Eternal Darkness (The Cimmerian Cycle #1)

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The next few days of their journey blurred into one another. It was to be an endless cycle of walking, sleeping and eating. The soles of Kiayani’s feet had become hardened because of all the walking and she felt herself getting a little stronger all the time.

The third time they stopped for sleep Leo made a request of her.

“Kiayani, you know how you told us that story about the lovers and the bridge between the realms and stuff?” he said quietly.

“Yes,” she answered not looking up as she undid her bedroll.

“Do you know any others that you could tell us? I mean you must know some more,” he said looking slightly embarrassed.

“Of course,” she said without thinking, it was so hard to refuse Leo. He was the little brother she had never had.

She was trying to remember every time she had been told a story as a child. None immediately sprung to mind. Leo was smiling, his face lit by the fire, expecting a tale of some great fantasy.

“What are you two doing?” asked Mik looking up from the other side of the fire.

“Kiayani is going to tell a story,” said Leo.

“Let’s hear it then,” said Mik, the shadow of a smile on his face.

Kiayani took a deep breath; she was going to have to make one up. She was about to speak when a powerful memory emerged. She had a story to tell.

“In the time of magic and spirits,” she began, “the sun and the moon where men. They were both as equally powerful and the other spirits feared them. All but one. She was a fox spirit, hair as red as fire and a cunning mind. She knew that both of them loved to quarrel. Wanting to see them fight she went to the moon and told him that the sun thought him weak and worthless. Then she went to the sun and told him the exact same thing. But she also told them that each other was on the opposite side of the earth. When the sun realised the fox must have meant the other side he ran around to try and find the moon. The problem was the moon had thought of this also. Both were proud and would not give up the chase and to this day they chase each other across the skies.”

“They chase each other?” Leo said frowning.

“It’s a story Leo,” said Mik, “a tale. It isn’t real.

“Oh,” he said, his forehead relaxing a little.

Kiayani looked over at Koran who had been listening. She had noticed while travelling with them that he said very little, only speaking when he had to give an order.

“What did the fox have to gain by making them look like fools?” Koran asked looking up, staring straight into her eyes.

His gaze made her cheeks go red. She was slightly speechless. Luckily Mik had an answer.

“The fox wanted to show the other spirits that they weren’t as powerful as they made out. Their arrogance got in the way.”

“I guess that makes sense,” said Leo frowning again before yawning, “oh am I tired. Who knew walking for hours on end made your feet fall off? Well I’m going to try get some sleep.”

“Good idea,” said Mik slipping into his blankets.

Kiayani followed their lead and drifted off into sleep quicker than she thought possible.

Every few nights after that Mik or Leo would ask for a story. She guessed that they needed something to entertain them. So as she walked she tried her hardest to recall all the stories she had ever heard. Once she read them a paragraph out of her book.  In a way she felt a bit like a mother to them, the way they stared at her attentively with wide eyes like ten year olds. It made her feel like laughing sometimes.