Sojourn

Episode One: Raindrops

It was raining that day... Not the life-giving rain I'd enjoyed in
my youth... No, this rain was white as snow with the itter
taste of ash, tainted y the death that had !laimed
everything.
"y !loa# was soa#ed, with a layer of ashen grime upon it. "y
pa!#, heavy to egin with, was now heavier with the added
weight of the water in it. I'd given up on $nding shelter long
efore then, so I no longer hastened my footsteps. %t least
the rain was a summer one, I told myself itterly.
I'd noti!ed the s!ent of rain earlier that day. &nowing this, I
had still set out from the !ave I'd spent the night in. % !hoi!e
I was now paying for.
% sound, faint as it was, snapped me away from my
thoughts. I paused, straining my ears against the soft
pattering of the raindrops. Perhaps, I thought, though it was
more hope than elief, I'd heard wrong...
I hadn't. 'he sound !ame again, a low, deep howl, and it was
!loser this time. I drew my sword slowly, wat!hing my
surroundings.
(ilen!e.
'hen, a rustling in the ush ehind me, followed y another
howl. I saw a shape emerging from the white tinted, green
leaves and I swung. Only too late did I reali)e what the
shape was.
% young woman...
(he s!reamed as she saw me. It was too late for my swing to
stop. Even if I tried, she was still moving too fast too avoid it.
'ime seemed impossily slow, and all I !ould do was wat!h.
(omehow, she slipped on the ash-!olored ground, sliding
right under my lade. *efore I !ould sigh in relief, though, I
saw why she'd een running. % la!#-haired +arg at least
twi!e the si)e of any normal wolf I'd ever seen was in mid-
leap ehind her. ,sing my momentum, I !ontinued the swing
of my sword into a thrust, right into the east's heart. I
sidestepped, allowing the +arg's jump to !arry its ody o-
my sword.
"y attention returned to the woman, .+hat the hell/0. I
demanded, .+hy would you !harge at someone li#e that/.
(he met the remar# with eyes of $re, .+hat/0 You nearly hit
me!. (he stood, sha#ily, .I'm $ne, y the way..
"y stoma!h tightened, ut I did not wish to e at a
disadvantage. .1i#e the hell I !are.. I said, turning.
.+here are you going/. (he as#ed.
.Out of this damn rain.. I retorted. I was suddenly very tired.
(he followed me... 2od only #nows why, ut she did... %nd
she hasn't 3uit...
45in4
Episode 'wo: (ilver 1ining
I sat at the mouth of the !ave, wat!hing the eternal gray of
the s#y.
'he woman was inside, drying her !lothes y the $re. I'd
loaned her a spare set from my pa!#, not wanting the
situation to e any more aw#ward than it already was.
.6ou !an loo# now.. (he said. I !ontinued staring at the s#y.
'he rain was falling lighter now. 'he sound of it wasn't as
oppressive as it was efore.
.'he s#y doesn't ever !hange, you #now,. (he said as she
sat eside me. (he loo#ed at me as if e7pe!ting an answer.
I said nothing.
%fter a while, she sighed and loo#ed out upon the forest. 5or
a while, all was silent.
.I am Eri!a,. (he stated, rea#ing the fragile glass that had
$lled the air.
.8all me Ross.. I replied simply, trying to indi!ate I wished
the return of silen!e.
(he gave me an odd loo#, what more did she wish/
.No last name/.
.+ell, Eri!a No-Name,. I said, loo#ing at her. .You didn't give
me one. (o, Ross it shall remain.. I returned my ga)e to the
s#y.
.+hat are you loo#ing for/. (he as#ed, following my eyes.
'he ash !louds shifted. "y heart s#ipped a eat.
.(ometimes, after it rains,. I said slowly, .6ou !an see the
s#y....
'he !louds thinned in a pat!h. 'hen, I saw it. It was there for
a few se!onds, and then it was gone. % small pri!eless
treasure slipping away li#e sand.
