Song of Loss and Hope

Chapter Nine

We  had been going since shortly after Alad finished his speech. Now it was noon and we were settling to build us shelter. 

During the ride I mostly just talked with Alad besides when he talked to one of his crew members who had a question or just made a joke. It was actually quite refreshing to be with them like that. There was no pressure for me to also participate in their jokes and I also did not feel the need to guard myself from them. So I just laughed along with them, a smile almost the whole time on my face. When Alad looked over at me and saw me smiling he did too, proudly. He seemed like a really nice guy. 

The shelter mostly just consisted of us thrownig out our sleeping bag and moving in them. Some also slept without them. If, to avoid getting heated by the sun or because they did not bring theirs, I am not sure. But for me I did went in them. I had no shift in guard duty because they did not know what I could or could not do and I was here because of my healing ability and not because of fighting. And currently I was glad for it. I got really tired on the long walk, especially because I did not sleep since over a day and the nights before that were also not that regenerating towards me. So, when I got the chance I slipped in them and almost immedialtly fell asleep.

I was being waked by Alad shaking me by my shoulder. I surprisingly slept through the night and was more rested then the last days. On the downside though my body ached from sleeping on the hard ground and I sweated quite a lot due to the heat here. 

"Good, you're awake.", Alad said. "We are moving on now." I nodded and when he was gone got out of my make shift bed and brought it together to put it back in my bag. Looking around I saw the other ones doing the same. They mostly also looked better rested and more energetic.

I made my way towards the horse I was riding on this mission. Because of our small number -22- we were able to all have horses to ride on. They also were supposed to help carry our loot.

Over the pause my horse, Ruri, was being fed and brought some water. Now also more awake I made myself go and saddle her. "Hey, gorgeous.", I said to her and then giggled when she licked the hand I hold to her. "Did you also rest well?" A approving sound was heard and Ruri seemed to nod. On our journy she at first was a little uneasy but after we got to know each other better she also calmed down a little more which even surprised Alad. He told me that Ruri normally did not adjust that well to new people. So she must really like you, he said. I smiled at that. It kind of felt like a present of my old friend Myra. She always had a connection with animals because of her gift. I like to think she send me a signal and a friend in Ruri although I knew that that was probably non sense. But dreams can be dreams because without them there would be no hope. I looked up at the sky and spoke a silent thank you to my best friend. Shortly closing my eyes when my feeling treatened to come to surface.

When I finished saddeling Ruri a voice sounded from behind me: "Hi Abella, I'm Mike. I was just wondering if you could show us what you can do. I mean we all saw what you did with Callum but it would be so cool if you could show us again." I turned around to him to see a lanky guy looking at me with big eyes. "I don't - ", I began when another voice interrupted me. "Mike, she is not your source of entertainment. Now piss off." I recongnized the voice as Nadya. She was standing by her own horse, shifting her attention away when Mike and the other curious ones retreated. 

"Thanks.", I told her. She just nodded, not a woman of big words like I thought earlier. She must have experienced the curiousity of the people too with her power which is probalby even more interesting to them than mine is.

I sensed that she certainly did not want to converse so I also looked back at Ruri and untied her from the stem she was bound to.