The Courier’s Collection

Chapter 5

5

The journey South to Sidoa was pleasant and uneventful. The climate warmed day to day as the sun’s rays grew stronger and longer in duration. This time of year, storm activity increased. Rasha and Lu found comfortable lodging at a few nice inns they’d frequented before. Most of the time an inn would balk at their ages. Young and in trade they weren’t always offered a room on the premises. There were a few places they’d stayed that knew their reputations and allowed them access to some of the nicer establishments.

“We should be there by nightfall,” Rasha said, looking up at the orange sky. The two moons were visible to the north.

“What do you think it will be?” Lu asked.

He was referring to the fetch. “Only the gods know.”

“Jewels. I bet its jewels.” Lu pulled Temi from his pocket and set him down on the beast. He’d grown a little and could keep himself on the moving beast’s saddle.

When they reached Sidoa, they followed a small road off the main thoroughfare to the location of the fetch. The locator led them to the middle of nowhere and nothing. Lu checked the position twice.

“How can this be the place? There’s nothing here.” Rasha asked.

Lu climbed down from his tuskin and tied the reins to the nearest tree. He c****d his head and listened.

“Someone’s coming this way. It’s a wagon.”

“That’s promising,” Rasha said. “What do you see?”

“Nothing from here. I’ll climb up and see if I can get a better look. The sun is already down, so no promises.” He held Temi out to her.

“What?” Rasha asked, looking down at his hand as if he held a poisonous slithering stolken.

“He doesn’t like heights.” He grabbed her hand and put Temi down.

Temi had grown since Lu found his tin cup. His limbs now dangled over the edges of her hand while she gripped his midsection. Temi never took his little eyes off of Lu and he whined when he lost sight of him in the tree.

“There, there, little fellow, he’s just getting a better view. He’ll be right back.” She ran her thumb across his head as she’d seen Lu do and the beastie stopped crying.

A moment later, Lu was climbing back down and Temi’s whole body wiggled with joy.

Rasha pushed the little beastie back into Lu’s hands as he spoke.

“There are three men, two of them Sidoans, and they’re hauling a large crate. Looks to be heavy, we’ll need to team up our beasts to pull it.”

Rasha bit her lower lip.

“Okay, since we’re not welcomed in the kingdom we won’t be sleeping here tonight. I say we make our way back toward the inn we stayed at last night,” she said.

Lu nodded. “They have seafood, I could live there.”

“We aren’t staying long. She climbed down from her beast.

They didn’t have to wait much longer for the three men to reach them. The men were a mix of dark and light-skinned. Their trader outfits and size suggested the shady end of dealings. Temi growled as the men approached them, but soon climbed into Lu’s pack to avoid being seen.

“My hero,” Rasha said, looking at Temi. She addressed the men. “Out for an evening stroll, gentlemen?”

“Are you the Jenchat?”

“I am.”

“You’re Chilalian.”

“Yes.”

“We have a fetch.”

“Well, now, that’s convenient.”

They looked at one another with confused expressions, then at Lu and Rasha.

“How old are you children?”

Rasha didn’t like proceedings starting with this question. It meant not only did they not trust her abilities but they wouldn’t process her digital paperwork. She wasn’t in the mood to lose money. They’d travelled five days and wouldn’t even be able to trade for the famous gemstones they’d heard about.

Rasha pulled out her disk. She held it up and let the Central data do the talking for her.

The robotic female voice spoke loud enough for all of them to hear, “Rasha Jenchat, certified courier, record: one hundred percent over two rotations. Satisfaction level: ten.” Rasha pocketed the disk.

“I showed you mine, now you show me yours.”

The large brown man in front held up his square and keyed in his purchase code. His device beeped as he tapped the edge of her disk, which beeped in return.

“Fetch complete, thank you for your business,” it said.

“Are we done here?” Rasha asked.

“I hope I don’t have to tell you that this package is precious.”

“You just did,” Rasha said. She and Lu transferred the harness to their tuskins.

“Please, protect it with your life.”

“Fetch, delivery, and satisfaction guaranteed,” Lu said.

The men still seemed worried. In fact, they waited for them to ride out. The only thing that would change their minds was a successful delivery and Rasha planned to give them one. This assignment was as important as all the other ones had been for their clients.

“It’s gems, isn’t it?” Lu asked when he was sure they were out of hearing distance.

“Without a doubt,” she said. Rasha shivered. She turned in her seat to glance behind them.

“What is it?” Lu asked.

“I have the feeling we’re being watched.”

Lu looked around, then tilted his head into the wind and away.

“Anything?” she asked.

“No,” he said. “Want me to send out a pulsar?”

“No, it’s probably a wild animal looking for a morsel,” Rasha said, but she shivered again.

At the word ‘morsel’ Temi poked his little head out of the pouch and sniffed the air, letting out a low growl. Lu gave the beastie a pat on the head.

“See, Temi doesn’t believe you, either.”