The Lord of the Plains

by Sarah Chapman

Chapter 52

  It was difficult to tell the passing of time with the sky so dark. Day seemed no brighter than night. The gemengs watched them. They watched the gemengs. But nothing happened while it rained.

  Riley and Aerlid ate from their supplies. They got as dry as was possible under the tent.

  The fat gemeng just kept blowing, keeping the tent aloft.

  And then the rain lightened. A few spots of sky appeared in the cloud layer. As the day wore on the clouds disappeared.

  Riley stared up at the blue sky and the shining sun.

  It was so quiet without the rain.

  How could it be so bright after so much darkness?

  The fires were put out. The tent floated down slowly.

  Aerlid and Riley quickly got out of the way as the tent was packed up.

  The world felt strange and new. Riley looked around, she was surprised to find they were not on an island in the middle of an ocean.

  Just the grass, blowing in a light breeze.

  She turned back to the gemengs. They had come to the Plains so that she might fight and test herself. But these people had given them shelter, even if it had been unwillingly.

  She studied the gemengs as they worked. They were a strange, motley group. Big, small, furry, skinned. A lot of sharp claws. Some had tails. Some didn’t. But they were not the same as the gemengs from Astar, Garrondin or the gemeng village of her youth. They moved with a savage confidence and pride none of the others had had.

  She didn’t really want to fight them.

  Besides, they were only on the edge of the Plains, and that creature she had fought had not been in the least bit challenging.

  If she wanted to find some really dangerous gemengs she would have to go further in.

  So while the gemengs were packing up, she and Aerlid quietly slipped away.

  ‘I guess we shouldn’t go too far in.’ Riley reluctantly announced the next day. ‘In case we run into trouble.’

  ‘We won’t.’ Aerlid replied calmly.

  Riley’s eyes were instantly on him. She noted the arrangement of his features, the tone of his voice. All in all, it seemed a rather odd position to take when travelling through the Plains.

  It was not something Riley could let lie unquestioned.

  ‘Why do you say that?’ she asked.

  A slow smile spread across his face.

  Riley was used to Aerlid responding strangely to her questions so she remained unbothered by his response and instead focussed on walking. The ground was muddy, though most of the water had soaked into the earth. It was much drier than yesterday, at least.

  Riley had never travelled through the long grasses that made up the plains, so it took her some time to be able to travel silently. They hadn’t been attacked by anything so perhaps she was doing alright. Perhaps they were being followed.

  ‘So you want to know?’ Aerlid prompted when she did not say anything for some time.

  He sounded almost eager.

  ‘Yes.’ Riley replied.

  ‘Well, the answer is long. Are you sure you want to hear it?’

  ‘Have you been here before?’ Riley asked instead.

  ‘Why do you ask that?’ Aerlid demanded.

  ‘Well if you know this place well, then I’ll trust your judgement.’

  ‘No, no!’ He protested. ‘You wanted to know!’

  Riley had already made the decision, however. ‘It’s alright. We’ll head to the centre then.’

  ‘Riley, I really think you should ask me why I’m not concerned about the plains people.’

  ‘You can tell me if you like.’

  Aerlid spent the rest of the day cursing her incurious nature and demanding she demand answers from him.

  Riley spent the rest of the day ignoring him.