Into the Game

I took the road.

It was the easiest path to follow. Plus it gave me time to think. I had thought that Michael would make a good travel companion, but he had just disappeared. I wondered why. I knew he was a criminal, but it had to be more than that.

My lack of a travel companion wasn’t my biggest concern. The Captain had said that Billy registered a cleared Ogre camp. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but it sounded very dangerous. Michael’s comment about Billy’s accomplishments left me even more concerned. My brother was smart, but he was surrounded by criminals. I worried about what they might be teaching him.

I picked up my pace. I felt a lot better now that I had gotten a little sleep and my cuts were bandaged. My stomach was complaining, but it would be okay. The coffee had taken the edge off. It wasn’t the first meal I’d skipped while caring for my brother. I didn’t think it would be the last either.

After an hour of walking I decided to stop for a moment to rest. I leaned against a tree and looked around. It amazed me how beautiful they had made this place. The trees were all green, wildflowers were scattered in with the underbrush, giving color where one wouldn’t expect to find it.

I closed my eyes and listened to the sounds. Birds were singing overhead. The rustle of leaves as they danced in the branches added the background music. Crickets were chirping along. Even a mosquito was buzzing in my ear. I slapped him, but only because he couldn’t harmonize with the others.

Even the smells were vibrant. Cedar, Pine, and a hint of wild cherry filled the air. My stomach growled again, reminding me of skipped breakfast and that some wild cherries would be much appreciated.

I got up and left the path, allowing my nose to lead me to the cherry tree. It didn’t take long for me to find it. There were animal trails leading to it. I think it was deer by the shape of the hoof prints I found, but I couldn’t be certain. It could’ve been a cow or a horse, but deer made more sense.

I took out my sword and looked around before I walked up to the cherry tree. I didn’t want a repeat of the bear incident, but there were no large animals around. I scared something little into the bushes, but it was probably just a rabbit.

The cherries were perfectly ripe and very juicy. I had eaten wild cherries almost ten years ago on a family hike. Those had been sweet, but they didn’t have much meat on them. These were more like regular cherries that you would buy in the store. As I spit seeds into the bushes, I didn’t care if it was wrong. I was hungry and this was perfect.

I took out the map and spread it out under the tree. In addition to the detail it also put a star where I was. It made it very easy to tell where I needed to go next. I was about halfway to the border of the next zone. The Ogre camp was five zones over. That meant I would have to cross four zones just to pick up where my brother had been last. I measured the distance with my hand and did some math in my head. I had walked about a fingernail length in an hour. I still had over a hand length to go, and that was a straight shot. It would take longer to walk the winding roads. If I walked straight through, it would take me at least two days.

I folded up the map. I wasn’t going to get discouraged. I knew where I was going next, that was what I was going to focus on. I filled the bottom of my sack with cherries and slung it over my shoulder. It would be enough to last me for at least a day. I should be able to find more wild fruit before I ran out.

Reenergized, I headed back to the path. I was determined to get half way before I stopped to sleep.