The Blue Desert

Chapter Twelve

Anan stubbornly held out as long as she could before she agreed with Kevresh that she was bored. They set out before the sun had set and didn't stop until well after it had disappeared. During that duration, they rode along the lake's edge, and for once the night didn't feel so warm

Despite the cool that emanated from the water, Anan spent the night restlessly. She could hear her brother breathing steadily, and she could hear the horses shift their weight from hoof to hoof. The stars winked at her from the black sheet of sky, and the water swished just loudly enough for her to hear it. Life seemed suspended around her.

Her own breath caught in her throat, constricting her breathing. The perfect night suddenly felt cold, and she shivered. After a moment she heard herself gasp as the feeling faded, and she rolled over, hugging herself.

Closing her eyes, she let her mind drift. She was almost asleep when she heard a noise that made her start and sit up, squinting around for her brother in the dark. He was lying across from her, beyond the fire where he had fallen asleep, and she realized he had made the noise by rolling over. With a sigh, she laid back down and forced herself not to worry; the world was all as it should be. But as she drifted off to sleep she couldn't escape the feeling of dread.

The next morning Kevresh had to wake Anan when it was time to leave. Even then she was groggy, and the only thing she could remember was the cold feeling of the night before.

"Why didn't you wake me earlier?" she asked irritably.

Kevresh looked at her in surprise. Never before had Anan wished for less sleep. "I thought you would be glad to have a little more sleep. After all, you've been waiting to rest by the lake since we set out from Jrell."

Anan didn't reply. She was uncertain why she nervous, but she knew she wanted to set out at once.

They rode in silence that morning. The sky was clouded over; the sun hidden behind them. The sand shifted in the wind that blew off of the lake. The passing clouds above cast shadows that moved over them; sometimes the siblings were in the light and sometimes they were in the dark.

By midday the sky cleared, and Anan felt herself cheering up. Whatever her mood had been earlier, it must have been the fault of the weather. The wind died down, and Anan let her scarf fall around her shoulders. Letting the reins fall from her hands, she unbraided her hair and let it stream out behind her as her brother urged the horses on a little faster. For once, she thought she might actually enjoy riding horses as her brother did, if only they weren't forced to do it for so long.

With the wind in her face and Bayen's steady hoof beats in the stand, Anan laughed, catching her brother by surprise.

Kevresh looked at her. "So you decide to be fire today." He laughed as well and leaned forward over his horse's neck, an impish smile forming just as he clapped his heels into Vayta's sides.

The laugh died in Anan's throat, and her fingers caught Bayen's mane just in time. "Kevresh!" she cried, but it was lost to the wind. Each hoof fell faster than the one before, the wind whipped into her eyes and through her hair; she could feel Bayen's mane on her face as she clutched at his neck in fear of falling off his back.

Once Anan realized she wasn't going to fall, she loosened her grip just a little. The view between her mount's ears bounced wildly, and she laughed again. This time it was from sheer terror. Adrenaline coursed through her, and she turned to look at Kevresh.

Her brother was leaned over his horse's neck. There was none of the jerk she felt in her own body in his movement. As she watched, a smile formed on his face, and his eyes slowly closed. For a moment she was confused, but then she realized what he was doing, and her eyes widened. Kevresh dropped the reins onto Vayta's neck and spread his arms out as if to embrace the wind.