Friends to Foes, Foes to Friends

Chapter 2

"What do you mean someone was rummaging through our stuff!?" Lake yelled at Granite.

Granite looked down at the ground in shame.

"Hey, stop yelling, we don't want to attract any dragons." Alpine interjected. "Just because we managed to make it to forested mountains doesn't mean we're safe."

"Yeah! Especially if someone's stealing our stuff while we sleep!" Lake pressed. "What if they tried to kill us instead? What would you have done?"

"Well, we're still alive, so I think we're fine." Alpine retorted.

"You would risk our lives on a baseless theory?" Lake challenged.

"Of course not! But if whoever rummaged through our stuff wanted to harm us, wouldn't they have done it? It was the perfect opportunity after all." Granite looked down as she spoke.

"Check the bags - what did they take?" Lake demanded. A boy, barely a man, walked over to the bag and opened it. He took each item out until the back was empty. He tilted it upside down and shook it for good measure.

"Well?" Lake asked impatiently.

"Barely anything, looks like they only took one of our flint and steels. We still have two." The boy responded.

"Dammit. Maple, repack the bag." Lake ordered. Maple started putting the items back in a particular order. "Granite, you're lucky we packed extras."

"Look, I'm sorry, alright? I thought I said that." Granite responded.

"'Sorry' doesn't bring it back or change it." Lake crossed his arms.

"Hey, we still have two more. Pack it up and let's move. We do not want to disappoint the Invincible Lord." interdicted the fifth person.

"Yes sir." came from Alpine and Granite. They moved to break down the rest of their meager camp.

Who comes just to steal a flint and steel? Do they have nothing to make fire? Lake wondered. No point in worrying about it. Copperhead is right - we need to continue moving forward.

Lake moved to help Maple with packing the research equipment. The group broke down camp within the next few minutes and began their journey deeper into the mountain range. They kept an eye on the sky at all times and both ears wide open. Stories of mountain dragons suddenly swooping down and plucking travellers from the ground were the most common amongst the Indestructible City residents - the second most common were swamp dragons emerging from the swamplands to the east and clamping down with their jaws. Lake shuddered.

I hope that doesn't happen to us. But if this expedition is successful - if we can figure out how to effectively kill dragons - we'll never have to worry about dragons again.

As they walked away to continue their route, Granite glanced back where their camp held a few moments ago. He swallowed, afraid to admit that he wasn't sure if the one scavenging in their bags was actually 'someone'.

*****

The group had been hiking for a few hours by now. Maple and Alpine were filling up everyone's water skins while the other three watched the skies.

"So how long have you been with Lake?" Alpine asked.

"It depends how you see it. As an apprentice, it's my second year, but he's been my teacher for eight rotations."

"Ah, so you must know him well."

"Well enough to know that he cares more about his projects than people." Maple quickly looked back, hoping Lake didn't overhear him say that. He was holding small talk of his own with the Lord's subordinate as they kept watch on the sky.