These Broken Hands

Chapter 7

Aela was the first to wake that next morning and she took the opportunity to stretch her legs. She did some of the stretches she remembered from when she first became ill and could not run around as much. Yaum would teach her how to bend her body in different ways so she could play without getting tired as quickly. She got through a few before her legs began to sting.

Then she dressed and woke Yuin by shaking him a little. She wanted to get back to the Shiera quickly. Yuin reluctantly got out of bed and dressed himself. Before leaving town he stopped to get a few pairs of gloves and scarves for them.

They were cheap but better than nothing. He replaced the large gloves with the softer, warmer ones. Aela rubbed her hands together and put them on her cheeks. "You are very good with money faxi," she said as they started back toward the meeting place.

"Ah, well, I have been helping run a shop for most of my life," he said.

"That is true," she replied. "I wonder how father is getting along without having you there."

Yuin wanted to take back his words and the memories they conjured. As if the moment could not have gotten any more uncomfortable, a familiar voice was heard in the distance calling out to him. The sound of his name made his chest tighten. He looked at Aela and she looked at him.

"How far do you think you can run?" he asked as he quickened their walking pace. She shook her head and he scooped her up without a second thought and ran as fast as he could.

The voice eventually disappeared and he slowed as he reached the edge of town. They walked the rest of the way to the meeting point. A spot had been cleared of snow and a small fire smoldered in the middle of it. The Shiera stood when they approached.

"I hope you got good sleep last night," Kyunho said with a small smile.

"Thank you so much," Aela said as she gave a short bow. "It was wonderful."

Yuin presented them with their purchases and Kyunho's face lit up when he saw the scarf. Erol made a face. They moved on grudgingly into the increasingly white landscape. Yuin looked back over his shoulder once more, his eyes straining to see anything cloaked in the white scenery.

"Is everything okay?" Erol asked, startling him from his thoughts.

Yuin shook his head. "Huh? Oh, yes. Yes, everything's fine."

He walked around her and up to where Kyunho led the group. Erol narrowed her eyes and scanned the scenery, sniffing for any strange scent on the air. Satisfied, she ran to catch up with the others.

She asked Aela if anything had happened while they were at the inn. Aela recalled some of what Yuin had told her about the man he had met in the baths. It was full of holes, since she had been listening half awake, but she mentioned what she remembered. Ahead of them, Yuin was talking to Kyunho about it. He did not like to keep secrets.

"He sounds like a strange one..." Kyunho said thoughtfully. "Well, who knows where he is headed, it's not likely we are going to the same place. Don't worry about it. You are not likely to see him again."

"I hope not," Yuin said with a sigh. "So, how far are we from this sacred place?"

"Not too much farther, it lies on the other side of this mountain," Kyunho said pointing to the horizon. They were close to the base of the mountain already. "Maybe about another six days and we will be there. Another Shiera village is just before the entrance to the sacred space. We will see if they are willing to accommodate you for our stay."

The idea of staying with more Shiera was not the worst. They seemed to be a reasonable people, from his experience so far. This also meant another warm bed soon. Yuin forced his mind to the thought of warm walls around him as a bone chilling wind pushed against his thick cloak.