Switched ~ a Fractured Fairytale

Chapter Sixteen ~ The Open Road

I rode on for a few hours, until I found a little copse of trees beside a river with enough grass for Luna to graze. I took off her saddle and left her contentedly munching the grass. Rubbing some feeling back into my stiff and sore legs, I gently lifted the hedgehog from my pocket. She had fallen asleep on the journey and looked blearily up at me as I placed her on the ground.

'Come on,' I said gently, nudging her in the direction of a fallen log. 'You have to make your own way now.'

The hedgehog looked up at me, then trundled towards the log. Smiling, I got out my bedroll and fell asleep. When I woke a few hours later, the sun was high in the sky and Luna was snuffling around, looking for more grass. Stretching, I took an apple and some jerky from my saddlebags and mounted up.

For the rest of the day, I headed roughly east. I knew the dragons lived in the mountains in Kalatani's south and the quickest route for me would have been south-east, through the deserts. But given the current situation between the desert tribes and Santiana, I had decided to take the slightly longer route through Kalatani and then follow the Dharya River south to the mountains.

For the next few days, I rode steadily east, stopping by rivers to refill my waterskin and finding food on bushes and shrubs through the woods. I was slowly getting used to the quite of the open countryside. Coming from such a large family, not to mention growing up in a busy castle, I was used to constantly being surrounded by people. The strangest thing was getting used to not having Theo nearby. We had only ever been apart for a couple of days, and I missed his constant chatter about insects and critters.

That evening, Luna and I rested in a little cave by the bank of a large river. As the cave was quite sheltered, I risked a small fire and boiled some of my jerky and a carrot I had dug up to make a simple stew.

I drifted to sleep beside the dying fire, dreaming of soft beds and my family. I woke after a few hours. The embers of the fire were glowing softly, and cool, dappled moonlight was shining onto the cave floor. I could hear the soft lapping of the river outside and I slipped out of the cave to stare at the moon.

The river was so still and clear, I could see the stars reflected in its deep waters. I lay down by the shore, letting the water gently lap at my toes and gazed at the stars. The stars were so different from home, and I amused myself by making up constellations and stories about them. Looking at the stars made me feel so small, but it also made me feel safe.

I sat up and looked at the river. It looked so calm and peaceful. Carefully, I dipped a toe into the water and jumped back in shock. Where my toe had been, a beautiful bright blue glow was blooming in the water. Curiously, I picked up a small pebble and tossed it into the water. I saw the rock sink to the bottom, and again, the bright blue light bloomed in its wake. Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself and stepped into the water. Wherever I stepped, I left a trail of beautiful blue light.

I splashed around, keeping to the shallows, simply enjoying seeing the blue light bloom. I was even bold enough to wade into the water up to my knees, the blue light making me feel calm. I wondered what magic could possibly have created such wonder and beauty.

As the sun rose, I crept back into the cave and slept until the sun was high in the sky. When I woke, I made the most of the remaining daylight, riding on through the woods, still heading west. From my map, I knew the nearest border crossing was around another six days ride. I had been marking my progress in a little notebook every evening, making sure I was on track.

As the sun began to set, I began searching for a place to camp. From the top of a hill, I spotted a little clearing near a river that looked like a suitable spot. I nudged Luna downhill towards the clearing.