Origins: A Deepwoods Book - a Collection of Deepwoods Short Stories (Deepwoods Series 0) (11 page)

“Gentlemen,” she said firmly, eyes crinkled up, “while I
know you’re having fun talking, it’s very late, and I need you both alert
tomorrow. So carry the rest of this conversation tomorrow while we’re on the
road, alright?”

Grae pulled out a pocket watch and blinked. “Is it really
almost midnight?”

Was it really? Fei was just as surprised, as it felt like
they’d only been talking a half hour or so. “My apologies, Masson-zhi, for
monopolizing your time.”

“No, no, I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation,” Grae
quickly assured him. “In fact, if you’re willing, we can continue tomorrow.”

“Yes, I am.” Fei was buying paper first thing in the morning
before the caravan left, as he was truly going to take notes on all of this.
This was not an opportunity that came by very often.

“It’s just as well you two are getting along, as there’s
been some sort of mix-up and we’re short a bed for the caravans. Master Man Fei
Lei, would you mind bunking in with Grae? I had a pallet put into the room for
you so you won’t be on the floor.”

Since leaving home, Fei had learned to make due with any
berth available, even if that meant two blankets under a starry sky. That this
woman who had barely known him four hours would look out for his comfort startled
him. He had not been the recipient of such courtesy since leaving Saoleord. “I
do not mind, Maley-zhi.”

“Excellent. Grae, show him up, if you would. You did explain
to him that we can’t leave until the sun’s strong enough?”

“I did,” Grae confirmed.

“Which means we’ll have time for breakfast and such before
getting the caravan sorted,” Siobhan continued. “So don’t try to rise at the
break of dawn, there’s no need.”

Unusual for a caravan on the move, but that apparently was
one of the perks of having a Pathmaker. After staying up until midnight, Fei
was not at all averse to sleeping in a little. “I understand.”

“Then, gentlemen, good night.” With a wave of the hand, she
turned and headed off.

Fei watched her go and realized that, while she had been
talking to them, Wolfinsky had been at the base of the stairs waiting for her.
Without a word, the man followed her up. Was he always that protective, even
inside of a good inn like this one?  Siobhan Maley struck him as a capable
woman—someone who could face the known dangers of the world on her own. If
there was something he wasn’t seeing, then Fei needed to know, for if she did
need such close protection, he should be on the lookout for dangers as well.

But that was a concern for tomorrow. For tonight, sleep.

The caravan did not have a single destination, but several.
Jacobs’ plan was to go from Widstoe to Stott, then hit every major city on the
way to Wade, Teherani. He would of course be making deals and trading as he
went, selling and picking up new inventory. Fei had been with him since Turton,
only a two weeks’ journey away, so he did not know the man very well. He did,
however, think of him as a good boss with a shrewd business sense. If this was
the route that Jacobs wanted to go, Fei knew it would be a profitable one, and
quicker with a Pathmaker carving the way for them.

Mornings were always busy when getting a caravan ready to
move. Fei went from one end to the next, sometimes perching on top of the
wagons to get a good aerial view, making sure that no one took advantage of the
confusion. Because of this, he noticed that Grae re-checked the path three
times, opened it up once, then closed it again before backing off entirely.
Jacobs had said Grae was a cautious man, but this behavior seemed to indicate
there was a problem. Flipping lightly to the ground, he found his feet and
jogged to where Grae, Siobhan, and Jacobs were all standing.

“Is there a problem?”

“Might be,” Grae allowed with a grimace. “The path doesn’t
feel quite right to me this morning. I’ve checked and there’s nothing to
explain it on our end, which makes me think that one of two things might be
happening. Either the water here has changed in power levels—I’d have to do a
test to know for certain—or we’ve got a major storm system ahead of us.”

Siobhan faced due north with a contemplative look. “It’s a
straight shot to Stott from here, but it leads us right next to the Hazy
Mountains. Bungling into a storm system near there isn’t uncommon.”

Fei followed this explanation and didn’t at the same time.
“Forgive me, Masson-zhi, but I do not believe I fully comprehend the problem.”

“Ah, right, we got interrupted last night before I could
explain this.” Grae glanced distractedly toward the path even as he explained,
“I told you that it requires strong sunlight in order to open a path? That
sunlight is a consistent factor for the path. It must be sunny, clear weather
all the way to our destination. If we hit a storm, for instance, then the path
fails and it throws us off in a random spot along our given route.”

Throw them off a failed path? Alarm shot up Fei’s spine. “If
that’s the case, is it not better to wait a day?”

“I’m not sure if the storm is actually there or not,
though.” Grae rubbed at the back of his neck, torn. “And we’re in the spring
season after all. Avoiding all potential storms isn’t possible.”

“Not if we want to make our itinerary.” Jacobs stabbed a
finger northward. “Master Grae, give me the odds.”

“I’d say it’s a forty percent possibility we have a storm
ahead of us and moving in fast. The way it feels, I think the path will take us
most of the distance, perhaps all of the distance, before it will fail.”

