Chapter 7
The next few days were spent travelling through farmland. The fact that Janol was only supposed to be travelling for a day or so had quietly been forgotten. They stopped off at several villages to buy food. In each one, they got strange looks as they made an unusual pair of travelling companions, a twenty-something-year-old, unusually dark-skinned woman and a teenage boy just having reached maturity. On one occasion, when the weather was bad they stayed at an inn and the stares turned into comments. Janol got embarrassed whereas Onnil just gave the critics a dismissing stare.
Once they reached their room, Onnil gave Janol a warning. “If you ever try anything you die! Understand?”
Janol nodded, not really worried for his life but more worried about the pain that he might receive.
Onnil slept on the single mattress whereas Janol spread his bedroll out on the floor.
Once they reached their room, Onnil gave Janol a warning. “If you ever try anything you die! Understand?”
Janol nodded, not really worried for his life but more worried about the pain that he might receive.
Onnil slept on the single mattress whereas Janol spread his bedroll out on the floor.
In the morning, they had a simple breakfast of bread and cheese with a small bowl of porridge. The innkeeper kept making suggestive signs and winking at Janol, which made Janol more and more uncomfortable. No matter how much he tried not to look he kept glancing up to see if the innkeeper was still there and the innkeeper always caught his eye.
The weather had cleared and they set off along the damp road. The air smelt fresh, the sky was blue and always other areas of the Sphere were vaguely visible shining through it.
“Our money isn’t going to last long,” Onnil said.
“Well at least I brought some,” Janol replied. “You didn’t have any.”
“No, I suppose not, but then …” Onnil stopped mid-sentence. Janol did not pursue the matter; he was learning when not to ask too many questions.
“So we’re going to have to do some odd jobs,” Onnil continued. “This brings us back to the question …” Onnil stopped again because as they turned the corner they saw a broken down bus with ten passengers milling aimlessly beside it.
They both looked at each other; here was possibly an opportunity to get a lift or at least to earn some extra cash.
Janol walked forward, “Problem?” he asked the driver who was standing at the side of the road scratching his head.
“Swerved to avoid a deer and drove into the ditch didn’t I?” he replied.
Janol got down and looked under the bus. “Nothing broken by the looks of it. I think we could push it back onto the road if enough people helped.”
“Let’s get started then!” Onnil said enthusiastically getting behind the bus and digging her heels into the ground.
The driver looked quizzically at Janol who just shrugged his shoulders in reply.
Janol, the driver and two of the passengers joined Onnil behind the bus and after a few minutes of pushing and shoving, they managed to push it back onto the road.
“Everyone back on board,” the driver shouted. He turned to Janol and Onnil. “Thanks for your help. I would give you a lift but I’m heading in the wrong direction for you.”
“That’s okay,” Janol replied, trying to hide his disappointment. Onnil just nodded at the driver.
The driver climbed back into his seat, gave them a wave and the bus drove off in a cloud of dust.
Janol watched it disappear and then they carried on their journey while Onnil scraped mud off her boots. Their disappointment was short-lived as ten minutes later another bus came past travelling their way and stopped.
“Needing a lift?” the driver shouted.
“Well yes,” Janol replied unsure.
“Get in, it’s free, my colleague told me that a dark-skinned woman and a young man had helped him. That looks like you. Come on, get in before I change my mind.”
“Thanks,” Onnil replied getting on board. They sat alone at the back.
“How old are you?” Janol asked Onnil.
“Old enough.”
“That’s not a proper answer.”
“It’s all the answer you’re going to get,” Onnil replied. “It’s none of your business. Don’t forget you’re only travelling with me under sufferance.”
Janol tried a different conversation. “Wouldn’t it be easier to travel where we’re going by bus rather than walking?”
Onnil shook her head slowly and replied emphatically, “Buses don’t run where we’re going.”
Janol was not sure if the bizarre answer was serious or not. “But at least they could take us part of the way.”
“Perhaps,” was the only answer he received.
The bus stopped that evening in a small village. As they were getting off, the bus driver said to them, “I’ll see you alright. I know the innkeeper. You’ll get a cheap room. Better than camping out!” he said nodding at Janol’s tent.
The driver as promised arranged for a meal and board for about half what they would normally pay. After their meal, Janol bought them both a beer to celebrate.
“Trying to get me drunk?” Onnil asked.
“No,” Janol replied nervously. Could he not even buy a beer without getting into trouble? “Anyway, you don’t get drunk.”
