Between The Crystals

Ch 44 A Basket of Oranges

My fear slowly subsided, although I was still wary of the large creature next to me. I wondered if this Saursune was from the Apple Orchard town four hours away or if there was another settlement I wasn't aware of. I hoped the hunters hadn't stumbled into it.

I also hoped the Saursunes weren't too upset about the trackers I'd dumped there. Did this fighter know I was the one who left several by that crystal? There wasn't any way to tell, and he seemed calm right now.

It was...strange to sit beside a Saursune and just watch the forest. Birds occasionally flittered overhead and sang. It was almost peaceful, although I couldn't relax with my lingering reservations and fears.

Feeling my energy slowly draining away was bizarre. I tracked it as best I could, trying to figure out how much I had and how much was disappearing. I was getting a slightly better sense of it, but it was like trying to catch fog. I could see it shifting, but I didn't know how much was there or where the edges truly were.

The drain slowed to a trickle, then ceased. The Saursune continued to sit beside me, still humming. To my chagrin, I realized I couldn't gauge how much energy I had left since I was sitting. I'd always judged my stamina by how easy it was to stand or walk. Would my legs give out, be shaky, or just want a break? I didn't feel overly tired, so I was pretty sure they wouldn't give out, which was a bonus.

After several minutes, the Saursune stood up and shook himself. He turned back to me, and his humming turned into a deeper thrumming as he nudged my shoulder. Backing up a step, he looked around, then walked back to where he'd left his armor and weapons.

He stood on his back legs and put on his chest armor and shoulder plates. My heart skipped a beat when he picked up the armored belt, but he just clipped it on without taking any of the devices off. With another shake to settle everything, he glanced at me, dropped to all fours, and disappeared into the undergrowth.

I saw no point in getting up just yet, so I remained where I was. My restless desire to pace had disappeared. In fact, I felt more like sitting than getting up. A few sprigs of chickweed threaded through the long grass by my feet, so I nibbled on the greens.

I was still trying to dig up enough ambition to stand when nearby shrubs rustled, and the Saursune slipped through with his armor and weapon-bedecked belt still present. He remained on all fours and tilted his head as he regarded me.

I watched him somewhat uneasily. I trusted him enough not to kill me, but that was about it. He ambled over and walked behind me. I looked over my shoulder to see what he was doing and froze when I came face-to-face with him.

With a slow blink, his deep hum filled the air again. Stepping closer, he lowered his head to nudge my shoulder, then, shifting his nose under my arm, gave a more insistent push while lifting.

I took the hint and stood up, albeit somewhat awkwardly since I didn't want to bump into him. Now that I was standing, I could tell that even though my legs felt more like sitting, they weren't shaky in the least.

He moved his neck under my hand and walked forward as my fingers trailed along his hide. When my hand reached the armor on his shoulder, he paused and looked back at me expectantly.

Some days I was a bit of a slow learner, but I knew what he wanted. I began walking, letting him guide my steps. He faced ahead, and I carefully kept my hand on his armored shoulder, acutely aware of the belt and weapons around his waist.

Not only could I feel the interlocking pieces of metal shifting under my palm, but the faint clinking sent chills down my spine. The metallic clicks had followed me into many nightmares after running from fighters like this one.