“You think we can beat it, then, and get to Stott?”

“If we’re lucky and move fast? Maybe.”

“I’ll take a maybe.” Jacobs turned and bellowed orders to
shape up and move quick about it.

Fei knew why the man had made the call. Jacobs could not
afford to sit still in this town for another day and rack up even more lodging
and food costs. It would cut severely into his bottom line. Even though he
understood, Fei wished for caution’s sake that they weren’t choosing to forge
ahead. “Masson-zhi, are you sure it is not the water?”

“I wouldn’t give it high odds,” Grae responded, spreading
his hands. “We come to Widstoe often. I know this land better than the back of
my hand because it’s my hometown. It’s why I know the paths here so well,
enough to know the feeling of a path that is tangled up in a storm.”

That was answer enough. “What do we do if the path kicks us off?”

“It’s happened before,” Siobhan responded, tone reassuring.
“Don’t worry. As long as we stick together and wait until the path is
completely closed, we don’t lose anyone and nothing gets damaged. We just have
to take a moment to reorient ourselves and then travel the rest of the distance
ourselves.”

Alright, so it was mostly inconvenient. That calmed his
thumping heart. “Even you, Masson-zhi?”

“I’m the
least
likely to get lost,” Grae assured him,
a brief smile flitting over his face. “Don’t worry about me. But wait until you
hear me say it’s safe to get down before you move.”

Fei took the warning to heart. “I will do so. Then excuse
me, I will help speed things along as I can.”

In the space of a half hour, the caravan was lined up and
ready to go. Siobhan pulled him into the Deepwoods cart, which Fei appreciated,
as he preferred to be next to people that were veterans at path travel.
Especially if the path failed as Grae predicted it would. As he settled into
the cart, he asked Beirly, “Kierkegaard-gui, how often do paths fail?”

“Not too often, really, as Grae doesn’t normally take
chances if he feels that something’s off. If your caravan boss wasn’t pushing
like this, Grae would never choose to try it on his own. This is between me and
you,” Beirly lowered his voice to a more confidential tone, “but even if Jacobs
had insisted, I don’t think Grae would have allowed it, except that we’re
traveling along a well-known caravan route. The path here mirrors it perfectly.
Even if the path fails, we can’t get lost.”

Fei gave a silent ‘ah’ of understanding. That did make
sense, as Grae’s behavior seemed a trifle reckless for the quiet man. But if
this was a known danger, and it would only lead to inconvenience, then of
course Grae would shoulder what little risk there was.

Wolfinsky stood up on the cart so that he could see far
ahead. In a voice like thunder, he boomed out, “EVERYONE ABOARD! PATH IS
OPENING!”

Sitting this closely, Fei’s eardrums rang and he put both
palms over his throbbing ears to help block out the rest.

“PATH IS OPEN! STAY IN YOUR WAGONS UNTIL ORDERED DOWN!”
Satisfied, Wolfinsky promptly sat, propped up at the very back edge of the cart
as if to prevent any of them falling out.

“Sorry,” Siobhan apologized to Fei with a laugh, “we should
have warned you. Grae doesn’t have the lungpower to win a shouting match with a
mouse, so he and Wolf have worked out hand signals so that Wolf can do the
shouting for him.”

Lowering his hands, Fei responded carefully, “I’m sure that
you’re saying something, but I have no hearing. When my ears recover, do repeat
it for me.”

That made her laugh harder, eyes sparkling. “Your ears will
only ring for a minute, I promise.”

Fei certainly hoped so. He had never thought until this
moment that another human being could be so loud.

The air warped, becoming a shimmering blur of blues, whites,
greens, greys, and browns, all in a spectacular kaleidoscope. Fei looked around
with open wonder, tasting the density of the air on his tongue, feeling the
humidity dampen his skin. This was an open path? It was alien and beautiful all
at once.

“Amazing, ain’t it?” Beirly said, tone low, as if he wanted
to share in Fei’s delight. “First time Grae took me on a path, I felt like you
do now. I was envious, too, of the talent he has. He can do this any time he
pleases.”

“If there is a talent in the world to envy, it would be this
one,” Fei agreed huskily.

Siobhan drew in a deep breath and frowned. “I think I see
what Grae meant earlier. The air doesn’t feel right.”

“Feels more humid,” Wolfinsky agreed, mirroring her frown of
concern. “And it smells like a storm brewing.”

Fei closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath, but he
couldn’t sense what they were detecting. He opened his mouth to ask a question
but never had the chance to voice it, as the cart gave a noticeable lurch.

Wolfinsky swore, grabbed Siobhan and pulled her hard into
his side even as he yelled, “BRACE YOURSELVES!”

There was no time for questions. The path around them
warped, the colors turning murky and dark. It was an ominous swatch of tones
that boded ill for their trip. The cart gave another, harder lurch that made
Fei rock in his seat, and he could faintly hear Grae swearing up a storm ahead
of them. Then, like a soap bubble bursting, the path failed completely and the
humid air and churn of colors disappeared like a phantom.