It was nothing more than a 9ash of lue and a short-lived ray
of sunlight. 'hings that at one point had seemed mundane.
:erhaps in times that are anything ut ordinary, we
desperately !ling to things that are 'normal' e!ause we
see# an an!hor... (omething to tell us that the world we on!e
#new is still there, somewhere out there.
% futile e-ort...
45in4
Episode 'hree: Natures
'he deer niled at the few stal#s of grass that po#ed
through the white-gray layer of wet ash. Every few se!onds
it would lift its head.
5rom my pla!e of hiding within a stunted ush I no!#ed and
arrow on my hunting ow. I drew it a!# as silently as I
!ould, hoping the deer would not hear the !rea# of the wood.
'he shot stru!# with enough for!e to #no!# the animal over. I
ran a!ross the distan!e etween us, drawing my #nife. +ith
pra!ti!ed aim I ended the doe's pain.
(he wasn't large, ut she weighed enough that I had to stop
and rest on!e or twi!e efore I rea!hed the !amp.
'he woman, Eri!a, was waiting for me.
.6ou save my life and now I'm your servant/. (he
demanded, .+hy should I do laundry/.
I set the deer down, rather ungently. .*e!ause you're
following me, and I have no earthly !lue why. *e!ause I
shared my supplies with you.. I removed a !ord of rope
made of vines from my ag and started fashioning a ra!# to
smo#e the meat.
(he grumled, ut headed o- towards the stream. I smiled
as a thought !ame to me, .Oh yeah, and e!ause you're a
woman.. I !alled.
"y smile widened as I started !utting the deer.
On!e the meat had started the slow pro!ess of smo#ing and
the s#in tanning in the pale sunlight, I sat against a tree and
!losed my eyes. (leep !ame fast.
I was awa#ened y Eri!a. Not y her footsteps, no, the
woman !rept up to me and emptied a u!#et full of ash-
laden water on me. I sputtered as I snapped awa#e.
.+hat the hell/0.
(he smiled as she handed me the portale wash oard, still
dripping with water. .6ou're going to want this.. (he said.
I ignored the oard, .+here did you get the u!#et/. I as#ed.
.It was half-uried y the stream..
.+ell, that's a good $nd, it holds water, #eep it. :erhaps we
!an trade it for something.. I said as I stood.
.+ith who/. (he seemed pu))led.
.+hy,. I said surprised, .+ith other survivors, of !ourse0.
;ad she thought I was the only one/
45in4
Episode 5our: (tand %lone
'he day was warm, even though it held a !loser resemlan!e
to early winter than it did the middle of summer. 'he ash fall
of the previous night had een heavier than usual, perhaps
indi!ating a good amount of dew.
No matter what the reason, the result was the same, an#le
high ash everywhere you loo#ed. Even after years of the
stu-, I hated it no less than I did the $rst days it had fallen.
.<on't mind the ash,. (omeone had on!e told me, .6ou get
used to it eventually.. Odd as it sounded, it was true. %sh
was a part of this world now, part of the life, part of me... I
had grown used to it, ut that didn't mean I had to like it.
I must have een smiling, for Eri!a gave me a pu))led loo#,
.(omething funny/. (he as#ed.
.Nothing.. I said. 'he time passed y with only the sound of
footsteps and irdsong to $ll the empty spa!e. (ometimes,
not even that.
'hat was how most days went. Ea!h time, I was reminded
on!e again that I was no longer alone in my endless
wandering...
%nd my !ompanion seemed so unli#ely... Inno!ent. 'hat is
the est word to des!rie her, I thin#. (he was inno!ent to
the ways of the world. %fter all that had happened, I did not
$nd it li#ely that one su!h as she could e7ist, yet...
One night, I found myself pondering on the way she had
a!ted the other day when I had mentioned trading. ;er
rea!tion at the indi!ation of other people was... (tartling.
