Swanira Chronicles - 1: Tracked

Six

"Does everyone have all their luggage? Ashni, is that all you brought?" Mr. Vik questioned as him and the four teenagers stood on the battered caravan platform.
Percy had a nagging worry that the old boards beneath his feet would suddenly break underneath their added weight. His eyes kept flickering down to said boards as they groaned under the oppressive weight.
The caravan was pulling away from the platform, and thus the children and their guardian.
"How are we getting to the school now?" Matthew asked, balancing his three suitcases as he shifted.
"It's here," Mr. Vik responded. "Within walking distance."
"Here?" Kendra repeated. "Here? In Crall? Like, in this—"
"Yes, here," Mr. Vik interrupted. "And we will be traveling there directly right after I make some arrangements."
"'Arrangements'?" Ashni asked.
Percy was beginning to believe her eyes were always slitted into suspicious crescents of blue.
"Yes. Of course, I'll need you four to wait here."
"Here?" Kendra repeated, one eyebrow quirked up in an odd expression Percy couldn't read. "As in, this platform that could collapse under our wait at any mo—"
"Yes," Mr. Vik sighed, glaring at Kendra. "Right here. Do not leave this platform."
"Why not?" Kendra. Ashni, and Matthew challenged all at once.
Percy earned a kick from Matthew (who in tern almost dropped his baggage) for not supporting the rebellious trio.
"Because it's not safe to just wander around Crall without adult supervision," Mr. Vik responded. Percy was pretty sure he was growing annoyed with them.
"So why is there a school here then?" Ashni snapped.
Her small satchel was swung across her shoulder, the strap laying over her pale hair.
"Just. . .stay here. Please?" Mr. Vik grumbled. "I don't have time to be running around making sure you four don't get yourselves killed by doing something stupid."
    "Then maybe you shouldn't have kidnapped us!" Kendra exclaimed exasperated.
    "Yeah!" Matthew agreed. "Wait— He didn't kidnap us, our parents agreed!"
    "Just shut up," Ashni said, glaring at Matthew.
    "Be civil," Mr. Vik sighed. "I don't want you to kill each either."
    Ashni snorted and crossed her arms as Kendra opened her mouth to, most likely, pose another argument.
    "No," Mr. Vik snapped. "No more. You four will stay here and be patient, though I'm sure that will be vey hard for some of you."
   Kendra snapped her mouth shut, eyes boiling with unsaid anger. At least, Percy assumed it was anger.
    "I shouldn't be more than thirty minutes," Mr. Vik added. "Just stay here and everything will be okay. Alright?"
    "Yes sir," Percy answered.
    He noticed none of his companions did the same.

