Read The Crystals of Tlalli: Awakened Affinities Page 42

you, because he did it to protect you. It just didn’t work out like he planned or thought.”

  “Rica you don’t know what you are talking about.” Zafira stood and stomped off into the darkening forest.

  “I do agree with some of what you said. But you can’t make Zafira agree with you. She has to come to her own conclusions.” Nab said quietly.

  “I don’t have time for her to. I’m going home soon. I don’t want to leave here with anger on my lips and bad feelings in my heart.”

  Nab reached over and brushed the hair out of Rica’s eyes slowly. Tucking a strand of it behind her ear. Rica was more stunned by his gentle touch then by what he said next.

  “You have a good heart. You are so forgiving, I admire you for that.” Nab stood and followed Zafira into the forest calling her name to stop.

  Rica sat at the fire not knowing what had just happened. Confusion was the only thing she was sure of at that moment, confusion about Zafira and their argument and about her feelings toward Nab. Rica sat and poked at the fire. It was full dark when Zafira and Nab returned. Nab looked guarded and Zafira just looked tired.

  The medic came over shortly after Nab and Zafira returned. The medic had brought something for everyone to eat and some hot atin they all seemed to like. Rica still didn’t like the drink; it was purple and tasted bitter to her so she just drank water. They sat and talked about the green affinity and what Magi of old could do. Rica felt exhausted and climbed into the tent and found a sleeping bag and crawled in yawning. She was asleep as soon as she lay her head down.

  The next morning came way to soon for Rica, the light shown right into the tent and onto her face. Rica moaned and rolled over. While she lay there half asleep she could hear conversation outside the tent. Moyo and Nab were talking. She couldn’t make out what they were saying but did catch Western Mage Tower or something that sounded like that. Zafira stirred in the sleeping bag on the other side of her. She could hear her set up. Rica rolled over and groaned at her stiff muscles.

  She climbed out of bed and slipped her worn tennis shoes back on. The left one had grown a hole in the bottom and Rica had put a bit of paper in it to help close the draft. She needed new shoes. Rica sighed. Zafira noticed her looking at the holy shoe and shook her head.

  “Talk to the supply officer, he might have some boots you can ware. He was talking with the Medic last night after you went to sleep. He has a tent over by the hospital tent where we helped all the injured yesterday.” Zafira told her.

  “Ok.” Rica said. “Thanks it is about time I gave up these anyway.” She had kept wearing them because they reminded her of home. Time to let it go. She still had her purple jacket, sort of, it had a rip in the right arm that she had sewn shut but it still kept her warm. If winter here were bad she would need a new coat though. Rica shrugged off the mood and put a smile on her face. She picked up her backpack and opened it taking the feather out that Moyo had given her when this journey had begun. She twirled the feather between her fingers then tied it to her staff’s leather case. It looked good there.

  The morning was crisp, clear, and cold every breath accompanied by a white cloud of mist. Rica shivered in her light purple jacket and huddled near the fire. Her thoughts went to the coming trip to the United Peoples of Trentwall (UPT). She was excited about the possibility of it all. Soon she would be home and have her life back. Moyo had filled a pot with water and sat it on a rock in the coals. He added some crushed grain to it and stirred. Rica watched him go about making the simple breakfast. One more thing she would miss when she got back home, her new friends. Her breath caught in a sudden sob. Rica felt the tears on her cheek; she brushed them away in angry swipes of her hand. This was no time to start breaking down. She sat up straighter and told herself; you can’t have it both ways. You can’t go home and take your new friends with you. The world she came from would not accept Moyo and his angel like wings, or Zafira with her cat like grace and features. Nab wouldn’t stand a chance of acceptance either. No you have to say good-bye and be done with it. You have to be strong and not break down all the time like some baby. Rica shook her head and looked at the Opia soldiers already up and about doing drills and checking gear.

