“Benji, I said go away.” I pushed at the dog.
Something cool touched my lips, and I imagined Benji licking me. I grimaced and turned my head. The coolness was back; water poured into my mouth, and clarity returned. I grabbed the canteen and got a few gulps out of it before I hit the bottom.
The small amount of water helped, and I opened my eyes to look around. The sun was rising, and the fire had been put out. Weston was packing some things into his saddlebags, and I got to my feet to help him, but I swayed where I stood. I tried to bend down to get my pallet, but dizziness took over and confusion surrounded me.
In the back of my mind, I knew why I was here, but a superficial part of my brain was playing tricks on me. I couldn’t get over the fact that if I were in the mountains alone, I would have never made it out. The thought sent a chill down my spine, and I felt overwhelmingly sorry for the Mage who had died like this.
“Come on. A few hours and we’ll be out,” Weston said while rolling up my pallet. “There’s a surprise on the other side.”
I stumbled over to my horse. When did I get this horse?
He was beautiful.
I smiled while I rubbed his nose. I was lifted off the ground, and my head spun while Weston set me on the back of his horse.
“This isn’t my horse,” I said while I watched Weston tie my horse to his with a heavy-lidded gaze, barely able to keep my eyes open.
“You think you’re in any condition to ride your horse?” he asked rhetorically. After he had mounted behind me, the feeling of safety surrounded me like a blanket. The blanket was so warm, it lulled me to sleep.
* * *
I was in and out of sleep for the duration of the ride through the mountains. I believed that I had been traveling through them for weeks.
Every time I awoke, I imagined it was another day past. This time when I awakened, the pain lessened with each clop of the horses’ hooves. Strength returned to my muscles, and I could lift my head.
Warm air hit me in the face as we stepped out of the mountain range and into a green valley. My ears perked when I heard the noise of running water. Although the intense thirst that I had felt in the mountains was gone, I still felt its residual effects.
My eyes landed on a waterfall that flowed down the side of the mountain and filled a crystal clear blue pool. A pool big enough to swim my heart out in. Happiness bloomed in my stomach. This was even better than seeing the sun in the Red Forest.
I shrugged off the cloak that was now too warm, swung my leg over, and hopped off the horse in one motion. I ran through the knee-high grass while shedding my leather belt and boots. The sun shined off the water, and nothing had ever looked as inviting.
It was a dream of mine to see Alyria outside Alger, and I smiled as I waded into the water. Even under these circumstances, I was still going to try and enjoy myself. The pool was warm, and I felt as though it was more than water, as it moved around me on its own.
It tasted like water.
And that was all I needed to know. I drank and drank until my belly was full of it.
When I couldn’t have possibly drunk anymore, I swam under the water. As soon as my head emerged, anxiety swirled around me as I had the thought that Weston could leave me here. He could have taken my coin, my horse, and all my possessions. I shot my head out of the water, and my heart calmed when I saw he was only filling the canteens by the side of the pool.
He must have read the panic in my eyes as his gaze met mine, because his expression hardened. “If I wanted your pathetic belongings, I could’ve taken them without leaving Cameron,” he bit out before he turned around and walked away.
I swallowed as guilt settled in my stomach. He had treated me relatively well in the mountains. He might not have been very nice, but he still got me out alive. But then the fact that he had brought me into the mountains surfaced in my head. We could have gone around. I shook off my thoughts; I had a right to be guarded. I barely knew him. And he was an assassin . . .
I waded in the pool until my skin was wrinkly and the sun began to set. I dragged myself out of the water, my wet clothes weighing me down. My stomach growled while I walked over to Weston starting a fire.
“We’ll stay here tonight,” he said without even glancing at me. I sat down by the fire and unbraided my hair to let it dry out. The heat emanating from the flames warmed my wet skin, and I lay down.
I looked at the stars, the fire crackling. A gold streak flew across the dark blue sky, and I smiled. It was said that every time someone in Alyria fell in love, a
gold star would fly. I never knew whether it was true, but I liked to believe it was. Fatigue absorbed any energy I had left, and I fell asleep moments later, my hunger forgotten.
The next morning we headed out early, and I ate some dried fruit Grandmother had packed. It was great to feel normal again, and I was high on life. I thought this must be what it felt like to be on Midnight Oil. All you had to do was take a trip through the cursed mountains, and you would feel so alive when you happened to get out. If you ever did, anyway.
“Please teach me to keep the Saccar away,” I said again.
Third time’s the charm, right?
“No.”