Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 121924 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121924 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
As I hefted my knapsack onto my back, I barely swallowed an oof. Yeah, it was not going to be easy to cart this thing around the Pines. Ready, I walked back outside to find that the other candidates in my group were all clustered together. Atticus, unfortunately, was among them.
Ajax clapped once to get our attention. “Right, let’s move.”
I reluctantly fell into the line, still somehow ending up only six people behind Talon—well, candidates weren’t exactly eager to leave, so they never joined the line in a hurry.
We made our way out of the garrison, across the bailey, and out the city’s doors … straight into the darkness of the forest. The ever-present fog misted the air to the point where I couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of me—everything beyond that was a blur.
I clung to the straps of my knapsack as we walked in single file with Talon in the lead. We made steep climbs, traversed slippery narrow paths, and crossed fast-flowing rivers using flimsy bridges.
Once we stepped out of the forested area, I had to blink against the sudden light. Not that I could see any better than I could before. The gray haze blurred our view; muting colors, concealing dangers, presenting us with only indistinct shapes. Still, I could tell we’d reached the moorlands. I’d heard of this area from Khalida, who’d warned me that vipers were common there. I barely held back a shudder at the thought of coming across one.
Gray clouds hung low over the rolling grassy hills. Wind swept over the land with a sigh, making the grass shush as it bent and rustled.
The rugged landscape was mostly barren, but I knew I would still have to be careful where I walked—and not only because of the vipers. Rocks and boulders could be found here and there, which were easy to miss and subsequently trip over, thanks to the fog.
The weight of my knapsack a constant strain on my shoulders, I adjusted the positions of the straps slightly. Yeah, that didn’t help much.
I wasn’t fond of the boggy landscape either. Or of how the wind that whistled through the hills became chillier the higher we climbed, forcing me to don my cloak. Still, I only ever complained in the privacy of my mind.
Chirps came from the occasional bird, though they kept their distance. Maybe due to the Laelaps. All three dogs were happy to trot along either side of the line. Sometimes Valor came over to butt my hand but then he’d head off.
I inwardly sighed in relief when we finally stopped for a short break. Sadly, the land was so barren here that there were no trees to lean against to take some pressure off my legs, back, and feet. Unwilling to sit on the boggy ground, I managed to find a cold boulder to plop my butt on.
“You okay?” asked Jelani, sidling up to me.
Since I’d be damned if I complained out loud, I smiled as I dug my water pouch out of the knapsack I’d dumped on the ground beside the boulder. “Enjoying the scenery,” I quipped.
He snickered, but the amusement on his face faded as his gaze fixed on something beyond me. I tracked it, finding Talon waving him over.
“Got to go.” Jelani shot me a tight smile and then disappeared.
All too soon, the break was over. Groans ghosted through the air as people heaved up their knapsacks and once more got moving.
Hours went by as we kept walking, passing sporadic clumps of under-shrubs, undersized trees, and small bursts of purple flowers.
Noticing that the drifting clouds above were starting to turn gray, I grimaced. Not good. Neither was the feeling of pressure building in the air, because it meant that rain would soon come.
Hoping we would stop somewhere for the night before the rain hit, I walked on, paddling through a shallow gurgling stream. My pace faltered as I heard something nosing around. So did the Laelaps, their upper lips peeling back. Most of the beasts that roamed the terrain generally stuck to the thickly forested areas, but not all.
Someone tripped up ahead of me, falling onto their hands and knees in the water with a splash. I winced in sympathy. I knew from personal experience that trekking through the Pines in wet clothes was nothing close to pleasant.
A sly chuckle sounded from someone in front of me.
“Something funny, Atticus?” challenged Ajax.
“N-no, sir,” stammered Atticus, the idiot.
I rolled my eyes. He was all big and bad right up until Talon or someone from the Tapestry fronted him. His confidence always shriveled to nothing in their presence.
“That’s what I thought,” said Ajax.
Silence fell as we continued onward. Along the way, the officiates collected branches for the fire that we’d need to later build. Good thinking, since the moorlands didn’t feature many heat sources in most areas.