Under One Banner

Chapter 17

They continued on the journey for another few hours after the sun had set and the sky had grown dark. As the sun went down Aryanna called Kalya closer, not wanting to lose sight of her. 

“Alright, Aryanna, I am hungry,” Sheridan said from behind her. “Really hungry,” he added.    

Aryanna stopped and turned around. “Alright, let’s find somewhere to stay the night,” she said. 

“Thank-you!” he said with a grin she could barely see in the low light. 

“Sure, Sheridan,” she replied. 

“What are we doing for a fire, and a place to sleep?” Finley asked.

“Only dry wood, nothing green, I don’t know how far the smoke will travel, only small fire at that, and for where we sleep, you have a cloak, use it,” Aryanna said firmly. 

“Alright,” Finley replied. 

Finley helped Aryanna collect wood for a small fire while Sheridan and Kalya went to the river bank. 

“Where do you want to sleep the night?” Finley asked. 

“I don’t want to be too close to the river, there may be river bandits, if they are coming, I want a good amount of time to hear them before they can get us, so,” she paused walking a good distance from the river. There were a few trees standing together, some of their dead branches had fallen to the ground. 

“Here is good,” she said. 

Finley nodded and they both dropped their arm loads of wood into a pile. Aryanna dropped her pack and knelt. Taking some of the branches Aryanna broke them into smaller pieces and after a few tries started a small fire. She opened her pack and took out the two thin blankets and laid them out separately, but beside each other.  That done she made her way over to Sheridan and Kalya. Sheridan had taken his fishing twine out and attached a hook.  Kalya had searched and found him a few worms, one of which was currently on the hook, in the water. The rest were clenched in Kalya’s little hand. 

“Caught anything yet?” She asked as she got closer. 

“Sheridan caught one already!” Kalya exclaimed excitedly.

“Nice,” Aryanna said. She sat down on the bank a foot or so away from Sheridan. He grinned then his eyes darted back to the line as it jumped and vibrated. He tugged on it, but didn’t pull it in. Suddenly the line started pulling through his hands quickly. He tightened his hands, stopping the line. He began pulling it in, hand by hand. He held up a large fish, a meal for two easily. 

“Number two!” he said with a proud grin. 

“Good job,” she said. She took Kalya’s hand and opened the hand carefully, she took out a worm and took Sheridan’s hook as he was trying to kill the fish. She carefully stuck the worm on the hook, making sure it wouldn’t fall off. He turned back to take the hook and ask for another worm when he saw Aryanna holding it out to him. 

“Thank you,” he said. 

She nodded with a smile. “Want me to take those two fish and start cleaning them?” she asked. 

“If you don’t mind that would be great,” Sheridan said. 

“I don’t mind, how did you want to cook them?” she asked. 

Sheridan shrugged. “How ever you want to,” he said.

“Fish stew sound alright?” she asked. 

“Sure,” Sheridan said swinging the hook and letting it fly out over the water. Aryanna took one of her knives and started scraping the scales off of the fish. 

Kalya came over and crouched, staring at the dead fish rapidly losing it’s scales, with a look of disgust on her face. 

“That is gross, Arya,” she said. 

Aryanna laughed and nodded as she continued with the scaling. “Yes, it’s gross, but necessary.” 

“I mean really yucky,” Kalya said again. 

Sheridan laughed. “Do you want to hold the line with me?” he asked. “That way you won’t have to watch the gross scaling,” he said. 

Kalya hopped up and he positioned her hands on the line, his hands over hers. 

She squealed in delight as the line started being tugged on. He helped her hook the fish and pull it in. 

“There we are!” he said holding up the fish. 

“Kalya I am going to help Aryanna scale the fish, you may want to not watch,” he said with a smile. 

“Gross,” Kalya replied. “Can I play with the line in the water?” she asked. 

Sheridan thought for a moment. “Uh, yea, be careful though, don’t lose it,” he said. 

She nodded and started swinging it out over the water. 

Sheridan and Aryanna cleaned the fish and got them ready to be eaten. After collecting all the fish they brought it over to their campsite where Kalya got out the pot and the three of them made the soup. Finley stood by quietly, offering to help but was turned down. 

Half an hour later they were all blowing on hot fish stew. 

They all ate it and laid down to sleep, Finley taking first watch.