By The Light Of The Moon

Chapter 21

I kicked my heels idly against the boulder I sat on, enjoying the warm sunshine on my skin. At the far end of the valley, storm clouds towered high into the sky, rapidly approaching.

A couple of horn calls rose through the air; one of the camps calling several patrols back in and sending fresh ones out. The trees blocked my view, so I listened carefully, picking out three different "return" calls.

One of the calls came from somewhere farther up the valley, the same direction we were going. I frowned, making a mental note to tell Shane tonight. Once the horns fell silent, I used my knife to whittle more tiny strips of wood off the sapling I was turning into my new spear.

I examined the stick from a few angles and decided it was good enough. I knelt down beside my tiny fire and held the tip near the flames. Keeping a close eye on the tip, I slowly rotated the spear to prevent any burning or scorching, but kept it close enough for the fire to force the moisture out.

After several sessions of heating, my knees were sore, and the wood was fire-hardened and starting to show signs of its time near the flames. I set it to the side and checked the nearby flatbread, which had finished cooking. I moved them to the side to cool and tossed dirt over the handful of burning twigs. The last thing I needed was someone catching a whiff of woodsmoke or cooking food.

A rumble of thunder had me scowling at the dark clouds before giving in and retrieving my rain cloak from the saddlebags. I packed everything up and stashed it in the lean-to, where it would stay mostly dry until sunset.

The advancing storm clouds grumbled their displeasure at being forced into this mountain valley, and the sky beneath them became hazy with heavy rain. I hoped the storm would send the patrols back to their camps, but since I wasn't hearing any horns, that likely wasn't happening. I added more branches to the shelter while waiting.

When the first raindrops cascaded down, I wrapped my rain cloak tightly around me and sat under the small lean-to. The wind began to pick up, even in the sheltered clearing. Milly had been grazing under the cover of nearby trees, and she moved deeper into the shrubs for more protection.

I slid farther under the lean-to and watched the treetops whip back and forth as rain began to fall out of the sky.

~

   A faded beam of light peered out from behind the departing storm, a parting farewell before it disappeared behind the mountains. My boots squelched in the flattened grass as I emerged from the lean-to.

I took my time stretching after being hunched under the shelter for so many hours. It had kept most of the rain off me, so my clothing under my rain cloak was dry, as was my gear and supplies.

Milly emerged from the trees, surprisingly dry after the downpour. Her saddle pad and saddle had remained dry in my shelter, so I quickly toweled her down and got her ready for tonight's journey. I fondly hoped every soldier in this valley had soggy bedding and wet trousers. If they were huddled around fires to dry off and stay warm, they wouldn't be out here trying to find us.

I was just cinching Milly's saddle when Shane trotted into sight. The now-familiar orange and green shimmer reflected in the countless water droplets on the grass, glittering in interesting patterns.

"You missed the big storm," I told him. "The food is still in the lean-to. Give me a moment, and I'll grab it."

"I can get it," he said, veering toward the lean-to with the same focus my brothers displayed when hungry.

"It's in the oiled paper in my backpack."

Even with the vague permission, he paused, staring at the backpack longingly, but was held back by manners.