sleep well this night.

...

The morning comes quickly and I rise from my covers. My body feels great and my head much clearer. I am a bit hungry, so I leave the tent. Wilson is slowly waking up as well. He grunts and rubs his eyes and mutters "Five more minutes..."

"Hello there, Wilson. Did you sleep well?"

"I did. I want more."

I laugh and help him up out of bed. "What's on the agenda today?"

"I need to go to a nearby quarry to get some gold ore. I need to repair one of the lightning rods. I've been putting it off for far too long."

"Is lightning very common here?"

"Yes, they're needed for protection. To harness the heavens..."

"Let me help you. I've never done rock mining before, but that's no excuse not to try."

"My, Willamette, you are quite lively and chipper."

"I am at that. The thing is, I slept. I didn't have nightmares and didn't toss around for hours. I didn't even think about William. I haven't had a good, revitalizing sleep in, well, a year."

"Glad to hear it. Let's get you some food."

I make pierogi. I have always enjoyed them, and I've been making them since I was ten. Wilson gobbles his insatiably and has seconds. We pack some jerky for the trip and gear up with pickaxes.

"Are there monsters in this quarry?" I ask Wilson as we put our gear on.

"A few, but they won't bother us unless we come too close to their territory. Tallbirds, they're called. Huge, feathered birds with only one eye. They have tiny nests with one blue egg. They will defend their nests and that egg at all costs."

"Understood. Strong maternal instincts."

"Yes."

We walk on one of the many diverging trails that cover Wilson's homeland. Soon the ground turns to slate-rubble and there are boulders everywhere. Most are standard medium grey lumps, but some are darker and have blue crystal laced through them. Some of them have gold veins in them.

"Any of the ones with gold on the surface are what we need. Too bad we have to work so hard to mine them. They wouldn't fit in my pocket."

"It surely would be convenient if they did."

I walk to one of the boulders and size it up. I'm not a miner. I don't know how to mine! Regardless, I won't let Wilson one-up me. I grip the pickaxe firmly and raise it above my head. Ting!! It hits the surface of the rock and spider-web cracks spread. I hit at it steadily, breaking it down. All it takes is six hits before it crumbles into bits of flint, reasonably sized rocks, and a gold nugget.

I pick up the materials and put them in my backpack. We continue mining until our backpacks are brimful with minerals.

"What is this?" I ask, holding a dark yellow mineral up.

"I'm not a geologist, but I think it's nitre. Used for explosives and salt licks."

I'm about to speak again when I hear a high-pitched chirp. Behind us, there is a Tallbird. It's name is very accurate. It has a large eye that takes up most of its giant face. It has a strong, sharp purple beak. This bird is the most disproportionate being I have ever seen. And strangely terrifying, with thick, pointed black feathers.