Henric bent to splash streamwater on his face. It was a small comfort against the sun’s blazing heat. Something bumped him from behind, almost knocking him from his feet. His sister however didn''t manage to keep hers beneath her.
Adelin swore. "Why did you stop?"
"Why don''t you watch where you''re going?" Alizia chided as she brushed past her younger siblings.
Henric held out his hand to help his little sister back up. "Ignore her. C''mon, it''s not much further."
Two weeks had past since Henric had come this way hunting for the degreth, and the stream had shriveled as the spring storms gave way to the heat of summer.
"We might need to travel further downstream," Zak hollered from up ahead.
"Yeah", Henric shouted back. "I was just thinking the same thing." Adelin groaned.
"How can you complain so much?" Zia asked.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
"I''m sweaty," Adelin said. "This leather is sticking to in the most uncomfortable places."
Alizia laughed. "I''d have thought you''d be excited not to be forced into a dress."
"At least dresses don''t pinch and pull at my skin every time I bend. How can you stand it Henric?"
Henric shook his head. "It''s either too hot or it’s chafing at your legs. But it’s harder to cut through than skin or silk. Certainly safer than a dress."
"I''m not so sure about that" Zak said. He''d hung back to let his brother''s children catch up. "To kill a man in leather is one thing, he might be a threat. But a man in a dress?”
Adelin snorted.
“Exactly,” Zak continued. “He’s no threat. Besides, silk or leather, I feel kind of naked without my steel on.”
“Are we there yet?” Alizia asked.
Zak and Henric exchanged a glance.
“Here’s good enough,” Henric said, drawing out a piece of chalk from a pouch on his belt. One by one, he marked out a lith, and said the words for protection as Samael had taught him not long ago.
"Are you ready?" Zak asked.
The girls nodded one by one. Henric thought back to the chill spring morning when he had first crossed. But then, none of them here were making their first crossing.
"Muzum Ala thebeth"