Science, Eternal Life, and a Traveling Circus |1|

Chapter Thirteen

July 28th, 2815

It was yet another ordinary day, graced with a dreary orange horizon that promised dry weather. The shimmering of the early sun flitted beneath low-hanging clouds and gave a gentle pink hue to the distant land.

The makeshift camp had not yet begun bustling. The animals, asleep or pretending to be, lay strewn about. Elliot snored on his bedroll. Tim, quietly retreated to the privacy of his caravan, worked alone on an unknown experiment.

Alyn, head rested on Master Hughes' knee, gradually came to. Hughes' eyes were closed, his hands set in the sand behind his back.

Alyn yawned, and the blacksmith roused, opening one eye, and then the other.

The girl rubbed her eyes and blinked away the film of sleep. She sat up and looked back at Hughes, jaw hanging open.

"Finally," her pillow muttered. His hands shifted in the dirt as he pushed himself up to his feet in one laborious burst of effort. He pressed his thumbs against his spine and produced a loud crack. "Never again." He shook his head and glared pointedly down at Alyn. "You had better have enjoyed your sleep, because I, for one, did not."

Alyn broke into a grin. She laughed. "You're a doll, Master Hughes! Honest, I've never slept better. Thank you, sir!"

Hughes scowled. "You shouldn't have fallen asleep on me, stupid girl. Now, get up. The day is starting."

"Pfft." Alyn began to rise, but collapsed. She winced and frowned up at the blacksmith. "Master Hughes, I'm mighty sore, sir..."

"Oh, please." He flicked his hands. "Get up."

Elliot, on the other side of the fire pit, opened an eye.

"I ain't kidding, sir." The girl rose with the struggle of one much older, and glumly looked to her master.

"Couldn't care less, child," Hughes dismissed. "You will find your dinner from last night in the caravan. That will be your breakfast. Cold, unless you build a fire."

"I'll eat it cold," Alyn grumbled.

"No, you will build a fire regardless for my coffee. Then, if you really want to, you can eat it cold. The coal for the fire is also in the caravan. Hop to it."

Alyn moaned and started to limp away. "When I die from being worked too hard, the guilt's going to be on your plate."

"I'll take my chances. Less talk, more walk," Hughes barked. He clapped his hands. "Pick up the pace."

Elliot snickered and rolled over. He waved a hand in the air for Hughes to see, drawing over the man's attention. "Cut her some slack, eh, Drew? I'll build the fire. And perhaps we can give her a day off of that training you ordered? Tim can have a look at the nanotech instead. We're both happy to stay and help you out another day, if you aren't in a hurry."

"If she can't take it, she won't make it," Hughes scowled.

"Oh, not this again. Drew, please. Take my advice: give her a break. Instead of making her rigorously train for multiple days, let her have some recovery time. It won't slow you down." Elliot sat up and casually fixed his blonde curls with one hand. "As I said, Tim can look at her nanotech. And, you know, maybe I can show her some alchemy as well."

"Bah. She's already an apprentice of alchemy."

"Journeyman!" Alyn called.

"Ah!" Elliot grinned. "And you are teaching her blacksmithing?"

"Yeah?" The blacksmith grunted.

"And Tim's a nanotechnology scientist."

Hughes ran a hand over his whiskers. "I see where you're going."