Red Rivers and Nightmares

18. Just One Thought

After that I do my best to do as I am told and stay out of the way. Getting prepared is quicker this time in thanks to the people of Shayle. They even try to offer a horse to Rion but he refuses as politely as possible. I wonder why at first but then I realize with a long look around that there are not a lot of horses around. I assume that and the fact that he is on the move for the most part is why he refuses. As we are getting closer to leaving that is when I realize that I am not going to be given the chance to say farewell to Eardwulf and Fairley who, with other elder vampires, have retreated indoors because of the sun choosing to be so bright and blistering today on top of the blood many of them had to give so freely yesterday.

By the time I am on Ro and we are ready to go I am able to keep a straight face and sit how I am supposed to. Iien has Snow stop next to me and he eyes me critically. One of my eyebrows raises when I realize that it is not my eyes he is looking into but my brow line. Getting unnerved by his hard, continuing stare I feel along the area with my fingertips but feel nothing amiss.

Only then does my brother sign in relief and he clicks Snow into a slow trot. We have not left Shayle behind us for long when I can tell that Rion wants to go faster. He will get far enough ahead that he is quite small in the distance and then he will yip and bark at us. Iien does not give in to any of the urging. In fact, he gets the same cross expression he used to get when Akun was even younger and was constantly begging him to play as we were getting ready for bed.

Even though I feel the same urge to go faster as Rion I cannot help but to feel amused in this situation. When I am not being amused by Rion's antics I am sitting silently atop of Ro and doing all I can to meditate and think of nothing at all. This process is helped by the fact that my brothers do not try to start up a conversation with me, even though I catch them giving me looks near constantly.

Eventually, Iien decides that it is time to stop for the noonmeal. Rion shifts behind a tree nearby as Akun and I pull out the food stuffs. I look up when Rion steps closer. I nearly stop what I am doing at the decidedly unhappy set of his face. As Akun nudges me I go back to what I was doing and Rion finishes stalking towards Iien

He faces off with my older brother with arms crossed, "Why we going so slow?"

Iien does nothing but stare Rion down. Then, ever so slowly, he resumes brushing down the horses for their rest. When it looks like Rion has had just about enough of Iien's silent treatment, Iien speaks as if there is little care in the world, "Assuming we're taking the horses to all three of the towns shared with us then we'll need to pace and break otherwise the horses will be run down." He looks at Rion then with one eyebrow raised, "I'm assuming you refused Shayle's horse just so you would not burden them?"

There is silence for a moment and then Rion groans. I want to see what he is doing but after nearly cutting myself attempting to slice bread I pay more attention to what my hands are doing.

"There's no need for me to have a horse. I'm fast anough by my own but if ya help I'm sure the others'll do the same for ya," aggravation makes Rion's words more tense than I have heard in a while.

"Even if they were willing to, the chance a horse from the other villages that will be happy around Akun is very small," Iien tries to lower his voice but his own agitation prevents that from happening.

That has my eyes flick to my brother. He is looking down, frowning heavily. Distracted I actually manage to nick myself with the knife. I hiss quietly and the other two seem not to notice.

Rion scoffs. His angry sound covers Akun's sigh. He then reaches for my hand where he immediately sucks on the hurt finger. I cringe at the pain but after a few moments the pain is completely gone. He lets my hand go and I smile in gratefulness as I look over my fully healed finger