This Red Sky

Chapter Eight

The evening star shone brightly next to the two full moons rising on the darkening sky. There was still just enough light to see by, and the damp ground was cool as they traipsed down a winding path, following the distant sound of running water.

The day had grown tepid.   Sonia felt the sweat on her neck evaporate, goosebumps rising on her arms, as the sun retreated, leaving swaths of pink and orange in its wake. Falscha's hand was still warm on hers.

"The village is close by," the seer was saying, sidestepping a fallen, petrified tree trunk. "They should be expecting us. We can rest a few days, before moving on to Palasotarr."

"And how do you know these people?" Sonia hopped up onto the tree trunk, walking the length to the end, still holding Falscha's hand.

The seer was quiet for a moment.

"The priestess and I have been working together, to find the Solkern."

The People of Faith. Sonia's face fell. Falscha lifted her over the scraggly branches at the end of the tree, setting her down with her ragged skirts swirling. Sonia smiled again, even if her giddiness had faded at the mention of Falscha's dark mission.

"Szandra?"

"Yes." Falscha seemed eager to change the subject. "Palasotarr is down on the other side of the hill, in the middle of a great plain. I can't wait for you to see it, Sonia. It's like nothing else in Ost-Drachen."

"How many people are there in the city?" Sonia asked. "A thousand? More?"

"More than three hundred."

"Three hundred people?"

The mountain pass ended on a river bank. Tiny red flowers sprouted among the green reeds and mosses that clung desperately to the rare bit of moisture. Sonia released the seer's hand, running to the edge and kneeling gratefully, cupping her hands below the surface and bringing them to her mouth. The water was sweet, dusty with clay, but cool. She drank, standing again slowly to find the seer standing beside her.

"Three hundred thousand people," Falscha said, softly now.

Sonia tried to imagine it, but couldn't.

"I can't wait to see Elna again," she said instead, turning back to look at Falscha. She reached for the seer's hand again, holding it up and twirling underneath it. Her skirts flared out not unlike the way they had more than a month ago, in front of the roaring fire. Sonia's grin returned, and Falscha smiled back, taking her other hand. Sonia spun them around, laughing, stumbling on the cooling ground. She looked down at their feet, hers bare and callused, Falscha's in those green dragonskin boots, both encrusted with dust. "Will you come live with us?"

The question had escaped her without her consent. Falscha's hands tightened on hers. Sonia stopped, looking down.

Stupid. Of course not. Remember the boys.

Falscha came closer, taking her in an embrace. The realization of their inevitable separation blossomed in her mind, and she looked away, suddenly blinking back a tear.

"I must find the Solkern," Falscha said gently. She tilted Sonia's face up towards her, meeting her gaze. "But afterwards, when this is all over, I will come back for you. I promise."

"That could be a long time," Sonia wiped the tear away, forcing her smile to return. "And what about Syralth?"

"Everything will be different then," the seer said earnestly. "Oh, Sonia, I wish I could tell you. Everything, everything is going to work out. But until then..."