Scourge: A Grim Doyle Adventure

Chapter 5

Grim woke to a ruckus ― it was almost like trying to sleep in Poppa’s workshop; whistles, clunking, clattering, and grinding.

The sun had only just risen, yet the rest of the camp sounded as if they had been up and about for some time. Certainly not something he had come to expect first thing in the morning, or at least, not from someone other than the twins.

Rudy groaned as she rolled over on her bed, careful not to agitate it. She exited it with care.

As she stepped out, it folded itself up behind her; a little too eagerly.

Grim chuckled and bounced on his own before leaping out of it.

Ellen and Sam were just waking and the twins were already outside. Grim yawned and peered out, wondering where they would shower or bathe. And also of what he would wear. From the stares he garnered the day before he knew he’d need a change in clothing. None of them fit in.

As if on cue, a young woman entered with an armful of clothes with the twins following behind. She wore a short dress with tights and a little lacy hat. Rudy looked aghast and Grim knew what she was thinking. He’d laugh until his stomach hurt if Rudy had to wear that.

“Hello,” Grim said.

The woman remained silent, curtsied and placed a bundle out for each of them. Then she departed as promptly as she entered. Grim eyed the odd garments and wondered how to put them on. It didn’t take long.

They all changed quickly, examining themselves in the mirror that automatically adjusted its height to suit the viewer. Grim twisted and turned, trying to see how things fit. The long jacket wasn’t completely hideous and the metallic vest was pretty cool. It came with goggles and some comfortable boots. It even included a leather sash and a belt with some pouches. Rudy’s was almost identical, if not a little more feminine looking.

He eyed her and she eyed him. Neither made a remark.

Then the two of them saw to the younger ones. Ellen had a long, black dress with frills that went right up to her neck. It cinched at the waist with a bow.

“Tighter!” she said.

Grim yanked on it until the she finally said, “Good.”

Can she even breathe in that?

Sam’s outfit was a match for Grim’s. And the twins each had identical loose pants, red suits with leather vests and top hats.

Out into the morning they strode and Grim searched for their parents. They conversed with Treena’s father again, and pointed towards the same mountains upon which the Manor stood. When they saw the children coming, their conversation ended rather abruptly. Grim hated when adults did that.

It took less than an hour to pack the entire camp since most of it seemed to get done on its own. Rudy stood well back from the contraptions that folded and packed themselves. Grim and Sam crawled on top of most of them as they were folding up, intrigued with how they worked.

From what Grim could decipher, the carriages seemed to be powered by absinth, or sinth as most called it. And since the sinth-powered carriages were mostly full, Grim and the others would be riding horses. He didn’t mind. It beat walking, and the horse was wearing goggles.

It took some time to get comfortable riding the horse since it was something Grim had never done before. And with Sam sitting in the saddle in front of him, it was even more difficult. By the time he felt like he was getting the hang of it, they entered a forest valley that funneled them between two mountain ranges; those of Mount Simeon on the right, where the Manor with the floating cities was situated, and the Hawshorn Mountains on the left. The path was narrow and the forest was heavy with shrubs and underbrush that made the travel all the more challenging. Yet the troupe pressed onwards in the hopes of getting to the other side before nightfall.