by Isaac Crowe
Eve grinned slyly. “You bet I did, but then I figured as helpless as you are there was no telling whether you’d ever make it back alive or not. So, I figured I had better get my last goodbye in while I had a chance.”
Tyco and Mr. Penna had heard the commotion and came up behind Max. Mr. Penna nodded at the bedroll and backpack Eve had slung behind her.
“Good morning, Miss Evangeline. I see you have decided to come along with us after all.”
“Yep!”
Max had not expected that. He had missed the backpack when she arrived. He only knew that last night she certainly did not want to go. Now he was confused, which happened a lot around Eve.
“I thought you only came to see us off.”
Eve swung the backpack down to the ground. “You really aren’t very observant, are you? Worse yet, it’s not even dark this time.”
Max’s face flushed red. “Now wait…” but before he could finish Mrs. Tassi arrived, somewhat out of breath. Tyco used the opening to speak.
“I’m glad you could make it in time to say goodbye, Evangeline. Unfortunately, I’m sorry to say, you won’t be able to go with us since the only horses Hektor has left need to stay here for the villagers.”
Eve shrugged, unconcerned. “That’s okay, Tyco. I can walk.”
Tyco snorted. “Walk! It’s over a week’s time, even by horseback, to the capital.”
Eve got annoyed. “Unless you plan on riding full out the whole way, I’ll have no trouble keeping up.”
Mr. Penna broke in before things could go further. “I’m sure you can, Evangeline. Besides, you can ride with Maxwell for at least part of the trip. Starlight will hardly notice the difference.”
Eve perked back up. “That sounds great, Mr. Penna.” Eve narrowed her eyes at Max. “At least someone doesn’t think I weigh too much.”
Max threw his arms up. “You were crouched on my chest!”
Having finally caught her breath, Mrs. Tassi said. “Well, now that that’s settled, you’d best be on your way.”
Behind them Tyco turned Teak back around and start off again, but not before Max saw the agitation in his face. He wondered why it bothered Tyco so much that Eve decided to join them.
Oh well, maybe he’s just grumpy in the mornings. I know I prefer to sleep in.
Max reached down and helped Eve up behind him. She squeezed tight against his back, surprising him. Usually she left a little space between them, but that was without the packs strapped on Starlight. Max felt a little awkward and caught a funny grin on Mrs. Tassi’s face. He looked away and she cleared her throat.
“Well, now that you two are comfy, I brought a little of my cooking for you.”
She reached into the basket she had been carrying and brought out a cloth bundle. Max took the bundle and passed it under his nose.
“They’re biscuits I made this morning. Since they’re fresh, they’ll be good until you reach Moenia. Be sure to save them until you get close. Trust me, after a few days of those travel rations you’ll be ready for some of my biscuits.”
“Okay, Mrs. Tassi, we’ll wait. Thank you.”
Max put the bundle in one of the side packs fastened to Starlight.
“You’d better. Now,” Mrs. Tassi held out her hand, “that will be one silver piece.”
Max jerked straight which caused him to bump Eve who shoved him back. “A silver piece?”
Mrs. Tassi stifled a laugh and did her best to act serious. “You didn’t think those were free, did you? I do run a cafe, after all. Can’t just be giving food away.”
Max’s shoulders sagged. “But a whole silver piece. Don’t you think that’s a bit much?”
“Just think of it as back pay for all the food you’ve helped yourself to over the years. With you taking off across the dead lands, who knows when I’d ever get my due.”
“But…”
By this time, Mr. Penna had begun to laugh so heartily he needed to grab his saddle horn to keep from falling off the horse. “Just pay her, Maxwell. You are not going to win against Mrs. Tassi.”
Max knew Mr. Penna was right. He gave in and dug one of the few silver coins he had out of his pocket.
“Okay, here you go.”
“Thank you, Max.” Mrs. Tassi took the coin and put it in her apron pocket. “Oh, I almost forgot.” She reached back in the basket and pulled out a smaller bundle. “This is for you, Eve.”
