Sentinelspire - Mark Sehestedt [38]
"I'm strong, master," said Lewan. "You've taught me well. I'm not afraid."
"That's what worries me. That's how the Old Man gets to you."
"But-"
"No, Lewan." Berun's voice was hard. Cold. "My mind is set as stone. I'm going alone. When I'm done, I'll come for you."
"And if you don't come back?" Even Lewan could hear the petulance in his voice. Like a child. A scared little boy. But he didn't care. "What then? What about me?"
Berun held the silence a moment, looking him eye to eye, then said, "Get some rest. We move at first light."
Chapter Twelve
16Tarsakh, the Year of Lightning
Storms (1374 DR) The foothills of
the Khopet-Dag
Morning dawned no drier. Lewan woke to the sound of the rain roaring outside their shelter. Sitting across from him, his head resting against the remains of a long dead waxleaf shrub, Berun slept, his lips open slightly. Sometime during the night Berun had changed into dry clothes and braided his hair to keep it out of his face.
Lewan sat up. His muscles were stiff, and though his injured arm still hurt, the pain was good. Pain was feeling; the numbness was gone. Lewan leaned over and shook Berun.
"Master, wake up. It's morning."
Berun's eyes snapped open. He looked around and groaned. "I didn't mean to sleep."
"You can't exhaust yourself," said Lewan. "Yesterday was hard."
"Today will be harder," said Berun. "We must go far and fast. The rain will help to hide us. All but the biggest spiders will stay under cover. But it won't make traveling pleasant."
Lewan looked outside. Above the trees, the rain still came down in sheets, and millions of tiny waterfalls fell from leaves and branches. Water had begun to seep into Lewan and Berun's shelter, and a tiny river was running down the hill just beyond the pile of leaves near the entrance.
"Should we not wait out the storm?" asked Lewan.
"We dare not risk it. Sauk and his band are still too close for my liking."
"You said the venom would take a few days to work through their blood."
"I also said we shouldn't underestimate Sauk. We need to have leagues behind us come nightfall."
+++++
They shared a light meal and washed it down with rainwater, then set about securing their packs and tightening their bootlaces. Berun hesitated at the entrance.
"What's wrong, master?"
"Help me," said Berun, and he began stringing his bow. It was no easy task in the cramped confines of their shelter. But wedging it between them, Lewan holding one end while Berun secured the string on the other, they managed.
"The rain will ruin your string," said Lewan.
"I have a spare," said Berun. "But until we're deep in the mountains, I'll feel better with it." Berun looked out at the wet morning gloom. "I'd feel a great deal better if I knew where Perch and the tiger had gone."
"Still nothing from Perch?"
Berun shook his head. Lewan could see the worry on his face. "In this weather," said Lewan, "I'm sure he holed up somewhere."
"Under normal circumstances," said Berun, "so would a tiger. But…"
"These are hardly normal circumstances." Lewan tried to force a smile.
"And that's hardly a normal tiger. So I'll walk with the bow, rain be damned."
They left their shelter, huddled in their damp cloaks. Their breath steamed in the cool morning air.
"Walking will warm us," said Berun. "I'll risk a fire tonight to dry our things."
Lewan looked around. It almost seemed as if the gods had lifted the ocean and decided to dump it onto the Shalhoond. This was an unusually fierce storm, even for the mountain lowlands in early spring.
"You're certain we must travel in this?" Lewan had to raise his voice to be heard over the roar of the rain.
"We must," said Berun. "At best, it will be a couple of days before Sauk's men are eager to travel. But I warrant Sauk will not wait that long. He'll be after us sooner than I'd like."
"Much