“La’tiera, it’s time to get up.”
Her eyes fluttered open to bright daylight. Dal knelt beside her, looking a little rough about the edges, as if he’d not slept much. Despite this, he had a warm smile on his face.
She sat up, feeling stiff. There were dirt and leaves on her clothes, and her hair fell disheveled around her. Tears stung her eyes—she’d never felt as uncomfortable as she did at that moment. She hurried to her feet and turned away, not wanting Dal to see her cry. She wiped at her face then tried to brush off her clothes and combed her hair with her fingers.
“I found some berries. Some are a little too ripe, but they’ll help hold you till I can find something better.”
She turned around and tried her best to smile. When she saw the pitiful handful he held in a handkerchief for her, the tears tried to come back. She didn’t look at him as she took the offered food.
“I apologize there’s not more.”
She shook her head and sat down, picking at the unfamiliar fruit. The ones that were ripe had a sweet tang to them and a deep red color, but others were darker and tasted almost like sour wine. Rather than quell her hunger, the small meal brought it raging back, stronger than before. She sucked at her fingers trying to get what juice she could from them. It didn’t bother her that they were now stained.
She looked up as she wiped her fingers and mouth with a clean corner of the handkerchief and found Dal leaning against a tree, his profile toward her. A strange thought occurred to her then, one she couldn’t get rid of. As she watched him standing there, looking away from her, she became more and more convinced that what she’d eaten wasn’t her share but all there was to find. His fingers were clean, and there were no stains around his mouth, and he was so staunchly not looking in her direction. He’d given her everything and kept none for himself. Why? And was it for her or for the Bearer? She would never understand him.
Folding the handkerchief neatly, she got up and went toward him. He turned to look at her as she approached.
“Thank you.” She put as much feeling into the two words as she could, knowing if she felt this bad he probably felt even worse.
He took the handkerchief from her, his gaze moving away, soft color suffusing his cheeks. “I’m sure we’ll find more as we go along. We should probably get going.”
Nodding, she found her satchel and picked it up. “I’m ready.”
He pushed away from the tree and took them back in the direction they’d originally come.
Walking soon eased the stiffness in her legs but not much else. Her stomach began making low growling noises, and her throat felt like it had gravel inside. She tried to think of something to distract herself with.
“Dal, will you tell me about your family?”
He glanced back over his shoulder at her, surprise on his face. “My family?”
“Is that inappropriate?” Did people not talk about their families? She remembered her uncle never having mentioned his dead wife or daughter, or much about his other relatives. Maybe it just wasn’t done.
“No, no. I…” He shook his head. “My mother’s name is Leila, my father’s Nerat. I have an older sister, Tilli, but no brothers.”
She picked up the pace to walk beside him. “Where are they now?”
He sent her a veiled glance before answering. “My father and mother are at one of the schools, the one in Pilea. My sister lives with her husband at the main center at the capitol. She gave birth to my nephew last year.”
La’tiera absorbed all this and found she wanted more. “What are they like?”
Dal didn’t respond for several minutes as they fought their way past a thick copse of brush.
“My mother is a kind person, with the patience of the Gods, and she could also rob you blind while making you not mind it. My sister is like her, though she’d never think of robbing anyone. She has a gift for crafts. My father is strong and has a good head for numbers.”
She wondered if her own parents might be anything like that. “Why aren’t you with them?”
He sent her a glance. “My father and I don’t get along. We’ve never agreed on anything. The last being my desire to be out in the field, where I might actually help to find you and see the world. His was for me to remain at the school and do what I could by pursuing higher knowledge.
“I like books and learning, but I prefer to be doing something rather than sit in a stuffy room deciphering texts. Besides, the more of us that were out the better chance we would find you in time. Unlike in previous cycles, the Order didn’t find any sign of your existence. And we’ve always been there to guide, protect and help the Bearer.” He glanced at her again and laughed at the shocked expression on her face. “Don’t tell me you believe I should have done as he wanted!”
It was true she had a hard time thinking of him sitting in a dark room surrounded by tomes, but still…
“Children are supposed to obey their parents and guardians as if their words were law, are they not?” All the books she’d ever read that talked of such things said so. Horrible things happened to children who didn’t do as they’d been told. She would never dare defy her uncle in such a manner.
“They’re not infallible, you know. Parents make mistakes just like everyone else. And there comes a time when you are old enough to make your own decisions. I had to choose my own path.”
Choosing his own path. Such a choice had never been hers to make. Her place in the world had been decided before she was born. She knew her destiny, her purpose, why she was. She drew strength from it, comfort. She didn’t have to battle with uncertainty, or the stress of having to make choices. Hers had all already been made.
“What about your parents?” Dal asked. “Is he truly related to you?”
“I’ve never met them.” She felt a pang inside. “It would have been cruel for them to come to know me, knowing I would have to die. And it would have been unfair to expect them to guard me from those who might want to stop me.”
“So, he took you from them, to keep them and you safe.”
La’tiera looked over at him, wondering why he sounded angry. “Yes, that’s right.”
“And everything you know about them, about your destiny, has been dictated by him.”