Onnil appeared to sense his discomfort. “Look, don’t always take me seriously. I was just winding you up. Anyway, tomorrow, we’re going to be leaving the road, and travel north. I’ve got a map of Wyive,” Onnil explained. “There’s a forest we have to go through, it’ll make our journey quicker. Can you cope with bears?”
Janol never having seen a real bear and only hearing about them in stories was not sure. “I’ve never had any problem with bears,” he replied after a moment’s hesitation. He was sure Onnil had picked up on the ambiguity of the answer.
“Well, get a good night’s sleep and I’ll see you in the morning,” Onnil said. “Finish your beer soon.” And with that she left to go to their shared room.
The weather had cleared and they set off along the damp road. The air smelt fresh, the sky was blue and always other areas of the Sphere were vaguely visible shining through it.
“Our money isn’t going to last long,” Onnil said.
“Well at least I brought some,” Janol replied. “You didn’t have any.”
“No, I suppose not, but then …” Onnil stopped mid-sentence. Janol did not pursue the matter; he was learning when not to ask too many questions.
“So we’re going to have to do some odd jobs,” Onnil continued. “This brings us back to the question …” Onnil stopped again because as they turned the corner they saw a broken down bus with ten passengers milling aimlessly beside it.
They both looked at each other; here was possibly an opportunity to get a lift or at least to earn some extra cash.
Janol walked forward, “Problem?” he asked the driver who was standing at the side of the road scratching his head.
“Swerved to avoid a deer and drove into the ditch didn’t I?” he replied.
Janol got down and looked under the bus. “Nothing broken by the looks of it. I think we could push it back onto the road if enough people helped.”
“Let’s get started then!” Onnil said enthusiastically getting behind the bus and digging her heels into the ground.
The driver looked quizzically at Janol who just shrugged his shoulders in reply.
Janol, the driver and two of the passengers joined Onnil behind the bus and after a few minutes of pushing and shoving, they managed to push it back onto the road.
“Everyone back on board,” the driver shouted. He turned to Janol and Onnil. “Thanks for your help. I would give you a lift but I’m heading in the wrong direction for you.”
“That’s okay,” Janol replied, trying to hide his disappointment. Onnil just nodded at the driver.
The driver climbed back into his seat, gave them a wave and the bus drove off in a cloud of dust.
Janol watched it disappear and then they carried on their journey while Onnil scraped mud off her boots. Their disappointment was short-lived as ten minutes later another bus came past travelling their way and stopped.
“Needing a lift?” the driver shouted.
“Well yes,” Janol replied unsure.
“Get in, it’s free, my colleague told me that a dark-skinned woman and a young man had helped him. That looks like you. Come on, get in before I change my mind.”
“Thanks,” Onnil replied getting on board. They sat alone at the back.
“How old are you?” Janol asked Onnil.
“Old enough.”
“That’s not a proper answer.”
“It’s all the answer you’re going to get,” Onnil replied. “It’s none of your business. Don’t forget you’re only travelling with me under sufferance.”
Janol tried a different conversation. “Wouldn’t it be easier to travel where we’re going by bus rather than walking?”
Onnil shook her head slowly and replied emphatically, “Buses don’t run where we’re going.”
Janol was not sure if the bizarre answer was serious or not. “But at least they could take us part of the way.”
“Perhaps,” was the only answer he received.
The bus stopped that evening in a small village. As they were getting off, the bus driver said to them, “I’ll see you alright. I know the innkeeper. You’ll get a cheap room. Better than camping out!” he said nodding at Janol’s tent.
The driver as promised arranged for a meal and board for about half what they would normally pay. After their meal, Janol bought them both a beer to celebrate.
“Trying to get me drunk?” Onnil asked.
“No,” Janol replied nervously. Could he not even buy a beer without getting into trouble? “Anyway, you don’t get drunk.”
Onnil appeared to sense his discomfort. “Look, don’t always take me seriously. I was just winding you up. Anyway, tomorrow, we’re going to be leaving the road, and travel north. I’ve got a map of Wyive,” Onnil explained. “There’s a forest we have to go through, it’ll make our journey quicker. Can you cope with bears?”
Janol never having seen a real bear and only hearing about them in stories was not sure. “I’ve never had any problem with bears,” he replied after a moment’s hesitation. He was sure Onnil had picked up on the ambiguity of the answer.
