Been Afraid (Day 88)

As the trees dotting the landscape dissolved into more mountainous terrain, the river they'd been following began to snake its way ever higher. Although it had been a mostly straight path up to that point, the river was now wildly twisting and turning, as if it were unsure of its destination. Their original intent had been to find a safer part of the river to cross, but as their elevation rose, that prospect became more dangerous than ever. White water sprayed over wet rocks jutting up out of the river, a testament to the now formidable current.

Although Terakiel couldn't be sure of Aisen's motivations, he had a reasonable suspicion that he was no longer interested in crossing the river. These mountains, an amalgam of rock formations and verdant grass, seemed to thrust their way into the sky in outright defiance of the chilly, gloomy atmosphere of Lakara. They were truly beautiful. Even Terakiel, who had lived out his days surrounded on all sides by miles and miles of unbroken forest, was taken aback by the view. It was as if the terrain of the Underground had grown weary of the darkness and risen to the sky.

Though eager to explore the mountains and perhaps discover the root of the river, Terakiel was uncomfortably aware of the hunger nagging at his stomach. How long had it been since he'd eaten? A day? Two days? They'd periodically drank from the stream, so water was not a pressing concern, but he'd prefer they found something to eat very soon. Their surroundings were gradually becoming more treacherous--it might well be a better idea to hunt sooner rather than later.

"I don't suppose you know how to hunt."

Aisen paused, looking genuinely puzzled for a moment. "You know, I hadn't thought of that. You do not. . . have any food. That may be problematic."

"Yes, for both of us, I imagine."

"I--well, no, I do not hunt. I suppose there cannot be much to it. Perhaps we could. . .we could fish?"

"If you think yourself capable of snatching a fish from the raging waters with your bare hands, then by all means, get to it. The task of starting a fire is simple by comparison."

Perturbed, Aisen seemed to consider his next words carefully. "Hmm. . .You really--you did not have a plan, did you?"

As always, Terakiel dodged the question. "You brought nothing with you? You were traveling somewhere else. . .Did you not need supplies for your journey?"

Aisen laughed. "Did you?"

"Of course I did. There were a lot of things I needed. Unfortunately, we don't always get what we need." There was a trace of regret in Terakiel's voice.

Momentarily taken aback by the terse reply, the other man paused for a moment before throwing back his piriol cloak, revealing a small knapsack bound to his sash. With a deft motion of his hand and wrist, he opened up the bag and tossed it to Terakiel. "Here. Eat some of these. Not too many--they will fill your stomach. I cannot promise they are delicious, mind you.

Skeptically, Terakiel peered into the bag to examine its contents. He reached in carefully and pulled out what looked to be vividly purple berry covered in dozens of minuscule ridges. He considered for a moment that it might be unsafe or poisonous. He'd never been an expert on that kind of thing and for that reason had never attempted to gather them in the forest. For the moment, his hunger seemed more important than his fear so he unceremoniously tossed the small berry into his mouth, chewing only twice before swallowing.

Aisen was watching closely. Was he trying to gauge his reaction to the strange berry? Had he just poisoned him? Terakiel couldn't imagine what motivation he could have for such a thing. He'd had countless opportunities to end his life. Simply throwing him into the river probably would have done it. After only a moment, he realized why he might be watching him. Although he'd not had very much time to taste the berry initially, the aftertaste suddenly suffused his senses. It was absolutely terrible. He felt as if he'd swallowed a rotten log infested with termites and filled with rotten meat.

"What the hells is that?!" demanded Terakiel. At least, that's what he attempted to ask, but it came out as more of a wordless gagging noise. Aisen seemed to understand the sentiment.

"My apologies. They do taste very bad, but they're also very filling. Either that, or they put you off the idea of food completely. I've never really been able to figure out which is true. . ."

"Ugh," Terakiel spat. "If you've poisoned me. . ."

Aisen chuckled. "Oh, you'll get used to it. I have enough of those berries to last us for some time. Er, how long do you think it will be before we find the nearest town?"

Terakiel glared daggers at the strange man in his obnoxious finery. He was so relentlessly optimistic. It clashed terribly with his mood. "I don't know. I have no idea. We may never find civilization."

"Oh, that's nonsense. I'm sure we'll find something soon. Worry not!"

He spat once more, struggling to rid himself of the vile taste. As much as he'd like to deny it, Aisen was right. He was no longer hungry, but he was similarly unsure whether or not it was because of how filling or how disgusting the berry was. Without sparing another word for the man in the piriol, he set out ahead, following the river. He did not look behind to make sure Aisen was following.