The Silver Crown

Chapter 10

Caleb

We hurry out of Cilac and set out along the road, traveling west now. Having lost the whole morning, and since we aren't carrying as much weight, I try to push the pace, but it is clear that we won't make it to the mountains by nightfall. Valus is unaccustomed to hard travel and, by the time the sun was touching the mountain peaks, Kylee was almost fainting from exhaustion. I put my arm around her waist to support her while we try to find a good place to camp. As we pass a small glade, Valus stops.

"Why do we not rest here for the night? It seems as good a place as any to me."

I turn and look over the clearing. Kylee sags against my chest. I look down at her. "I suppose we'll have to stop here. Kylee is wiped out. The only problem with this glade though, is that there's no stream or water source nearby. We'll probably end up using all our water before we get to the next refill."

Valus grins. "On this I can help. You forget that I am a man of water. We will not need a stream."

I pause for a second, then laugh. "You got me on that one. Alright, let's get set up. You start a fire while I tend to Kylee."

Valus quickly starts gathering firewood and clearing space for a ring. I turn away and lay Kylee down on the thick grass. Pulling out a cloth, I wash the dried blood off her face: the result of being kicked in the nose. She smiles at me, her eyes half closed. "I'm sorry. I seem to wear out real fast."

"Hey, don't worry about it. Magic wears everyone out, especially beginners. That was an impressive windstorm. You really surprised me, I didn't think you were up to that yet."

She smiles again. "Really?"

"Really." I nod. "Just be more careful next time. It's not safe to push yourself too far, too fast."

She nods gently, her eyes closing. "Okay." Her breathe softens as she falls asleep.

Valus cooks a light supper, during which I give him more of the details of our journey.

"The Crown can only be reached by a Princess of Air. So you are looking for such a princess, while deliberately passing almost every town on your journey?" Valus asks sarcastically. "It seems to me that you aren't really looking that hard."

I regard him for a moment. "True. We were told to keep an eye out, but our first concern is to reach the Crown so we can guard it. As of tomorrow morning, we only have three days to reach Sĩlron before Rolcarnagur finishes the shircnak and begins his attack. We have to reach the Crown, make sure it's safe, and guard it against any princesses who might be under the influence of Rolcarnagur."

"So this whole valiant mission is essentially a safety inspection." Valus states, raising one eyebrow.

I stare into the flames thinking. "It certainly does sound like that doesn't it? But there's more to it. I," I pause. "I have a feeling that something is going to happen when we reach the Crown. And then there's the message that Rolcarnagur sent to Kylee. We know he wants the Crown, and he seems to think that she can get it for him. And if he doesn't get it, he's planning an assault of some kind."

"Then it seems that we must indeed reach the Crown before anyone else does. To quote the great General Milarn of Ranston: "Your treasure in the hands of a stranger is no better than your treasure in the hands of your enemy. We all must define our own treasures, and treat them as the gems they are." He stands up and stretches. "Should we waken Kylee? She has slept for over an hour now, and she has not eaten."