  27 – Tabor Town

  The squad of soldiers stayed in a camp outside the borders of The United Peoples of Trentwall (UPT) while Rica and her friends continued on into UPT. Nab had felt it was best not to draw the attention of the local military in this nation. They were a neutral nation and would not take kindly to strange troops in their country. The Onur people worked with the Resistance but not openly, they would turn their backs on the troops massing in their country and leave caches of food and medicine and other supplies for them to “find”. It was weird to Rica, but it seemed to work. When they had reached the border to UPT Moyo and Nab went into the guardhouse and spoke with someone inside then the boarder guards all took a break at the same time and they just drove across. Rica felt as though time had slowed the closer they got to their objective.

  The smell of salt water was the first clue the group had that they were close to the sea. Rica felt excited in a jumpy sort of nervous way. She was so close now to going home! She imagined what she would do when she got home. She would run into the house and hug her mom and dad, and then she would call her friends. This was going to be fantastic. She felt next to bursting with energy. It felt like the treb they were in was going at a snails pace. She just wanted to get there.

  The treb crested a hill and they could see the valley below them. No sign of any big town just more road. It was torture of a different kind. Agony to drive and drive and never seeming to get closer, Rica felt next to exploding with anticipation. When they reached Tabor Town it was mid-day and cloudy. The town looked gloomy to Rica, as though the day had just drained all the sunshine out of the place. But it didn’t affect her jubilant mode; nothing could get her down now!

  Zafira saw an herbalist shop and wanted to stop to check out what they had. She had been so distant since Zos had done what he did. Rica felt frustrated that Zafira wanted to stop at all, but she agreed it was a good idea to go and get something to eat and stretch their legs before heading to the Magi tower, which was north along the cliffs of the rocky coast. There was a tight knot in her stomach, why was she so nervous? Nab parked the treb and they all got out and walked down the sidewalk to the herbalist shop. From the outside it looked like a drug store from home sort of. It had other things in the window besides just elixirs and pots of salves. There were books on display and what looked like the little handheld things some of the squad had had to listen to music, sort of like an iPod but round and see through. There were a lot of different kinds of them on display. They all went in and Zafira headed toward the pharmacy part of the store the guys looked at the other things in the big store with a sort of casual disinterest that seemed to be universal to the guy shopping with a girl. Rica went to the display of jewelry on the make-up counter. There were all kinds of bracelets and pins under the glass of the counter. One with green and white crystals caught Rica’s eye. She would have liked to get it for a good-bye present for Zafira but had no money to buy it with.

  Zafira bought some supplies for the remainder of her trip to the Southern Kingdom of Parashan. After they all had what they wanted they went to a nearby restaurant and ate. Rica could hardly take a bite she was so tense with anticipation. She moved the soup around in her bowl and finally shoved it away tapping her fingers on the table in impatience. She looked around the room at the people having lunch and didn’t see them at all. She wondered what would be involved with the portal. Would it hurt? She didn’t think it had hurt before when she fell through by accident but then she had lost consciousness so she didn’t know. It felt like an eternity for Nab and the rest to finish, and then they wanted to talk about the best way to the tower. The suspense was excruciating. Finally they paid the bill and got back into the little blue treb they had been using. Finally they were on the way to the Magi tower. Rica played
with the strap of her worn backpack and pulled and pulled it till it broke off. Rica stared at the broken strap in annoyance. This backpack had come so far with her and now it breaks? Rica tossed it into the back of the treb. She could get a new one when she got home. When she got home! Those were wonderful words! She missed her friends and all the movies she had missed while here! There would be so much to do to make up for the time here.

  The road was windy and narrow, the trees grew tall and thick along the road, sentinels that silently watched every approach. Rica shivered at the thought remembering the Flitter Forest in the Semlor Nation, those sinister trees would haunt her nightmares for a long time to come, Rica pushed the recollection away. She would be home soon. No more carnivorous trees to worry her. The treb was slowing and then came to a stop. They were in front of giant metal gates set into black stonewalls with blue and violet glowing runes etched deep into the stone. Rica shivered. It was colder here. Moyo got out of the treb and approached the gate. He held his hand up and put it onto a flat circular spot that seemed to be for just that purpose. The metal glowed briefly then