Chapter Nine The Patchwork WebLong collapsed onto the hard ground, struggling to remove the packsack from his shoulders. Once he had managed to lay it on the ground, he rummaged through it until he found a water pouch.
‘Don’t drink too much, Long,’ Mai reminded him as she looked around for some dry twigs to burn. ‘That’s all the water we have.’
Long swallowed two mouthfuls. Mai knew he could easily guzzle down all the water in the pouch.
Soon there was a fire. Akra had ignited a small dry bush with his fireruler skills. Mai tossed some sticks and twigs onto the fire to keep it burning.
‘We’ll need to make the torches,’ she said, ‘in preparation for tomorrow.’
‘I’ll search for three strong sticks,’ Akra offered, and walked away.
‘The parchment, Long,’ Mai urged.
Long rummaged through
