I woke up the next morning tasting wet dirt. I was still on the bank but
had rolled down a little onto the wetter soil. I pushed myself up off the
ground. My head felt dizzy and my feet were asleep. I leaned over the
water and splashed some into my face to wake me up. The cold stinging
sensation felt really good. There was no breeze and it was still a little
dark. "Well, I guess I survived my first night." I thought to myself, and
got up off the ground. I stretched my arms into the air and felt my
stomach rumble. I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday's lunch. I opened
my sack and put my hand inside. My fingers stopped moving and I remembered
that my weather ball was now gone. Every time I looked at the sack now, it
would remind me of what happened.
"Well Jennifer, you aren't going to get to eat anything while you are mourning over something that can't be fixed right now." I said to myself and finished getting out my food. While I ate, I felt a sad expression cross my face and my mouth drop. I just couldn't forget it. It was too vivid and to soon not to remember something like that.
"Well then fine, I will remember it. But I won't let it stop me from finishing my task." I said aloud, and felt a little better at my firmness. The thought might bother me, but my thoughts weren't going to stop my actions. I picked up my things and started my hike again. By now, I was almost up the side of mountain. The sun was coming into the sky, and the air was starting to warm up.
The hike was getting harder and steeper, and my legs were moving slower. It seemed as if I would never make it to the top. I stopped to rest at a giant tree for a second and took a look around. I looked for signs that other people had been here. There were no fire pits or tree looking shelters. "There must be some people out here who are good." I thought to myself. I continued my walk up the mountain, keeping my eyes ahead of me at the horizon.
After a while, I started getting a little bored walking and took out my herb book. I started finding some more plants to add to my collection. I had no idea what was on the other side of the mountain, so it was probably a good idea to start collecting things now. I walked around with my head searching the ground for basil and edible mushrooms. I looked over by a tree and saw what looked like a few mushrooms growing under it. As I approached the tree, something stopped me. I looked past it and saw a figure crouched on the ground next to a small fire. It seemed weird that strangely a second ago, I didn't see it at all or hear a cracking fire. I crept quietly towards the tree not making a noise on the soft ground. I could hear the person mumbling quietly. It sounded like it was talking to another person, but no one was there. Half of me wanted to go and meet the person, the other half wanted to just walk away. "Remember what happened to your weather bal,." I kept telling myself. I couldn't make out what it was saying, so I crept a little closer.
"No, no, no, that won't do. It doesn't have the green on the tips." I heard it say. I decided that I wouldn't find out anything by just standing there listening, so I tightened my grip on my pack and slowly took a step forward.
"Um.excuse me." I said to it. Before I had a chance to say anything else, it whipped out a knife faster than I could blink, it to my neck even faster.
"Whoa...hold up. I'm not going to hurt you or anything." I said, shaking a little. It was a man, and he looked fairly young. He looked me in the eye as if he was seeing into my soul. I tried not to blink. I didn't want to look as if I was lying.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" He asked in a stern tone without removing the knife. I didn't really want to tell him why I was here, that was my own business. Besides, Daeloneil had told me not to trust anyone but myself, and I was going to take his advice.
"My name is Jennifer, and why I am here I will not tell you," I said to him, trying not to sound afraid. He looked at me, as if expecting me to shoot fire out of my eyes or something. Then he sort of shook his head as if changing his mind.
"Fair enough." He said, and removed the knife from my neck. "My name is Luein and I am out gathering ingredients for my medicines. But I have never seen you out here before," He said to me and looked at my clothing. "Actually, it has been an extremely long time since I have seen one of your kind out of the village. I began to think you were wiped out." I looked at him and didn't say anything. At least I knew one thing for sure, he wasn't from the village, but at least he seemed friendly. He looked at me again with a searching eye, as if looking for something threatening. His eyes landed on my bow and sword at my belt.
"You good with those?", he asked offhandedly and motioned toward them.
"Oh you mean these? Oh, well, yea I'm alright," I said back to him. I didn't think he considered me much of a threat. I noticed he was holding some herbs in his hands. They looked like the ones in my book.
"Are those medicinal herbs?" I asked him, pointing at the plants in his hands.
"Uh-well.yes, yes they are." He said to me, a little taken aback.
