Jaded Dusk

by Scott Wale

  “A full day is clearly not enough time to rejuvenate the body”, Tradok replied with a smile upon seeing his Loupiq friend. “You should probably put some clothes on before you relapse into a frigid state.”

  “Has it really been that long?” Fenrit asked while retrieving his clothing and armor from around the lighting device.

  “Yes, and now I imagine you’re ready to go while these two just crashed into some sorely needed sleep”, Tradok said. “I’m glad to see that you’re alive and well. There’s no possible way I could have continued to use that thing if you had died in there.”

  “Sparing you of that is what kept me fighting”, Fenrit said with a laugh. “Since we have awhile until daylight, you may as well use it for the remainder of the night. Like you said, I’m wide awake, so I can take over guard duty from here.”

  “Thank you”, Tradok replied. “Resetting my core temperature will serve our pace well for tomorrow’s journey. Are you feeling ok?”

  “Some minor muscle aches, but the head is there”, Fenrit answered. He clasped his bracer in place and then slung his empty quiver around his back, which completed the process of dressing himself. Fenrit could still feel the pain from the wounds on his shoulder and foot, but failed to mention this to Tradok.

  “You were in there for probably too long of a period”, Tradok explained. “I wouldn’t be surprised if you stiffen up, but if that’s the worst of your problems, then you’ll be ok.”

  “Good to know”, Fenrit said. “Now don’t worry about me and go keep yourself warm. We don’t need any more delays.”

  Tradok nodded in approval of Fenrit’s command. The Sauronoid proceeded towards the torrid sleeper and quickly placed himself inside and sealed it back up. Everyone was now in a position to be fully rested by dawn.

  Fenrit took inventory of the camp’s possessions. He noticed the coating for arrows had been concocted and that a pile of wood was collected. He remembered his quiver being empty from when he had dressed himself a moment ago and realized the group must have gathered materials for him so he could restock his supply of arrows. At the edge of the light emitted from the lighting device was Fenrit’s satchel that he had missed when picking up the rest of his clothing and gear. The satchel triggered his memory of the blonde berries and he suddenly realized he was hungry. Feeding himself was the top priority and then he would get around to crafting the arrows.

  ***

  Fenrit whittled away at what was becoming a thin arrow shaft. He had picked through the limbs that Nevit had gathered and transformed them into several arrows. The process required a lot of persistence given the tools he had at hand. Finding quality parts for the arrow head and fletching weren’t easy tasks. He had to limit a forage expedition to a close enough proximity to the camp that he could still watch over the others. Fenrit was concerned his materials were subpar, but he would have to make due given the constraints. Alejade had prepared the coating for the arrows, so they would at least have one quality component.

  The others were still sleeping when Fenrit had finished crafting over a dozen arrows. He had enough coating and wood to make more arrows, but the fletching and arrow heads limited the number of arrows he could complete and he had spent enough time finding the ones he had already collected. He carved out a few additional shafts that he could keep in his quiver for now in case the opportunity to produce more arrows arose in the future. There was no telling what danger laid ahead, but a dozen arrows would have to do for now. He could always retrieve spent arrows from a defeated target, but they wouldn’t have the advantage of carrying a charge upon their second use. He promised himself he would look for materials to make the fletching and arrow heads during the upcoming travels.

  Alejade awoke not long after dawn and was stricken with relief at the sight of her brother. She spent a long moment embracing him and was granted an additional sense of relief when she felt how warm his body was compared to the night she had found him. Fenrit winced after the embrace triggering Alejade to remember the wound on his shoulder and foot. Alejade headed off to forage herself to come up with something similar to patch. If the wounds weren’t treated properly, then Fenrit’s body temperature would be the least of his concerns.

  Alejade was able to forage, concoct and apply her herbal remedy before Nevit and Tradok woke. The group ate a small breakfast as Fenrit shared his tale concluding with him diving into the lake for safety. After breakfast the group began to move with haste into the mountain pass.

  Tradok had not been inaccurate in his description of the trail. The stretch of land between the lake and swamp continued into the mountains where trees from the swamp were eventually replaced by a towering rock wall and the lake side eventually dropped off into a lower canyon placing travelers on a wide ledge. The ledge path wound its way deeper into the mountains. The serpentine path made it difficult to see too far ahead and Tradok moved with all the effort he could give following a shortened night in his torrid sleeper. The trail was easy to follow, but the faster they were off the main trail the better.

  The elevation gain was light as the landscape gradually changed from the lowlands, into the foothills and eventually into the mountainous peaks. This was a good lead-in that allowed the group to acclimate to the physical demands that lay ahead when the trail undoubtedly became more challenging. The trail so far had been pretty smooth, ground up rock that had likely been trampled into the ground from all the foot traffic the trail experienced.

  The trail came to its first fork when a mountain peak rose straight out of the middle of the path as if the peak itself had split the trail into two. The main route, which Tradok had advised to avoid, veered to the right and headed into a canyon. The alternate route to the left had the dividing mountain peak bordering the right side of the trail and a steep drop off into a valley on the left side of the trail. The trail bowed out to the left and gave way to the peak for a short distance ahead. The trail then cut back in towards the mountain where any further view of where the trail headed was obstructed by the large mountain peak.