+here was she from that she thought she was the only one
left/
Eri!a had a #na!# for dete!ting even the slightest !hanges in
people. % talent that was more annoying than she was y
itself.
.Ross, do you thin# I'm eautiful/. (he as#ed. +hen I !ould
o-er no answer at $rst, she started giggling, .6ou've een
staring at me, and not the way most men do... +hat's on
your mind/.
'he forest had grown 3uiet, as if it too wished to #now what
was in my thoughts.
.I am !onsidering where I will go ne7t.. I said, .On!e we stop
in 'raviel, I thin# I'll head north, maye to Ne'6udan.. % lie, I
almost never !onsidered where to head, ut she did not
#now that.
.'I'/. (he 3uoted, sounding hurt. .+hat aout me/. (he
loo#ed at the ground.
.6ou tell me. I don't de!ide your path. ;ell,. I shoo# the ash
o- my edroll, .I don't even #now why you're following me.
5rom what I !an tell, you seem to thin# you were the only
person left, so I'd guess you want to stay with your #ind..
.My #ind/. 'here was a slight hint of fury to her voi!e. .%re
you not human or something/.
I wanted to sha#e my head. Even if I e7plained it to her, she
would never understand. .'he people in the villages are.... I
paused to try to organi)e my thoughts, .+ell... 'hey need to
stay in one pla!e. Espe!ially after the... 'In!ident'.. I am a
wanderer, I !an't stay in one pla!e... It's not my nature..
.No,. (he said, down!ast, .I guess it's not... 6ou are very...
(tand alone..
.(tand what/. It was my turn to not understand.
.(tand alone... It means you will survive with, or without,
people. No matter what, you will go on living..
(he had no idea how !lose she was to the truth. ;ow !ould
she/ Even I, who #now that no matter what happens, all I
!an do is ta#e one more step, don't #now why.
45in4
Episode 5ive: :e!#ing Order
Nothing had gone right to egin with. It seemed li#e the day
had een one a!!ident after another.
It started with a mud-li#e lump of ash, still !ool from the
night air, falling o- the ran!h that held it. Right onto my
head. 'he one thing I missed aout solitude, I de!ided, was
that no one was there to laugh at you when su!h things
happened.
'hat said, I wasn't in solitude anymore. (omeone was there
to laugh. 1u!#y me...
.8ome on Ross, don't e su!h a grump.. Eri!a said through
her failed attempt to suppress her laugh. +hen I glared at
her, she only shoo# harder. Eventually she had to put her
hand on a tree trun# to hold herself up.
I ent over and s!ooped up a handful of the still moist ash
fall. I !ompressed it in my hand with a slight smile. .'hin#
efore you laugh at someone,. I growled.
.Ross, what are you-. (he e!ame 3uite serious when she
saw me, .No0 <on't you dare0.
I didn't throw it at her. +hen she saw this, she sighed in
relief. 'hat was, until an entire ran!h's worth of ash fell on
her. 'he loo# of sho!# on her fa!e !aught me o- guard and I
laughed... 'hen, to my surprise, she started laughing as well.
.O#, we're even now/. (he too# a step towards me. I heard
the snap of rope and saw a motion in the trees ehind her.
+ithout thin#ing, I !harged at her, dropping my pa!# on the
ground. I !ollided with her in a full ta!#le, dragging her to the
ground as a large log swung through the air ehind me.
.Ross, what was that for0. (he slapped me.
I !ould understand her rage, I had suddenly ta!#led her, and
was now lying on top of her, ut understanding didn't help
my own anger. I pushed myself to a standing position. .<on't
9atter yourself,. I snarled, .'here have een plenty of people
I've wanted to have su!h en!ounters with. 6ou are not one of
them..
I slowed the log with my hand, .<o you ever thin#/. I as#ed,
.I just saved your life, passion or desire had nothing to do
with it.. I fro)e as a sti!# snapped somewhere in the
underrush. I drew my sword, .Eri!a, stay !lose.. I
whispered, .%nd whatever you do, don't put yourself in
danger0.
