Trails 4 by April D Brown

Author:April D Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Publisher: April D Brown
Published: 2019-03-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Rusty woke to Ambrena crying softly by her side, and Yall's body glistening in the flickering firelight. She reached over and patted Ambrena's knee. "Did you sleep at all?"

"Yall will be buried today. I don't know where." She wiped away the tears.

Marken sat up beside her. "I've never known anyone to die here, so I have no idea."

"Are Vendon and Xile awake?" Rusty peered over the fire.

"They went to see what tools we have to bury her. We usually bury in the river, and it's not possible here."

"Do you mind if we talk about something else?" Rusty asked. Memories of the Kafa Goddess and Blake came unbidden. She hadn't been there when Blake was swallowed. The tale was a common one used to convince children to be good throughout the villa. Zande had even heard it from her once, when he refused to clean up a mess he had made. It hadn't seemed real; the day she repeated it. Now, it felt very real.

Marken placed his hand beside Yall. "I can tell you more when you tell me what's on your mind."

"Do the people from Kees explore much here? Is digging all they do here?" Rusty shook her head to clear the images of giant water monsters. The mini-lodge, and whether Vendon and Xile knew about it, was what mattered now.

He laughed gently. "Digging is their primary reason for coming. They stay out of the bushes and dense undergrowth. People from Kees prefer the open places, and water. I'm not originally from Kees. I came from further down the river, on the east bank."

Rusty picked up a stick and drew absentmindedly in the dirt. "We found something yesterday, while Brix and Jasey brought Yall over here."

"Figured you found it. I don't think anyone from Kees has ever been back in that brush. Maybe many generations ago; before the brush grew so deep. I saw it last fall, and enjoyed the place to sit peacefully and quietly in the evening. Yall went with me twice."

"I want to explore it," Rusty said. "If Vendon would allow us to."

Brix and Jasey crawled over to join them.

Marken glanced at them and back to her. "He might allow you to, if he doesn't know what you're doing. With the funeral preparations this morning, you might be able to. I'm not sure what his plan is. We can't bury her in the watering hole. While there are plenty of watering holes around, we wouldn't want her body to stay in one place forever. It should flow to the sea. It would be two days to take her to the river, and two days back."

An elephant trumpeted.

Vendon wouldn't knowingly allow them to explore. Marken was right. They would have to find artifacts for Vendon; and soon if they wanted any hope of returning to Shells before winter.

"Are you all awake and ready to start the day?" Vendon strode back into the circle of firelight.

"We're awake," Marken said.

"Good. I trust Rusty has a plan for digging today, as soon as Yall is buried.

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