Into the Wastelands: Book Four of the Restoration Series (18 page)

The night passed rather peaceably. Encouraged by the seclusion of their camp, Heather permitted them a small fire. After such a hard days march, a warm dinner was welcomed by all.

Heather and Dagan kept their distance from each other that night. He had been wrong at the crossing of the river and she had been wrong in the pace she had set.
Even though she knew she had acted rather childishly, Heather was determined not to apologize first. She told herself that her pettiness had only been in response to his initial pettiness.

They were all tired and most fell asleep quickly after dinner was done. Aaron had the first watch and Heather wandered off into the trees. She climbed the northern ridge and stared out at the Faerum wastelands. While the settlers of Emtown may have believed that no human had set foot here in two thousand years, Heather believed differently. If the Church suspected the armor might be here, then they most assuredly would have sent someone to investigate. She shivered at the thought of crossing paths with Zalustus or one of his lieutenants. It was very possible that they were looking for the armor as well.

Studying the night sky and the land for as far as she could see, Heather was amazed at how normal everything looked. If she didn’t know better, then she would
have thought
this was just like one of the forests
where she grew up. She really hadn’t know
n
what to expect.

“Doesn’t look cursed, does it?”

Heather nearly jumped out of her skin. She spun around and pulled her belt knife in one fluid motion. Her heart was beating wildly and she held the knife out in front of her. The point of the knife was aimed right at, “Dagan?”

The old sorcerer stood several feet out of her reach, which was probably lucky for him. He stood downhill on the small ridge, so he was looking up at her. He did not look startled by her outburst, instead he just stood there looking amused. “I was curious if you planned to set the same pace tomorrow as we followed today?”

Lowering the knife, she did not put it away. “How did you get that close without me hearing you?” The man was no woodsman, she had seen enough proof of that, but somehow he had sneaked up on her in the quiet of the woods.

The old bastard actually smiled. “Sorcery, my dear. There are many things I can do if I wish.”

Heather’s eyes flashed at the reminder of the man’s power. “Like what you did at the river crossing?”

“Uh, yes.” Dagan answered with a small sigh. The amusement disappeared and he actually looked abashed. “I must admit that I did not consider the consequences of my actions.”

It took Heather a moment and then she realized that Dagan had just apologized to her, or at least as close to an apology as she would get. She finally slipped the knife back into its sheath and smiled down at Dagan. “
I hope that you will think about the consequences next time.”

“And your answer to my question,” Dagan prompted. “Do you plan to set the same rapid pace tomorrow?”

Heather resisted the urge to lie and say they would move as quickly tomorrow as they had today.
She held his gaze for several moments before she answered. “No. We’ll be going slower tomorrow.” Dagan slumped and Heather had to resist the urge to chuckle. “Do you have any idea what might be in the wastelands?”

Dagan shook his head. “No, but we really only have to skirt around the edge. We really don’t have to go too far in.”

“Why’s that?”

“The city of
Saprasia
did not lie far into the Faerum lands.
The wastelands are bordered on the north by a mountain range. The range starts far off to the northeast and run to the southwest where it gradually turns almost due south.”

“And?”

Dagan pointed out to the north. “We’re almost due south of the tip of that mountain range right now. Travel north until we hit the mountains and then follow the eastern side of the range for several days and we will come to where the ancient city of
Saprasia
once stood.
”

“Well,” Heather said, beginning to feel better about this trip, “that doesn’t sound too bad.” The smirk on Dagan’s face was not all that encouraging. She sighed. “Tell me the rest.”

“Well, if the Faerum were destroyed by goblins, then I would expect the mountain ranges to be near to overrunning with the foul creatures.”

Letting out a small sigh, Heather nodded. Goblins were not much for the forests. They tended to prefer the safety of a nice mucky hole or cave in the mountains. And
since
their party was headed to the mountains, they would have to be extremely careful.

They broke camp at dawn the next morning
. There was a routine to their camp life and, for the most part, they each did what they were supposed to without being told. However, departing from the normal routine, Heather called them all over for a brief word.

