To Have A Wandering Soul

Chapter 10

She let out a breath she had been holding in and glanced up the forty feet she had scaled. Adrian stood at the top watching her every move, hoping and praying that she would not fall. Once she was in the wooden boat he started down the same way she had before him. It took him near half the time due to his superior upper body strength. He lowered himself into the boat and picked up the paddles. She held onto the packs and he began the monotonous job of rowing across the channel.

"Will you let me help?"

"I could never do that mistress."

With a shake of her head Caroline closed her eyes, the soft ripple of the water encouraging her into the much-needed rest. Her head fell forward on the canvas fabric of the backpacks as she drifted into a light sleep. She did not awake until she was rudely awakened by cold water drenching her.

"What is that?"

"Rain," Adrian yelled over the heavy waterfall. "The storm came out of nowhere!"

"Are we close?"

"I don't know, I can't see the shore anymore, I'll do my best to get us there."

The water soon grew far rougher than either had anticipated. Neither knew how much time had passed before the storm finally began to die down. As it did they could just see the sun begin to peek over the horizon. Adrian caught sight of the coastline off to their left and turned the boat around. He made quick work of the remaining distance and shored the boat. Once it was safely on the sand he collapsed onto the beach. Caroline crawled out and sat next to him with her hand in his hair. She was tired but nothing compared to his exhaustion. She ran her fingers through his rain soaked hair as his eyes closed and his chest heaved up and down, how she wished she could have helped him.

"Adrian?"

His eyes popped open and he sat slightly up at the sound of her voice, still breathing heavily.

"Yes mistress?"

"If we're going to blend in here I'm going to need to take your cuffs and collar off."

Adrian frowned, the cuffs and collar had become such a part of his life he wasn't sure he could handle having them off. All of the memories he really had told him that they were a symbol of worth, that they showed he was wanted by a Seban.

"Do you have to?"

"Yes pet I do."

Adrian glanced at his shoes with his lips down turned, not daring to farther questioning his mistress' decision. She reached up around his neck and undid the buckle, letting the black leather band fall away. He rubbed the spot momentarily before offering the wrist to Caroline. She removed the cuff and motioned for the second arm, he hesitated before speaking.

"Can I please keep one?"

With a curious glance Caroline pondered his inquiry.

"Would that make you happy pet?"

"Very."

"Okay," she nodded.

With a smiled he collapsed back onto the sand, his neck unordinarily weightless. He felt naked without the band covering his skin. His left hand clasped around the band still bucked around his right wrist. It was his one comfort, his one reminder of the life he had come to live. The life he had, despite the hardships, come to cherish.

"We could try to find a hotel close by, I'm assuming they have those here."

"They do, I can go find one."

"We can go find one pet."

"Yes mistress," he stood up and offered his hand to her. She took it and he easily pulled her weight from the ground. Once they were both up they each pulled a pack onto their shoulders and made their way up the sand to the harder dirt.