Travelers

Malik awoke the next day with the creature staring down at him. He jumped backward, colliding hard with the wall. Mollie and Khris stirred from their sleep. 

“What is going on?” Khris asked, panicked. 

Mollie wiped the sleep from her eyes with the back of her hand. 

“This little monster tried to eat me,” Malik said. 

He looked at Egg but found it hard to believe the statement. It stared back at him with eyes much too big for its face and emptily glared at him. 

Mollie stood and walked over to Egg, scooping him up. Egg let out another of his custom purrs when Mollie nestled him in close to her chin. 

“Egg would not hurt you,” she said. 

Malik thought she was probably right, but he refused to admit it. 

“I was about two seconds from an early morning snack,” he said without conviction. 

Malik stood and his own stomach growled at the prospect of food. There was no food, however. Callie and Sally’s saddles had nothing atop them aside from the old lyre cases, bows, and a tent. 

“Can we forage around here?” Malik asked. 

Khris looked out the window, down toward the ravine floor. “There is nothing this way except the yama fruit. There is also a lot of grass,” he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. 

Malik did not feel like laughing. His stomach growled again. 

“Then I guess we should just get started,” Malik sighed. 

At the bottom of the ladder, Mollie sat Egg on the ground in front of them. “Which way should we go?” 

Malik tried not to show his disgust at the plan. It was silly to think this creature was could guide them anywhere. His little claw rose from his side, pointing off toward the west. Malik scoffed at following the monster in any direction, but the other two already moved off. 

They traveled this way the entire day. At some point, they exited the ravine with another land ramp, moving onto rolling hills. At random intervals, Mollie would sit Egg down on the ground, awaiting him to point them in a direction. They followed this route until the sun set behind the hills. Malik started a small fire, wishing he had something to cook on it. All day he had watched for any sign of game, but the monster’s scent probably kept animals at a far distance. Either that or the rolling hills just did not offer enough protection for them to hide in. 

Mollie came and sat beside Malik. Egg still clung to her arm. They had become inseparable since it had hatched from the confines of its shell. Malik looked away from her, back toward the flames. Khris rubbed down the mules. Mollie had set him to the task while she set up the tent. 

Mollie put her hand on Malik’s lap. He looked down at her hand but did not react to it. He still felt so much emotion built up inside him. 

“We will figure this out,” Mollie said. 

Malik blew hard out of his nose in a laugh. “How do you suppose we will figure anything out? What gives you so much confidence that we can do anything about what has happened?” Malik shook his head. There was no way to know this, no matter what Mollie had to say. 

“I just have a feeling. I remember when my parents died, at the hands of the Tempre. I felt like there would never be hope again. I knew that it was the end of everything, and yet I grabbed my father’s sword and I marched off after them. I had no idea what I would do once I got there, but I still went. When I ran into that monster, I figured I would die. I had come to terms with my death there and then, somehow you and Abrie magically came and saved me. I had no reason to believe that I would be saved and yet I was. That is the same thing right now. We have no reason to believe that we can do this, but I feel that we will still get it done. I don’t know why, but I just do,” Mollie said. 

Malik looked away from the flames and into her eyes. She really felt that inside her mind. She felt that they would succeed. 

“I hope you are right,” was all Malik could muster up in reaction. 

Mollie pulled Abrie’s lyre close to her. She had been learning to play before all this mess. “Can you continue to teach me?” she asked. 

Malik looked at her to see if she was making fun. She was staring down at the strings though. 

“Why?” he asked her. “What is the point of playing the lyre?” 

Mollie tilted her chin toward him. “Just to keep our sanity. We have to have something to focus on aside from the pain and hurt that is filling us all,” she answered. 

Malik figured she was right. All that he was focusing on was Abrie, Sweet Tongue, and the prospect of death by Egg’s mother. None of that filled him with anything but pain and anguish. 

“I will teach you the lyre, but in return you have to teach me how to shoot better,” he said. 