“Well, get a good night’s sleep and I’ll see you in the morning,” Onnil said. “Finish your beer soon.” And with that she left to go to their shared room.
It rained heavily the following morning. Janol stared at the weather from the doorway of the inn. It would be quite pleasant to stay in the inn until the rain stopped, he thought. Better not suggest it to Onnil, she would not think it such a good idea.
They briefly wandered around the village, bought some more supplies with Janol’s dwindling supply of money at the only two shops and then left along the muddy west road.
“How come my parents found out that I’d gone?” Janol asked through the driving rain.
“I gave them your letter.” Onnil replied.
“Why?”
“Because it was addressed to them and before you ask, I didn’t read it first as it wasn’t addressed to me. And if I had read it I would have still done exactly the same.”
Janol stared at the road ahead.
“I went upstairs to say good-bye and saw your note, so I gave it to your parents since it was for them,” Onnil continued. “Anyway, you should never have come with me. You should still be at home. I should be here by myself. Need any other reasons?”
Janol was silent. After Onnil’s tirade he could not think of a reasonable reply.
Onnil continued, “And do you realise what an awkward position you put me in. I’d stayed with your family for nearly half a year and I reward their kindness by stealing their son.”
“You didn’t …”
“That’s not how they saw it. They think I’d bewitched you.”
Onnil’s mood seemed to have darkened like the weather. They walked on in silence for the next hour and then as promised, they left the road and headed north into the forest.
“Scared?” Onnil asked. Janol noticed a slight conciliatory tone in her voice.
“A bit.” Janol replied.
“Good it’ll keep you on your toes.”
The fact that he would need to keep on his toes was worrying.
They walked on, mostly in silence through the forest until the evening when they set up camp.
“Go and get some wood to make a fire!” Onnil ordered, “I’m going to set up the tent. Oh and see if you can find anything edible.”
It was the wrong time of year for mushrooms and berries, so Janol only managed to find firewood. Onnil sorted out the dry kindling from the damp and soon managed to get a fire going.
“We’ll need a fire to keep away the bears and wolves,” Onnil said matter-of-factly. Janol looked at the forest around him. He recognised most of the trees; oak, sycamore, horse chestnut, Scots pine and rowan were the more common ones. No, that was oak and that was sycamore. That was the trees sorted but what about the animals? His childhood had been full of stories of creatures like unicorns, lions, dragons and velociraptors, some of which were mythical like dragons and others like the unicorns, lions and velociraptors were supposed to live in distant lands. In the past he would have not given them a moment's thought. However, now that it was getting dark and the shadows of the trees were beginning to dance in the firelight, he was not too sure what could be living out there.
Janol sat poking the fire with a stick and decided to take his mind off velociraptors, “So where did you originally come from?” he asked.
Surprisingly, Onnil gave a straight answer. “I originally came from Ayethree. Sometimes known as New Africa.”
“Where’s that? I’ve never heard of either of those places.”
“Over there I think,” Onnil said vaguely pointing to the southeast and up.
“What do you mean I think? And how did you end up here?” Janol asked staring at the place in the sky where Onnil was pointing.
“I’ve not been there for a while and I’ve travelled a lot.”
Janol sensed that he was not going to get any more answers to this line of questioning now so he kept silent for a minute and carried on poking the fire. “Why did you leave?” he asked, deciding to change the subject.
“I had to. It was my job” was the only answer he got.
Janol had run out of questions to ask. “I’m going to go to bed now,” he said. The rain and Onnil’s outburst earlier in the day had depressed him. For a moment, he thought about his warm bed at home but he soon dismissed it from his mind.
“I’ll stay up for a while, if that’s okay,” Onnil replied leaning against a tree. “I’m older and don’t need as much sleep.”
Despite his fears of predators from the forest attacking and ripping the tent to pieces, Janol fell asleep almost immediately.
He woke as it was getting light, crawled out of the tent and watched the sky gradually become more transparent beneath the sun. Onnil was already up cooking breakfast over the fire. It was as if she had never gone to bed.
“Morning sleepy head,” she said.
Janol looked about. The forest looked far friendlier during the day than it had at night. His sleep had brightened his mood.
“Any regrets?” Onnil asked as they packed up and stamped out the remains of the fire.
“To be honest, a few.”
“Want to go back?” Onnil asked.
Janol shook his head. “I want to stop that psycho in Zedix. If there’s just a small chance that I can help to do that, then it’ll be worth it.”
Onnil nodded.
