The Wanderer

Chapter 7

            "We're leaving, father," Saskia stated boldly in a loud voice.  "I want you to know that even though I believe you are wrong in your judgment, I will still follow your decision because you are our ruler, and my father.  You may cut me off this day from my people and make me an outcast from my tribe, but know that I will always be a gypsy.  It is in my blood and merely not allowing me to stay here, does not change who I am.  If you are ever in need, I will not hesitate to help any of you.  You are my people and will always be."  She looked around the camp, locking eyes with every person there, every man, woman, and child.  At last, they came to rest upon the eyes of her father.  She gazed deeply and boldly into his eyes, refusing to be the first one to look away.  Her father finally broke their gaze, blinking quickly to clear the tears that had started to cloud his eyes.

            He composed himself and spoke loudly to everyone in the camp.  "From this time forth, we will no longer call you a sister among us.  You have betrayed our trust by breaking the law and must serve your punishment by being cut off from your people.  The law is clear.  Set out from us."  His potent glare did nothing to hide the sadness Saskia saw in his eyes at having to say those words to his only daughter.

            "I love you, father," she whispered and turned, walking away from the camp and towards the woods.  Assuming Kalysta would follow, she kept walking and did not look back.  With his daughter out of earshot, Saskia's father turned to glare fiercely at her, clearly blaming her for his daughter's fall from the gypsies.  Kalysta fought a smile, thinking how much he looked like Saskia when she was mad.

            Her words were for his ears only, but her soft voice did not negate the strength that lay in her words.  "As you already know from my little outburst earlier, I also agree that you are wrong in your judgment.  You daughter has mastered both justice and compassion for others.  She is right in what she did and she graciously accepted the punishment you so wrongly placed upon her.  She is strong and will survive even in the worst of times, but I respect her for her compassion and the sacrifice she knowingly made for me.  I will watch out for her.  You have my word."  With that she smiled sadly at him, glad to see that his expression had changed to a look of grudging respect, and turned away, hurrying her steps to catch up with her companion, so she would not be missed.  The two young women walked deeper into the forest fading from view of those in the camp just as darkness set over the camp.

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            Deciding it would be safer to travel through the cover of darkness, the girls pushed on through their exhaustion, setting out towards Eunoria.  Kalysta felt weariness pressing down on her as dawn was nearing.  They had made it pretty good progress through the night, but she was beginning to stumble and trip over the roots hidden by the leaves, not able to must enough energy to step over them like she had done before.  Glancing over at her friend, she saw that she walked on, staring blankly in front of her with eyelids drooping, mechanically lifting one front in front of the other.

Suddenly, Kalysta felt her foot catch on particularly large root.  Jerking her attention back to the task at hand, she tried to catch herself, but she was too overbalanced.  Thorns ripped through the palm of her hand as she grasped at the plants around her, falling hard to the ground on her face.  Panting from pain, she laid still, trying to collect herself.

“Are you okay?” Saskia asked, racing over to her friend who grunted in response.  “I’ll take that as a ‘yes’.”

Kalysta rolled over to her back and sat up slowly, picking leaves off of her clothing and Saskia helped by picking the ones out of her hair.  She sighed and glanced at the lightening sky.

“It’ll be daylight soon.  We should find somewhere to sleep for a little while.  I’m assuming from your little fall that you’re as tired as I am.  If I remember correctly, there should be small copse of thick bushes up ahead near the stream.  We can sleep there.”  Giving her friend a hand up, they stood up and both started walking in the general direction Saskia had indicated.

“I’d sleep anywhere at this point.  It’s been almost twenty-four hours since I’ve slept.  I’m about to drop,” she complained, rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn.

“Not just yet.  Another five minutes and we should be there.”  Taking Kalysta’s elbow, she guided her towards the right.  The sound of running water grew closer and closer, until the girls reached the edge of the trees.  A wide, shallow stream ran with clear water as far as they could see in both directions.  About fifty feet to their left, Kalysta saw the thick bushes her companion had talked about.  She sighed in relief and followed Saskia towards the underbrush, glad for the packed dirt that had replaced the gnarled roots under her feet.

“Come this way,” she instructed, leading her around to the side of the underbrush that was right next to the stream.  “Hold this,” she said, handing Kalysta the bag she carried, “I’ll take it back once I get in.  Hold on just a minute.”  The blonde girl watched as Saskia wriggled between the bushes, disappearing behind a wall of green.  Suddenly, a hand shot out from the bushes.

“Okay.  Give me my bag and then hand me yours.”  Taking first one bag and then the other, she hid them behind the bushes.  “Alright, now crawl in.”

Kalysta shoved her already sore hands into the foliage, wincing as the branches hit the scratches.  She parted the branches, shoving herself face first into the bushes until she was completely hidden behind the greenery.  She was amazed at how much space was hidden by these bushes.  It had looked pretty small from the outside, but there was plenty of room for the two girls to stretch out and rest.  Plus, the bushes were so overgrown that their intertwined limbs above blocked out most of the light, making it good for sleeping during the day.

“What do you think?” her companion asked with a smile on her face.

“I think it’s the best thing I’ve ever seen,” she sighed with contentment, plopping herself onto the ground and stretching out.  She reached out and grabbed her bag from nearby, using it as a pillow.  With a sleepy smile on her face, she murmured, “Night, Sask.  See you tonight.”  With a big yawn, she closed her eyes.

“Goodnight, Kaly. Sleep good.”  She followed Kalysta’s example using her bag as a pillow and stretching out.  She laid awake for a while thinking about all of the things that had happened in the last day.  She had gone through so much and was now headed out into the world she had always been taught to avoid, to the people she had been taught would hate her.  She had no idea what she was supposed to do.  She felt something bubbling up inside of her that she rarely felt—fear.  Taking a deep breath, she pushed it down and closed her eyes.  Give me strength, she prayed simply.

Slowly opening her chocolate eyes, she sighed and bit her bottom lip, her mind turning to Ferrer.  Saskia remembered everything about him.  His shaggy copper hair and dark green eyes.  The way his smile lit up his face, bringing out his subtle handsomeness.  She smiled just thinking of him and how they met.  Her mind ran through all the memories she had of him.  Her smile dimmed and fell from her face when she thought of their last time together.  Squeezing her eyes shut, she prayed, Please let him forgive me.  Her lips murmured the plea repeatedly until she drifted off to sleep.

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Author's Note: Sorry it's so short.  I'll try to upload again soon, but work is crazy.  Please comment/vote/fan.  I'd love to hear from you and what you think of my story.  Thanks for reading.