Chapter Forty-Two
“How much further is it to the place we’re going?” Markl asked from the wagon from his seat behind Karaugh, who was driving the horses.
“Ah, well, it is a little off the beaten trail, but Jean knows the path,” Karaugh said.
“Well I wouldn’t want to get lost,” Joshua said quietly, nervously fingering the edge of his shirt.
The group was in the mountains now, following the narrow, dangerous roads, which wound through the area.
Aaren and Aoife were riding together, cheerfully chatting away. It was obvious how the two cared for one another, and Truman frowned at the public display of affection.
He was riding alongside Jean, who was on foot (as it was highly doubtful a horse would be able to carry a man of his size) and Karaugh, Joshua, Markl and Freya were in the wagon, Freya whom had refused to ride with Truman.
Everybody suspected something had happened between them when they noticed Freya avoiding Truman and vice versa, the awkward glances and silence, but none spoke a word of their suspicions.
Freya was wrapped in a blanket between sacks of supplies, occasionally glancing at Truman’s back, but mostly just listening to Karaugh, Markl and Joshua, whom she guessed must have had a nightmare, judging by the black circles under his eyes.
She wanted to ask what was wrong, but felt strange after breakfast. She wanted to do a lot of things, but it was like her voice was gone, and she felt more helpless than before. She had decided she would be less of a burden if she was quiet and did not complain, yes, if she stayed quiet they would think she was sleeping and assume all was well.
At one point she did doze off, and when she awoke, they were in a part of a forest familiar to her.
“We’ll need to leave the horses and wagon soon,” Karaugh gave Markl and Joshua a heads up. “But there’s a pasture in the nearby Moribito village, they’re odd folk who live in these parts, oh, and never call them kin, all right? Only one man has done that and lived, and since then, he spread word of what the Kin--what we used to call them--really are called,” Karaugh explained.
“Moribito, huh? What’re they like?” Joshua asked.
“Well, let’s just say you probably haven’t met people like them before,” Karaugh smiled.
“Sounds interesting,” Markl said.
“Sure is, I’ve only been here once, with Truman as an escort and along with Jean,” Karaugh said.
Freya’s ears perked up when she heard Truman’s name.
“T’was a few yeas back and Freya still wore her hair up in pigtails, she was so cute when she was younger,” Karaugh crooned.
“You’re getting off subject,” Markl laughed.
“Sorry, but she was, now she is just outright pretty,” Karaugh smiled. “See her as a sister I do, well, anyhow, her Grandma Blie is probably the craziest of the lot, why, I’ve never met a woman so-“
“So what?” Joshua asked.
“Let’s just call her passionate,” Karaugh smiled. “You’ll get it when you meet her,” a shadow crossed her face, only for an instant, but when it was gone no trace it had been there.
YOU ARE READING
Ashes
Mystery / Thriller"Once a being has been named, it has power. Be sure to take care of yours. I'd know how important it is, because I lost mine." Joshua is always fretting over the "what ifs" in life, but never trusts his gut feeling because it's always wrong... at...