“So how are we going to stop him?” Janol asked.
“I’m not sure if we can but I do know that it is possible,” Onnil replied, “or it would have been in the past. It depends how far things have fallen apart.”
Janol didn’t like the sound of that answer. What did she mean by ‘Things have fallen apart’? Every time he got an answer from Onnil, he ended up wanting to ask five more questions in return.
“Listen Janol, tell me truthfully, why you came with me?”
“Because you’re going to stop the invasion,” Janol replied.
She stared at him for a while. “Do you believe I can?” she asked.
Janol thought for a while before carefully replying. “I don’t know if I believe that you can. But I do believe that you believe that you can. And that’s good enough for me. Does that make sense?”
Onnil nodded. “And what would you do to stop it?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I’ll find out if and when I have to do them. But there are certain things I won’t do.”
“Such as?”
“Murder innocent people, burn down cities, that sort of thing.”
Onnil said nothing for a while as if thinking about Janol’s replies. Then she got some wire out of her backpack and asked, “Do you know how to build rabbit traps?” changing the subject.
Janol nodded in reply. “They’re a pest on the farm,” he added.
“Okay then, have a go at making some during the day as we travel, we can put them out tonight.”
Janol stared at the backpack Onnil carried; it seemed to contain so many interesting things. He had wanted to examine the contents so much, ever since he had first met her, but going through another person’s possessions was taboo. Also, and more importantly, he did not fancy being caught.
They set off into the light drizzle heading north through the forest. As always the red sun, though now obscured by clouds, lay overhead.
“Onnil?” Janol asked.
“Yes.”
“Why are we going this way?”
“Well, how else would we get there?”
“Along the coastal road. If we’d headed east, we could have gone along the coast. It would be longer but we could have got a lift.”
Onnil thought for a moment, “It would have been a possibility but I wanted to see some of Wyive on my journey. Sometimes the journey is as important as the destination. Anyway, what’s the hurry?”
Janol resisted the temptation to say ‘The invasion from Zedix’.
Onnil seemed to have read his mind. “The Zedixians aren’t going to invade for a while. It could take us years to get to where we’re going so I don’t think this is going to make much difference. Anyway, I didn’t have the money for a bus fare.”
Janol was not satisfied with Onnil’s answer, the more he thought about it, the more he was sure that the only real reason they had not gone along the coastal road was because Onnil had not considered it. It would have been much quicker.
They briefly wandered around the village, bought some more supplies with Janol’s dwindling supply of money at the only two shops and then left along the muddy west road.
“How come my parents found out that I’d gone?” Janol asked through the driving rain.
“I gave them your letter.” Onnil replied.
“Why?”
“Because it was addressed to them and before you ask, I didn’t read it first as it wasn’t addressed to me. And if I had read it I would have still done exactly the same.”
Janol stared at the road ahead.
“I went upstairs to say good-bye and saw your note, so I gave it to your parents since it was for them,” Onnil continued. “Anyway, you should never have come with me. You should still be at home. I should be here by myself. Need any other reasons?”
Janol was silent. After Onnil’s tirade he could not think of a reasonable reply.
Onnil continued, “And do you realise what an awkward position you put me in. I’d stayed with your family for nearly half a year and I reward their kindness by stealing their son.”
“You didn’t …”
“That’s not how they saw it. They think I’d bewitched you.”
Onnil’s mood seemed to have darkened like the weather. They walked on in silence for the next hour and then as promised, they left the road and headed north into the forest.
“Scared?” Onnil asked. Janol noticed a slight conciliatory tone in her voice.
“A bit.” Janol replied.
“Good it’ll keep you on your toes.”
The fact that he would need to keep on his toes was worrying.
They walked on, mostly in silence through the forest until the evening when they set up camp.
“Go and get some wood to make a fire!” Onnil ordered, “I’m going to set up the tent. Oh and see if you can find anything edible.”
It was the wrong time of year for mushrooms and berries, so Janol only managed to find firewood. Onnil sorted out the dry kindling from the damp and soon managed to get a fire going.
“We’ll need a fire to keep away the bears and wolves,” Onnil said matter-of-factly. Janol looked at the forest around him. He recognised most of the trees; oak, sycamore, horse chestnut, Scots pine and rowan were the more common ones. No, that was oak and that was sycamore. That was the trees sorted but what about the animals? His childhood had been full of stories of creatures like unicorns, lions, dragons and velociraptors, some of which were mythical like dragons and others like the unicorns, lions and velociraptors were supposed to live in distant lands. In the past he would have not given them a moment's thought. However, now that it was getting dark and the shadows of the trees were beginning to dance in the firelight, he was not too sure what could be living out there.