Eve reached down and took the bundle from Mrs. Tassi. She peeped under the wrappings and giggled a moment before a more contemplative look appeared. “Thank you, Mother.”
Mrs. Tassi smiled brightly at Eve. “You’re welcome.”
Max tried to turn around to face Eve but with her so close behind him he couldn’t. “What is it? When did you start calling Mrs. Tassi Mother?”
Eve put the bundle in her pocket. “It’s none of your business. Let’s get going.”
Eve kicked her heels into Starlight, who jolted forward at a fast trot. Max quickly faced forward to steady himself, but shouted back at Eve.
“I’m starting to think it was a mistake asking you along.”
Eve laughed merrily. “And just think, it’s only the first day.”
Max shook his head as he got Starlight to slow down. His thoughts swirled around the adventure ahead while Eve strained to hear the conversation between Mr. Penna and Mrs. Tassi back at the stable.
“Do not worry, Mrs. Tassi. I will wait as long as possible to tell him about Evangeline’s papers. He won’t like it at first, but I think he will understand soon enough. He is much like his father.”
“Thank you, Mr. Penna.”
Mr. Penna chuckled. “I will say, you are a sly one, Mrs. Tassi. It is no wonder why that girl gives Maxwell so much trouble. She is your daughter through and through, adopted or not.”
“I’ve done all I can for her. She’s on her own now.”
“Not if Maxwell becomes…”
Starlight carried Eve out of hearing distance, but that was fine. She had heard enough. Both Mr. Penna and her mother had faith in Max. She had to trust them that things would turn out okay. Eve, though she had no fear of falling, wrapped her arms around Max.
CHAPTER FIVE
Tyco kept them at an easy pace as they left Swiftwater. To the west of them loomed the dead lands, beyond which lay Moenia, the capital and their eventual destination. To the north and east stretched open plains in which Max and Eve had spent most of their childhood riding and playing. The safest way to cross the dead lands lay towards the north at the Clanrye River.
Max grew excited at the thought of seeing the river and everything that lay beyond. Starlight picked up on Max’s excitement and began to trot. They had not gone far before hearing a shout from Tyco.
“Slow it down a little there, Max.”
Max pulled back on Starlight’s reins. “Whoa!” Max turned to look back at Tyco. “Sorry, guess Starlight is a little excited.”
Eve giggled. “Yeah, it’s all Starlight’s fault. I’m sure she’s very excited to go and see the capital.”
Max turned to look over his shoulder. “You know, you could be walking right now.”
Eve smiled. “Yep, and I’d probably get there quicker.”
Tyco and Mr. Penna caught back up to Max. They now rode three abreast. Tyco eyed Starlight.
“Starlight’s a fine horse, but she’ll need that energy for crossing the dead lands. It is not a path you mosey along on, enjoying the scenery as you go.”
“But don’t the Protectors have camps along the path?”
“They do, but they are spaced far enough apart that you need to keep moving from first light till dusk in order to make it from one to the next. Otherwise, you’ll be caught out in the dark between camps. Nighttime in the dead lands is a very unpleasant experience.”
“What about those who don’t have horses?”
“If you absolutely have to travel by foot, then you do so in large, well-armed groups. However, Protectors provide horses for ren
t on both sides of the dead lands.”
Eve let out a snicker. “Well isn’t that nice of them. Let me guess, you have to pay a fee at each of the camps along the way as well.”
“It helps pay for the cost of having members of the Protectors stationed at the camps.” Tyco nudged Teak a little ahead of the others.
Eve snorted in disgust. Max elbowed her and spoke up so Tyco could still hear him. “Makes sense to me. It’s like paying to stay at an inn.”
Max could feel the cold stare from Eve. “I suppose, as long as it’s a fair price.”
To ease the tension, Max had Starlight slow a bit until they were several lengths behind Tyco and Mr. Penna where he began telling Eve what he thought they might see on their trip. She held silent at first, but soon joined with her own ideas.
In the early evening when they stopped to make camp. Not long after everyone had dismounted, Mr. Penna called out to Eve.
“Evangeline, can you come over here and give me a hand please?”
“Yep!”