She waited until they were all gathered around, most still blurry eyed. “We’re travelling due north till we hit the mountain range and then we’ll follow the mountains to the northeast. Last night Dagan warned me that he expects the mountains to be overflowing with goblins.” There were several looks of surprise at this last announcement, and Heather assumed they were more surprised by Dagan and her talking than at the fact they would find goblins in the mountains. “As I am the best woodsman, I will take the lead. I want you all to move with the utmost caution and,” she hesitated before stressing the final word, “silence.”

She expected the Guardians would do well at this, even Mikela would perform adequately. It was the two sorcerers
and Cassandra
that she really was worried about. The only time that she had ever seen Dagan move with anything approaching stealth had been last night.

There were no questions and she dismissed the impromptu meeting and they went back to breaking camp.

It didn’t take long for Atock to meander over to where Heather was rolling up her blankets. He grinned down at her, “So did you and Dagan make peace?” He kept his voice low so that none of the others could hear.

“
I think so,” Heather answered. She looked around Atock to where Dagan was pushing dirt up over the coals of their fire. “I don’t know for how long though. The man just seems to find ways to irritate me.”

“Huh,” Atock said, his grin getting even bigger, “and you’re normally such a sweet person.”

Heather punched him in the leg. “Careful. Since I’m getting along with Dagan, I’m looking for someone else to be angry at.”

Atock held his hands up in mock surrender and, chuckling, he moved away.

Chapter
16

They travelled north in a much more orderly fashion than that first day. Heather ranged ahead of the group, constantly on the alert for any sign of danger. She didn’t so much as get the first suspicion of
trouble
. The woods were overflowing with animals. Squirrels and birds chattered at her from the
low
tree limbs overhead and she even saw bigger game disappearing as she approached. It was a nice blue sky and the
re was a cooling breeze that ble
w intermittently throughout the day. All in all it was very peaceful and not very threatening.

Heather called a break for lunch in the early afternoon and it was welcomed enthusiastically by her companions. The meal was not that special, as it consisted of dried meat and hard biscuits. Still, the food did lift their spirits a bit.

“I don’t understand why this area is supposed to be cursed,” Aaron said as he licked the crumbs from his fingers. “I think it’s beautiful through here.”

Heather nodded her agreement. “It is, but we’re still close to the river and far from the mountains. I would expect anything that’s dangerous to be there.” She glanced at Dagan. The old man had been silent through their meal and she wondered about his mood. They were on somewhat good terms and she would hate
to
damage that. “Dagan, any idea of the terrain that we have to cover?”

He shook his head. “No. Once, this area was covered with Faerum farms, but that was thousands of years ago. I would imagine that forests and such have completely altered the landscape. I’m sorry but I won’t be of any help.”

Heather nodded, she hadn’t really expected anything useful. “You said before that you were in a secretive group. A group that thought perhaps Kelcer was miss-understood. Did any of them ever travel here? You know, to try and find the armor?”

Dagan tilted his head up and regarded her. His look was considering. “Not that I know of, but it is possible.” He sighed, “I feel it’s more likely that the Church has been here and might even be here now.”

“Wonderful,” Atock said quietly.

Deciding they had been there long enough, Heather forced herself off the g
round. “It’s time we get moving,” s
he paused and then added, “I know it all looks peaceful, but remember that means that it can only get worse. Stay alert.”
She motioned at Enton, “Bring up the rear.” The main reason for putting him at the back of the group was that he was probably the most formidable fighter in the group, but she had another reason. Every since he had kissed her that night, she had to keep her distance. She always made sure there were others around when she spoke with him. Whatever little fantasies the man was entertaining, she did not want to encourage them.

Continuing their course northward, the land gradually began to change. The area just north of the river had been sandy and the vegetation had been suited for that environment. Most of t
he trees had been short and the
r
e
had been little enough grass. The farther away they got from the river, the more woods turned into a real forest. The trees got taller and the vegetation grew more lush.