Mollie nodded her head in agreement. “We can practice the bow in the mornings before we move out from camp. At night, we can practice the lyre to end the day on a good note,” she said. 

Malik nodded his head, standing up to go grab his lyre from its case. Callie brayed at him, and tonight he reached out petting her nose. He did not feel like arguing with the mule for the first time in his life. He was happy that they all had made it this far. 

He retrieved the lyre and went back to Mollie. Khris had sat down by the fire but looked lost in his own thoughts. 

“I have been working on a song,” Malik said, strumming the first few chords of the song he had started what seemed like a lifetime ago. 

Beauty in the world

There are many wonders

To behold and see

There are many plunders

To take hold of me

Beauty in the world

Sometimes it is hard to see

But always, beauty finds its way back to me

Malik felt the difficultly of understanding those words much harder now. He felt like they were a mirage of something he wished rather than what was. 

Mollie tried to follow along with his finger movements. Several times Malik started over again, moving Mollie’s fingers to the right place on the strings. He would then start again, slower, allowing Mollie to follow him. 

“Try out your voice with the lyrics,” Malik prompted. 

Mollie sang the lyrics Malik had been teaching her for the better part of an hour. Her voice cracked only a little on the longer notes. Malik marveled at the range and talent Mollie possessed. 

After a few hours, he was no longer in the mood to carry on. They had not added to the song, but he had only half expected to. His mood was not one of song writing. 

“I think that will do for tonight,” he said, placing his lyre back into the case. “I am tired.” 

Mollie did not put up a fight, placing Abrie’s lyre into its own case. “I think it would be best if we all got some sleep. She said, looking down to Egg who had sat patiently listening to the music. Mollie scooped him back into her arms and carried him over to the bed rolls. 

Khris was still staring at the flames when Malik turned his back, “Khris you take first watch. I think we should stay alert. I will wake up second and Mollie you can take the last watch.” 

Then he closed his eyes and drifted off into fitful sleep. 

The next morning, Mollie followed through with teaching him new techniques for the bow. She commented that he was incredibly talented for never having touched a bow before. Khris refused to join in on the training. Even when Mollie encouraged him that it would be for the best if he knew how to defend himself. He just stated that his mother had always discouraged fighting, and that he did not feel comfortable with it. Mollie did not press him, and Malik did not care. If Khris fought or Khris ran, it did not matter too much. Malik had to worry about his own behavior during a real fight. He had to stop freezing in the times that it really mattered. 

They let Egg lead them again after the training session. Mollie sat him down on the ground and his long claws pointed off in a direction that could have been random. They all still followed, having no better avenue. 

Malik would have loved to chase after Sweet Tongue. He wanted nothing more than to save Abrie and turn tail. Maybe they could travel back to Opallum and just be simple bards again. Somehow, he doubted it. Even if they survived this and saved Abrie, there was no way being a bard again would ever feel the same. 

“This is by far the furthest I have ever been from home,” Khris said, interrupting a long stretch of silence. 

“It gets easier the further you go,” Malik said. 

He could remember the first few days after his family died. Every step had felt like someone strapped an iron shackle to his legs. He never believed he would make it through one day. Then he made it a second and a third. He just kept pushing, and before he knew it, he was talking with Abrie, asking questions. Then Abrie taught him to play. Before four months were up, he knew several songs, had played several shows, and the pain was not as strong. It never went away, but it faded. 

“I keep thinking about my mother. I should have gone back,” Khris said. 

Malik could tell his inner struggle tore him apart. There was nothing anyone could say to him; nothing that would matter at least. 

“Should I have gone back,” Khris asked. 

Malik did not answer. Khris had issues, Mollie had issues, he had issues, it was something they all shared. 

“There was no choice left to you,” Mollie said. 

Malik did not know why she bothered, but she did. Khris would feel the way he felt until he no longer felt it. Words would not save him. 

