Alexis stuck one hand in her trouser pocket, lifting an apple to her mouth with the other. "What are we going to do when our provisions run out?" She asked before biting into it.
"We do what we have been doing, I suppose." Stephen said, glancing over at her. The redhead was on the far left of the group, putting her closest to the road that they skirted at a reasonable distance. "Forage."
"But there's three of us now." She countered. "Unless we split up - and that's a bad idea because we might lose each other - we're covering the same amount of ground as when there were two of us, and now we have an extra mouth to feed." Stephen looked over at Cafos, who shrugged.
"She has a point."
It was their second day of travel from the Blackhaven mansion. For the most part, they stayed in the woods beside the road, keeping out of sight while allowing them to see anyone who passed by. Though the trio generally agreed that they probably weren't in any danger, they all felt more comfortable within the shelter of the trees.
Either way, the road they followed seemed seldom traveled. Over the last two days they had only seen two other groups, a carriage that overtook them and one passing by the other way.
"What supplies do we have left?" Stephen asked. In response, Alexis rifled through the bucket that hung over her arm.
"A couple pieces of jerky, some hard rolls, and two apples." She reported. "That'll last us till... maybe the end of the day if we're lucky." Stephen pursed his lips.
"Well... we don't have time to try to find a job again." He said slowly. "And it's still a few days yet until we reach Belmourne, correct?"
"That's right." Cafos confirmed. "And we don't have any guarantee that the Lady will let us in, much less feed us."
"Well, we could hunt." Stephen said. "Though without proper tools it would be difficult. Our only option is to keep an eye out for food as we go, to avoid losing too much time."
"It's not our only option." Alexis countered. Stephen glanced at her, and she went on. "We've passed a couple of carriages. If another one came, we could..." she rubbed her index finger and thumb together, and Stephen blinked uncomprehendingly.
"I highly doubt traveling nobility would be charitable to a group of urchins on the side of the road."
"No, I meant we steal from them."
"No!" Stephen exclaimed. "We're not- we're not going to rob someone."
"It isn't like we'll be hurting them." Alexis insisted. "If they can afford a carriage, they can spare a few coins for us."
"That's not the point."
"She's right, though." Cafos cut in. "We're on a mission of vital importance for the high king, surely that authorizes us to bend any laws keeping us from our goal." Stephen pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I don't know why I expected better from you." He said. "You two are incorrigible." Alexis grinned.
"So..."
"No. Final answer, no." Stephen cut her off. "We're better than highway bandits." Alexis's smile vanished, and she folded her arms.
"Fine."
"Just keep an eye out for food." Stephen told them. "If we run out of supplies, we'll... figure it out then." Cafos seemed equally annoyed with this idea, but neither he nor Alexis argued, and the group lapsed into silence.
"So what is our mission, exactly?" Alexis finally broke it. Stephen looked back at her.
"We're warning Notch about my father."
YOU ARE READING
The Sins of the Father
أدب الهواةSixteen-year-old Stephen has been trained to be a warrior for as long as he can remember, raised by the valkyries whom he was told found him as an orphaned child. However, when he meets a stranger from outside of his sheltered camp, it isn't long be...
