The Book of Terrus: The Wise and Powerful

Chapter 3 - Chasing Dreams

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Nothing ever tasted better than a fresh lunch on a hot day. At least, that was Lhara's opinion. She had packed them a simple meal of goat cheese and ham between cut buns, with the first blackberries of the season for dessert. The buns were relatively uncrushed even after spending the morning tucked into Lhara's pack, for which she was very glad. Crushed bread was still bread, but it definitely lost something of its lightness along the way.

Settling herself cross-legged on a relatively flat spot, Lhara put her hands to her mouth and let out a call that rang far and long through the mountains. Tarun and Marden's heads, one dark brown and the other sandy, swiveled some ways below on the mountainside. Marden said something to Tarun, and the younger of the two left off from the flock to climb up to Lhara. The herd of argali sheep where spread far and wide, combing the dark rocks for sedges, herbs and moss to eat. All day was lunchtime when you were a sheep, Lhara mused.

"It's midday already?" Tarun asked, using his crook to help him up the last bit of incline. "Or are you just hungry?"

With a laugh Lhara thrust a bun toward Tarun. "Both. Is Marden coming to eat too?"

"In a moment; he's got a bit of a rescue to carry out first."

"Oh?" Lhara's mouth was already full of meat and cheese, somewhat muddying the question.

"See there?" Tarun pointed to a rocky shelf a short ways from the edge of the flock. "There's a lamb stuck in a spot it can't get itself out of. The poor mother's been trying to coax it down for a while now."

Wrinkling her forehead, Lhara squinted for a moment before laughing. "I hear it bleating, poor thing. All I see is mountain though. No...wait, I think I see a bit of white there, on the rocks."

"Well, you never were the sharpest eyes in town. Nor the sharpest mind for that matter."

"Pffft, twit!" Lhara kicked out a Tarun's knee, eliciting a satisfying grunt when she made contact. The two of them sat eating quietly for a moment in the summer sunlight, watching as Marden picked his way across the mountainside to the stranded lamb.

"I'd get beside it and lower it down to level ground." Tarun commented. "Maybe use his jacket as a hammock for extra distance."

"Really? I was about to say he's probably both tall and strong enough to just reach up and grab the lamb."

"And have it kick him on the way down? No thanks."

"Just watch and see. I'll bet he reaches for it."

"And I'll bet he lowers it. That would be the smart thing to do."

Fully invested in their prize-less bet now, Lhara and Tarun watched their older brother size up the lamb, hands on his hips. Lhara crowed triumphantly when Marden did eventually stretch up his arms toward the little creature's perch on the shelf. The lamb bleated pitifully, pulling a concerned call from its mother. A moment later an irritated grunt reached them when, sure enough, the lamb did in fact kick Marden in the stomach on the way to the ground.

"So I guess we were both right?" Lhara admitted, chagrined and trying not to laugh as Marden gave his side a rueful rub.

Tarun finished his bun and set to work on the meat, which for some reason he always insisted on eating separately. "I still would have lowered the lamb from above," He said, leaning back on his elbows the lichen covered rocks.