The Enchantments: Book 3 - The Key of Sorcen

Chapter 22: Night Stars

Fin felt his heart soar as he watched the warriors from the Cupola start to filter the remaining members of the Washu tribe from their hiding places. Women and children stepped forth from the forests into the smiling faces of their protectors.

Fin sat by the river staring at the burnt hull of their boat beneath the surface of the water wondering what they were going to be doing now for transportation. He'd hoped the Cupola or the Washu would lend them a boat to continue on but the minions attacking had taken care of that. There was not one boat left between the two tribes and no hope in the near to distant future of getting one.

'Where are we going to go from here?' He wondered to himself.

The locals had fixed up Rowell nicely and Fin had seen him a few minutes earlier helping with the cleanup with a noticeable limp hampering his movements.

Joral, on the other hand, was wildly explaining the ordeal the three of them had had for anyone that would listen. After awhile, people tried to ignore him, not wanting to get in the middle of a prolonged conversation. He was now talking to a small child who was as onlookers could see was not the least bit interested.

Fin chuckled then went back to his little daydream of looking at the burnt out boat. He wondered what Simeneon and the others were doing at that moment. All he knew was that he missed her immensely. He wished he could talk to her right now she always had something to say to make him feel better. In fact, he just loved being near her, she exuded confidence and he needed that more than ever right now.

To be truthful he missed them all. Running around the world was not what it was cracked up to be. All he wanted right now was one day of nothing. A day to sleep, listen to the radio or just become one with the couch in his room at Dr. Miller's house. It had been so long where he didn't have to think about what was going to jump out at him around the next bend. The stress of always looking over your shoulder was starting to get to him now. He felt tired, worn out and just plain exhausted. He couldn't remember the last time he was left alone to do nothing.

Really he couldn't figure out what he wanted, his brain was warning out. Slowly and deliberately he stood to the loud screams of laughter from the Washu children. It was good to see things getting back to normal. He afforded himself a tired smile and let a couple of the children run around him before heading over to where Rowell was laughing with a Washu woman.

"Mr. Fin you look absolutely terrible!" Rowell said with concern.

"Thanks for the compliment," Fin said jokingly.

"I think you should go rest for awhile," Rowell said.

"Well, we won't be going anywhere too soon now will we." He said sleepily.

"The village elders have given us a hut away from the village. Follow the path a few yards that way and you'll find everything you need." Fin saw the entrance to the path at the far side of the encampment and nodded.

"See you in a couple of days." He joked then left Rowell with the same concerned look on his face. He shuffled across the now lively village onto the path and the wonders of sleep that would soon overtake him.

Sluggishly Fin strode down the path full of woodchips and dirt towards the small hut. He crouched down to enter the hut and as he stepped through into the small grass made structure he could the smell the earth and dried grass that made up the walls. He had never felt closer to nature than he did right now. In fact, the smell had an intoxicating scent to it and by the time he reached the small mat that made up the bed he had already given up to sleep. The second his head hit the straw filled pillow, he was already drifting into another world.