Leuthold Preparatory | ✓

Chapter Twenty-One

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Despite that Hannil clearly knew how to drive a motorcycle, Noah was no-less convinced it would end in tragedy as they sped out of the city of Lausanne and into the country.

Not even as Hannil slowed his speed and his snickering became words of encouragement for Noah to open his eyes did he settle. It wasn't until Hannil fully stopped the bike and set one of his feet down that Noah unscrewed his eyes, the city had flashed by in darkened shadows behind his eyelids, his heart echoed the rhythm of the engine.

The scenery of a sloped hill of a farm met his eyes, some cows were in the distance on the green grass, the hills behind them, a house so far off it blended into the tree-line. Noah followed Hannil's eyes onto the scenery on the other side of the bike; several more farms dotted down the hill, more livestock ambled around in the morning light. The sun came over the lake that sat on the bottom, the city of Lausanne was in shades of cream and red on the distant lake.

"It's beautiful," Noah said.

"It's good to see the scenery," Hannil replied before the bike began to move forward again and Noah felt his leg move back on the bike. He had settled.

It was slow and Noah kept his eyes open as he hung onto Hannil, the lake went by them. The trees hung over the dirt road, it was hardly two lanes and Hannil stuck to the right. They went by more and more farms, some people saw them but hardly paid them any attention.

The scenery was entrancingly beautiful; there was not a spot that wasn't covered in lavish colors from blue to white to green to purple. The mountains took them higher and higher, to where the roads went from cobblestone to dirt to asphalt and back to dirt. They had to pause several times for the animals that were crossing from section to section of farmlands.

Noah became comfortable enough to sit back and kept his eyes open, watching the sky and even touching low-hanging branches when the bike slowed. They stopped only a couple of times, Hannil made a joke out of stealing fruit from a tree that hung over the road.

By the time that sun was in the center of the sky, they had come to a pause on a dirt path that came to asphalt in front of them. The bike idled loudly.

"What's wrong?" Noah asked when Hannil didn't pass the stop sign.

"Around that bend is France," Hannil replied.

Noah looked to where the road turned with a tunnel of trees, it ended abruptly into the thicket of trees.

"Can't see if there is a checkpoint or not," Noah commented.

"No," Hannil said, his tone bitter. He sighed heavily, "I never thought I'd actually be sneaking into France. Or going to France as a tourist. Or going to France in general."

"Why is this guy so aggressive toward English people?"

"Long story," Hannil replied, "I mean, England did take over half of the planet. They're friendly with France now...but, we still hate them and they hate us. A mutual distaste, if you will."

"I feel like plenty of people go in and out of France," Noah said.

"It's complicated," he sighed softly, "Like I said: long story."

To Noah's surprise, Hannil took a sharp right onto the asphalt road that ran parallel to the border.

"Where are we going now?" Noah asked.

"I don't like taking chances," Hannil replied, "If I can avoid one I don't have to take then I will."

Noah puzzled but didn't have time to voice his worries. The further they went down the road the more cars, people, houses, and livestock they saw. It was desolate compared to the city, but it was more than Noah expected.