“I could have taken the lumping and been with my mother,” Khris’ voiced dropped; if Malik had not been standing next to him, he would have missed the reply. 

“And died,” Malik said, laughing but without humor. 

“They are not that bad. I don’t think they would have killed us,” Khris said. 

Malik stopped for a moment. “Even if they did not, are you forgetting the monster that chased us?” 

Khris’ face dropped into sorrow. Malik almost wished he would have kept the outburst to himself, but it was already said. 

“I just hope they killed it,” Khris answered. 

Malik doubted he believed that. No one was stupid enough to believe that. Then again, Abrie and Mollie had killed two of them together. Were the drunks in Vee’s tavern strong enough to replicate that feat? Somehow, he doubted it. 

“Whatever you need to tell yourself,” Malik said. 

Mollie let Egg down. The creature stared around in all directions, as if he were really trying to sense which way they needed to go. Then he lifted his claw again, before crawling back into Mollie’s arms. 

“If that thing sleeps forever, it will be a Saint’s Blessing,” Malik said. 

Mollie shot him a look. Malik decided talking time was probably over. He tucked his head and started walking again. 

The rest of the day they said little. They talked only over the state of their aches and pains, their constant companion in hunger, and what they thought would happen next. All the conversations ended the same; with Malik feeling like this was hopeless. 

That night they built the fire again. Malik took the brush and went over Callie and Sally. Both mules were the only companions that had fed, but even they needed water and rest. Malik could only provide them one. Callie brayed loudly in his ear. 

“Shut up,” he said, without the usual annoyance. He was just too tired to get worked up about anything. 

He moved around to the fire and sat onto the ground. “I think we have to sneak into a village.” 

His stomach rumbled the entire day. Right now, he could hear it gurgling in his ear. The others had to be just as hungry. 

“What would we do with Egg?” Mollie asked. 

Malik did not give a damn what they did with Egg. He preferred that they get rid of him. 

“Hide him,” Malik answered. 

Mollie looked at him with questioning eyes. She did not trust him when it came to Egg. For some reason, she loved the creature with everything she had. 

Malik watched Egg stretching inside Mollie’s grip. All it did was sleep, purr, and sleep again. Only broken by the rare moments it pointed them off in the right direction, or at least a direction. 

“It doesn’t seem like it will go very far without you,” Malik said. 

Mollie looked down into her arms. “Okay, but how do we pay for food or drink?” 

Malik did not have a good answer. They had paid their last coin to Vee at the tavern in Twin Rocks. 

“Khris do you have any coin?” Malik asked. 

Khris shook his head. “I have never even had a real job.” 

“Completely useless,” Malik said under his breath, but loud enough to be heard. 

“Do you have to be an ass all the time?” Mollie shot at Malik. 

Malik chuckled. “I just want something to eat.” 

It was true. If he had something to put into his belly, then he may fake a more pleasant mood. As it stood, he was hungry, tired, grouchy, and scared. The last one he would leave to himself. Though he doubted that the others any braver; it would be almost impossible to be. 

“We will have to take some then,” Malik said. 

He had only tried stealing a few times in his life. Each time, Abrie had caught him and punished him for it. Each time, Malik had vowed to never let it happen again. Abrie was not here this time, though. Abrie was off with Sweet Tongue, probably being killed. Malik figured stealing was the least of his concerns now. 

“I guess we are desperate,” Mollie replied. 

Malik was glad she would not fight him over it. 

“Why don’t you two play for it?” Khris asked. 

Malik had thought about that. 

“I don’t think we want to stay put too long in a village or town,” Malik said. 

“I don’t want to risk someone come across Egg without us there,” Mollie added. 

Malik was happy to finally not be the odd man out. 

“I don’t like it, but I guess you both are right,” Khris ceded. 

“None of us like it,” Mollie said. 

Malik was indifferent about it, honestly. He was hungry, and they had food. If they lost out on a few coins, it would not end them. He would only take what they needed and nothing more. 

