Read Online Wielder's Awakening by T.B. Christensen - Free Book Online

himself.  He should have been able to sleep instantly with how tired he felt.  Instead, he reviewed the events of the last couple of days over and over in his mind.  Thinking that he would never fall asleep, exhaustion finally overtook him, and he drifted off into a fitful slumber.
    Traven was shaken gently awake by John before the sun rose.  They had a quick breakfast of stale biscuits and cheese as they mounted and started down the road.  The sky was full of scattered clouds, but none of them looked like they carried rain.  Traven pulled out the knob of wood that he had been carving and set about shaping it into a bowl and a spoon as they rode.  He was determined to be self-sufficient.  He was glad he had brought the knob of wood.  It would definitely come in handy once it was a bowl.  He carefully carved out a chunk of the wood that would be big enough for a spoon and then started hollowing out the knob to make a bowl.  The bowl would not be very big, but it would serve its purpose.  It was not going to be perfectly round either, but he figured he could smooth it out later when he had more time.  The morning passed quickly away as Traven concentrated on the knob.  There had not been any rain to bother them, but when they were getting ready to stop for lunch, black clouds could be seen rolling on the eastern horizon.
    “It looks like it’s gonna be a good one.  Do you think we can outrun it Hank?” John said with a large smile and raise of his eyebrows.
    “Quit joking around.  You won’t think it’s so funny when the storm catches up to us.  Let’s speed up our pace a little and maybe we’ll be at a stopping point before it gets too bad.”
    They kept on going without stopping for lunch and ate more of the stale biscuits and cheese from atop their mounts.  Traven continued carving away at the knob of wood despite the cramp in his hand and was almost finished with the bowl when a few cool drops of water hit his face.  Soon it started to sprinkle.
    “Better get out your cloaks fellows,” Hank said with a frown.  “It looks like it’s going to pour.”
    Traven promptly donned his new cloak and was pleased to see that the water beaded off of it nicely.  It started to sprinkle a little harder but not that much, so he continued whittling away.  He was able to finish the bowl and was admiring his work when there was a loud crack overhead and the heavens finally opened.  It began pouring so hard that he had difficulty putting the bowl into his pack without getting his packed clothes drenched.  He then turned and peered through the rain ahead of him.  He could just make out Hank in front of him and John with the wagon to his right.  The dirt road was fast becoming mud, slowing their progress.  The horses kept plodding on, churning the mud with each step.  As the wind began to pick up, it brought with it a chill that foretold of the fast approaching winter.  Traven pulled his cloak tighter around his body and face trying to keep himself warm and dry.
    The rain continued on for the rest of the day and into the night.  They camped on a small hill off the road where the ground was not as boggy as the lower land all around.  John parked the wagon on the very top of the hill, and they all climbed under it to sleep.  Traven was surprised to find that the wagon actually provided fairly good shelter from the storm.  The ground beneath them was still damp, but the rest of the rainwater ran down the hill away from them.  The ground was softer than it had been the night before, but it was still far from comfortable.  The dampness seeped into his bones.  Eventually, the splashing of the raindrops slowly lulled him to sleep.
    The rain lasted all through the night and into the morning.  By the time they started out, it had weakened to a slow drizzle.  The drizzle lasted all day, and they continued to ride in soggy silence.  The wagon almost got stuck several times, but the two horses were always