.%ww... 'he trap didn't wor#.... % voi!e said. 5ive men !ame
out of the woods in a !ir!le around us. %sh dusted their
!lothes and seemed to e an inseparale part of their
greasy, un#empt hair. I gave ea!h a 3ui!# glan!e as I
maneuvered so my a!# was against the now still log. 'he
day had just gotten a lot worse.
.6ou there, ugly with the sword,. % man, the leader, I
assumed, said with a gap-toothed grin. ;e alone !arried a
sword, the others all !arried #nives. .;and over the girl and
we'll ma#e your death 3ui!#. 'hat way, your last thought as
you go to hell won't e the vision of someone else enjoying
her the way you should have..
(o mu!h for the 'your money or your life' !on!ept. I raised
my sword, .(o you were the ones following me in this wood.
'he infamous *la!# (#ulls, I presume/. I did not wait for an
answer, .6ou !an try me, ut it will only ma#e your death
3ui!#er..
.&ill him0. 'he leader snarled.
'he $rst man had a loo# of pure joy as he rushed me, #nife
held out. +hile most villagers and traveling traders would
have ran, I made use of his mista#e. ;is !harge left his
defense wide open. "y lade made his !hest wide open as it
slashed a!ross it.
Out of the !orner of my eye I saw a 9ash and I half turned,
half lifted my sword in time to lo!# the downward !ut of the
se!ond andit. I #i!#ed him away and met the third with a
sidestep-!ounteratta!# !omo. ;e fell to the ground in a
!rumpled heap, a !rimson pool forming around him.
Eri!a too# the !han!e presented y the opening I had made
in the !ir!le. (he jumped over the ody of the andit I had
just #illed with gra!e and too# o- running. 'he fourth andit,
who had een on the other side of the log, followed her.
.No you don't.... 'he andit I'd #i!#ed graed my oot as I
made to give !hase. I met his eyes with a !old glare and
staed my sword down. I shoo# his dying hand o- my
an#le.
I pulled my s#inning #nife from my elt and alan!ed in my
$ngers y the end of the grip. I pulled my arm a!# and
9i!#ed my wrist. 'he lade spun through the air and lodged
itself in the fourth andit's a!#.
.<rop your lade,. I turned and fa!ed the leader, .'he
ground has enough lood on it today without adding yours..
'he o-er was empty, though. 'he man had just lost and was
now in a !orner... 'he !aged animal is oftentimes the most
dangerous.
.2o to hell0. 'he man !harged. I de9e!ted his $rst low, ut
he slid his sword to lo!# my !ounteratta!#. I grima!ed= his
$ghting style was reminis!ent of the &nights that had lived
before.
(teel !lashed on steel, e!hoing through the still forest. +e
moved in a slow !ir!le as we parried, de9e!ted and atta!#ed,
yet neither of us got ahead. %fter a relatively short time,
we'd worn a !ir!le into the ash with our footsteps, revealing
the green grass underneath. 1i#e most #nights, his atta!#s
had 9air, the result of years of tournaments, more than li#ely.
'hat was not to say they were for show alone. One thing I
had learned over the years was that assuming anything in a
$ght was a deadly mista#e.
"y lu!# didn't hold out, though. :erhaps the stars were
against me, I !ouldn't say, it had een years sin!e anyone
had seen them to tell. %s I de9e!ted a downward slash, the
ground underneath me gave way and I fell to one #nee in
order to #eep my alan!e.
I did not raise my sword to lo!# his ne7t atta!#, rather, I
simply raised my left arm to !at!h the low. ;e smiled at me
as he started to swing.
.Ross0. Eri!a s!reamed. (he rammed the andit with her
shoulder, #no!#ing him down. % rave thing, ut now he
turned on her.
