Rastron

My hands squeezed tightly on the straps as I lost more of my light. I could hardly even see the road ahead of me anymore. The horizon edge looked more black and slightly dotted than green anymore. If there was a town I wasn’t seeing it.

A cool breeze came through along with another distant faint howl, softer than before. Logically, I knew they were even further away, but it still made my heart race just hear it again. The roads were safe from what father said. And they had been so far. I didn’t have anything to worry about. I just needed to keep going. But maybe I should hurry my pace.

It made me wish I had someone else that set the pace. I really didn’t have a clue as to what was the correct speed to take. What did father do whenever he went to Rastron? Though I don’t think he walked most times. There was a carriage because the hunters sold off extra game they secured. They needed to haul a large amount of weight. Perhaps that was a factor.

Would it be morning instead? But he sounded certain that I would get to Rastron before the sun went down. What did I do wrong? I should have walked faster, shouldn’t I? But how was I supposed to maintain that?

Even now that I started, I could already start feeling my lungs breathing a little heavier and I wasn’t even running. It just made me tired pushing me this hard. And I was supposed to keep that up for hours? Father could do that because he trained for that, but me. What have I gotten myself into?

After a few more minutes of it I just had to slow down. “I can’t keep this up. How did he do it?” The pack felt like it had boulders packed into it with iron ingots just to add extra insult to me. I knew it was just what father gave me, but it dug into my shoulders. The thick leather jacket they gave me didn’t really give as much as I wanted to pad me from the weight. At least over time. It worked at the start. But after like six hours it just felt like rods jammed into me.

The sun vanished completely next with Kather already a quarter in the sky. No doubt Alina would be quick to follow in its wake. With her in the sky, I’d have a little light, but that really wouldn’t give me much. Certainly not to spot Rastron. Was it a lost cause for me? Should I just find a place to stop?

Is it even safe to stop and sleep? Pausing to listen to something that wasn’t my boots scraping dirt, nothing other than some insects talking filled the air. The wolf I heard before was gone, I think, I hope, please. But there could have been something out there right? Snake perhaps? Were they in this area? Father didn’t say anything about them. So maybe not? But he didn’t think I’d be out here at night. Maybe he didn’t take that into account when explaining things.

Staring further up the road into the darkness, I wanted Rastron to just be on the other side of the haze. So I started walking again on the hopes that I just couldn’t see it. It was just five steps away from me and I’d see lanterns and fires. Twenty steps was all I needed to get an outline of houses. Fifty steps to hear the distant bustle of people still out visiting friends.

Who am I kidding? That wasn’t going to happen. Alina started peaking up when I checked on a sense of time passing and nothing for Rastron. I stopped again. This time I knelt down folding my legs up as I squatted. Then I fell over with that mistake. “Dammit…”

Stars blinked back at me. A sniff came over me and a couple of tears. “Dammit…why me…What did I do?” It quickly became more than I could hold back. Mother… I couldn’t even see the stars anymore. Ministra’s beautiful tapestry couldn’t be appreciated, but how could I? I wouldn’t get to see it anymore. Did it matter?

Did any of it matter?

Dammit! I tried to wipe away the tears. I had to move. I couldn’t stay like this, but my body felt so heavy. I was on a boulder and I couldn’t lift a boulder. I wasn’t strong. I wasn’t strong. Mother.

“Mother!” I gasped aloud pulling up snapping out of my haze, but pulled back immediately by my immoveable pack. My eyes had to close because the sun beamed down in my eyes. Get out of my sight, I can’t see in the dark. Dark. “It’s morning! Dammit!”

I jumped up suddenly discovering the strength to lift my body and the infinite weight of the stone that was my pack. It somehow didn’t feel that bad once I started moving again. Maybe it wasn’t that heavy? It was awful, I knew that as a fact. I just needed to hurry.

How could I sleep through the night! And in the wilderness where Ministra only knows things are living and crawling about! What might have walked over me? Damn, did something leave me anything behind? I slowed down to examine my clothes and boots. Nothing seemed to be on me, thank Ministra. But I couldn’t shake the feeling I just couldn’t feel it. I walked with an awkward step for an half hour or something until it just got too painful to keep doing. I didn’t care enough anymore. Just show me Rastron, please!

Wishing didn’t make it show up any faster, dammit. Exhaling, I just had to keep marching on at the slow ass pace that I was making. I’d get there eventually, right? It was at the end of this road, yes? I didn’t pick the wrong side to leave, did I? No, father would have said something. We all knew I was going to Rastron.

Though even if I was, I’d still end up somewhere. I guess it’d just be longer wouldn’t it? Dammit. I hope I’m going the right way. Please.

Staring at the horizon got boring after half the morning, I think? It was half or maybe a third, did it really matter? No! I just want to stop moving! I want to sit! I want a bath! I hear Ministra’s word. Ministra. Dammit.

Then I saw something. A forest again, but it was in front of the road. Could it finally be Rastron after all this time? Please don’t be a lie!

Eventually the rough shapes stopped being dark and I could see white and reds, even blues! Blues! It was Rastron! I ran the moment I saw life, civilization! Then two minutes later I nearly tripped and collapsed from killing myself. Running was an awful idea.

Staring at my empty canteen, the run did me no favors, but Rastron was there! I could see it! Pulling on my pack, I stored away the canteen and walked onward.

It would have been awkward to watch Linoth slowly disappear as I walked away, but seeing Rastron just never get closer I understood how slow I walked. Or how far I could see? Maybe it was just that? I don’t know. I don’t care anymore, the goal was in sight.

With the sun high overhead and going back down I made it to the gates of Rastron. Beautiful indigo painted wood and clay decorated the entrance to the town. The reds and blues of the town separated into a wider range of colors with vibrancy from bright oranges to cool greens. It was surprisingly colorful compared to Linoth that was covered largely in wood. Only Ministra’s temple had a different construction. And I couldn’t even see the temple here from outside, there were too many buildings in the way. Impressive.

“Announcement stranger, by Ministra’s grace what is your purpose?” asked the guard.

I jumped back not even noticing him until he got in front of me to prevent me from entering. “Announcement! Ministra’s wisdom begs me to seek the Head Priest Hadrin for counsel.” Pulling out from my jacket pocket, I showed them the carved wood triangle with cloud behind it, the symbol of Ministra. “I’m Speaker Eshikra from Linoth, come to decipher Her will.”

The guard looked closely and then pulled back quickly. He didn’t look scared, but more not wanting to slow me down. His eyes cast inward encouraging me forward. “Welcome Speaker! Head Priest Hadrin will be eager to meet you!”

Eager? I took a couple more steps into the threshold, noticing dozens of people just walking about as though it was a normal day. Had they also come to the same answer as Cathlin? Is that why the Priest would want to see me?

Something felt different though about the way he looked or any of them. They lacked the confusion that was in Linoth. What happened in Rastron? What did they decide?