Chapter 6 - The Journey Begins

The Town shops and stands of Minnin were just starting to open as Tlen and Serenity stepped outside. It took a while to find what they needed in all the crowded shops. Fortunately for them, there were only a few people wandering the streets.

After a few hours of searching, they were able to find boots, gloves, capes, and fur coats for crossing the mountain range. In their leather supplies sacks (also recently purchased) they placed a bounty of food. Well, at least enough for their long journey. To go along with that, there were two leather flasks with enough freshwater to get them past the foothills, longer on rationing.

Tlen had also managed to find a mapmaker, where he bought a map of the mountains and a few miles beyond.

Finally, well into the morning, the two started out for the looming mountains in the distance.

They had only been walking on the rolling foothills for a couple of hours when Serenity breathlessly asked Tlen to stop.

“I'm sorry. I'm just not as strong as you. The most exercise I get is in gym class once a week.”

He just smiled at her but let her take a breather.

After a little while she got up again. “I don't know how you can stand it under all that armor. You lug it around everywhere,” Serenity said, trying to break the silence that floated between them.

“Well, you never know when someone might attack. In Fayrah, it's much better safe then sorry, considering `sorry' might be lying in a ditch dead some where.”

Serenity shivered at the thought, but tried again. “So, why do we need to cross the mountains? I mean, couldn't we just go the opposite direction?”

“The opposite direction is the kingdom of Gidora. It's where all the wolf blooded traitors bide their time. Each and everyone one of them is under the control of King Zhanrayne.” Tlen looked into the distance with a look of disgust. So instead of talking, Serenity decided to just be quiet and walk. She would need all the energy she had.

Sometime later, when the sun was high in the sky, they took out some food for lunch. Serenity ate as slowly as she could, not wanting to get up for a while yet. Her feet were sore and her knees were tired, but the mountains hadn't seemed to get too much closer.

When she finished eating, she lay back on the grass staring up at the puffy clouds. It was much clearer than yesterday, but storm clouds loomed in the East, daring to make their way here. At least, she figured that was the East, considering Tlen had something about the mountains being to the West.

Serenity realized that Tlen was watching her, so she turned to look back at him.

“Time to go again?” she moaned.

“Well, if we want to find some tree cover before that storm gets here, then yeah.”

Grumbling to herself, Serenity pushed herself up onto her feet. She knew he was right, but she wasn't about to admit it openly. She still didn't know what to think of him. What if she did trust him? What if he then turned his back on her and killed her? What if it was all a lie?

She argued with herself as they continued their journey. In the end she finally came to the conclusion that Tlen was the only person she knew in this (what did he call it?) Fayrah so she basically had to trust him. If she ran away, where would she go? She didn't know this place any better than she knew the terrain of Jupiter. And he had to use that stupid ocarina just to get here (she would have to ask him about that later). So basically, she was better off with him. At least she wasn't expected to pay anything.

Her thoughts were quickly ended when she bumped into Tlen's back. When she looked around, she realized they'd reached the tree line.

“Well, we can make shelter here for the night. Tomorrow we'll be getting an early start,” he said, not even turning to her. Serenity groaned inwardly. She hated getting up early and she hated walking for long distances.

When she looked up to the sky, she noticed the sun had gone down considerably. Maybe she would survive this after all…

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