Ashtik: The Champion of Black.

Chapter Thirteen: A Timely Traitor.

          A man and a corpse are separated only by time. She worried such a time had come for him, but her sister had ensured him a few more days, at the least. The night had been long and they hadn't settled throughout. The three walked on, Sujin rested atop the direwolf and Evara made for a warm travel pack as her cheek pressed against Ash's back. Through fresh rain and ancient mud, they trudged. Through the mist of night, and the dew of a new dawn. Under the gaze of the waning moon and her gentle sister; of the crowning sun and the clouds that banished his gifted warmth. The enchanter was deathly silent in his sleep, but Evara had no such grace. The child snored like a banshee as a lick of spittle drooled down her gaping maw. Had it not been for the torrents of rain, she'd have soaked Ash's back without either's notice.

The heretic walked on. The mud swallowed her boots as the clouds swallowed the sun. She waded on, the river to her side and her sister on her back. The beast prowled between shadows. He danced between raindrops and strolled across gusts of wind. He left no tracks in the mud or grass as he went, but the scent of wet dog pervades even for an eldritch beastling such as Ronald.

A day's walk remained, by Sujin's last count. The port would come to view behind the next dawn.
"Ashtik," the enchanter feebly called out. She came to his side quickly as his hand flailed out limply. "Ashtik," he repeated.
"I'm here."
He spluttered breathlessly and tried for manners, but all she could hear was, "water."
"Here." Ash drew a sealed gourd, stabbed a hole in it, and held it out to his lips. It wasn't water, but it would help him heal. He tried to drink but couldn't manage the taste. He spluttered and spat, his sense of taste defeating his dehydration.
"Drink, you big baby." She poured a little more out between his painfully curled lips. "It's tibany oil, good for hangovers and gaping chest holes."
His eyes fell to the sleeping sister as she lay hunched over Ash's back, "She... saved me?"
"Hopefully," Ash smiled, "but it's still too early to say if you'll be alright. Go back to sleep, you need rest."
"I- How am I moving?" He whispered.
She thought it mightn't be the kindest thing to tell him that he lay on the back of the abomination that seemed so determined to liquefy his skeletal system the day prior, but a lie would be easily dismissed.
"Ronald's carrying you," she said as though she didn't know it would panic him. He made some small attempt to roll from his abominable sick bed with a grand whimper, but no fruit came of his efforts. He was simply too weak to rise.
"Calm down," Ash whispered as kindly as she could, "he won't hurt you."
"I saw him," Sujin creaked. "I saw the skin-bag he left."
"That won't happen to you," Ash promised.
"I have... better... idea."
"Rest, Sujin," Ash ordered.
"But... faster... get to port... nightfall." He raised his hand again, but it quickly fell back down. His eyes couldn't quite find her and his voice seemed to slip deeper and deeper into his sleep.
Ash sighed deeply and asked, "what do you mean?"
"River," he moaned, "straight from here... raft. Nightfall."
"We can raft to the port from here?" She urged. He continued on, but none of it was intelligible. The babbling of a sleeptalker.

If he was right, and the river truly did flow straight, it would help them beat the Veytors to the port. She decided to trust him and set her sister down beneath the cover of an old evergreen. Ronald wrapped himself around the sleeping girl to hold back the rains and winds from her.

She had never made use of a raft before, but she knew how to make one. Her father had taught her to survive in any wildlands, from the desert to the seas. She would need to fell some young trees, wrap them together and craft some kind of paddle. It would have to be large enough for three, Ronald could just walk if he wanted to come along.

She borrowed Sujin's double-headed axe and gathered all she would need. The forest didn't lack for saplings and young oaks, but the waterlogged mud made for slow work. Her companions didn't seem to mind. All three of her somewhat unwanted fellows were bundled up together sleeping with blissful grins across their peachy little faces.