Once decided, they began their walk for the day. After several days of avoiding towns, they looked for anything that could be a target. What they came across was a town by the name of Table Top. The first thing noticeable about the town was the hundreds of tables that lined the streets. Instantly, Malik could smell hundreds of fresh foods. The traffic grew heavier the closer they drew to the town. There were no fancy gates like in Twin Rocks, even though the town was much bigger. They corralled everyone into a single entrance by way of a brick pathway. Malik, Mollie, and Khris guided the mules all the way to the entrance, where they passed under a tunnel of lights that glowed like the stars, even in the sun’s light. 

“Do you think Egg is okay?” Mollie asked. 

Malik had stopped keeping count of the times she had asked this same question in the last fifteen minutes. Malik worried Mollie would die of anxiety before they even reached the town square. 

“I am sure Egg has not moved a muscle. The creature is lazier than anything I have ever seen,” Malik answered. 

That was truthful. Egg was not the most active creature in the world. It slept, and that was about it. 

“I just want nothing to happen to it,” Mollie said, looking back over her shoulder. 

“It is a monster, it will be fine,” Malik answered. 

Mollie shot him a glare of daggers. “You know I don’t like when you call Egg that,” she spat. 

“We hid it well,” Khris chimed in. 

Mollie did not seem convinced, but she went quiet about it for a few minutes, leaving Khris time to jump into things with his worries. 

“Do you think I should send my mom a messenger? Just to tell her I am doing okay,” he asked. 

“Nope,” Malik said without furthering his reply. 

Khris looked to Mollie, hoping for a better answer. She was too busy worrying about her monster. Both grated on Malik’s nerves. There were bigger problems than a tiny man-eating monster and a note to mommy. They had the mother of said monster chasing them down. They had the Tempre Warriors torturing one of their friends. They were starving, and they were broke. There were plenty of worries to go around. 

Malik followed the crowd through a narrow passageway. Here was the town’s protection, Malik gathered. They had built the buildings so close together that large crowds had to split up or wait in slow moving processions to get into the center. Malik, Mollie, and Khris tied the mules to a post before pushing through. 

On the other side, more tables lined the streets. Hundreds of visitors sat at them, eating fine cuisine from the many restaurants that lined the paths. 

“I would trade both of you for a piece of pork,” Malik could almost feel his mouth watering at the thought. He could see the mental image of the pork cut into slabs on his plate; and the grease running over onto the table, the meat falling apart inside his mouth. 

“We have to grab something we can take with us. We can’t be picky,” Mollie reminded him. “What do you think Egg eats?” 

“Human flesh,” Malik said. 

“I bet he would like something sweet,” she continued, choosing to ignore Malik’s jibe. 

“I will find a messenger,” Khris announced. 

Malik wondered if that meant Khris would leave them, but he did not move to break off. 

“With what money?” Malik finally asked. 

Khris let out a sigh. “I had not gotten that far.”

“Much harder to steal a messenger,” Malik said. 

“Maybe at a different time, Khris,” Mollie said, trying to reassure him. 

Khris did not look reassured. If anything, he looked like he was about to cry. That would draw way more attention than they could afford. 

The streets here were confusing. They would be lucky to backtrack and find the mules at this rate. The town was much bigger than he had first assumed. Most of it had no homes, however. The homes looked to be stacked on the second floor of the businesses. All the menus looked the same, and Malik figured they must have been owned by the same people. 

“How far are we away from the nearest city do you think?” Malik asked. 

He did not know where Mollie was from, but Khris had always presented as a man of local knowledge. 

“We are about two days travel from Saint Milton. It is a farming trade city. Mostly, it is a business hub. Farmers from all around the border bring their wares, crops, and animals to trade. There are many wealthy people who live in the city. That is why surrounding towns, like this one, can thrive even at such a distance,” Khris said. 

