Lost Identity: Eloria Series Book 1 | ✓

11: Camp

7/4/3028

I woke up when my horse's steady trot suddenly came to an abrupt halt. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and the drool stain I'd left on Elossai came into focus. The unfamiliar night sky stretched above us; foreign constellations clear where they poked through the trees that surrounded us on all sides. I had missed the sunset.

"Sorry, I drooled a little on your back," I whispered.

"No worries," she said cheerily.

Martin stood next to his horse, trying to untie his saddlebags with Ilta's help, while Keiran and Stanjah were having a discussion a good distance away from the rest of the group.

I squinted, trying to read their lips, but it was too dark to make out a single word.

"You need help getting down?" Jarek stood beside my horse with his arms extended toward me.

"Sure. Thanks." I took Jarek's hand.

"We had no chance for a proper introduction." Jarek bowed when my feet met solid ground. "I am Lou-Jarek."

"Oh. Should I call you Lou, or Jarek?"

"Jarek," he said.

"What about Ilta? Is she just 'Ilta'?"

"Rana-Ilta is her name."

"Well, it's nice to be properly introduced."

He grinned wide, baring his slightly crowded lower teeth. "The great honor is mine."

***

Elossai started a fire while everyone else worked together to pitch the tents. We congregated around the fire to share a meal. The dried meat we ate tasted pretty good, though I didn't want to think about where the meat came from. I was just happy that we had something to eat.

We ate in silence, and not the kind where you are content and comfortable. It was the sort of silence where you were restless about what lay ahead and what's left behind.

Martin and I occupied one side of the fire and the Ankins were on the other. The very apparent divide between us and them made for a rather awkward dinner. Were they planning things out, or were they just respecting our space?

Martin nudged me. "What do you think?"

"About what?" I whispered back.

"You notice how everyone is so quiet?"

I took a bite of meat and tugged off a chunk. I nodded.

Martin leaned closer to me. "You think these guys are gonna help us?"

I scanned around the fire to see if anyone heard. No one was even looking at us, except Keiran. He eyed me, just like he had done at the restaurant. He couldn't have heard us though—he was sitting too far away. "They have to help us. How else will we find Katie?"

"Yeah, I guess..." He drifted off, gnawing at his piece of meat.

When Martin and I had finished eating, Elossai approached us with her head bowed. She held out some cloth neatly piled on top of the other. "I brought you and Martin cloaks. It may become quite cool tonight."

"Thanks, I was starting to feel a bit of the draft." Martin helped himself to one and handed me the other. He smiled at Elossai. "You're the sweetest thing, right Ell?"

"Absolutely," I agreed. Elossai blushed then turned to leave.

"Hey, Elossai," Martin said.

"Yes?" Elossai's eyes were clear and attentive.