  Tradok began leading the group along the alternate route which he had explained would fork again later on down the trail. He had only gone a few steps on the left trail when he halted. He had felt small vibrations in the ground and held up his hand to stop the rest of the party from hiking any farther. He stood in place allowing the vibrations to flow through his body. He began to feel the minute differences between each vibration. The interval and intensity spoke to them as he read each beat. Something large was heading down the main path towards the fork in the opposite direction of which they had come. He motioned to the group to quickly move ahead and follow the trail to the point where it cut behind the peak. Tradok wanted to be hidden from view of whatever was coming down the mountain pass.

  “What is it?” Fenrit asked after the group was safely behind the cover of the mountain peak.

  “Something very large is heading down the main route”, Tradok explained. “If we’re lucky, they’ll stay on the main route and we won’t have to worry about it. I’ll take a look at what it is, but be prepared to run if it heads up this way.”

  “I didn’t hear anything”, Nevit offered.

  “I could feel it in the ground”, Tradok said. “I think it was a ways off, so you have a bit to rest up.”

  “What uses these trails?” Alejade asked while motioning to Jandra to come down from soaring above the group’s head to Alejade’s side.

  “Nothing that should be making this much of an impact from this far away”, Tradok said cautiously.

  The group waited while Tradok continuously poked his head around a rock for a glimpse at the point of the trail where it forked. He pulled himself back behind the cover of the rock and closed his eyes to concentrate once more on the vibrations. They were definitely growing stronger, which only meant they were closer. He continued in his meditative state until he thought he had pinpointed the exact location of the source.

  “I can hear something now”, Fenrit an
nounced breaking Tradok’s concentration.

  “They should be at the fork in just a moment”, Tradok declared. “I’m going to poke my head out once when I think they are moving by to catch a quick look.”

  Tradok paused for another moment and then slowly wrapped his head around the edge of the rock careful not to reveal too much of his body. He saw movement down below at the fork as the marching bodies continued down the mountain pass towards Lake Ulea where the group had begun the day. Tradok let his eyes focus and it didn’t take long to recognize the metallic beings. Cymutts were marching in a phalanx formation down the trail. Tradok stared as row after row of cymutts poured down the mountain pass.

  “What do you see”, Fenrit interrupted his observation.

  “Cymutts”, Tradok said pulling his head back behind the safety of the rock. “They are headed down the pass though.”

  “Where do you think they’re headed?” Nevit asked.

  “It’s too big to be a patrol”, Tradok reasoned. “They must be off to raid somewhere.”

  Fenrit pushed Tradok aside at the sound of the word ‘raid’ and took a look for himself. Just as Tradok had seen, row after row of cymutts marched across Fenrit’s field of view. The phalanx formation reminded Fenrit of the Xyids he had watched in battle the night following the destruction of Dimday.

  “Where to next?” Fenrit asked suppressing the boost of rage he felt at the sight of the cymutts.

  “We continue up the trail until it forks again”, Tradok directed.

  Fenrit took the lead and began heading up the trail indifferent on whether the others were following him. There was no more time to be wasted and he was going to push himself until Prominence was in view. Fenrit took a considerable lead until the others realized he had gone on ahead. The rest of the group hurried to catch up with Tradok struggling the most to adjust to Fenrit’s brisk pace.

  Shortly after the path had forked, the group realized the hike was going to be much more than an endurance challenge. The trail after the fork changed dramatically. The rocks that made up the trail were not only loose, but craggy and larger which severely slowed down the pace of the hike, even for a determined Fenrit. The trail also began to narrow to the point where the width matched that of three beings standing shoulder to shoulder. For this reason the group started to travel single file so that no one was close to the edge. The group reached the second fork exhausted from the trail conditions despite the short distance between the two forks.

  The second fork carried straight into a cave in the distance. The other route cut left and looked to narrow before it went around the mountainside. The mountainside route also switched from larger, unsteady rocks to scree. One had to assume the trail wrapped around the mountain and came out the other side, but one couldn’t follow the path for long from the vantage point at the fork before the mountain obstructed the view just as the view had been obstructed at the first fork.

  “Which way now?” Fenrit asked with a hint of frustration in his voice.

  “We want to keep to the left”, Tradok said. “The path straight ahead takes us into the network of caves, which is the more difficult trail to follow. Assuming you can get through the system of caves, once you get out you have a difficult climb to get up to Prominence. It’s not noticeable while you’re hiking, but you lose a lot of elevation going through the caves and you make it back up and then some trying to climb up to Prominence.”

  “The trail to the left doesn’t look all that promising to me”, Nevit commented.

  “Scree is not a friend of the feet”, Tradok admitted. “Your feet will hurt, but just be glad you have protection beyond some scales. The smallest pebbles will get between my scales and it sometimes takes days to pick them all out or let them dislodge themselves naturally.”

  “And the distance?” Fenrit asked trying to keep the conversation relevant to the journey.

