War of the Fathers by Decker Dan

Author:Decker, Dan [Decker, Dan]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Xander Revolutions LC
Published: 2014-02-25T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Jorad welcomed the chilly afternoon air. It was a good deal better than the heat wave they'd had most of the week. It was nicer for traveling and he was much more alert. It had been overcast for most of the day and had rained several times. The breeze that ruffled his hair had a cold edge to it, finding its way underneath and through his light wool jacket. It smelled like rain again and he wouldn't be surprised if he'd soon feel drops on his head.

The clouds were a bit darker than this morning and he was beginning to wonder if winter was going to come early this year. He buttoned his jacket and wished he’d thought to grab his gloves in his hurried flight from Neberan. Maybe he’d have an opportunity to pick up another pair in Zecarani, if it was still there.

It had been four days since the encounter with the Ou Qui and they’d started stopping for the entire night to rest. Adar didn’t trust anybody but Jorad to stand guard while he slept, so Jorad was running with only a half a night’s sleep. He yawned but he wasn’t that tired, splitting the watch was normal, even when they traveled alone. It was something he'd been accustomed to for many years.

Adar had become concerned that they weren't moving fast enough and the morning before last, he'd announced that they would start using the road to travel. This had been met with enthusiasm by most of the group. Tere had opposed it, but Jorad was certain he'd done so because it had been Adar's proposal. Everybody was anxious to put Neberan as far behind them as they could. Jorad estimated they were only a couple of days from Zecarani and he was beginning to think they’d make it without encountering any more Hunwei. At the moment, he was trying hard not to think about what would come after Zecarani.

Holding his bow and arrow with one hand, he reached beneath his pack and knuckled his stiff back as best he could. He hadn’t realized that he’d been sleeping on rocks until morning. They hadn’t been obvious in the dark and had been covered by dirt that had shifted as he slept. Perhaps he’d just been too tired to notice as he fell asleep. Either way, he was paying for his carelessness now. Stretching, he tried to ease the pain but there was a limit to how much you could stretch while wearing a pack, sword and arrow quiver.

Adar gave Jorad a grim smile. For Adar, the coming of the Hunwei hadn’t changed things much; it only served to confirm the things he’d already been doing. Jorad couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Adar happy. There had been a few times when he’d seen his father relax enough to laugh, but not too long afterward, his grimness always returned. Jorad returned the grin with one of his own, hoping that he appeared more cheerful then he felt.

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