Several times through the afternoon, they stumbled across signs of the ancient Faerum. The first time this happened, Heather was walking across some stones and she realized the formation was not natural. At one time the stones had been arranged into a circle ten feet wide. What purpose it had served, she could not imagine. The stones had been worn down by the countless years since they were fashioned. Tree roots were growing under the stones and forcing some up out of the ground at weird angles. Still, it
was
impossible to mistake that the stones had been worked, even with the wear of the centuries.

Late in the day, Heather called a halt. Even though there was another hour or so of light, they had come across a small pond and it seemed the perfect place for their camp. They actually placed the campsite about fifty yards from the pond, up a small hill. It was sheltered enough to have a small fire and none of them wanted to sleep on the shore of the pond. It might very well be the only supply of water for miles and they didn’t want any visitors during the night.
They didn’t actually take their water from the pond, as the water was rather brackish, but there was a small creek that flowed into the pond on the eastern side. The moving water of the creek seemed a much safer bet.

Heather left the others to make camp while she did a quick survey of the surrounding area. She moved through the trees and bushes without a sound, pausing here and there to listen for any disturbance. There was nothing, except for the occasional cry of some bird. She walked north a good ways and then circled back to the west. In this manner, she circled their campsite at a distance. She was pleased that there seemed to be absolutely nothing to worry about, but at the same time, it worried her. She was expecting trouble at any moment, but the woods seemed deserted.

When she was satisfied with their apparent safety, she returned to the
campsite. Atock had a small fire going, which he had taken great pains to shield from view.
She sighed deeply at the dinner that was presented to her.
Hard, and slightly moldy, bread, a small piece of cheese, and
some boiled gree
n leaves that Dagan had called c
olla. He spotted them growing wild and had delayed them while a modest bunch was collected. Heather wasn’t sure about eating something that she had never even heard of before, but it had to better than the moldy bread. Sighing again, she sc
ooped up a small amount of the c
olla and gingerly put it into her mouth. She was prepared to spit it out at once but was pleasantly surprised at how tasty the leaf was. Looking up from her food, she noticed everyone smiling at her.

“Not bad, is it?” Mikela asked from her spot near the fire. She had just placed some small branches on the fire and was now stirring a small pot of water that hung suspended over the flames.

“I don’t know why everyone is so surprised,” Dagan said in a huffy voice. “I told you they were safe and quite enjoyable.”

“Yes
, but we have different opinions on what things are quite enjoyable,” Aaron said grinning at the old man. “Judging it by its looks, I thought it would be rather bland.”

“Maybe you think too much,” Dagan grumbled, but his tone lacked any real heat.

“That’s not something Aaron hears very often,” Mikela said and the others chuckled,
all
except Aaron who simply scowled at the woman.

Heather leaned back against a large stone and continued eating her dinner. The harmless banter of the group was relaxing and it pleased her that even Dagan joined in. Taking another bite, she glanced over to where Agminion sat. The sorcerer was off by himself a little ways and was ignoring the rest of the group completely.  He was already wrapped up in his blanket and leaning back against the trunk of a tree. She didn’t mind being in command, but she hated having so many people in her group who refused to recognize her authority.

Distracted, Heather reached for another bite and realized her dinner was all gone. She had even eaten all of the nasty bread. With her belly full, she could feel herself getting sleepy. The long days were taking a toll. Looking around at the others, she could see several with their eyes either closed or nearly so. It was quiet now, the earlier joking having died out. Heather climbed to her feet, causing most of the others to look up.

She quickly set the order of the watch. Atock, Mikela, herself, Aaron, and then Enton. The others nodded their assent and then rolled up in their blankets to sleep.
She took the middle watch as it was by far the worst. It was difficult to get several hours of sleep, wake up and keep watch, and then go back to sleep for several hours more.

Heather motioned for Atock to join her and they walked a little ways from the fire. “I checked the area out fairly well and I couldn’t find any threats. It’s very wooded though, so it will make spotting any trouble difficult.” She pointed to the northwest, “There’s several large outcroppings of rock a little ways in that direction. It’s probably the best place to watch from.”

Atock nodded his head, all the while smiling broadly.