  “We’re moving slower than I had estimated”, Tradok began. “I’m already feeling drained of energy for the day. We should setup camp just inside the cave and then start again tomorrow. That will allow us to complete the rest of the trail before dusk tomorrow, which is when we’ll need the raptor.”

  Jandra circled above staying close to the group as Alejade had instructed of her. She could have been used to scout again, but Alejade feared the unknown territory could potentially separate the two groups for a lot longer than anticipated. Keeping Jandra close was also ideal as the grounded members of the group had previously agreed that they would need Jandra’s skills the most when they approached Prominence.

  “We continue until we get closer to dusk”, Fenrit ordered. “If that means a slower pace, then we go at a slower pace.”

  “If it was a matter of pushing myself, then I’d comply, but I’m beginning to lock up under these cold conditions”, Tradok dissented.

  “What if you carry the lighting device?” Fenrit asked. “Will that be enough heat to keep you moving?”

  Tradok glared at Fenrit for even suggesting the thought. The Sauronoid was fully aware of the eagerness to complete the quest. Laying eyes on Prominence would likely put Fenrit at ease, but even hiking into the night wouldn’t get them far enough for that to happen.

  “We can try it”, Tradok said relenting to the proposal. “But we should continue in case the wind picks up. There isn’t much coverage on the first part of this trail. I’ll take the lead back if you don’t mind, Fenrit. I don’t like burdening the group, but leading will allow me to set a pace that will hopefully help my body avoid shutting down. I’m not willing to have my first hibernation be out here. Also, you may want to do yourself a favor and not look over the edge on this one.”

  Alejade gripped her staff tight at the sound of Tradok’s words. She considered herself fortunate to be carrying it along. It hadn’t been of much use until the hike in the mountains. She had used it to test the stability of rocks and give herself more balance when the narrow trail along the edge invoked a dizzying sensation. The crutch had served its purpose both easing the physical demands of the journey on her body and easing her mind.

  The group proceeded along the narrowing mountain trail heeding Tradok’s advice to keep their focus straight ahead. The trail eventually shed its treacherous appearance and put everyone at ease when the trail widened and the hikers were able to put a lot more distance between themselves and a cliff that meant certain death for any unfortunate beings that would fall over it. The scree also disappeared and turned into large, flat boulders. It was definitely easier on the feet of the hikers, but wouldn’t be ideal if any moisture were to cover the boulders. Fortunately, the weather had cooperated with no rain or snow and more importantly very little wind.

  Hiking felt easy again and the only battle was against the slight elevation gain. Endurance was something each member of the group possessed and while the trail still wasn’t visible for any considerable distance ahead, all the group members felt a little more confidant they could make it to the end. The travels so far had been quiet as each member of the group was either concentrating on where they were hiking or taking in the beautiful scenery. Alejade thought it was appropriate to now change this dynamic and continue the boost to morale they all had felt.

  “Is this getting easier or am I getting stronger?” Alejade said.

  “We’re through the most difficult part of the trail”, Tradok answered. “If you can handle this, then you’ll do fine with the remainder. The incline will pick up on the final push to Prominence tomorrow, but the trail itself isn’t physically demanding now that we’re past the scree.”

  “You have my sympathies for what you’re putting yourself through, because my feet are hurting despite my sturdy boots”, Alejade commented. “I’m quite amazed you’ve done this before, yet still commit to no protection for your feet.”

  “A Sauronoid’s scales are protective against most things”, Tradok began. “There’s really no need for footwear other than in this situation and there isn’t exactly a market for the item. T
hat means I’d have to fashion them myself. I’d argue I have some engineer in me, but no tailor.”

  “When we get through this, I’ll make you a pair”, Alejade replied realizing that a conversation kept her mind off the demands of hiking.

  “When we get through this, I hope to never have to go through these mountains again”, Tradok said.

  “Good thing the cymutts didn’t detect us”, Nevit said.

  “The ones constructed under my watch never had bio scanners”, Tradok explained. “There’s too much activity among living things, even in the mountains, to make it worth the installation. They’d end up checking out every insignificant movement if they had been installed. Remember, they were originally built for security, so we wanted them to inspect the unusual. That’s why they can detect electromagnetic pulses, which are pretty infrequent up here.”

  “Have you ever done that section after the fork when there’s wind?” Alejade asked in an attempt to change the conversation away from the unpleasant thought of cymutts.

  “Only once and it was a light wind”, Tradok replied. “I’ve been in winds that are heavy enough to push even me around, but that particular day was nothing more than a nuisance blowing in my face.”

  “I can’t imagine balance is easy for you with your large stature”, Alejade commented which was met with uncontrollable laughter from Nevit.

  “Keep it to yourself, Mortoptera”, Tradok snapped.

  “What’s so funny?” Alejade asked.

  “Sooner or later they’ll find out”, Nevit said.

  “Only because you have an unhealthy obsession about it”, Tradok responded.

  “I’ll say no more without your permission”, Nevit offered.

  “We’ve broached the subject at least once before in front of them, so let’s get it out”, Tradok conceded.

  “What is going on?” Alejade asked with more curiosity than before.

  “Shall I explain or would you like to take the honors?” Nevit asked in faux politeness.