Malik wondered why he kept all this useless knowledge trapped inside his head. Malik also wondered if this was what Abrie had been like as a young man. 

“Let’s try over there,” Mollie said, pointing toward a small lining of wooden tables. 

On each of the tables sat bowls of unguarded food. There were at least thirty bowls and not a single soul around them. None of the waiting staff even glanced over to them. The group approached, trying to act disinterested in the contents. However, upon getting closer Malik could smell the scents from the bowls mixing in the air. 

“It is heaven,” he said. 

It took all he had not to dive at the table, scooping the food into his mouth. 

“Just grab a bowl and let’s get out of here,” Mollie whispered. 

Malik moved forward to do just that, but a man stepped in front of him. Malik figured the man had made them, but the gentleman did not look to be angry. 

“I suggest you try the pulled pork,” he said, grabbing a spoon for himself. 

Malik looked around, trying to see if there had been some mistake. Had they wandered into a party of some sorts? He did not see anyone else around them. 

“Excuse me, is this your food?” 

Food spilled from the man’s mouth as he replied, “This is for anyone. You see, the real rich farmers come from across Luberg for the famous food here. They buy so much, but they can never eat it all. The good thing about the rich is they are too proud to take anything left over. The owners of the restaurants gather the leftover food and put it on the table for folk who can’t afford it.” He reached for another spoonful of the meat. 

Mollie and Khris stepped up beside Malik, hearing the man’s words. 

“Do you think he is telling the truth?” Khris asked under his breath. 

Malik stepped forward without a reply. He grabbed a spoon for the same meat the man stuffed into his mouth. He made a sandwich and took a huge bite. It was dry, old, and cold, but it was the greatest thing he could ever remember tasting in his life. After two days of not eating, he could have eaten a shoe and felt blessed by the Saints. 

Mollie and Khris did not take long to follow his leap of faith. They shared a standing meal with a stranger. 

“You look familiar,” the man said before Malik finished his last few bites. 

“I get that a lot,” Malik said, “I think it is just my face.” 

Malik put down his fork and nudged Mollie on the leg. She nodded and nudged Khris. All of them got up at the same time. 

“I think it is more than that,” the man said, really staring at the three of them now. “It is on the tip of my tongue, but I just don’t know where I have seen you all before.” 

“We have to go, thank you for helping us with the food,” Malik said. 

The three hurried away from the table, leaving the man behind. They said nothing as they raced back down the paths they remembered taking. It was not until the last path they saw the poster hanging on the bulletin board. It was not an exact spot on depiction of them, but it was as close as one could reasonable get never having seen their faces before. 

“That is us,” Khris said, stating the obvious. 

“Do not stop and stare at it,” Malik said, turning away from the rendering. 

Mollie pushed Khris forward and Malik followed. They would have to get the mules and make their way from the town. Mollie had grabbed a bowl from the table before they left, but she planned to feed it to her little pet upon return. 

There was no rhyme or reason to getting in and out of the buildings. There were no guards guiding some in, while allowing others to exit. It was a mad free-for-all. Malik had to push his way out of the town, much harder than he had pushed his way in. He could not imagine all the rich farmers, merchants, and business owners enjoyed this mad dash. 

Malik glanced back over his shoulder to make sure Mollie pushed through without too much trouble. She still held on to the bowl of food, as if it were her only lifeline to the world. Khris slogged along behind her, looking more dejected than he had before the meal. 

Malik turned back, slipping through the last pocket of in-rushing people. He took a deep breath, letting it out of his nose. 

“That was a shit show,” he said when Mollie exited the throng of the crowd. 

Mollie nodded her head, taking a deep breath. Malik began to walk away, but Mollie extended her arm to stop him. 

“Where did Khris go?” 

“He was just right behind you,” Malik said, with only casual interest in Khris’ location. 

“Do you think something happened to him?” Mollie stood on the tips of her toes, trying to peer over the crowd. 

