Botanica ( A true quest )

Chapter32 : Salix flies

Chapter 32

The Wort guard continuously lumbered after Salix. He had paced himself and was able to make considerable ground ahead of them but this did not prevent their relentless slow rumble

after him. Salix would stop every so often to regain his breath and assess the situation. He

could still se the guards off in the distance going up hill and down dale. They had picked up a

solitary dragon rider who seemed to be acting as look out high above them,

“ If only Carepegia were here” he thought, “ she could do for me what I have just done for

Hedera “

The mid day heat was having it’s usual effect and fortune smiled as Salix caught a glimpse

of the familiar little silver shelters being erected for the Worts to seek shade. He would try

to push on and put a lot more distance between him and the Patrol. Salix set steady rhythm

jogging on, but all too soon the heat took it’s toll., at least he had gained another hour or

so on them. He sat and looked behind him, the only disadvantage with this arid sandy land

was he was leaving a clear trail of footprints and there wasn’t a whisp of a breeze to cover

them. The ground beneath him was soft, Salix managed to slowly dig a hole and bank up

the removed sand high enough to cast a shadow across the ground. He jumped in the small

area of shade he had just created, at least it would keep the direct rays off even if the heat

was still intense. Salix lay wiggling his fingers in the sand they sank to just below the surface

it was nice to feel the coolness of the sand under his palm as opposed to the heat on the

back of his hand. Salix lay reflecting as he always did on how far he had come, how he and

Hedera had changes over these past weeks, how their values had shifted, how this might

reflect upon their future. In mid reflection he sat up , the palm of his hand was cool? Salix

dug a little further down and sure enough there was a distinct difference, although dry the

sand was considerably cooler , and oh it was bliss. For the foist time in a while he actually felt

comfortable, so much so that he relaxed into a fairly deep sleep.

Salix was having a weird dream , he was slipping into quick sand and Hedera couldn’t rescue

him , the sand was now seeping into his mouth,

“ Pluugh pluuggh pluggh “ Indeed his mouth was full of sand, it was dry, also with ear he had

on the ground he could hear an ominous rumble.

Salix sat upright spitting out the sand and made his way round his little bunker, sure enough

his fears were confirmed. He had been asleep quite a while losing all the ground he had

made on the Worts. He quickly undid his sack and took the last sips of the concentrated

Boozeberry juice , he would need to find a water source soon as this would not sustain him

for long.

Salix pushed himself to his knees and crawled down the side of the dune he was on, sliding