Noticing the smile, Heather frowned. “What’s so funny?”

“It’s nothing,” h
e paused, but she apparently wanted more of an answer than that and
so he continued, “i
t’s just that you’re doing a fine job as a leader.”

“And that’s funny?”

Atock chuckled, “No, but I do find it amusing when you tell me how to keep watch.” He motioned back towards the fire, “Get some sleep. I think I can manage. Who knows, I may even stay awake.” Grinning, he walked away, strangely enough, to t
he northwe
st.

Rough hands shook Heather awake and she rolled over and looked up through blurry half-closed eyes. Her eyes widened when she realized it was Enton who was waking her and not Mikela.

Despite her muscle
s
aching from sleeping on the ground, Heather bolted upwards and looked around. Her first thought was that something bad was happening. Enton was supposed to have the last watch and if he was waking her then there had to be a reason, all the reasons that she could come up with were bad.

“What is
it? What’s wrong?” s
he demanded.

Enton immediately held his hands out and motioned for her to be quiet. “Shhh! You’ll wake the others,” he said in a near whisper. He turned and began walking from the camp. He looked back once, and realizing that Heather hadn’t moved, he motioned for her to follow.

Swallowing hard, Heather looked around one more time. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she was quite sure that she wasn’t about to like it.

Enton led her from camp and they walked a short distance to the no
rthwe
st. They walked in silence, which was fine by Heather, until they reached the outcropping of rocks that she had noticed earlier.

Stopping, Enton turned to face her. “This is a good place to keep watch,” he said
.
“Atock showed them to me
,” h
e waved his arm at the rocks behind him. They towered over him, reaching nearly twenty feet in the air.

“Why did you have the second watch?” Heather asked. She didn’t feel the need to explain that she had been the one to tell Atock of the rocks. “I assigned you the last watch.”

Enton moved over and sat on a large rock. “I know, but I couldn’t’ sleep and then when Atock went to wake Mikela and she didn’t want to stand watch, so I traded with her.”

Heather nodded, “Okay,” she said hesitantly. “Well, thank you. I’ll take it from here.”

Enton nodded but didn’t say anything. He also didn’t leave. He just stood there looking at her, like he was waiting on something.

“Is there anything else?” Heather asked, crossing her arms. “If not, then I really should climb up and take a look around.”
She remained standing, roughly five feet or so from the rock where Enton was sitting.

“I feel like you’ve been deliberately avoiding me,” Enton said. “Is it because of that kiss?” She opened her mouth to speak, but he kept right on talking. His words came out quickly, almost in a jumble. “Listen, that was an accident. We had just been let go from King Stennis’ capture. I hadn’t so much as kissed a barmaid in a long time and there you were.
After such a long time, I probably would have kissed Atock.
I assure you that I don’t think about you like that.”

It took a moment for that last bit to register. “You don’t think about like what?”

Enton shrugged, “You know, like a woman.”

Heather took a deep calming breath. “You don’t think about me like a woman? Is that right?”

Perhaps Enton could sense that he was in trouble and he moved to clarify. “What I meant, is that I think of you as a fellow Guardian, not as a woman.” His last few words sort of trailed off, it was like he was finally realizing how
he
must sound.

She swelled up like she was about to explode. Enton remained sitting on his rock, but his eyes went wide at her words. “Now you listen to me,” Heather began in an angry tone. “I don’t care how you think of me, but just so you know I am a woman and I don’t appreciate your insults.”

His eyes still wide, Enton held his hands up before him, both in a form of surrender and also protection. His eyes were still wide and he tried to speak, but all he could do was stammer. “I, uh, listen.”

That was when it happened, again. Heather was dumbfounded as the fool man kissed her again. She wasn’t sure even how to respond.
But
she slowly realized that
there was something wrong. The kiss lingered and it took her several moments to figure out what
the problem
was. Finally her thoughts cleared a little and she groaned. Enton was still sitting on his rock. He hadn’t moved, so it hadn’t been him kissing her. It had been the other way around.

“Uh-oh,” was all she managed to say and it came out rather breathless.