Janol sat poking the fire with a stick and decided to take his mind off velociraptors, “So where did you originally come from?” he asked.
Surprisingly, Onnil gave a straight answer. “I originally came from Ayethree. Sometimes known as New Africa.”
“Where’s that? I’ve never heard of either of those places.”
“Over there I think,” Onnil said vaguely pointing to the southeast and up.
“What do you mean I think? And how did you end up here?” Janol asked staring at the place in the sky where Onnil was pointing.
“I’ve not been there for a while and I’ve travelled a lot.”
Janol sensed that he was not going to get any more answers to this line of questioning now so he kept silent for a minute and carried on poking the fire. “Why did you leave?” he asked, deciding to change the subject.
“I had to. It was my job” was the only answer he got.
Janol had run out of questions to ask. “I’m going to go to bed now,” he said. The rain and Onnil’s outburst earlier in the day had depressed him. For a moment, he thought about his warm bed at home but he soon dismissed it from his mind.
“I’ll stay up for a while, if that’s okay,” Onnil replied leaning against a tree. “I’m older and don’t need as much sleep.”
Despite his fears of predators from the forest attacking and ripping the tent to pieces, Janol fell asleep almost immediately.
He woke as it was getting light, crawled out of the tent and watched the sky gradually become more transparent beneath the sun. Onnil was already up cooking breakfast over the fire. It was as if she had never gone to bed.
“Morning sleepy head,” she said.
Janol looked about. The forest looked far friendlier during the day than it had at night. His sleep had brightened his mood.
“Any regrets?” Onnil asked as they packed up and stamped out the remains of the fire.
“To be honest, a few.”
“Want to go back?” Onnil asked.
Janol shook his head. “I want to stop that psycho in Zedix. If there’s just a small chance that I can help to do that, then it’ll be worth it.”
Onnil nodded.
“So how are we going to stop him?” Janol asked.
“I’m not sure if we can but I do know that it is possible,” Onnil replied, “or it would have been in the past. It depends how far things have fallen apart.”
Janol didn’t like the sound of that answer. What did she mean by ‘Things have fallen apart’? Every time he got an answer from Onnil, he ended up wanting to ask five more questions in return.
“Listen Janol, tell me truthfully, why you came with me?”
“Because you’re going to stop the invasion,” Janol replied.
She stared at him for a while. “Do you believe I can?” she asked.
Janol thought for a while before carefully replying. “I don’t know if I believe that you can. But I do believe that you believe that you can. And that’s good enough for me. Does that make sense?”
Onnil nodded. “And what would you do to stop it?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I’ll find out if and when I have to do them. But there are certain things I won’t do.”
“Such as?”
“Murder innocent people, burn down cities, that sort of thing.”
Onnil said nothing for a while as if thinking about Janol’s replies. Then she got some wire out of her backpack and asked, “Do you know how to build rabbit traps?” changing the subject.
Janol nodded in reply. “They’re a pest on the farm,” he added.
“Okay then, have a go at making some during the day as we travel, we can put them out tonight.”
Janol stared at the backpack Onnil carried; it seemed to contain so many interesting things. He had wanted to examine the contents so much, ever since he had first met her, but going through another person’s possessions was taboo. Also, and more importantly, he did not fancy being caught.
They set off into the light drizzle heading north through the forest. As always the red sun, though now obscured by clouds, lay overhead.
“Onnil?” Janol asked.
“Yes.”
“Why are we going this way?”
“Well, how else would we get there?”
“Along the coastal road. If we’d headed east, we could have gone along the coast. It would be longer but we could have got a lift.”
Onnil thought for a moment, “It would have been a possibility but I wanted to see some of Wyive on my journey. Sometimes the journey is as important as the destination. Anyway, what’s the hurry?”
Janol resisted the temptation to say ‘The invasion from Zedix’.
Onnil seemed to have read his mind. “The Zedixians aren’t going to invade for a while. It could take us years to get to where we’re going so I don’t think this is going to make much difference. Anyway, I didn’t have the money for a bus fare.”
Janol was not satisfied with Onnil’s answer, the more he thought about it, the more he was sure that the only real reason they had not gone along the coastal road was because Onnil had not considered it. It would have been much quicker.
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