"Oh, well, I have a good supply in my sack. I can give you some if you like. It would save you the trouble of finding them," I said, and bent down and opened my sack. He immediately held his knife at me as if half expecting me to pull out a weapon or something. I took out my bag and handed him a few of the ones he was holding. He took them, looking disbelieving. He sniffed them, then, looking satisfied, put them into a bag of his own.
"Thank you." He said, this time, his voice a little kinder. Almost instantly, I had an idea.
"If you don't mind me asking," I said to him, "Do you travel this mountain often?" He looked at me a bit suspiciously, then cleared his throat
"Yes I do. Why do you ask?" He answered.
"Do you know, maybe, a quick way over the mountain?" I asked him. I was feeling a little nervous, asking for help from a person I didn't even know. But it would help if there was a quicker way.
"A faster way? Why, yes there are many paths over the mountain. Are you trying to get over?" He asked me.
"Uh huh." I said. For a second he looked at me differently, like with a new light.
"As it so happens, I am also traveling over the mountain. I am from the other side."
"From the other side? Do.do you think you could take me over, then?" I asked. He looked at me with a big grin on his face.
"I would be glad to." He said in an important voice. "I suggest though, that we start in the morning. It is very important that I finish collecting my herbs tonight. If I don't return with all the ones I need, I could get into a lot of trouble. Is that okay with you?" He asked, looking hopeful.
"Oh, of course. I wouldn't want to disrupt what you came here to do, but are you sure you can take me? I mean, we don't even know each other." I said to him.
"It's no problem at all, really." He answered. "I'm heading your way anyway. It would be nice to have someone to talk to, and we could get to know each other on our way there," he finished, and I smiled at him. I nodded in agreement, and sat down on the ground in front of the fire. He sat down next to me, and for a few minutes we just stared into the fire, not saying anything. "Should I trust him?" I thought. "He seems nice.and its not like he knows why I'm really here. For all I know, he could really come in handy soon. His friendship and skills." I added in thought, and made the decision to trust him enough to get me over the mountain.
"Well, I'd better go and finish getting my plants." He said, and got up off the ground. "You can help me.if you like." He said with a half smile.
"I don't know a whole lot about herbs, but I'd be happy to do my best to help you however I can." I answered back and, we got up off the ground in unison. He showed me what he was looking for and in what areas I could find it. After, we set out together in search of the herbs he was looking for.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
"Well Jennifer, you aren't going to get to eat anything while you are mourning over something that can't be fixed right now." I said to myself and finished getting out my food. While I ate, I felt a sad expression cross my face and my mouth drop. I just couldn't forget it. It was too vivid and to soon not to remember something like that.
"Well then fine, I will remember it. But I won't let it stop me from finishing my task." I said aloud, and felt a little better at my firmness. The thought might bother me, but my thoughts weren't going to stop my actions. I picked up my things and started my hike again. By now, I was almost up the side of mountain. The sun was coming into the sky, and the air was starting to warm up.
The hike was getting harder and steeper, and my legs were moving slower. It seemed as if I would never make it to the top. I stopped to rest at a giant tree for a second and took a look around. I looked for signs that other people had been here. There were no fire pits or tree looking shelters. "There must be some people out here who are good." I thought to myself. I continued my walk up the mountain, keeping my eyes ahead of me at the horizon.
After a while, I started getting a little bored walking and took out my herb book. I started finding some more plants to add to my collection. I had no idea what was on the other side of the mountain, so it was probably a good idea to start collecting things now. I walked around with my head searching the ground for basil and edible mushrooms. I looked over by a tree and saw what looked like a few mushrooms growing under it. As I approached the tree, something stopped me. I looked past it and saw a figure crouched on the ground next to a small fire. It seemed weird that strangely a second ago, I didn't see it at all or hear a cracking fire. I crept quietly towards the tree not making a noise on the soft ground. I could hear the person mumbling quietly. It sounded like it was talking to another person, but no one was there. Half of me wanted to go and meet the person, the other half wanted to just walk away. "Remember what happened to your weather bal,." I kept telling myself. I couldn't make out what it was saying, so I crept a little closer.
