The Demi Ranger: Memories and Fire

Chapter 40: A Welcoming Beginning to a New Life

We sat in our wagon, sun beaming through the gaps in the leaves above us, waiting behind another wagon that was just behind Yara's.

A distant voice echoed, "Forward!" followed by gradually closer rangers yelling, "Forward!" until Yara did so and crept her cart forward.

"HYAH!!" Dannas slapped his reins down.

The mule turned its head and grunted at him

"Hyah?" He lightly moved the reins.

The mule slowly trotted forward, pulling the wagon with it.

The path was winding and bumpy, turns being taken often. Sometimes our wagons would split along two paths and reconvene in perfect formation. They seemed very used to navigating untamed land on wagons. Dannas just followed Yara. I noticed the wheels on all the wagons I could see moved up and down a slot their bars ran through, reacting to the sudden bumps, almost following their angles. It reduced how much our wagons moved on them. We were moving slower than I thought we'd need to, about a snail's pace. It made every bump long and anticipated.

"Why are we moving so slow?" I asked.

"Ah, well, you see," Dannas started like he was the wisest in the lands, his face held high, until he almost hit a tree. "Shit." He corrected the mule's path. "As I was saying, it's for the scouters and clearers."

"Hm?"

"The scouters scout ahead to make sure the path is safe and would work. And the clearers clear the path and make it work. That's what the messers are for. That and fighting. But it helps a lot to have them to clear the plants and bushes and stuff."

"I see." I noticed we were heading west. "Are we stopping by Moltenbell?"
"I d'know. Maybe. HEY YARA!!"

"WHAT?!" she reacted, immediately annoyed.

"ARE WE GOING TO MOLDYBELL?!!"

"IT'S MOLTENBELL, AND YES!"

"THANK YOU!!"

She didn't respond.

"Hey Ladon, turns out we are going to Moldybell."

"Yeah, I heard. Thank you."

"No problem. I hope we get to see them."

"Who? Meg and them?"

"Mhm! They were cool."

"Mm. I wouldn't mind seeing them one last time."

Dannas gasped loud enough to take in all the air in the world.

"What?"

"That means we're stopping by Thernan's Bend! I hope Tulas made some yummy cookies. Or a pie! Ooh! Or a cake!"

"Therrin's End."

"Yeah!"

So the journey's south.

My eyes met Mi's, who was mostly looking around us the whole time. "How are you feeling? It's been some time since that night."

"Hm? Oh. I'm okay. I'm just tired mostly. But I'm feeling a lot better! I can eat full meals, which is a lot better I think."

My eyes grew heavy once more. "That's good to hear."

We shared a smile, the easiest I've given in years.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?"

She smiled, nervousness in the eyes. "For saving me."