Eve walked over to Mr. Penna, who had stopped a little short of the others. He leaned over and whispered something to her before she began to help him unpack. That surprised Max. Usually he had to do the grunt work. He shrugged his shoulders and went to work unpacking his own things.
What are they up to?
Max finished unpacking about the time Eve and Mr. Penna, with the mare in tow, rejoined the rest of them. Mr. Penna tethered his mare to Teak and left them and Starlight to graze. Tyco and Max had no fear of them running away; both had long since proven dedicated to their masters.
Everyone sat down together in a circle to enjoy a meal of dried meat and fruit before the sun set. By the time they finished, the stars and moon had appeared in the clear night sky giving them light to see by. As they enjoyed the cool night, Max watched Eve take out the small bundle Mrs. Tassi had given her. She carefully unwrapped it, revealing a wedge of cheese. Max’s eyebrows furrowed.
“I didn’t think you liked cheese, Eve?”
“I don’t,” Eve gave her usual mischievous grin, “but it’s not for me.”
“Then who?”
Eve reached into her shirt pocket and pulled out a brown and white mouse. With an expression that dared Max to say something, she placed the furry little thing on the ground in front of her.
Max sat in complete disbelief. He watched Eve as she broke off a piece of the cheese and held it out in front of the mouse. It took the cheese immediately and started to nibbling. Eve lay down on her stomach, propped her head up in her hands and watched her new friend eat. Max shook his head. At times he really did think she was crazy.
“I’m not sure which I’m having a harder time believing: that you brought that thing with you or that Mrs. Tassi actually gave you cheese to feed it.”
Mr. Penna, who sat next to Max, watched Eve and her mouse as well. He let out a soft chuckle.
“Despite her fussing, Mrs. Tassi has quite a soft spot for all creatures of Velrune, though I doubt it was for the mouse in this case.” Mr. Penna broke out into a hardy laugh. “People, on the other hand, should be wary of her.”
Max sighed. “Well, I guess if the little guy is coming with us we might as well give him his share.”
Max reached into his saddle pack and brought out a piece of bread. He broke off a corner and tossed it over to the mouse. The crumb barely touched the ground before the mouse snatched it, ran over to Eve and hopped back into her shirt pocket.
Eve giggled and looked over at Max with a twinkle in her eye. She gave him an odd smile that he had not seen before.
“Thanks Maxy.”
Max tried to figure out the her expression and only half paid attention as she continued.
“Oh, and, by the way, her name is Spook.”
Still confused, Max jumped when Tyco interrupted them. “I think it’s about time we got to sleep. After tomorrow, we have a lot of hard riding ahead of us. We’ll need all the rest we can get.”
Tyco stood and walked over to his bedroll. He lay down and quickly went to sleep. Eve rolled over onto her back, so as not to squish Spook, and soon fell asleep herself. Max shook his head and heard a soft chuckle from Mr. Penna.
“I don’t understand her, Mr. Penna.”
“Nor will you ever, Maxwell, not completely. Do not worry though. It is more important that you try, not so much that you actually do. Over the next couple of weeks you must remember that.”
Max shook his head again. “I don’t understand you either. Do you ever just say what you mean?”
Mr. Penna rocked back, slapping his knee and laughing. “There are times you are so much like your father, Maxwell.”
Mr. Penna faced out into the open plains and grew somber. “I believe Mrs. Tassi has put her trust in the right person.”
Max wondered what Mrs. Tassi had to do with the conversation. “What?”
Mr. Penna cleared his throat as he shook off the thought. “Tyco is right, Maxwell. We will need our rest. Get to sleep.”
Max sighed. He knew he wouldn’t get any more information. He flopped down on the ground and fell asleep. Dreams of cats and mice playing together all across Velrune filled his night.
The next morning, the four repacked their gear with Spook supervising from atop Eve’s shoulder. Max mounted Starlight and bent to help Eve up behind him. He noticed at once that she now wore a pink band around her neck. It was about a half inch in width and had a small pink stone set in the front.
“I’ve never seen you wear that before.”
