From Across the Clouded Range
Page 52
#
Dasen fell into a steady rhythm. He ran until he was doubled over in pain, until he thought he would collapse, then he would clutch his side and gasp until he had recovered enough to start again. He saw Teth only rarely, so he had only his thoughts – most of which centered around how much it hurt to run – to distract him. When Teth did appear, she would dart toward him, offer a few words of encouragement, then fly off again. She never seemed to tire and did not even appear to be winded.
Still, Dasen wondered if she would be as spry carrying the pack rather than the satchel that she had saved for herself. The pack had become the bane of his existence, catching branches and weighing on his overburdened legs. He thought about leaving it but knew that Teth would probably send him back for it, so he kept plodding along, wishing that the thing would get lighter rather than heavier as it seemed to be doing.
He had just started running again when he saw a familiar streak appear through the shadows of the trail in front of him. Teth waved him to the side and ducked into the trees herself. He was happy to comply. He darted under a tall fir and immediately bent in half, panting.
The patter of an insect’s wings reverberated over his head a second later. He looked up to see the thing that was making his breath catch despite his panting need for air but caught no more than a glimpse of the creature. Still, he could tell that it was not like any of the other things he had seen to this point, looking most like a huge dragonfly without a tail. From what he could tell, none of the creatures was alike. They varied from the size of a house to no larger than a dog in as my adaptations as he could ever imagine. The only thing that unified them was how universally terrifying they were.
“How are you doing?” and a hand on his arm nearly sent Dasen from his skin. He gasped and held his racing heart. Teth just looked at him, waiting for a reply.
It took him a long second to give it. “I’m tired, but I can keep going. Are we close to the bridge?”
“Not close enough.” Teth’s tone held surprisingly little scorn. She moved her hand to his face then down to his chest. Her eyes scanned him. “I know you want to abandon that pack, but we're going to need it, so keep it as long as you can, alright?”
Dasen could only nod.
“The things above are becoming more frequent,” Teth continued, “but they obviously can’t see through the trees, and they seem reluctant to leave the air. That said, I climbed a hill over there and saw movement in the trees behind us. They're still a ways off, but they’re gaining fast. You really need to push, okay?”
Dasen nodded again. Teth's words were making him anxious. He was ready to go. Adding to that, she was looking at him in a way that made his stomach flip. It only doubled his desire to run.
“Here, I got this from a plant up the trail.” Teth handed him a small bundle of leaves. “Chew on it. It will give you energy, and it tastes pretty good too.” Dasen took the bundle of leaves and rolled it between his fingers. Before he could put to leaves in his mouth, Teth grabbed him behind the head, rose to her toes, and kissed him. It was a small kiss but intense, and it left him gawking.
“Encouragement,” she said with a sly smile as she stepped back to the trail.
Dasen could not even hope to reply, but somehow he managed to put the leaves in his mouth and run after her. His thoughts were so absorbed with the shock of that kiss that he did not even notice how much it hurt.