.+en!h0. ;e roared, swinging as he leapt forward. I arely
had time to pull her away from the atta!# as I myself rose.
,nfortunately, this put me in the line of atta!#. I grima!ed as
the lade !ut into my right forearm. .I'll #ill you0.
.No.. 6ou won't.. I said !almly. I swung my sword and he
staggered a!#. I didn't $nish there, though he wouldn't
have lasted long. I too# another step forward. %nother slash,
another !rimson line sprayed upon the ash. %nd another.
%nd another.
.(top it0. Eri!a $nally !ried, graing me around the waist,
.:lease0 ;e's dead, they're all dead, isn't that enough/ "ust
it e more terrile/. 'ears 9owed freely down her !hee#s.
.<o not !ry for them,. I wiped my lade !lean on the !loa# of
one of the !leaner andits, .'hey made their !hoi!e. I made
mine, to survive. Rememer this lesson, rememer it well.
Not everything !an e solved pea!efully. (ometimes people
have to die.. I removed a ne!#la!e from the leader's ody as
proof of his death, I>d heard tal# of a ounty for these
andits. I fa!ed her and removed my !loa#, showing her the
steel reastplate and armguards I wore. ?1isten to me ne7t
time.@ I displayed the gash on my arm for her to see. ?I
would have een $ne had you not interferedA.. 'ry to ta#e a
lesson from this, efore you get us oth #illed. Now, if you>ll
e7!use me, I need to try to stop the leeding.@.
I left her !rying in the !rimson ash with those words. "aye
they had een a it !ruel, ut she had to learn... %nd no one
would !ry for her passing, just as they would not mine. 'he
world has no room for idle eliefs or fan!ies... 'o live,
something must die, that is the ,niversal 1aw. 'hat is why
there are pe!#ing orders. 'hose on top must understand this
if they are to stay there long.
%fter a while, she got up, and returned to the !amp. Neither
of us said anything, ut she did manage to stit!h the wound
!losed. (ometimesA.. I wonder... +onder aout her, her
personality. In the ro#en remnants I fa!e every day, in the
years of wal#ing through ash, she alone remains true to what
the world was before. %nd I !an>t ut as#... %m I here for
her/ OrA.. Is she here for me/
45in4
Episode (i7: 8hestnut
1ife had settled itself into a routine after a while. I found
myself admitting that Eri!a was ni!e to have around, a
thought I immediately pushed aside.
'he last thing I wanted, or needed, was to e!ome '!o)y'.
Bust when I thought I'd $nally gotten used to the !onstant
!ompanionship of another person I was stru!# with another
'surprise'...
It was a right day, whi!h made the thing stand out even
more.
'here, in the whitish-green rush, without a !are in the
world, stood a don#ey. Even from a distan!e the thing loo#ed
miserale and half starved.
.I wonder if it's tame/. Eri!a as#ed me.
.I'm guessing, it doesn't loo# li#e it's done well out here in
the wild,. I said. Besides, I wanted to say, ho's ever heard
of a wild donkey in the middle of the woods/ I started
un!oiling a rope.
.+hat are you going to do/.
."a#e a rope ridge,. I said, .+hat do you thin#/ I'm going
to hunt a don#ey..
.No0. (he !ried. (he loo#ed at me with pleading eyes.
'he don#ey let out a startled !ry and disappeared into the
rush. I !ursed under my reath and unslung my ag. .(et
up !amp.. I ordered, putting for!e into my voi!e so that she
wouldn't 3uestion the dire!tion.
I'd een loo#ing for a pa!# animal for a while now. ;ere, one
had een pra!ti!ally free, and that girl seemed to have had
some issue with my ma#ing use of it. 'he thought only made
me more itter at the situation.
!he certainly complains enough about having to help carry" I
thought, not wanting my voi!e to give me away, though
spea#ing it proaly would have made me feel just a little
etter. hat she doesn't reali#e is I was carrying it all before
she came along... $nd it's not like she minds having clothes"
though she does need some clothes that aren't bigger than
she is... %r eating the food...