Eve crossed her arms. “Mrs. Tassi gave it to me before we left. It’s popular to wear them in Moenia.”
Max looked at it with some amusement. “If you say so.”
To Max, the band resembled a collar you would find on someone’s pet. The stone looked smooth and seemed to give off a very faint glow unlike anything Max had previously seen. Eve’s crossed arms, however, warned him to drop the subject. He helped her on the horse.
The landscape changed little as they rode north, so Max grew excited when in the afternoon he spotted a line of trees that spanned the horizon.
“Finally, we’re getting somewhere.”
In response, Max heard the familiar, dry, voice Mr. Pennas used in his classes.
“That would be the river Clanrye. The Clanrye starts as a spring in the mountains to the far northeast. Several springs empty into it as it winds down the mountains and across the plains. It then flows over the cliffs and into the dead lands, sustaining the camps below. We will be crossing it shortly before the dropoff as the trail down lies on the other side.”
Max rolled his eyes. “You really do plan on stuffing me with as much information as possible on this trip, don’t you?”
Mr. Penna laughed. “There is always something to be learned, Maxwell.”
The four soon reached the edge of the river. Tyco scanned the bank.
“There should be a ferry somewhere near here that we can use to cross.”
Eve stared nervously at the rushing water and moaned. “A ferry? I was sure I remembered crossing over on a bridge.”
Tyco looked back at Eve. “You most likely crossed at Hedgewood. Unfortunately, that is almost a four day ride to the east.” A grin formed on his face. “We’ll understand if you’re too frightened to cross and continue with us.”
Eve’s eyes stayed fixed on the river as it cascaded down the steep slopes not far to their left. She gave a slight quiver. She really didn’t like Tyco.
“No, I’m going.”
Max twisted around on the horse.
“When did you cross the river, Eve?”
Eve’s voice was distant. “Back when Mr. and Mrs. Tassi brought me to Swiftwater.”
The grin left Tyco’s face and he started riding towards the east. “Let’s head up the river a bit. The crossing shouldn’t be far.”
Max tried to question Eve further, but he could not draw her attention. Before long, they came to a dock with a large winch. On the far side o
f the river, Max spotted the ferry. Tyco nodded towards it.
“There it is on the other side. We’ll have to pull it back using the winch.”
Tyco dismounted Teak, walked over to the winch and began to turn the attached wheel. Everyone else, except Eve, got off of the horses. She turned to Mr. Penna.
“Um, just how wide is the river?”
Mr. Penna answered without hesitation. “Three hundred and twenty feet; give or take a few feet.”
“A-and how deep?”
“Twenty-five feet in the center.”
Tyco looked up from the winch, that unpleasant grin back.
“Sure you want to go with us Eve? If you’re not careful you might end up going for a swim. Well, I guess lacarnians don’t swim, do they?”
Mr. Penna turned to Eve.
“Don’t worry, Evangeline, a properly weighted ferry is very safe. You will be fine.”
Max reached out and helped Eve off of Starlight. “Yeah Eve, don’t worry. I personally have no intention of going for a swim, so I won’t let you either.”
Eve slid off the horse. She wondered if Tyco came this way on purpose just to try and make her turn back. She shivered again as the small ferry reached the dock.
“That looks awfully small for all of us and the horses to fit on.”
Tyco inspected the ferry. “Well, it was built to only carry two riders and their horses. We’ll need to make two trips. Mr. Penna and I will take Teak and the mare. The ferry is made so you can pull it along the ropes strung over the river. Once we are across, Max, you will have to use the winch to bring it back. When you and Starlight are on, Mr. Penna and I will use the winch on the other side to pull you over.”
Eve crossed her arms “And me.”
“We’ll see.” Tyco grabbed Teak’s reins and led him onto the ferry.
Mr. Penna sighed. “You will be fine, Evangeline.” He led the mare on to the ferry and together he and Tyco began to pull it across the river.
Max watched them cross. “It sure is a lot bigger than the Swiftwater River at home, and a good bit deeper too.”
Eve’s voice cracked. “Yep.”
Max grimaced. That was a stupid thing to say.
