The Reformation Wars: Beginning of the End

Chapter 13

Over the course of the next day, Dustin, Kyle, and Michelle managed to make their preparations for a westward desert trek without arousing any suspicions. As far as Nathan, Kelly, and Jude were aware, it was just another day of going through the same routine. By the time Kelly called all the men to dinner, Dustin had stowed away all the necessary supplies in a corner of Kyle's workshop, Kyle had obtained directions and a crude map to Forbache, and Dustin could only assume Michelle had picked some fine weapons to bring along.

So throughout dinner, Dustin and Kyle attempted to act as much like their normal selves as they possibly could. Dustin expressed excitement over the next day's lesson with Nathan to give off a sense nothing was amiss, and Kyle agreed to help his mother reorganize a few shelves in the study.

By and by, bedtime came around, and the two entered their quarters as usual. Dustin lay still for several minutes until Jude began gently snoring across the room, and then he snuck out. He crept down the hallway and headed for the study, where Kyle had agreed to meet up.

The only illumination in the house was a gentle glow from the depths of the study, which brought Dustin right to Kyle's position. They exchanged a glance in the flickering light of the lantern in Kyle's hand, and Dustin reached to take a few of the pack bags strewn about.

"And so it begins..." Dustin whispered as the two headed forward to take their first load of supplies outside. "Where did you say we will rendezvous with Michelle?"

"Her shack." Kyle replied simply, "I took our animals there just before dinner."

"Wise thinking."

The two didn't talk much as they carried out their work. After all, attracting attention was the last thing they wanted to do. They simply carried their load of supplies to Michelle's shack, where Kyle immediately set to strapping the bags to the pack animals. He sent Dustin and Michelle back to grab the rest of the bags while he completed that task.

With that extra trip, they took the last of the supplies. Excitement and dread alike fluttered in Dustin's breast as they headed outside, glad to be almost escaped, but also keenly aware there would be consequences whenever he returned.

So in a few more minutes' time, Dustin sat atop Consequence at the head of a sort of triangle formation, with Michelle on her camel slightly to the left behind him, and Kyle riding his own camel to the right. The three riders advanced at a casual pace the camels seemed well accustomed to, but Consequence constantly attempted to push ahead.

It took Dustin's eyes quite a while to adjust to the darkness outside as they ambled on. After all, the only sources of illumination were the distant stars, and a faint sliver of the waxing moon resembling a fingernail. Whatever lay beyond a few yards out was a mystery to the young prince.

Speaking of which, just when the trio had almost reached the edge of the Pikalanite settlement, Dustin glanced up, and a shadowy shape at the very edge of his current range of vision gave him pause. Though indistinct, the silhouette stood almost double the height of a man, with much greater width in the bottom half than above.

A few more cautious steps forward, and Dustin was able to identify the figure as a person sitting atop an animal. He squinted and laid a hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword.

"Who goes there?" he called with unsureness in his voice.

No reply came Dustin's way for some time. Only a stifling silence that caused him to squirm both inside and out. Glances back at Kyle and Michelle respectively in turn failed to make him feel any more assured of himself.

"This is still a foolish idea." Jude's voice finally cut through the darkness from the shadowy figure, "You'll bring war to Monterayne's doorstep and quite likely, death to yourself as well as others."