Child of Conquest

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Alone

It was cold and wet and Seraphina felt miserable.  She had travelled through Orrell with her head down and luckily; no one had tried to speak to her.  Pulling her cloak as far as she could over her face her eyes fixed only on the path ahead, she felt much more conscious on her own.   The sun was due west and the light was beginning to fade as it sank behind Talfryn Mountain, which meant it was miðr aptann. Seraphinanoticed that since her time at Connell’s the sun now disappeared behind the mountain, where on first arrival it had passed its summit to disappear behind the second peak. Winter was drawing in.  She picked up Ciardhas pace and set herself points to pass, a distant tree or rock. It seemed to make time pass more quickly. When she finally reached Brynmor, she preoccupied herself with finding shelter from the rain and making herself comfortable for the night.  She could not find the same spot she had stopped with her father but it was an adequate place to sleep for the night, it was at least sheltered.  Laying her head down she ran her hand upon the cold metal that lay underneath her head for reassurance.  It was quiet, shadows cajoled between the fading light of the trees.  Pulling her Cloak around her head she noticed that her hands were wet with sweat although her body felt cold. Pulling her legs up to her chest for warmth and comfort her eyes scanned the bushes and trees relentlessly looking for something unknown.  Rubbing her tired eyes, she told herself it was ridiculous to be afraid of the dark. There is no difference she told herself, this is no different to when he was here.  She pulled her cloak over her head and when she could no longer keep her eyes open sleep uncomfortably took her.  She woke frequently throughout the night trying to focus upon the shadows and noises of the night, sleeping sword in hand. She even tried to sleep sat upright in case anyone was watching, in a vain attempt that anyone watching would think she was awake. She even created a dummy bundle by the fire to make the invisible watcher think that she was not alone.  Seraphina awoke as the sun began to rise and began packing up. She could now laugh at her own stupidity and she silently blamed her father for all the horror stories of uhtwón and other imaginative evils that lived in the dark. The long path leading up Talfryn mountain towards Hallam looked endless and she decided to make her way as soon as possible, remembering how long it had took to travel around the great lake.  Looking back she wondered how far away her father was. What if he had been delayed?  How long would she wait for him? 

It was too quiet, the silence was disheartening in such a remote environment. She tried humming a cheerful ditty but then became fearful that someone might hear her, revealing her presence.  Seraphina decided that silence was preferable to talking with strangers and if she could get to Hallam without having to interact with anyone, that would be just fine.

It had been raining for hours now and the path through Padens Pass was wet and slippery. Seraphina was amazed by the amount of water cascading down the channels of rock which looked like they were weeping. The water was gushing loudly and the noise reverberated around the enclosed gorge.  Watching her feet carefully and holding tightly to Ciardhas reins she inched across the narrow pathway. Her legs were tired and her feet felt heavier with every step which was becoming more onerous.  Every step took her further into misery. There was no shelter from the weather, she wiped her nose and face with her wet sleeve and looked up at the grey sky. There would be no relenting from the clouds anytime in the near future.  Suddenly Seraphina’s foot slipped and she fell awkwardly onto the hard floor knocking the wind from her lungs.  She let out an involuntarily high-pitched yelp which then echoed back at her as she lay on the floor in a heap. She felt so humiliated; her own voice seemed to be laughing at her from within the mountain. Placing her hands at the edge of the path she realised how near the edge she had fallen.  Ciardha nuzzled her; she patted him reassuringly and took hold of the reins again. It couldn’t be too far now.  It took a thousand more surefooted steps to reach the gate which looked more ominous now than it had done. The lights inside were flickering as the wind tested their strength.  On entering Seraphina took off her cloak and began wringing it out, she was drenched and upon feeling her bundles realised she had nothing dry to wear.  Just inside the entrance was a small rock, which she sat on for a moment to rest her feet. She longed to rub them but did not dare to take off uncomfortable boots in fear of having to put them back on again. The rain covered the entrance with a fine mist making the outside surroundings blurry and otherworldly.  At least it was dry inside and it was the most secure she had felt since setting off alone.  Of course it was going to be hard. She had set off under no pretences, her father had done this to test her and she was going to prove herself. Just past Paden’s Pass and she would be at Hallam; it had not been that difficult at all, she told herself unconvincingly.  With her back against the wall she watched the trees rustling in the wind, the wind was picking up and even the largest trees were being persuaded to move.  She was so sick of the rain.  Her ears ached from the wind that had gnawed away at them with its sharp breath, she rubbed them to little avail.  Watching the path there was nothing and no one, she had not expected there to be but there was a niggling need to look anyway.  Pushing a feeling of disappointment from her mind; she became irritated that such feelings had intruded her mind when she felt reasonably safe.  Removing her eyes from the path she made an effort to stand, she took Ciardha reins in her cold shivering hand.