The Sword Saints

26. Tensions and Unrest

(Shu)

"Lay aside your anger and seek perspective of the views of others. Do not let petty hate and baseless emotions cloud your judgement.

- The Book of Sympathy: Ch. 4: verse 1.

By all accounts, Shu had been wrong in his estimations that it would take only another few days to make it out of the Red Peaks. It took them six more long and frigid days to traverse the narrow snow-piled paths and emerge into the vast grasslands of Balahaar. To be true, Asha assured him that she was well enough to speed them both out of the mountains within a day, but Shu refused. He didn't want her to risk herself.

He did have a sense that they were wasting an unnecessary amount of time. Because of Asha's unwillingness to use boats, they were going a completely different route than the princess, Yuna. Virtues only knew where she was. Shu prayed that she was still safe, but they wouldn't know until they found her. First though, they had to find a lupanthrope.

Once they were out of the mountains, they overlooked the great plains of Balahaar. For as far as he could see, there was nothing but tall grass and rolling hills. He spotted a few skinny black trees with clumps of leaves. They dotted the vast landscape sparingly. The plains were beautiful, he thought, though he had read that the Radiant Plains of northeast Anglova had no equal.

To the east of them they saw a large river snake its way from the mountains and cut a jagged swath through the landscape. That had to be the Balen River, the largest river in the realms. Shu didn't think it looked to large, but he also knew that they were likely near the headwaters of it, the source. He knew that by the time the river reached Balen's Crossing that it was leagues wide.

Sitting about a mile downriver from the mountains was a small town. They could gather supplies there and maybe gather some information. Shu was curious to know how the uprising in Daath was going. They'd gone weeks without any information and the silence was beginning to weigh heavily upon him. He prayed they would have some good news.

They made it to the village by midday, though Asha promised him that she could've easily gotten there faster. Shu, however, wanted to enjoy the scenery. She kept on racing ahead but then had to stop and wait for him to catch up, though he wasn't in a hurry. She'd frown at him and tell him how slow he was. He'd shrug and then they'd walk, and she would get ahead again. Then it would repeat.

"If these people see this, they'll think I'm mad," she told him with a pout.

He couldn't help the chuckle that accompanied that ludicrous statement. "Why would they ever think that?"

Asha shot him a glare and turned her head in a fit. She crossed her arms and huffed, but he saw the corner of her mouth curve up into a grin. She stayed at his side as they came upon the village.

They cautiously walked through a potato field, careful not to disturb the crops. An older couple, and two boys and a girl barely younger than Shu and Asha lifted their heads from picking weeds from the crops. They glared at the duo, but they said nothing. Shu figured that they probably didn't get many travelers. It didn't help that they were trudging through their fields, careful though they may have been.

The village was smaller than Sorenton, but big enough to warrant having a small chapel built. The village was a baker's dozen of small stone houses with thatched roofs. They centered around a wide-open circle with a large stone well in the middle and a dead tree leering over it. The river was on the other side of town where a bridge crossed over and the road turned south and followed the waters.