Wanted (book 2 of Wielder series)

Chapter 15 - New Hope

   Alie slept.

   She couldn't remember a time when she had been so tired. So utterly exhausted, down to her very bones. She barely remembered laying down her head before the black dreamless sleep overtook her.

   When she woke, the sun had long disappeared behind the horizon. She barely had the energy to rise and drink a few cups of water before she collapsed to sleep some more.

   She didn't wake again until late morning. By then, Michael had already run to town and brought back the healer who had tended to Darrel. She gave Alie a thorough examination and determined that aside from some minor malnutrition, she was fine. The healer left with instructions for her to eat four full meals a day for two weeks to help her gain back her weight.

   Easier said than done, she thought, when their whole life was on the road not knowing when they could stop again for supplies.

   But as she downed her first real meal in far too long, she mulled their circumstances over in her head and began to come up with a plan.

   "We're going to Remembrance Isle," she declared, when everyone sat down together for lunch.

   Mischief sparkled in Darrel's eyes. "What's that?"

   "It's the world where Willy remembers the emperor setting up one of his storehouses. I'm not sure how to get there, but I'm pretty sure its deserted. The place looked pretty worn down in his memories."

   Michael stirred his spoon around in his bowl, refusing to meet her gaze. "And you're confident that his 'memories' are sound? What if he's making things up?"

   "I'm sure," Alie said flatly.

   She had told Michael everything that she'd explained to Darrel. But while Darrel had seemed supportive, curious, and a little excited, Michael's frown just deepened. When she'd finished, he'd said, "It sounds like he's lost his sanity. Maybe you shouldn't try talking to him, anymore."

   She'd been too tired to argue, but now she just didn't want to. Without giving him time to speak further, she turned to Victoria. "Make sure you stock up with enough supplies to last the month when you head back into town. We might be traveling for a while, and I don't want to run out of food again. It made us too vulnerable, last time."

   Victoria eagerly nodded, scratching something onto a scrap of paper beside her. "Can do."

   "Thank you." She took a sip of her stew and turned to Darrel. "How soon before you think you can travel?"

   "Honestly? Whenever you're ready." He stretched his arms over his head, testing his muscles and the healed skin of his back. "I feel nearly back to normal."

   Michael shifted his calculating gaze to him. "Nearly?"

   "I'm stiff from sitting in one spot too long," Darrel explained, returning Michael's glare back to him. "Someone hasn't been letting me work through my sword forms in the morning."

   "I told you, you need time to heal, and—"

   "We can take the first few days slow," Darrel said, ignoring Michael's excuses. "You're recovering, too."

   "I'm fine." She offered him a small smile. "Really."

   "You are not fine," Michael interjected. "You spent ten days in a trance, and a whole day sleeping. The healer said you needed time to recuperate—"

   "The healer said I needed food," Alie sighed. She really didn't want to have this conversation with Michael right now. "And I'm eating. See?" She lifted her spoon and took another bite of mushy tomato-soaked rice, beans, and red meat.