• • •

    "Bored!" Matthew proclaimed from where he sat on the slimy boards beneath him.
    "It's literally only been five minutes," Ashni snapped, face hardened into rigid, angry lines.
    Matthew shot her a stern looked, crossing his fingers and sticking his tongue out at her.
    Kendra had gone back to reading her book. Percy would have liked to do the same, but he felt strangely uneasy an exposed on the platform.
    Matthew groaned and flopped down on the dilapidated boards, throwing an arm across his face.
    "I'm—"
   "If you say bored," Ashni said in a dangerously low voice. "I will hurt you."
     Surprisingly, Matthew did not finish his sentence.
"You know what?" Kendra asked suddenly, standing from where she had been sitting crossed legged on the platform.
"You are bored?" Ashni snorted.
"Not really," Kendra shrugged. "But a little more excitement would be nice."
Matthew grimaced and said, "Don't say that! Whenever people in books say that, bad things happen!"
"You read books?" Kendra asked, looking at Matthew quizzically.
"Yes," Matthew said, eying Kendra. "Why?"
    "Oh. . .uh, well. . ." She stuttered. "You just don't re-really seem like the reading type?"
    Matthew shrugged, but didn't exactly respond to Kendra's words.
Kendra began to pace, her footsteps echoing in the lonely silence of the destroyed town. Percy was worried she would literally wear a hole in the rotten boards.
"What are you doing?" Ashni sighed, crossing her arms.
Kendra didn't answer as looked at the rickety wood beneath her.
"So are we gonna go explore?" Matthew asked.
    Kendra paused and gave Matthew a look.
    "You know that would be a really bad idea, right?" Percy asked, looking back and forth between Kendra and Matthew.
    "Why?" Matthew inquired, bouncing to his feet.
    "Because. . .um. . .it's full of rogues and—"
    "Villains," Matthew chirped. "Kendra said villains!"
    "No, I said criminals," Kendra sighed rolling her eyes. "Villains are purely fictional to oppose main characters. They don't actually exist."
    "That is. . .really. . .debatable," Ashni said slowly.
    "Whatever," Kendra snapped, waving her hand. "The point is, the people here aren't devious; they're just petty thrives and such. I think."
    "I like how you added that 'I think' to the end to add certainty," Matthew said cheerily.
    "Yeah, that's usually how it works," replied Kendra in a sarcastic tone.
    Percy caught Ashni rolling her eyes as she stood.
    "So," Matthew repeated. "Are. We. Going. To. Go. Explore?"
    Kendra pursed her lips, eyes sparkling with an excited gleam.
    "My vote would be yes," she said.
    "What about what Mr. Vik said?" Percy immediately asked.
    "Oh, you're one of those submissive ones," Kendra huffed, giving Percy an un-approving look. "That's no fun."
    "Well at least he's not as rash as you!" Matthew said, though his voice strangely held no hostility.
    "Okay, look," Kendra said. "I'm not going to wait here for who-knows-how long waiting for a suspicious man I don't even know."
    "Me neither," Matthew added. "But less because I'm suspicious and more because I'm—"
    "Don't. Say. Bored," Ashni hissed.
    Matthew raised his hands submissively.
    "I don't think it's smart," Percy said, shaking his head. "With all the criminals around here."
    "I agree," Ashni snorted. "It is not logical."
    "Okay Fine," Kendra snapped. "You two stay here, but Matthew and me are going."
    "Alone?" Ashni asked. "Well, that is even more illogical."
    Kendra shrugged, and said, "They might not find a smaller group worth picking on."
    "They also might," Ashni argued. "Larger groups are safer."
    Percy was beginning to grow uncomfortable as the girls' tempers rose. Matthew seemed unaffected by the tension, entertained, even.
"But out in the open like this, we're better targets!"
"It is in the middle of this town which means no one is likely to bother us for fear of being spotted."
    "There's literally no one around here who would stop them," Kendra countered.
    "Still—"
    "Please stop," Percy interrupted Ashni. "Fighting isn't helping. I think we should all just stay here and—"
    "I'm not staying," Kendra said. "You and Ashni can stay if you like, but Matthew and I are going."
    Ashni's eyes narrowed int slivers, scanning Kendra as if accessing her threat level. The girl was quite short, but looked quick, and Percy already knew she was somewhat athletic.
    "Or," Matthew started in an optimistic tone, "we could all go together; maybe explore a few streets and be back before Mr Vik. He'd never know."
    "I don't—" Percy started.
    "I'm in," Ashni said suddenly, surprising Percy.
    He gawked at her for a minute as she shot him an unreadable look. What had made her change her mind so suddenly?
    "I'm in," Ashni repeated, a sly smile playing at her lips. "As long as we're back within twenty minutes."
    "Well," Kendra said, smirking. "I'm glad we all agree then. Right, Percy?"
    Percy gulped, fiddling with the sleeve of his shirt. On the one hand, he didn't want to be left on the rickety platform alone. On the other, he definitely didn't want to venture out into the war-battered streets of Crall and he wasn't fond of disobeying adults. But. . .their was a slight tug of rebellious adventure that lurked on his mind, beckoning for him to listen. And he really, really did not want to stay there alone. . . He had a choice, but. . .
    "Well?" Matthew asked, his foot tapping probably for no other reason that to be annoying.
    "I. . ." Percy trailed off before taking a deep breath. "Okay. I'm in."

What's up y'all? So I'm officially gonna be trying to update at least twice a week, if not more. So. Yep. That's pretty much it.
May the FRENCH FRIES be with you.
~DS