Because They're So Much Better at Mayhem
Once the tiny band actually started off, the progress was at a swift steady pace. Or at least, it would have been. Unfortunately, Silversin had failed to inform her companions of her many physical limitations.
“This body… was not meant for harsh activity,” she explained while trying to catch her breath. “Perhaps I should transform into Tarsi. That body is nimble and could easily handle this journey.”
It was lucky for her that the only individuals who actually heard her comment were Myra and Sam. The others were far ahead, eagerly leading the way. Lilla was running up the trail, locating familiar landmarks, and coming back to excitedly tell Meris all about her discoveries. But Meris was too engrossed in his conversation with Dru, about what Sam's home could possibly be like, and paid her no attention. Myra, who had stayed behind to give Silversin some emotional support as she struggled her way up the path, gave a terrified and pleading glance to Sam, who, without hesitation, promptly ran away.
That was…unexpected. Myra reflected as she watched his quickly retreating form.
She never expected anything to be important enough to Sam that it would cause him to run. But apparently he felt that the situation called for immediate action, because he quickly returned with Meris and Dru accompanying him. Stopping directly in front of them, the violet eyed demon held out his hand. “Silversin, Myra, give me your dowels.”
The two puzzled females swiftly retrieved their metal poles and set them in his open palm. Combining them with the three that he had in his other hand, Sam began his work. With swift action, his agile fingers molded and weaved. And in a short amount of time, a very simple looking, yet incredibly structurally-detailed representation of a litter laid before him.
It consisted of a box-shaped cabin, large enough for someone to ride in comfortably, and two poles on either side for carrying. It was like many of the sedan chairs that Myra had seen in books (her obsession with forms of travel was not limited only to trains), except this one had no windows on the cab. Sam walked around it, opened the door, and removed the pack which Silversin carried from her back. “Get in,” came his simple demand. “Meris and Dru will carry you up the trail.”
Several hours later, the group reached a location which Lilla deemed appropriate for respite.
Everyone’s eyes immediately turned to Sam to see if he approved, but his only response was to set down Silversin’s pack, and remove his own. It seemed that he gave the elfin guide full responsibility of their travel.
Myra was very pleased to see that they had stopped by a swift flowing mountain stream. She had long before finished off the contents of her canteen, as well as Meris’s and Dru’s who insisted that they were not very thirsty. Hopefully Silversin, or someone else, could sanitize the water somehow.
Maybe Sam can make it boil with his fire-vision.
When the two sedan chair toting demons set down the litter and opened the door, the limp, sweat soaked body of Silversin came tumbling out. Myra’s eyes widened in shock and she and Lilla bounded over to the long haired woman’s form. Meris stood in shock, and Dru was squatting by her side, poking her with his finger. “I think she’s dead.”
Half a second later, Silversin let out a large gasp, followed by ragged coughs. Lilla helped her into a sitting position and kept a tight arm around her shoulder. “What did you do to her?” Lilla yelled at Sam. It was obvious that she knew these demons very well, for she immediately knew who to blame.
The amethyst eyed male simply shrugged at her accusation, sat down cross legged, and began to sift through the items in his pack. Lilla scowled. “You are so going on my ‘on warning’ list.”
Silversin let out another ragged sigh. “So hot. It was so hot in that thing. I felt like I was in Hades’ oven.” She wiped the sweat off of her brow. “And the door was locked. I pounded on the sides and screamed for someone to let me out, but no one would.”
Sam opened Silversin’s pack and rummaged through it.
“I never heard anything,” Meris said in a concerned tone. “Did you hear anything, Dru?”
“Not a sound.”
An idea suddenly struck Myra’s thoughts. Ever since Sam had constructed the litter, she had been trying to figure out why he had used such an intricate double layered pattern for the walls of the cabin, when the whole construction ended up being so simple looking. Surely if the walls were thinner, the litter would have been lighter and easier to carry, resulting in faster travel. But with Dru’s last comment, things were beginning to become clear. Turning toward him—haphazardly noticing that he was now emptying her pack—Myra asked, “Sam did you make the litter sound proof?”
“Yes.” He glanced up, his eyes piercing into her own. She could see his honesty in those eyes, his perfect sincerity and truthfulness. That was what she loved about him, why she was—
As if suddenly realizing what he was doing, Sam quickly glance away, focusing his attention on Lilla’s discarded pack. Myra felt disoriented and weak. Not just physically, but emotionally as well.
“And air proof?” Silversin’s question was soft and full of despair. “I realized after pounding for a while that the air was strange. Then I realized that there wasn’t any. I had to put myself into a state of stasis just to survive.”
Sam dumped the contents of Lilla’s pack on the ground and spread it around with his foot. Normally this would have greatly angered the elf, but at the moment she was not concerned about her belongings.
“Sam!” she yelled as she stood up, charging with her knife drawn. Meris and Dru where instantly by her sides, holding her back by her arms. “Were you trying to kill her?”
He dumped out Meris and Dru’s packs onto his growing pile, then looked at her as if he was once again not going to respond to her, but he said in a straight tone, “I didn’t want to deal with her constant complaining. And if she actually went through with her threats to transform back into Tarsi, I didn’t want any possible way for her to get out.”
“But air tight?!” The elf cried, “What if she hadn't survived?”
“That thought never crossed my mind.”
Lilla immediately stopped struggling and let herself relax. Meris and Dru released her as she turned back toward Silversin. “Fine,” she said over her shoulder. “I won’t move you to my ‘to kill’ list, yet.”
Myra stood rooted in her spot, mind spinning in confusion.
What the bleep was that? Only Sam could somehow break up a volatile situation by saying something so heartless.
“Dru,” Sam called to the fox eared demon. “It seems that Lilla has forgotten to pack food with our provisions. Go catch some fish.”
Just as she was about to go into another mental tangent about Sam's rudeness, Dru grabbed her hand and excitedly pulled her over to the stream. “Come help me catch fish, Myra!” he said with a huge grin. “It’s lots of fun!”
“No, Dru,” came Sam's voice, “She would be of no help to you. The task of collecting firewood would be much more appropriate.” He placed a silver dowel in her hand. “There is no need for kindling. Just bring back an armload of larger pieces.”
As she approached the tree line she heard him speak from behind her, “And stay within sight of us.”
Myra could not complain at her task. The assignment was quite appropriate from her abilities. At least that’s what she thought until she actually tried to find firewood. The forest was nothing but gigantic evergreen trees, with branches much too high for her to reach. So finding any “larger pieces” would be difficult.
She wandered around for a while—keeping in sight of their rest stop—but it was very tempting to go just a bit deeper into the woods in hopes of finding appropriate trees. Still, she made sure not to give into the temptation.
It would do no good to upset Sam if she came back empty handed. Of course, if she did, he would probably just say that he had expected it of her.
“What are you doing out here all alone, Myra?” a voice behind her said. At first it made her jump, but she quickly recognized the smooth tones of Meris’s voice and calmed down.
Turning around, she replied, “Sam sent me to gather firewood.”
“Oh? Me too,” he said with a fangy grin. “Do you want to join me?”
Myra scowled slightly at his first comment.
So, Sam did expect me to come back empty handed. Knowing him, he may have just been trying to get rid of me for a while.
Glancing up, she noticed Meris’s unwavering smile. It was quite infectious and she couldn’t help but smile back, “Ok.”