Mixed feelings
Sray dug into the box and handed Kallon a couple fruits before reaching over and handing one to Kem. "Do you need a break, Kem?"
"Thanks, I'm fine." She took the offered fruit before asking the pair to pick up a trot again. "We'll trade off after the first relay."
"Oh, Kallon, this is Kem Aldai."
"I've heard about you." Kallon said between bites. "Thank you for helping."
"You're welcome. I wish we could have met at Enegama instead, but this will have to do."
He turned to Sray. "She knew I was supposed to go?" He asked Sray in Getier.
"Yes, and you never told me what you decided."
Looking down he rolled the remaining fruit between his hands. "Yes ... I never did."
"It doesn't matter now. Dohman is behind us and Enegama is ahead."
Kallon jerked his head up. "What?" Even in the semi-dark of early dawn Sray could see the flash of fear in his eyes.
"We can't just go home. They would follow us."
His lips were pressed tight and the muscles in his jaw twitched.
"Would you want them knowing where we live?"
"They don't already?"
"No, they don't share those records."
"Then how did they find me?"
Sray sighed. "We don't know for sure, but we suspect it was someone who transferred form Enegamam to Dohman last year.
Kallon snorted and looked out at the empty fields. It was quiet and dark. The cold air was crisp inhis nostrtils and his breath came out in small clouds of warm vapor. He took in all the sensations he had been depribed of for months, fresh air, a slight breeze ruffling his hair and fur, the bite of the cold winter air. He was out, he was free. Keeping ahead of Tridan and his men was the most important thing right now. He was not going back.
"Let's just put that place behind us." He said finally.
"I hate to interrupt," Kem turned around, "but we have someone coming down the road towards us. Now would be a good time to try to blend in a bit."
Kallon grunted in response and pulled the hood back down further over his head and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and hands together, head tucked between them. It seemed to take forever, but dark skin replaced ruddy fur. He let out a heavy groan then put his face in his hands. It was another minute before he slowly sat up. He stared at his right hand, flexed and unflexed it as he turned it over a few times and shook his head. "The markings aren't going anywhere yet. Do you have gloves?"
"Yes," Sray said quietly. His natural form hid some of it, but now ... now it was painfully obvious. Arms that were once muscular from working iron were thin, his cheeks hard-edged and sunken. Usually he kept his hair short like their father, but his bangs now hung in his eyes and he pushed them back in annoyance. She handed him the gloves but then held on to his hands. "Your hands are cold, Kallon." They were shaking slightly as well.
"I thought you didn't get cold." Kem said.
"Only if we're at the end of our strength." Sray said softly and carefully sent heat through her hands to his. For a moment it felt like he was going to pull away, but then he closed his hands around Sray's and locked eyes.
"Thanks," he mumbled.
"I"m sorry," Sray whispered back.
One of the horses rumbled a deep, throaty nicker to the approaching team.
"Good morning!" Kem called cheerfully as they briefly crossed paths with the wagon laden with barrels.
"Morning," the man tipped his hat and encouraged his team of heavy horses on.
"Thanks, I'm fine." She took the offered fruit before asking the pair to pick up a trot again. "We'll trade off after the first relay."
"Oh, Kallon, this is Kem Aldai."
"I've heard about you." Kallon said between bites. "Thank you for helping."
"You're welcome. I wish we could have met at Enegama instead, but this will have to do."
He turned to Sray. "She knew I was supposed to go?" He asked Sray in Getier.
"Yes, and you never told me what you decided."
Looking down he rolled the remaining fruit between his hands. "Yes ... I never did."
"It doesn't matter now. Dohman is behind us and Enegama is ahead."
Kallon jerked his head up. "What?" Even in the semi-dark of early dawn Sray could see the flash of fear in his eyes.
"We can't just go home. They would follow us."
His lips were pressed tight and the muscles in his jaw twitched.
"Would you want them knowing where we live?"
"They don't already?"
"No, they don't share those records."
"Then how did they find me?"
Sray sighed. "We don't know for sure, but we suspect it was someone who transferred form Enegamam to Dohman last year.
Kallon snorted and looked out at the empty fields. It was quiet and dark. The cold air was crisp inhis nostrtils and his breath came out in small clouds of warm vapor. He took in all the sensations he had been depribed of for months, fresh air, a slight breeze ruffling his hair and fur, the bite of the cold winter air. He was out, he was free. Keeping ahead of Tridan and his men was the most important thing right now. He was not going back.
"Let's just put that place behind us." He said finally.
"I hate to interrupt," Kem turned around, "but we have someone coming down the road towards us. Now would be a good time to try to blend in a bit."
Kallon grunted in response and pulled the hood back down further over his head and leaned forward with his elbows on his knees and hands together, head tucked between them. It seemed to take forever, but dark skin replaced ruddy fur. He let out a heavy groan then put his face in his hands. It was another minute before he slowly sat up. He stared at his right hand, flexed and unflexed it as he turned it over a few times and shook his head. "The markings aren't going anywhere yet. Do you have gloves?"
"Yes," Sray said quietly. His natural form hid some of it, but now ... now it was painfully obvious. Arms that were once muscular from working iron were thin, his cheeks hard-edged and sunken. Usually he kept his hair short like their father, but his bangs now hung in his eyes and he pushed them back in annoyance. She handed him the gloves but then held on to his hands. "Your hands are cold, Kallon." They were shaking slightly as well.
"I thought you didn't get cold." Kem said.
"Only if we're at the end of our strength." Sray said softly and carefully sent heat through her hands to his. For a moment it felt like he was going to pull away, but then he closed his hands around Sray's and locked eyes.
"Thanks," he mumbled.
"I"m sorry," Sray whispered back.
One of the horses rumbled a deep, throaty nicker to the approaching team.
"Good morning!" Kem called cheerfully as they briefly crossed paths with the wagon laden with barrels.
"Morning," the man tipped his hat and encouraged his team of heavy horses on.