Malik scanned the incoming and outgoing people but did not see Khris amongst them. 

“He probably went back to find that stupid messenger. His mother doesn’t care about him though,” Malik said. 

About the end of Malik’s sentence, Khris stumbled forward from a large pocket of outgoing strangers. 

He looked disheveled, his hair a mess, and his face beet red. Mollie moved over to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. 

“Are you okay?” she asked, concern coating her tone. 

Khris looked up. Malik could see the tears in his eyes. 

“My mom does love me,” he said. 

Malik looked away, feeling the heat rising in his face. He had not really meant for Khris to hear those words from his mouth; even if he supposed they were true. 

“You may also like to hear that those posters have attracted some undesirable men and women. One of those men caught me by the collar. He did not look all too happy to see me. All he said was that I was coming with him. I pulled away, and luckily my shirt collar ripped. I pushed as fast as I could through the crowd and I think I lost him, but I don’t think we should stick around,” Khris said over his sobs. 

Mollie looked back to Malik, panic in her eyes. Malik was really starting to hate this. Every time they entered a town, village, camp, it ended in them running. 

“Well let’s get moving then,” Malik said. 

They grabbed the mules from the post they had left them at. At least Sally and Callie would never change on him. 

“We have to go get Egg,” Mollie reminded him as he turned the wrong direction. 

Malik had secretly hoped she would just forget the beast in her panicked state. She would not budge on the topic, though. 

“We have to hurry,” Malik answered. 

Egg was exactly where they had left it, curled in a ball, waiting for Mollie to return. Malik thought, just maybe, Mollie and Egg had an unspoken bond. Egg stretched, yawned, showing small fangs, and then jumped into Mollie’s arms. Mollie offered the bowl of food to Egg, who sniffed it, then turned its nose away. 

“Maybe they don’t eat,” Malik suggested. 

Mollie did not look certain, but she did not force the matter. 

“Keep the food anyhow,” Malik said. 

There was no use throwing away a good bowl of food, just because Egg was a picky eater. 

Mollie shoved the bowl into Malik’s chest. “You carry it.” 

Malik wondered why Mollie was mad at him. Then Mollie moved over to Khris, putting her hand between his shoulders. She said something Malik could not hear. Khris shrugged, trying to keep from sobbing louder. 

Malik did not feel sorry for Khris. They had all lost something. He did not differ from them. Mollie and Malik did not cry because of their position in life. Malik turned his attention to the bowl, trying to keep his thoughts from Khris. 

Mollie had taken a bowl of green slime. Malik dipped his finger into the concoction and pulled it out, tasting it. It was bitter and smelled funny. Malik figured he knew why Egg did not want to eat it, but he kept it anyway. When he was starving later, he would hate himself for throwing it away. 

Egg guided them toward another path, this one off the main trek. Malik was not sad to leave the road behind. He just hoped it meant no one could follow them. If Khris had been telling the truth, then he wanted nothing to do with those kinds of people. 

When they stopped for the night, Mollie insisted they not start a fire. Malik wanted to argue, but he saw the reasoning behind it. A light here was a beacon, and they tried to hide. Khris cared neither way. He pulled out his bed roll from Callie that he had inherited from Abrie and curled up in a ball. 

“I guess he is not taking first watch,” Malik laughed. 

Mollie did not join him. 

“You should lie off of him,” Mollie suggested. 

“He will toughen up. It is a tough life on the road.” 

He did not know where the words came from. He had frozen in all his real fights in life. He was not a warrior, or a hardened traveler. Abrie had always kept him clothed, fed, and most nights warm. The bravado was a show for Mollie, but he could not turn it off. 

“I will take first watch, go to sleep, Malik,” Mollie said, moving away from him with a look of disgust across her face. 

Malik thought about trying to make the situation better with her. He thought about apologizing to Khris, even if he did not mean it. Instead, he grabbed his bed roll and closed his eyes.