Between The Crystals

Ch 9 A Day in the Rain

A high-pitched squeal of laughter woke me precisely one second before the five-year-old cannonballed onto my bed. Loki must have abandoned me at some point during the night since the feline didn't yowl in protest.

"Morning!" she proclaimed with the delight only a child could muster.

I yawned and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her close and tickling her. Her laughter and giggles echoed off the bare walls of the tiny cave.

When I finally let her go, she darted outside, and with laughter in her voice, she called out, "Aunt Natalie's awake now!"

I shook my head, wondering if I had to blame my sister or Grant. The darkness provided enough privacy for me to dig into my storage chest and quickly change into clean leather clothing. I stretched, feeling completely like myself and back to normal.

After a quick trip to the latrine, I went to grab my breakfast. The meager meal consisted of a tiny piece of dried fish, a dozen grains of fire-popped barley, and some plants that had soaked in water overnight. It was all I'd get until this evening, supplemented only by what I ate in the field. We were expected to "graze" while we were out.

I ate as I wandered over to the crystal, where other porters, hunters, and gatherers were also gathering. I checked my ankle. I had to search to find the pinpricks, and the faintest hint of a bruise was the only evidence of my close call.

"How are you doing?" Merryl asked as "her" four gatherers and two hunters already trailed behind her. Callie bounced beside her mother, never straying more than five steps away.

"Good," I replied. "My ankle is fine, and I slept like a rock."

Grant arrived and slipped into the crowd with his big leather notebook in hand. About half of the people had already arranged themselves into their usual groups while the rest waited to be assigned where their skills were needed most.

Grant stopped by each porter, explained where he wanted them to take their group today, and ensured they knew the exact location they were porting to.

"Merryl, the usual place, if you could?" he asked her.

"Sure," she jogged toward the crystal, and her sudden movement was immediately mirrored by her group, although Callie scurried to catch up. My sister glanced back and sent me a grin. Her attempt to check if they were paying attention showed exactly how well they worked together and how well they knew her sense of humor.

"Natalie, do you mind taking four to Aspen Ridge? If the pickings aren't good, come back."

I nodded, and he quickly picked two hunters and two gatherers to go with me. They arranged themselves around me as we walked to the crystal. I brushed my fingers against the crystal's smooth surface, letting the light shimmer through my veins. "Ready?"

They all nodded, so I turned my mind to the forest of slender trees whose leaves rustled in even the faintest breeze. "Aspen Ridge."

The warm desert air was replaced by cold dampness and the earthy smell of wet dirt. The hunters twisted on their heels as they quickly scanned the area, ignoring the rain drizzling out of the clouds above.

After waiting several seconds to make sure nothing was going to appear, they began checking the area, hoping to find an unwary rabbit. Most animals would be holed up somewhere dry, so I wasn't expecting much.

The grass around the crystal was unfortunately trampled, evidence of another group having been here in the last day or so. I didn't see any edible plants from where I stood. With a group in tow, I couldn't stray far from the crystal to help gather plants. It annoyed me that I wasn't going to be much help on this trip.