They had stumbled into an open storm. Gusts of wind swirled
around them, carrying errant drops of rain and leaves with it, hard enough to
make anyone wince as it stung unprotected skin. Above, the sky was dark, no
hint of the sun visible, and the clouds pitched and rolled as a thunderstorm
swept in.

Wolfinsky relinquished Siobhan long enough to stand up, spy
Grae, and interpret what the Pathmaker was signaling. “GET DOWN! THE PATH IS
CLOSED, GET DOWN!”

Fei was not at all familiar with this section of Robarge, as
it was further northeast than he had traveled before. There were woods all
around them with a road cleaving a path, so he assumed them to be somewhere on
the North Caravan Road, possibly in the Hazy Forest. But other than that there
were no clues. He did realize that they were in quite the predicament as there
was very little room on either side of the road. They could pull the caravan
off, barely, but they would be trying to camp inside the woods.

And camp they must. There was no way to travel in a storm
like this and most of the carts, while covered, weren’t large enough to shelter
the people.

Realizing what needed to happen, he hopped off the cart and
headed toward the front, trying to find Jacobs. The boss was already on the
ground, issuing orders, and when he saw Fei, waved him forward so that he
wasn’t shouting over the wind. “We’re getting off the road! Help anyone that
needs it, then find someone to share a tent with! We don’t have time to set up
individual tents before this thing hits!”

Fei bowed in quick acknowledgement and immediately spun,
looking for anyone that needed a hand. Most of the drivers here were veterans,
so they knew what to do without being told. They were already moving, getting
the carts off the road and unhitching the animals, hobbling them so they
couldn’t panic and run. Fei went from one person to the next, making sure that
they were secure and had what protection canvas and poles could offer before
going to the next.

Before everyone could get under cover, the storm hit. It was
like being hit with a wall of rain and wind. It blurred sight and sound,
relentless and unceasing. Fei had grown up in the mountains and was no stranger
to strong storms. He put up with it and kept working.

A strong hand grasped his shoulder. Turning, he found Beirly
just behind him. “They’re fine, man!” he yelled to be heard over the downpour.
“Get inside our tent before you drown out here!”

The offer was a welcome one, as he had not found a place to
go. Fei bowed his head in gratitude before following Beirly into a larger tent
that had been nailed to several trees. Stepping through the flap, he paused,
not wanting to drench the whole area with his sopping clothes.

“Oh dear, I was afraid of that.” Siobhan stood from her
crouch near a small brazier, the flames just taking to the kindling. “I snagged
your bag, Man Fei Lei.  It’s here. But I’m afraid it got a little damp before I
rescued it. I’m not sure if you have anything dry to change into.”

He wasn’t sure either, judging by the look of that bag. He
took it from her and rummaged through, but one corner had gotten thoroughly wet
and everything in it.

Siobhan, not waiting for his answer, knelt at his side to
investigate herself. “No, nothing in here’s dry enough to wear. Alright, well,
it looks like you and I are rather the same size. My pants are likely going to
be a little too short for you, but I think you can make do with them tonight
until your things have a chance to dry.”

She was offering her own clothes? True, a white shirt and
pants were not gender-specific, which was what she wearing, but…the offer
flabbergasted him. His jaw worked, searching for a response and not finding
one.

Again, she didn’t wait on him and immediately dug out
clothing and handed it over. Then she snapped out a blanket and handed one
corner to Beirly. “We’ll make a changing screen for you, so change quickly.”

Beyond touched at this thoughtfulness, so rare outside of
Saoleord, he did as bid. The air was a little cold on his wet skin but he found
her clothes perfectly dry, and the brazier was warming up the space inside the
tent in slow degrees. “I am done, Maley-zhi, Kierkegaard-gui. Thank you.”

They dropped the blanket and Siobhan gave him a critical
sweep of the eyes. “Huh. They actually fit better than I thought they would. I
wouldn’t have guessed it, but it looks like we’re almost the same height.”

Truly, the pants were a scant inch too short. This woman was
taller than he had first assumed. “I thank you for the kindness.”

“Not at all,” she assured him, sincerity shining from her.
“Here, let’s spread your wet clothes out on this line. By morning, they should
be dry-ish.”

By mutual agreement, everyone gathered to sit around the
brazier. Fei had no doubt that they would be stuck inside until the storm
passed, and at the rate it was blowing about outside, that likely meant
morning. Leaning forward, he tested the heat of the brazier with an open palm.
Oh? It was hot enough to cook with. “In return for your kindness, will you
leave dinner in my hands?”

He got a circle of blank stares.

“You can make dinner inside a tent?” Beirly asked him, brows
arched in surprise. “We don’t have a lot of water. And the coals aren’t hot
enough to bake something in.”

“There are recipes in my homeland that require neither of
these things,” Fei explained, already reaching for his pack. “If you do not
mind trying a cuisine from another culture? Then I can cook something hot for
us.”