I shoo# my head as I !rept through the rush, itter thoughts
would do me no good right now.
I spent most of the day sear!hing the annoyingly endless ash
!overed forest for the don#ey. Every rustle I followed turned
out to e a rat or other large rodent, ut no don#ey. 5inally,
as the sun egan to set, I gave up.
'Oh, Ross, if I'd #nown where you were, I would have !alled
you0. Eri!a said happily as I entered the !amp.
'he don#ey let out a nervous ray as we met eyes and too#
a !ouple steps a!#. It 3ui!#ly loo#ed away from my furious
ga)e.
I was angry. %ll this time I'd spent and the damn east had
just wandered into the !amp. Not only that, ut Eri!a hadn't
even thought to ma#e the thing a harness to #eep it from
wandering away.
.Ross, no0. (he said, alarmed, as I approa!hed the miserale
!reature.
.+hat is your prolem/. I growled, .+hy do you insist on
hindering me/.
.<on't #ill him0. (he pleaded. (he even got on her #nees in
the ash and loo#ed up at me.
.2et up,. I retorted, graing her wrist and pulling her to her
feet, .+hy would I #ill it/ It's more useful as a pa!# east
isn't it, though it doesn't loo# li#e it !ould !arry mu!h..
'he don#ey snorted as it dug at the ash with its hoof. I
noti!ed that it #ept an eye on me though.
.I thought.... Eri!a paused, .6ou said hunt and....
.6ou really don't ever thin#, do you/. I too# a slow step
towards the don#ey, whi!h snorted again. .8alm down, you
miserale ass.. I said. Not the most reassuring !hoi!e of
words, ut I wasn't e7a!tly feeling !haritale at the moment.
%s a rea!hed out, the don#ey rayed, giving me a ni!e view
of its !roo#ed teeth. 'eeth whi!h promptly rea!hed out and
it my hand. I drew my hand a!# 3ui!#ly and glared angrily
at the don#ey. .<on't ma#e your name out to e dinner, you
ungrateful ass. 6ou haven't e7a!tly done well out here, you
#now..
'he don#ey too# a step a!#. It wat!hed me as it wal#ed,
giving me a wide erth, and stood ne7t to Eri!a, who pet it
a-e!tionately on the nose, .;is name is 8hestnut..
I sat down on a relatively thin pat!h of ash, .'Nuts' is more
li#e it.. I replied dar#ly. .;e sure is an ugly ass..
.I thin# he's !ute.. (he said defensively. .6ou don't li#e him
e!ause he doesn't trust you..
.No,. I started rolling the rope a!# up, .I don't li#e him
e!ause he has an attitude. *esides,. I said with a smile,
.6ou thin# that's !ute, well, then $rst town we visit I'll $nd
you a mangy, half-starved, raies ridden dog to #eep as
well..
.'hat's terrile0. Eri!a !ried, hugging 8hestnut, ."aye
that's why he doesn't li#e you, you're too mean for him0 It's
not li#e you're friendly..
.I'm a!tually 3uite ni!e,. I said, trying to ma#e a harness out
of leather strips, .I didn't aandon you, I #illed the andits
who wanted to rape you and I didn't #ill that ass when it
pissed me o-. 'here are things out there that aren't half as
ni!e as I am..
(he rolled her eyes as she too# the harness from me.
8hestnut resisted slightly, ut let her put it on him. (he
smiled roadly as she !he!#ed the #not on the rope, then
presented it to me. .%nything to say now/.
I leaned a!# against a tree, .6eah, a!tually, he's your
prolem. 6ou now have the !hore of ta#ing !are of him. 5irst
thing you might want to do, give him a ath. I won't e ale
to sleep with the !amp smelling li#e a dirty ass..
I smiled to myself as she left. 'hat had ta#en the smile o-
her fa!e rather 3ui!#ly.
45in4