The Orphanage of Miracles (The Kingdom Wars Book 1) by Neftzger Amy

Author:Neftzger, Amy [Neftzger, Amy]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Tags: Fiction & Literature
Publisher: Fog Ink
Published: 2013-05-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

The Desert

Kelsey, Silence and Megan came out of the thick pine forest and stepped into a dry wind brushing firmly up against them, as if attempting to sweep them back into the woods. Breathing was difficult with the hot air pushing into their faces like a thick blanket. Only a few steps out of the forest, the air had already lost the scent of pine and it smelled of old, dusty earth. Kelsey looked to her right and then to her left to see the tree line fading off in an irregular pattern in both directions. In less than a mile, the path they were walking upon would dissolve into sand, and they would be in the desert Megan told about.

Just before everything turned to sand, there was a small trading post tucked in among the sporadic trees. Kelsey squinted into the arid wind, but she was unable to see much of the tents that made up the post. It hurt to keep her eyes open for too long, so she turned away from the sun and heat to look at her friends.

Silence paused to remove an old scarf from his satchel. He artfully wrapped it around his head and neck as protection from the glaring sun. Kelsey wished she had known about the desert before she left home so that she could prepare better for the trip. She didn’t even have a hat with her, and she knew that she would need to spend more money at the trading post in order to get supplies for crossing the desert. Aside from protecting her skin from the sun, they would need to carry water with them. She would have to buy vessels for all of them if they wanted to survive the trip.

“You don’t happen to carry any water with you, do you?” she asked Megan.

“I’m not a camel.”

“I know, but you might be carrying some in a container.”

“I don’t have pockets,” Megan replied stiffly. “That would make me more of a kangaroo.” She turned her head away in disgust, as if the suggestion was humiliating.

“Don’t get upset,” Kelsey admonished her.

“Are you carrying any water?” Megan asked skeptically.

“Don’t be silly.”

“It’s not silly. You have a backpack. At least you have a logical place where you might be carrying something. I, on the other hand, do not have any pockets in my fur coat, nor do I have the thumbs required to open and close bottles.”

“I’m sorry,” Kelsey replied. “I was just hoping that maybe you did.”

“I understand that it would be convenient if I carried water with me, but reality is full of inconveniences. Fear is one of the greatest inconveniences.”

“I’m not afraid,” Kelsey said with conviction.

“You’re afraid of running out of water. You’re also afraid of the unknown journey on unfamiliar terrain.” Megan stared into Kelsey’s eyes with a look of challenge. Kelsey met the stare with a cold expression.

“I said I wasn’t afraid.”

“I can smell fear, you know.” Megan said. “I can smell it coming from you.”

“OK, maybe I’m a little afraid.

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