She didn’t understand why this bothered him so. “Yes.”
“Don’t you see? By isolating you, by taking you from your parents, he’s been able to manipulate every aspect of your life, including what you need to do when the time of the Trial arrives.”
La’tiera stopped. “You’re wrong. What would he have to gain by letting demons into the world?”
Dal faced her squarely. “I don’t know. But ask yourself one thing. If he’s not wrong, and we’re the ones deceiving you, what do we gain from doing it?”
She looked away from his determined stare.
“I don’t know. I don’t know!”
She didn’t think Rostocha’s troupe wanted to hurt anyone, but neither could she picture her uncle doing such a thing. Yet one of them must be wrong. Mustn’t they?
A comforting hand squeezed her shoulder. “Forget I said anything. It wasn’t my intention to upset you. Everything will be clear once we get to the city. You’ll see.”
She nodded, though she had her doubts that anything would be made clearer at all.
They continued, her stomach eventually quieting down, leaving behind only a dull ache. Her throat, however, felt worse than ever, until all she could think about was having something to drink. Wanting to complain, but knowing he was as thirsty as she was and that it would only make her throat feel worse, she glanced around at the trees instead. She came to an abrupt stop as she caught a shimmer of reflected light to her left.
“Water!”
“What?” Dal turned to look at her then at the direction she was facing. “I don’t see…”
“It’s water, I tell you!” She bounded forward toward the crystalline reflection, no doubt whatsoever in her mind. Her satchel fell from her shoulder, and she left it behind, forgotten, only one goal in mind at the moment.
“La’tiera!”
She ran past trees and brush, not caring about anything except her goal. When she got there, she stared in utter bliss at the crackling brook and fell to her knees. In near-reverence, she dipped her cupped hands into the clear liquid and guzzled it down before scooping up more.
“By the Gods!” Dal dropped beside her, as eager as she. “You actually found some.” His hands splashed beside hers as he reached for a drink.
The water slid down her parched throat, the relief making her dizzy. She kept dipping her hands over and over until she couldn’t drink anymore. She sat back with a contented sigh.
Finally looking at Dal, she saw he was staring at her satisfied expression, his own thirst also quenched.
“How did you find it? How did you see it through all the brush?”
La’tiera shook her head, not sure why he was asking. “I looked and it was there. Why wouldn’t I be able to see it?”
A smile lighted his face, and then he laughed. “That’s right! Why wouldn’t you?”
She didn’t understand what he meant at all. She was about to ask when she saw him dip his hand back in the water. Amazed that he could still be thirsty, she opened her mouth to say so when he flung the hand back up, sending the water splashing all over her.
“You…You threw water on me!” She couldn’t imagine why he’d want to do such a thing.
His grin grew wider. “That’s right, I did. And I can do it again. So, what do you plan to do about it?”
La’tiera widened her eyes at this as an answering grin grew on her face. “This!”
She scooped up water with both hands and sent it in his direction. It had barely landed before he was sending more of it her way. Not to be outdone, she retaliated. Amidst squeals and bouts of laughter they threw water at one another until the whole area was sodden and the dirt turned into mud.
They both stretched out on the ground, wet from head to foot. La’tiera had never realized that getting dirty could be so much fun. If they’d only had some fruit, cheese and some bread—anything to eat, for that matter—the experience would have been divine.
She turned where she lay to look at Dal and found he’d done the same. Their faces were very close. She suddenly felt her pulse racing. As he stared into her eyes, her lips began tingling on their own. Feeling her cheeks grow hot, remembering what he’d done the last time he’d been this close to her, she made herself sit up and look away. She didn’t need things to live for—it would only make what had to be done harder.
“I guess we should get going,” Dal said softly from behind her.
She heard him stand up so she did as well. Would he have kissed her again if she hadn’t moved? And why did she feel so disappointed?
He took the lead again, returning to their original path and finding the satchel for her on the way. He didn’t meet her eyes as he gave it back.
“I believe you dropped this.”
“Thanks.”
Hours later, her shoes still made squishing noises as she stepped along. Her feet’s complaints were becoming quite insistent. The longer they went on, the more they ached. She doubted she’d ever done so much walking in her life.
With Dal’s encouragement, she helped keep an eye out for more berries. It surprised her somewhat that she kept seeing them before he did. There was never a lot, most of the fruit having been already picked over by birds or other animals, but it was better than nothing. She made sure as well that Dal was getting his share and not giving them all to her, no matter what her stomach would have preferred.
By the time it got too dark to go on, she felt tired to the core. Crumbling to the ground, she was sure she’d never have the strength to get up ever again. “How long do you think it will take us to reach this city of yours?” She gingerly removed one of her shoes.
Dal was silent for a moment, his head tilted back, eyes closed, against the trunk of a tree. “Two or three more days and we should make it to Mentose. From there we’ll be able to get some help to reach the Mother House.”
She sighed. She didn’t know if she could do this for two or more days. Massaging her feet, she curled her nose at the smell rising off them. She could feel blisters on the soles of her feet.
She lay down not long after, wondering how they would make it.