Shade by Michael Wayne

Author:Michael Wayne [Wayne, Michael]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-12-31T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Bobby and his team set off into the scrublands walking leisurely through a wide valley filled with crackly, dry bushes with small, serrated leaves for the next 6 hours. Around midday, they stopped in a dry riverbed to take a break and get their bearings. He could see large rock formations and mesas in all directions on uneven and rocky terrain. None of this was conveyed by the map, which simply labeled the expanse as the "Great Midland Wilds," with nothing on it to indicate much of anything other than some stylized pictures of shrubs.

Martin was obviously correct in his appraisal of the land, and Bobby resolved to let him take the lead in navigating this part of the journey. However, when it came up at the end of their second trek forward in the afternoon both he and Lara both insisted that they stay off the roads for a day or two before they started using them to travel by night. Martin looked mutinous but grudgingly agreed, so they slowly worked their way forward for the next 3 days, taking what Martin described as a "bypass" across a rough escarpment of rock that veered south from where the closest road ran. He assured them it would link up with a less traveled path called the Pine Rock Trail that headed southwest, which he showed them on the map.

After a final grueling slog across the rocky country, they reached the road that ran on for fifty miles to the west and then swerved south. All now agreed it was probably their best bet to use the roads. Bobby had a lot of time to think as they wandered south. He was frustrated that his lessons with Mr. Blues had been cut short just when they were about to get interesting, and there was no telling when he would meet someone else who could instruct him. Marius had said the sublimate ability was pretty rare, even among their kind, and his books didn't give much practical advice. Marius had also said his education would be "taken care of in due time," but that seemed to not be in the cards at this point.

Bobby felt useless during this part of the journey. Lara operated the gadget that was hiding them from view and could at need protect them from the environment. Martin was handy with the field craft, picking out passable routes from memory and finding suitable places to camp. He could also keep them warm during their stops to rest, avoiding the need to scrounge for firewood. The first day, as they settled down to rest, he walked to the middle of the campsite and meditated silently for a moment; before their eyes a stone began to glow and emit a great deal of heat.

The days out in these badlands were cold and were getting colder. Martin announced that they were heading into the winter season and that it would only get colder if they stayed in place. Moving south would warm things up, but even in the far south, it was cold at night.

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