The Courier’s Collection

Chapter 23

23

Lu and Jak wouldn’t stop singing and it was making Rasha’s teeth grind together. Their fluency in the language of the mermen was astounding; even she had to admit that it was skillful. They encouraged her to join but she refused. Singing was not a skill she’d learned. Chiza didn’t sing along, either. She enjoyed it though, because she clapped with enthusiasm after every single song. By the time they reached the border between the Wilds and Chilali, Rasha knew she couldn’t go any further. Things would change tomorrow, and she needed one night of peace to prepare herself.

The sun hadn’t gone down yet, but Rasha could already feel the cold creeping into her bones. She pulled the cloak tighter around her ears and neck. Jak rubbed his hands together and blew into them. Lu busied himself with making the fire as Chiza danced in place hopping from one foot to the other and rubbing her arms. They were only one kingdom away from Adalu and then this whole delivery would be behind her.

“You know you’re irresistible when you get that worry line down the middle of your forehead?” Jak asked.

Rasha looked up as he spoke. She’d been so far in the back of her mind she hadn’t understood him at first.

“What?”

“Where were you just now?” He reached up and touched her face with the back of his hand. “You have nothing to worry about.”

Rasha pulled away from him. “Not now.”

Lu caught her eye as she gathered more wood for their fire. The trees in this part of the Wilds were thriving, and although most of them were bare, a few kept their bright foliage She brought the wood she’d collected to Lu, who added it as needed to his growing fire.

“What’s wrong with my purple princess?” Jak asked.

Rasha’s head snapped up, as did Chiza’s.

“Don’t call me that,” she growled.

Jak held up his hands and shrugged.

“Have you ever known a girl so disagreeable?” he asked Lu.

One look from Rasha and Lu held his tongue. Lu, Chiza, and Jak ate while discussing the change of scenery. Rasha kept to herself. She even sat a little apart from the others. Rasha couldn’t get out of her own head. The thought of her home in Chilali weighed on her. Would they still be angry with her for leaving? What would her parents say? Did they know of her reputation as a courier? Did they even care about her accomplishments?

Rasha stared at the fire but found no answers there. The smoke rose into the night and then dissipated into the black. Above them, the constellations brightened the heavens. The two moons were doing their best to brighten the night and doing a fine job. The blue moon hung in the east and seemed to be right above them, while the orange one to the south seemed to kiss of the horizon.

“Rasha, would you like more?” Chiza asked.

Rasha looked down at her plate. She hadn’t touched it. She shook her head. Most of the night she’d kept to herself and gained inner calm, despite her lack of appetite. Instead of waiting for him to come to her again, she called Jak over, making it clear she had something important to tell him. He gave her a wary look, but shrugged and joined her. She couldn’t blame him for being confused, she’d snapped at him most of the day.