(This is a short, kind of pointless chapter I just added for fun. Some could see it as a pause before the drama, the calm before the storm...heeheehee. Feel free to comment! Comments make writers happy :) --Topaz Fox)
The road stretched before the caravanners like a dusty ribbon in the morning sun. The four of them stood in a rough circle, arguing about where to go next. They had several choices, but it seemed that nobody could quite decide where to go.
Light from the River Belle danced like thin diamonds behind Caliphen. "Let us go to the Veo Lu Sluice," he said slowly. "There is much treasure there, and we have not gathered myrrh from that myrrh tree in three years. Also, because I am of the Yukes, we may cross the mystic bridge into Shella." He eyed the two girls, knowing their weakness for accessories. "And you know there are many fine tailors in Shella."
Elga was not tempted. "The Sluice is so boring," she whined. She shifted her weight, making her Alfitarian armor clank. "Let's go someplace where there's action. Like…Daemon's Court! That place is great."
"Daemon's Court is all the way across Jegon River. Which means we have to take the ferry. Which requires money," reasoned Ter Van, leaning up against the caravan. "Which we haven't got much of. How about Mushroom Forest?"
Anne shook her head. "We already collected myrrh from there last year. I don't think the myrrh tree has refreshed its supply yet." Ter Van groaned deep in his throat and crossed his arms, thinking.
So the Tipa caravan members bickered and thought and discarded possible destinations like old clothes. They decided against Lynari Desert, Goblin Wall, Moschet Manor, and several others before finally falling on the idea of the Mine of Carthuriges. It was nearby, just across the miasma stream to the north of their current position. It required no money to get there, the monsters were plentiful, and the myrrh tree had been given plenty of time to replenish itself. "And," added Elga, "we can ask my uncle in Marr's Passto forge us some totally terrifying weapons." She snickered happily as her three friends sighed and looked on.
With the destination decided, everyone loaded up the caravan, harnessed the papaopamus, and began the journey.
Caravan wheels clattered along the twisting road. The Tipa-landers had not even been traveling for an hour when they ran into a rather thorny situation.
They had incurred the wrath of Elga's short attention span.
Caliphen, who was striding along beside the caravan, noticed Elga was driving a bit oddly. Her head was drooping, and her grip on the reins had become slack. Caliphen figured she was nodding off and tapped on the side of the caravan, causing it to rattle. Elga jerked back to attention, tightening her grip on the reins so suddenly that the papaopamus reared up and bolted, dragging the caravan behind him.
"Oof!" Anne, who had been reading, was thrown from the back of the caravan. She rolled a foot or so before collapsing in a tousled and disturbed mass. Her book landed with a sharp thunk beside her.
Ter Van watched, stunned, as the wildly jerking vehicle clacked off in a blur. Caliphen broke into a full run, which is something Yukes rarely do. His long limbs flailed every which way. "Elga!" he bellowed hoarsely. "Stop!" "I can't!" came Elga's frantic voice, now in the distance. Ter Van managed to guess what was happening and sprinted ahead, his jagged, lunar-blue mane flying majestically behind. Even in an emergency, he was sure-footed and poised.
The Selkie caught up to the runaway caravan in no time. In one sleek movement, he jumped up and caught the wooden edge of the caravan's roof. He used his grip on the thin railing to hoist himself up. Now airborne, Ter Van rolled and dove at the roof itself. He landed nicely and bounced down onto the crazed papaopamus's back. Once there, he put both legs around the rotund blue beast and yanked its ears as hard as he could. "Stop, already!"
Distracted by the boy pulling its ears, the papaopamus halted suddenly. The caravan crashed into it, and although the animal was unfazed, the caravan had been slightly damaged.A front wheel had been splintered, and one of the metal ribs that held up the canvas roof had bent. Poor Elga had also been hurled from the vehicle when it had stopped so suddenly. She landed with ahard bumpon the ground and looked up in pain to see Caliphen hunched over her, quite out of breath.
"Perhaps…" he panted. He inhaled sharply and continued, "Perhaps somebody else should drive for a while."