Miner didn’t, Ennek stopped walking and grabbed at Miner’s hand. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
Very quietly, Miner replied, “We have to go to Jiangbei.”
Ennek’s dark eyebrows rose very high. “Where?”
“Do you remember I told you about the gull? The one that spoke to me?”
“Of course.”
“It wasn’t a fever dream, En. It was a wizard, the air wizard they told you about. She sensed your presence and sent the bird to see for her. She could speak through it as well.”
Ennek frowned. “You talked with a wizard?”
“You were unconscious and I could hardly ignore her, could I? And she offered to help us, to save you. It must have been she who sent Hai-Shui and the rest to us.”
“I never did ask how they’d found us. I just assumed they’d come across us by accident.”
“It was no accident. We were nearly an hour’s walk away. If the wizard hadn’t sent them, you…you would have died.” Miner’s voice almost broke on that last word.
But Ennek’s expression had darkened. “What did you do, Miner?”
“I…I made a promise.”
After a long pause, Ennek asked, “What did you promise?”
Miner glanced upwards, where the black bird was watching intently. “I told her we’d come to her in Jiangbei and you’d do her a favor.”
“What favor?”
“She didn’t…she didn’t say.”
Ennek turned pale. “Gods, Miner! What if she wants me to do something…something like what Thelius did to us? Or what I did to that ship?”
“I had no choice! You were going to die!”
“I’d rather be a rotting corpse than turn into Thelius.”
“Well, I don’t want you to be a rotting corpse! You’re all I have!” Miner realized he was shouting and he lowered his voice to repeat, “You’re all I have.”
But Ennek shook his head angrily and stomped up the path, leaving Miner just standing there.
For several miles they traveled in silence. Miner trailing several feet behind because whenever he tried to walk abreast of Ennek, Ennek would snarl at him and speed up. Miner had longer legs but it had been centuries since he’d walked very far, and he simply couldn’t keep up.
The sun was almost directly overhead when they came to a small valley with a bubbling little stream running its length. Miner caught up as Ennek knelt on the bank, scooping handfuls of water to his mouth. Miner silently joined him. The water was very cold and refreshing.
After their thirst was quenched they collapsed onto the soft grass. They pulled some food out of their bags and began to eat. Miner considered starting a fire to heat water for tea, but then rejected the idea. The stream had been enough for the time being. Ennek didn’t even look at him as they ate, and only grunted when Miner handed him a handful of nuts he found in his bag.
“We’ll go to Donghe,” Ennek announced when the food was gone.
Miner pointed at the ever-present Bhujanga. “She watches us.”
Ennek glared and threw a small stone at it. The bird squawked angrily and flapped to a tree a bit farther away. “I don’t know where Jiangbei is,” he said sullenly.
“It’s two days away. She said she’d guide us.”
Miner scowled at him and rose to his feet. He slung his bag onto his back and continued his walk up the path. Miner scrambled to join him. When they came to a fork in the road, one way heading north and the other east, Ennek stopped. The black bird glided down and stood in the middle of the eastern branch, waiting for them. Miner actually growled a bit and clenched his jaw, but when he began walking again it was towards the east.
It was a very long afternoon. They didn’t pass any other humans, although once they saw a curl of smoke rising over a hill. The path itself was surprisingly well-kept and the journey not especially strenuous, but Miner soon became very tired. Even with the comfortable sandals his feet ached and he noticed after a while that Ennek was limping slightly. He opened his mouth to say
Very quietly, Miner replied, “We have to go to Jiangbei.”
Ennek’s dark eyebrows rose very high. “Where?”
“Do you remember I told you about the gull? The one that spoke to me?”
“Of course.”
“It wasn’t a fever dream, En. It was a wizard, the air wizard they told you about. She sensed your presence and sent the bird to see for her. She could speak through it as well.”
Ennek frowned. “You talked with a wizard?”
“You were unconscious and I could hardly ignore her, could I? And she offered to help us, to save you. It must have been she who sent Hai-Shui and the rest to us.”
“I never did ask how they’d found us. I just assumed they’d come across us by accident.”
“It was no accident. We were nearly an hour’s walk away. If the wizard hadn’t sent them, you…you would have died.” Miner’s voice almost broke on that last word.
But Ennek’s expression had darkened. “What did you do, Miner?”
“I…I made a promise.”
After a long pause, Ennek asked, “What did you promise?”
Miner glanced upwards, where the black bird was watching intently. “I told her we’d come to her in Jiangbei and you’d do her a favor.”
“What favor?”
“She didn’t…she didn’t say.”
Ennek turned pale. “Gods, Miner! What if she wants me to do something…something like what Thelius did to us? Or what I did to that ship?”
“I had no choice! You were going to die!”
“I’d rather be a rotting corpse than turn into Thelius.”
“Well, I don’t want you to be a rotting corpse! You’re all I have!” Miner realized he was shouting and he lowered his voice to repeat, “You’re all I have.”
But Ennek shook his head angrily and stomped up the path, leaving Miner just standing there.
For several miles they traveled in silence. Miner trailing several feet behind because whenever he tried to walk abreast of Ennek, Ennek would snarl at him and speed up. Miner had longer legs but it had been centuries since he’d walked very far, and he simply couldn’t keep up.
The sun was almost directly overhead when they came to a small valley with a bubbling little stream running its length. Miner caught up as Ennek knelt on the bank, scooping handfuls of water to his mouth. Miner silently joined him. The water was very cold and refreshing.
After their thirst was quenched they collapsed onto the soft grass. They pulled some food out of their bags and began to eat. Miner considered starting a fire to heat water for tea, but then rejected the idea. The stream had been enough for the time being. Ennek didn’t even look at him as they ate, and only grunted when Miner handed him a handful of nuts he found in his bag.
“We’ll go to Donghe,” Ennek announced when the food was gone.
Miner pointed at the ever-present Bhujanga. “She watches us.”
Ennek glared and threw a small stone at it. The bird squawked angrily and flapped to a tree a bit farther away. “I don’t know where Jiangbei is,” he said sullenly.
“It’s two days away. She said she’d guide us.”
Miner scowled at him and rose to his feet. He slung his bag onto his back and continued his walk up the path. Miner scrambled to join him. When they came to a fork in the road, one way heading north and the other east, Ennek stopped. The black bird glided down and stood in the middle of the eastern branch, waiting for them. Miner actually growled a bit and clenched his jaw, but when he began walking again it was towards the east.
It was a very long afternoon. They didn’t pass any other humans, although once they saw a curl of smoke rising over a hill. The path itself was surprisingly well-kept and the journey not especially strenuous, but Miner soon became very tired. Even with the comfortable sandals his feet ached and he noticed after a while that Ennek was limping slightly. He opened his mouth to say
Similar Books
