Kindar Chapter 15: Recovery --------------------------- "It seems that as time went on, I would find more and more time for myself to just think and consider things around me. I thought that I would worry about things as I considered them, but I always remained calm as I considered them. "Thinking back on it, I'm glad I did remain calm. If I had worried with all that time, I'd be a wreck today." * * * * * * * * * * * The sun was well on its way to the zenith by the time Kindar finally awoke. His arms ached from the previous day's exertion. He could only imagine what Kebah was feeling. The work of carrying a man that distance was surely more than he could truly handle. This, coupled by the truth that those wings were new and not yet strong, could only amplify the worry that the man felt. He glanced over at his companion. Wings slowly opened and closed in a slow, methodic rhythm accompanied by a steady breath. Kindar smiled, glad the creature was resting. He surely needed it. Kindar sat up and took stock of himself. His tunic, trapped beneath him as he slept, was still wet from the salty swim of the previous evening while his cloak, exposed to the warming sun, was perfectly dry. His pulled off both and set them out in the sunlight. The latch for the pouch opened simply and he examined the contents. His boots, as he figured, were completely soaked. He hoped the material wouldn't pull the seams too much as it dried. The berries were ruined and the juice had stained the lining of the bag. He was unsure of eating the last strip of meat or not. Instead, he set it out, knowing Kebah would eat it if it were all right. He hummed softly to himself, watching the surf with his knees between his arms. The tune was simply drawn from the air, a reflection of his mood and a background for the ocean to follow. A few creatures came to watch the pair, but most lost interest quickly and departed. Others listened intently to the man's humming for a time. It wasn't long before he found himself surrounded by various beasts a couple meters apart. Each watched the foreigner, often making their own harmonies with his song. Eventually, however, Kindar brought his song to a close, and his audience trickled away as if disappointed that the curious sight and sound should cease. Soon, hunger began to pull at him. He found a few small trees to the south. A few fruits hung from the thin branches. He pulled one off and looked at it carefully. It seemed to be a strange sort of apple he was unfamiliar with. He pulled his knife and sliced it down the center. A few seeds dropped into his hand as he pulled the halves apart. The core was a perfect, glistening white, the juice sparkling in the sun. Cautiously, he bit into the apple and tasted it. The flavor was a mite bitter, but other than that, seemed fine. He pulled down a few more and dropped them into his pouch. He returned to Kebah and found his friend still sleeping quietly on the sand. Finding his tunic dry, he pulled it over his shoulders and looped his belt over it. His boots lay beside the cloak, still continuing their drying. He left them there and chewed on an apple as he found himself thinking again. He wondered about Doma. The Empire naturally found its way into his thoughts. He dwelled on those for a time and moved on to other things. Mira and Mynsch. Gimet and Tamar. Even the guard from Kohlingen entered his mind for a time. Time slipped slowly away, and night settled onto the sky. Kindar watched the stars for only a few minutes before he passed quietly into slumber. * * * * * * * * * * * Kindar awoke to a small breeze being offered up by a bright green tsunami. There were tinges of blue as well, mostly at the top and side. He hoped it wouldn't cause much damage to anything. When reality finally crept into his brain and pushed the drowsiness of morning aside, he realized it was Kebah fluttering the wind to gently wake him. "Good morning, little one. You slept long." Kebah chirped once and settled. "Shall we be off this morning then?" He stood and brushed the sand from his pants and tunic. His boots had finally dried, and he pulled them on as well. He found his cloak buried beneath a thin layer of sand, blown in by the night, ocean winds. The pouch still contained a few apples, and he drew one forth along with his knife. Just for flare, he tossed the fruit up and let it fall onto the dirk, where it split it evenly to fall into his waiting hand. He sliced it up into quarters and offered them to his companion. After taking one, the moth refused the rest. The ensuing days were spent traveling south along the line of the mountains to the east. Every so often, Kebah would dash off into a forest or along the plains. When Kindar would catch up, he would find the creature waiting happily alongside the body of a hunted beast. Each time, the man would skin the carcass and slice the meat into strips, offering them to his companion until the moth was full, then pulling some of what remained for himself. Kindar constantly wondered how the creature killed his prey, but he could never see the process. Always, he would arrive to find the scene already at its conclusion with Kebah always the victor. Once or twice, he was injured, but never badly enough to cause harm. Finally, the mountains slid away, and the pair changed course to finish their journey. Before long, the faint lines of a town were seen to the distance. The lines developed into a city of a fairly large magnitude. Signs of destruction were evident, but activity was as well. A thought suddenly occurred to Kindar. The guard said that Kohlingen was taken. He had considered that Jidoor had been destroyed by the cataclysm. He had not, however, considered that it, too, might have been taken by the Empire. He walked onward cautiously, searching for signs of occupation.