"No, no, no, that won't do. It doesn't have the green on the tips." I heard it say. I decided that I wouldn't find out anything by just standing there listening, so I tightened my grip on my pack and slowly took a step forward.
"Um.excuse me." I said to it. Before I had a chance to say anything else, it whipped out a knife faster than I could blink, it to my neck even faster.
"Whoa...hold up. I'm not going to hurt you or anything." I said, shaking a little. It was a man, and he looked fairly young. He looked me in the eye as if he was seeing into my soul. I tried not to blink. I didn't want to look as if I was lying.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" He asked in a stern tone without removing the knife. I didn't really want to tell him why I was here, that was my own business. Besides, Daeloneil had told me not to trust anyone but myself, and I was going to take his advice.
"My name is Jennifer, and why I am here I will not tell you," I said to him, trying not to sound afraid. He looked at me, as if expecting me to shoot fire out of my eyes or something. Then he sort of shook his head as if changing his mind.
"Fair enough." He said, and removed the knife from my neck. "My name is Luein and I am out gathering ingredients for my medicines. But I have never seen you out here before," He said to me and looked at my clothing. "Actually, it has been an extremely long time since I have seen one of your kind out of the village. I began to think you were wiped out." I looked at him and didn't say anything. At least I knew one thing for sure, he wasn't from the village, but at least he seemed friendly. He looked at me again with a searching eye, as if looking for something threatening. His eyes landed on my bow and sword at my belt.
"You good with those?", he asked offhandedly and motioned toward them.
"Oh you mean these? Oh, well, yea I'm alright," I said back to him. I didn't think he considered me much of a threat. I noticed he was holding some herbs in his hands. They looked like the ones in my book.
"Are those medicinal herbs?" I asked him, pointing at the plants in his hands.
"Uh-well.yes, yes they are." He said to me, a little taken aback.
"Oh, well, I have a good supply in my sack. I can give you some if you like. It would save you the trouble of finding them," I said, and bent down and opened my sack. He immediately held his knife at me as if half expecting me to pull out a weapon or something. I took out my bag and handed him a few of the ones he was holding. He took them, looking disbelieving. He sniffed them, then, looking satisfied, put them into a bag of his own.
"Thank you." He said, this time, his voice a little kinder. Almost instantly, I had an idea.
"If you don't mind me asking," I said to him, "Do you travel this mountain often?" He looked at me a bit suspiciously, then cleared his throat
"Yes I do. Why do you ask?" He answered.
"Do you know, maybe, a quick way over the mountain?" I asked him. I was feeling a little nervous, asking for help from a person I didn't even know. But it would help if there was a quicker way.
"A faster way? Why, yes there are many paths over the mountain. Are you trying to get over?" He asked me.
"Uh huh." I said. For a second he looked at me differently, like with a new light.
"As it so happens, I am also traveling over the mountain. I am from the other side."
"From the other side? Do.do you think you could take me over, then?" I asked. He looked at me with a big grin on his face.
"I would be glad to." He said in an important voice. "I suggest though, that we start in the morning. It is very important that I finish collecting my herbs tonight. If I don't return with all the ones I need, I could get into a lot of trouble. Is that okay with you?" He asked, looking hopeful.
"Oh, of course. I wouldn't want to disrupt what you came here to do, but are you sure you can take me? I mean, we don't even know each other." I said to him.
"It's no problem at all, really." He answered. "I'm heading your way anyway. It would be nice to have someone to talk to, and we could get to know each other on our way there," he finished, and I smiled at him. I nodded in agreement, and sat down on the ground in front of the fire. He sat down next to me, and for a few minutes we just stared into the fire, not saying anything. "Should I trust him?" I thought. "He seems nice.and its not like he knows why I'm really here. For all I know, he could really come in handy soon. His friendship and skills." I added in thought, and made the decision to trust him enough to get me over the mountain.
"Well, I'd better go and finish getting my plants." He said, and got up off the ground. "You can help me.if you like." He said with a half smile.
"I don't know a whole lot about herbs, but I'd be happy to do my best to help you however I can." I answered back and, we got up off the ground in unison. He showed me what he was looking for and in what areas I could find it. After, we set out together in search of the herbs he was looking for.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *