When I wake up it's full daylight outside, and the wagon is moving. I look around panicked and sit up. I bump my head on something in the small space and make a small noise.
"Ah, you're awake," I turn around to see the mother of the family I most spoke to last night looking back at me from the front of the wagon, "You slept so peacefully and looked to exhausted last night we didn't want to wake you. And since you told us you're heading south, we thought we'd give you a ride while you get to rest. We've come an hour and a half in the morning already, I hope we're still going in the right direction for you."
"Uh, yes, I suppose," I say, "Um. Thank you. What time is it?"
I shouldn't be here. I should be well on my way, should've been last night. I'm faster without the other people, and I need to, I need to get back to the Academy. As fast as possible.
"A couple hours before noon," she answers. I do some quick calculations in my head, about where I was, how far north I got. How fast I came back south. If I leave now, I could be back at the Academy in the afternoon.
"Thank you for everything," I say, "But I think I really need to be on my own way now."
"No, you don't," the woman says strictly, then her expression softens, "If you really want to leave, we won't stop you. But you were so exhausted last night. You've clearly been travelling too fast for your own body. Trust me, we live travelling, we know."
"I've been travelling fast, yes, but I have friends who are in big trouble and they need my help..." I begin, but the woman cuts me off again.
"You will be no help to them if you arrive half-dead," she says, "I honestly suggest you travel with us today, at the back, let your body rest proper, and then tomorrow you can continue, not as rested as you should be, but not about to kill yourself with the travel."
I think about it for a moment. As much as I hate it, she's right. Then again, it would only take me a few hours to get to the Academia. I can keep going for a few more hours. I turn around, onto my knees, ready to get up. A wave of dizziness hits me and I have to bend down to lean on the floor.
"Fine," I say and look up to see the woman look at me knowingly. She is right. I can't keep going for a few hours and be useful to my friends. I need to save my energy. It' no use being at the Academia any sooner if all I can do is collapse from exhaustion. But it's just for today, I tell myself.
"Thought so," she says and turns to face the front again.
~x~
About an hour after noon we arrive at a small village, and the caravan decides to stop to eat and fill up supplies. I help them by running a couple of errands in the nearby shops at the central square. I would go farther out, but it turns out my everything hurts so bad it's pretty much impossible to walk properly.
While the rest of the caravan sits down to have lunch, I head to the nearby herb-shop to get something for my pain. A bell rings above the door as I limp in and to the counter.
"Hello," I say to the man behind the counter.
"Good day," he answers, "How can I help you."
"A remedy," I say, "A painkiller, to be more exact."
"Yes, I can see the way you're moving," he says, "Rough travel?"
I nod and he turns around to look for something appropriate from the shelf behind him. He goes through the bottles.
"How much and how strong would you like?"
"Nothing too expensive. Just so I wouldn't hurt this bad."
He nods and continues going through the bottles. Finally he takes out a small bag and pours some powder into it from one of the bottles. Then he turns back around to the counter.
"This should help," he says, "You need anything else?"
A thought hits me. It's a long shot, but worth asking.
"Actually, you wouldn't by chance happen to have any kokolhan lizard's scales?" I know it's a weird question. I can see it on his face too.
"Uh, no. What would you need them for?" he asks. I wave his question away.
"Never mind. How much?"
I pay and wait for the change as the bell behind me rings. I take a reflexive glance over my shoulder to see who comes in. I'm about to turn back to the counter and take my change when I realise I actually know the person who just came in. My breathing quickens and I suddenly I can hear my own heartbeat in my ears.
"Arren," I say, not much more than a whisper.
"Hello again, Knute," he smiles at me, "What brings you here?"
I forget about the change, about the man behind the counter, the painkillers. For a moment I forget about the pain. I start towards him, ready to punch him in the face with all I have and can draw from the ground under me. Too late I realise the ground under me isn't the ground. It's a floor. And the floor doesn't give me anything. Not even a puff of energy. Never the less, I almost hit him in the face, but he ducks and move out of the way.
"Well now, that's not a very nice way to greet an old friend," he says.
"We're not friends," I say bitterly, "You poisoned my friend."
"We're not as different as you think," he says, staying a cool calm.
"Yes, we are. I am nothing like you."
"Oh, but there you're wrong. You are very much like me. You just don't know it yet," he says with a laugh.
In my tiredness, and exhaustion, and anger I lose it. I throw myself at the young man standing in front of me without thinking about it. Before I reach him there's a flash, and I hit my head on something. Everything goes black.
________________________________________________________________
My bits seem to be a lot shorter than yours. And I'm getting the feeling not much important happens in them. Then again, I keep being on the road, so...
Anyway, your topic for Monday is Face(s).
~matu
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