Pursued - Entire book

Chapter 44

After two days of traveling since leaving his beating, Klair leaned against a tree and threw up. What did I eat ? He hadn't even used any magic since the river.

He wasn't very good at living off the land.

He'd been traveling through the forest for days, choosing to take a shortcut to Petta and was now in the middle of nowhere in a dense forest. The river was healthy when he left.

His body was still healing from the beating of the three.

Things could go bad if he was sick and alone in the middle of the woods. His mother taught him what plants were edible when he helped her harvest herbs. There were many similarities between the forests in Merrsain and Petta but there were also some distinct differences. He'd obviously eaten something he shouldn't have. He'd misjudged how well he could live off the land. What choice was there with his travel supplies being stolen?

If he didn't eat and drink soon, he'd be too weak to escape the density of the forest.

"It's dangerous to lose too much liquid," his mother once said. What could he do since he was still over a day's travel to Petta?

He wiped his mouth, groaning as he settled against the trunk of the large tree. Clouds formed beyond the treetops but the storm might take time before giving him much needed energy. Hot water hurt him while cold rain energized him. He leaned over but was at the dry heave stage. He felt dizzy.

"Why am I always sick," he murmured.

His stomach felt like a barren pit, and loneliness settled upon him like a heavy blanket. Just like when I left Merrsain, followed by a bunch of betrayals. The three who had beaten him didn't even know him.

He felt a familiar depression.

Being tired, hungry and sick wasn't helping. Better to just end the travel, he told himself. Bejja never expected him to come back. His mother was married to Scov and was rid of him. Merrsain didn't want him around and Koova only wanted their forest healed. When he helped Qwatan, he got beaten up in payment.

He tried to bat away his deepening mood. He'd been able to ignore it since Koova because he'd been so busy. The distractions of the worm and the traveling with Kerrida had kept it on hold. Now, he trembled from more than just fever. In his mother's practice she sometimes helped others with their depression. He knew he was at a dangerous point in his mind.

The storm above was building.

I'm hungry and I'm tired. He didn't want to spend the rest of my life wandering. He pressed his head against the prickly surface of the tree bark. The rough bark pulled at his hair. Wait it out, you usually feel better later or just end it and you won't be tired and hungry any more.

The sky beckoned him.

His thoughts touched upon the assembly back in Merrsain and one clear voice, "Ban both." After that came Koova's, "Thief. Seiun spy!" and... Merimee betrayed him as quickly as Loginna as he remembered Nallock's words of her thinking Klair might be a spy. "She thought you might be."

His mother no longer had to live her life to protect him. She loved Scov and could live a normal life now. The town always loved her.

Klair's heart warmed for a brief moment as he remembered his youth with Bejja. His previous mentor acted like he enjoyed having him around. Maybe instead, he was secretly afraid of him, like everyone one else.

Admit it; Bejja doesn't really care if he sees me again. He's kind to everyone. He had dozens of apprentices and would just have another to worry about...