Return of the Burning Man

Chapter Fifteen

'There is an improvement. I feel her strength returning to her but it is still very weak and far below that which is needed for her to be able to help me connect to the magikal world.'

Sothoo was giving Raru'iti a report on Lolo's health while they rested for a while. They had been walking for the best part of the morning and Raru'iti had told Segar'iti that they would stop around mid-morning to rest and wait for him to come back in from his scouting to tell Raru'iti what he had learned. Just as Raru'iti had taken the panniers off Borek, Segar'iti walked in and threw his leather travelling bag down. He jabbed his spear into the ground and propped his bow and quiver against it.

'Welcome back, Segar'iti. What news do you bring?'

Segar'iti ran his hand through his scraggly beard and scratched at his head.

'Where I've come from is full of animal fleas and I have been plagued by them. I cannot wait to comb my beard and hair.' he said.

Without thinking the others took a step or two back from him as Sothoo rooted in her bag, pushing a boxwood comb towards him. He took it and ran it through his beard, relief crossing his face. They allowed him a moment or two of this then Raru'iti spoke.

'How far did you go?' Segar'iti stopped what he was doing and gave the comb back to Sothoo who took it back at arm's length in two fingers.

'I ranged far and it did not take long to find our friend the scout. He makes so much noise my grandmother could track him! However, he seemed to have a feeling that he was being followed so I was also unable to get very close, for as soon as I moved towards him he moved further away. I could not lay eyes on him and my plan to find him and kill him came to nothing. I have decided to go back later today and find him again this time I aim to get close to him. I will decide whether to kill him or not when I find him. I plan to wait until he makes a camp and try to get close in the night or get up above him and come down on top of him quickly, that way I might be able to get close enough at least put an arrow in him. In the meanwhile, I will take some food here and prepare to go off again later.'

'You have done well, Segar'iti. If I could be sure that we would not soon run into Dolreen, I would come with you, working together the two of us would definitely run him down,' said Raru'iti.

'Have you had any luck finding any of the plants that I'm looking for?' said Sothoo.

'Ah, you've reminded me.'

He bent down to his leather bag and searched inside pulling out small bunches of flowers and leaves tied up with thin pieces of nettle string. He passed them to her with a smile. She took them, peering at the leaves and flowers, a smile beaming across her face.

'Oh Segar'iti, If you were not smothered in fleas I would smother you in kisses!' she cried.

Segar'iti smiled an embarrassed smile and turned a pretty shade of red; he blinked his eyes and shrugged his shoulders.

'I hoped you would be pleased.' he said.

One little bunch looked nondescript but Sothoo knew it was a rare and vital part of Lolo's treatment. She now only needed one final thing that she was sure would bring her little friend back to health.

Segar'iti started to scratch again so Sothoo passed the comb back to him and told him to keep it with him when he left later that day. She took the bunch of flowers and placed them in a rabbit skin pouch, placing that into her leather travelling bag. She patted it and smiled. She could not wait until the evening when they stopped when she would be able to prepare the herbs, making a potion that she could use on its own or in conjunction with others to rid Lolo of the deadly arrow poison.