Dragon Mind

3

Day 3...
That night we did not stop again even as our eyes grew heavy and our pace slowed we did not sleep. As the sun rose we all moaned. We were safe to say none of us were going to sleep. We might have been tried but until we could cook the meat and clean the skins no sleeping. Our steps thumped the ground without rhythm, or even the slightest bit of quiet. We could not bring ourselves to lighten them and they seemed to echo in the first light of dawn. In the distance the second of rushing water seemed to play with my ears.

"Anyone else hear water?" I looked at Marko with a smile and a nod. Before taking off. I may have been the first one to start running but they were past me in no time. The trees things out and water rushed over the rocks. I gasped at the sight and never weep at its beauty. Ethan made the fire while the twin ran a stick through meat. I went down to the water and cleaned the skins. After placing the skins out to dry, I striped down to my cheast wrap, and loincloth. The others looked at me like I was crazy as I made my way in to the water. I washed each piece of my clothes as the water ran by and scrubbed them with a rock before laying them out to dry as well. The others remained on the embankment. The twins were smiling at Ethan who had his face down. When I looked at him I found out why, he was bright red with embarrassment. I could not help but laugh as I walked back in for a dip. It might as well be a bath for me not like mom could ever get me to willingly take one anyway. By the time I came out the skin and my clothes were dry, my hair was more white then brown again, and the food was done cooking.

Life seemed very good at that moment. We ate some dry meat and warped the rest in a couple leaves. Drank some water and then put out the fire. I placed on back between my shoulder blades and placed lids of tightly weaved grass on the cups. We needed to swim across the river. While the boys thought swimming in full clad clothes was fine whatever. As we crossed my feet quickly lost any purchases amount the stone bottom. I had to swim after them. By the halfway point they too were swimming but with much more strength, I was seriously falling behind. It was a relief when my feet found purchase once again. My walk out was slower than theirs but they sat on the shore awaiting me to finish my cross. They had sat but my legs had seemed to loss all feeling by the time I reached them. I fell.

Three days since we had walked into this bowl and already I was breaking. How did brother do this? How did he ever make it out? The boys made no move to push me, but stood when I managed to push myself to my legs and began on. Once I dried off I got dressed again. Early that evening we found a tree with wide branches. We climbed up before falling asleep for the night.

Day 4...
My nose was the only one not curling or covered. Five dead bodies, five rotting human bodies. Whatever had killed them seemed long gone. I walked out into the open field to search the bodies for anything of use. We had started out just hours ago. The sun was half arisen at that time now it was full sun, noon, mother had tried to teach me time as all ladies should know but only a few ever stuck.

I was well used to the smell of rotting things, Conner, brother's bear had breath that always smell of it. Sometimes brother had smelt like that too but I never wanted to quite work out why.

"Diana, what are you doing?" Ethan sounded behind me.

"Get back here!" Mario yelled.

"Do not go any further!" Marko called.

"I will get anything useful from the bodies." I simply called over my shoulder and continued on. All of them had some bread though only a little. Couple of them only had a weapon, though some had water skins. I took it all back to the others, each of us had a skin now though I keep the fact that I now had two a secret, the weapons went to the twins who only had daggers. We each ate a good bit from the bread. Then, we set off again. The ground was losing most of the water that the storm had provided before. I must have said as much out loud because Ethan said it would ran again, never stays dry long. That was good for us in a way. So, we kept walking. Sleep was coming less and less to us, last night I had woken atleast a dozen times, many of those times told me the others were doing the same.

Even if we found shelter for the night the other three would not sleep. I knew the look in their eyes. They had never seen a dead man before, they would remember those bodies laying there for the rest of their lives even if they lived after killing someone themselves. Father and brother both were familiar guards, they had seen bodies, made their own, and killed in front of me. So that night we walked. No songs filled our march that day just the steadying thumb of our feet to the ground.
The moon was growing bigger, more light was shining down every night. That night we didn't sleep, didn't stop, and didn't rest.

Day 5...
I cleaned my blades as we walked. There would be no more stopping for the rest of the track. The forest was becoming denser and bigger more dangerous animals had been making themselves known at night. As the sun rose early this morning the sound of two very big cats echoed of the trees and sent the birds just a few miles away into the air. Our pace had increased, we had yet to slow back down. Ethan was right if the sky was a sign that rain would fall again soon. Once more dark clouds were rolling in, slower than before, but coming in none the less.
I had opened the lids of the cups and filled the skins, as we walked. Wht was left we drank during our walk.

Bread and bananas were pretty much gone, though coconuts, and the dried meat were still an option. Not long after high sun, rain poured from above us. But beneath our feet was not dirt but sand.

"Anyone know what that means?" Ethan asked.

"One of two things. Either we had to cross an ocean or a desert. Nether one fairs to good for us," I said. We walked on to find the latter. Sand went as far as the eye could see. The rain above us was no more than a mist at that point. Dehydration would be a big problem from here. Almost all animals that loved the desert were poisonous. Life just started looking slot harder. I warped my body in my cloak and started across the sand. Not caring if the others were keeping close.