The Wizard's Misery The Chronicles of the Midlands Book One

Chapter Six

They'd been traveling for a little over an hour when Celine started to feel sick. Her stomach was rumbling and she was feeling very dizzy. Not wanting to cause a delay, she kept silent even though the motion of the horse was making her feel as if she were going to vomit.

She had her arms around Brandon's trim waist trying to hold on as the horses trotted down the cobblestone road. Haverty was riding a little behind them and Celine could hear him whistling a tune to keep himself amused. It was about noon and the sun was standing high in the clear sky as they continued on towards King's Port.

Feeling worse, she couldn't help but turn her head and place her cheek up against Brandon's back. She was getting just too dizzy and sitting up straight in the saddle felt like too much effort. "You alright back there?" Brandon asked curiously.

"I'm fine," she murmured and then gagged as stomach bile rose in her throat.

"You don't sound so good," Brandon replied turning his head to look at her. "Whoa! Whoa!" he said to his horse as he pulled upon the reigns. "You don't look so good either," he explained as the horse came to a stop.

"I'm fine. I just have indigestion or something," she told him.

"You're as white as a ghost. Do you want to stop for a moment?" he asked her. She was surprised that he actually looked concerned.

"No. Maybe I just need a sip of water," she explained. Brandon handed her his water skin and waited for her to drink. She handed it back to him and he replaced the cap.

"Hey, is everything alright, Sir?" Haverty asked as he reigned in his horse beside them. He looked over at Celine who was slumped up against Brandon's back.

"No, the young lady isn't feeling so well and just needed some water," Brandon told him. He looked back at Celine. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked her.

"Not really. I feel very dizzy," she explained as she closed her eyes and put her arms back around him to steady herself. "Let's just get going. The sooner we get to King's Port, the better."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," she said firmly.

They continued their travels and as the day wore on, Celine began to feel worse. She was feeling hot and the dizziness had increased making it impossible for her to keep her eyes open for longer than a few minutes. Her stomach was still churning and even though she felt queasy, she was glad she didn't vomit. "Please, please let us get to King's Port without me getting sick all over the place," she prayed. She was still leaning up against Brandon's back feeling tired and miserable, with the motion of the horse adding to her discomfort. They journeyed on in silence with Haverty following close behind.

The sun had just started to make its descent towards the horizon when Brandon finally stopped his horse at the road side and dismounted. "We'll take a break now and get something to eat," he explained as he helped Celine to dismount. Her legs gave out from beneath her when she tried to descend and she landed in his arms. "You're not doing so well," he remarked, catching her. "Let's get you to a place where you can sit down."

He helped her over to a large rock nestled among some bushes in the shade of a small tree and she sat down in a heap, clutching her stomach. "Is your stomach still bothering you?" he asked attentively.

"Yes, just a little," she answered weakly.

"Well, you just rest there for a few moments. I'll be right back," he said and walked back over to where the horses were tied to a large tree at the edge of the forest.

Haverty was getting out the sack that Matilda had given them as Brandon arrived. "Sir, she looks pretty bad," he said quietly to Brandon.

"Yeah, I know," he responded as he retrieved his water skin.