Ren felt a strange sense of dread as they completed their second day of traveling, meaning they only had one day left before they would return to Ossilith. Travel had been a bit slow at first, since they got a late start on the first day and were all of them somewhat wobbly on their legs. On the one hand, while the wash she gave herself in the stream had considerably refreshed her, it would be more than a relief to take an actual, warm shower in her own home, and get a full night's sleep in her own bed. Their return to Ossilith would also mark the moment when they had officially succeeded in their mission to bring back Sam and Cara safely. These were persuasive reasons to look forward to their return to Ossilith, and yet...
She had a strange feeling she couldn't quite shake. Perhaps it was simply that, despite the discomforts of outdoor travel of course, the trip home had been feeling quite idyllic. Sure it was cold, and they didn't have enough blankets to go around, and they'd had to set up some snares to catch wild rabbits for food, since they hadn't packed enough for two extra mouths. But something about Sam and Cara bouncing around her peripherals, actually there, not memories or phantoms of guilt. Something about the way Duren's gaze had been lingering on her lately. Was she imagining it? Something about the four of them together outside of Ossilith felt right. Felt like a family. What if things changed when they returned to Ossilith? The honeymoon of rescuing Sam and Cara faded and the doldrums of real life returned. And what trouble awaited them when they confronted the Rexus regarding their overt disregard for the mission objectives?
"What's eating you today?" Sam barked, skipping a few paces to get ahead of her and turn to walk backwards.
"Hm?" Ren said, snapping from her thoughts. "N-nothing," she tried to sound light but only half succeeded. She snuck a glance over at Duren who was eyeing her thoughtfully.
"Your face was doing the thing it does when you're ruminating on something," Duren said, not unkindly.
The familiarity caught her off guard, exhaling a laugh. "My face does a thing?"
Sam laughed. "Yeah, it does!" He made a show of crossing his arms and deeply furrowing his brow, still waddling backwards in front of them.
Ren laughed and shook her head. She snuck another glance at Duren to see he was still eyeing her, one brow cocked in question.
"I was just thinking about when we get back to Ossilith..." she said, but wasn't sure how to finish the thought. It was quiet for a moment.
"I missed my birthday," Cara said, drawing Ren's gaze. Cara tore her eyes from the road to meet Ren's, a soft sadness in her features that was almost more heartbreaking than if she had burst into full tears.
"That's right," Ren said, sounding sorry. "You're 12 now..."
Cara sighed. "When I get back, I'm having a birthday party!" she said with determination.
Ren smiled at her. "Count me in."
"Yeah, and now my birthday's only a few weeks away!" Sam exclaimed.
"You two should have a joint celebration," Duren said lightly.
Sam and Cara looked at him, looked at each other, and then exploded in sounds of rebuttal which made Ren laugh heartily.
"Alright, alright," Duren quieted them down. "How 'bout a lunch break?"
"Yes, I'm starving!" Sam exclaimed, dropping the spare pack they had filled with gathered food supplies practically before Duren had said the words lunch. "And I gotta pee!" He marched off the trail into the woods.
"Cara, can you fill up waters?" Duren instructed, handing her his canteen for her to hurry off to the stream that ran nearby the path they were taking. Ren dropped her heavy pack with relief, stretching her back. She watched as Cara picked her way between underbrush toward the stream nearly within eyeshot.
YOU ARE READING
Renevere Mars: Part Three
FantasíaThey're gone, and now there's no path in sight that might lead to them. Ren would love it if she didn't have to struggle just to find her place in a society of warriors either half her age or twice as experienced. She would love it if her Master, th...
