Two
A teaching moment
Morning came and I was up and awake in the grey dawn laying the fire for the morning's porridge. It was strange walking around in the thick mist that was rolling down from the mountains above us; the silence was eerie as the slightest sound sounded overloud.
My thoughts were of Miriamni and last night. Being seduced by a woman was a strange thing; my knob twitched with the thought of it and the promise of more tonight. I got the fire started and squatted in front of it, warming myself in the damp morning air.
The coftea was ready and the water was simmering for the porridge. I was thinking of calling the others but I was still lay back warming my feet when Rash and Miriamni climbed down from the wagon, saving me the trouble.
"You can make the porridge now," Miriamni said as she seated herself and reached for the coftea pot. "We need to be on the road as quick as we can."
I shook my head at her assumptions and started on making the porridge. I was thinking of the going on the track when seeing ten feet was difficult. We wouldn't make much progress till it lifted.
Rash was standing, stretching as she rolled her head round looking about in the mist. Her hair was still tousled and the coat open, showing a white vest under it, where I had expected breasts there seemed only the slightest of mounds.
I sat and stirred the porridge, watching its consistency as it thickened. I'd put three times my single serving, but the water was hard to judge in the large pan and I'd erred on the side of caution. The porridge was thick and bubbling, cooked enough to eat; I rescued it from the hearth and began to fill the bowls.
"I've got cinnamon and syrup here," I announced, taking a pinch of spice and proffering the small sack around.
"I'll have some," said Rash, straightening and looking over at me from her perch on the stone.
I sprinkled some on hers and looked at Miriamni, she nodded and I obliged.
They all had the syrup as well and we ate in silence with the gloomy grey mist still enshrouding us.
We'd got another two rounds of this to come, two nights of sleeping out in the open then I would get free at the border. I'd hoped that tonight would see us over the next ridge close to the border to give us time to make it down to some inn and resume my identity.
I scraped the last from the bowl and set it down. The two cups of coftea having refilled my bladder, my next pressing matter was to relieve myself again.
"If you ladies will excuse me again I must visit the bushes," I said standing.
I walked but ten yards and the mist swallowed them. I walked up to the nearest bush and pulled on the cord to loosen my cloth and heard the footsteps behind me. Turning and looking as I let my waters flow Miriamni's ghostly form emerged to walk up beside me and cover my hand with hers as I held my knob.
"Take good care of it," she whispered in my ear, wrapping her other arm around my dangling one and grasping that hand as it held the corners of the cloth up.
I shook the drips and released it, reaching my hand down for the string behind me, taking her hand with it. She released me and stood back as I pulled my loincloth into shape, adjusting the flap at the front and giving myself play in the crotch.
"Are we going on in this?" I said as I faced her.
"We have to...." she started to say as she half tripped on something, I jumped to help as she staggered, catching her by the waist as she recovered.
"Thanks," she gushed, standing a moment to catch her breath.
"You're welcome," I replied. "Look I don't know your story and I'm not asking for it. I want your assurance that you'll free me. Your horse is well enough to continue with a new set of shoes, or even only the one if you're that rushed. With luck we'll reach the Lucky Venture mine and the settlement around it by midday."
"The horse could be shoed there while we stop for lunch," I continued. "And still be up through the pass to the way station by night."
"You said 'ladies' earlier. You know about Rasyondi?" she asked back.
"Yes, is that her name?"
"Do you know it?" she asked stopping.
"I know one of that name from the town near me but I know nothing of yours, she is young to be on a venture such as this."
"She has had eighteen summers and is of age. She chose independence instead of a bad marriage and left before she was thrown out," she explained more.
Her tale had a feel of some courage to abandon all, it left me wondering who could be so bad it could be worth this. I stayed silent as we approached the fire, thinking over what she'd told me. Rash passed pretty well at first glance, she could stay inside while I drove with Miriamni at my side.
We'd make an odd couple but the memory of anyone we encountered would not include a young person as a clue. Now if only this mist would lift or thin, it was still a bit chilly to go without my blanket.
I sat back down at the fire to a reflective Rash, sitting close to the fire and leaning back on the rock. She stirred and sat back up as we got there.
"There's fresh coftea in the pot," she sighed, clutching her own cup.
"Thanks," I said as I reached for the glove to take it from the side of the fire.
"Where's your cup?" I asked Miriamni as she settled herself.
She pointed to it on the ground and I bent and retrieved it, pouring for the two of us.
"When can we get started?" Rash asked.
"As soon as this thins enough to see the road," Miriamni replied, waving a hand in the air.
"We can go at a slow walk," I said. "I can walk if you give me my boots back, I could lead the horses to give us some progress till it breaks."
Miriamni nodded and rose. "Let's get things started then."
I rose and turned to the front of the caravan, taking a horse to hitch it to the shaft. Miriamni joined me with the second and we harnessed them up. She followed me to the donkey and helped me load that.
"What's that?" she asked, lifting one of the waxed canvas packs of my father's Janaweed.
"It's for my father to relax with, help him sleep at night in his old age," I replied.
She was sniffing at it and prising a corner open.
"To relax him," she quoted back at me, looking at me quizzically.
She pushed two fingers in and retrieved a leaf, bringing it to her nose to sample.
"This is aravig, how does he use it?"
"Its ground to a powder and added to hot water to cool, then he adds a sweet wine and drinks it as a nightcap some nights."
She laughed. "I should soak some and let you see what they really are." She said jokingly, stuffing the pack back into the pannier.
"What else have you got tucked away in here?" she asked, leaning on the pack as I went to collect my roll.
"Just some spices and things for the kitchen," I said over my shoulder as I stooped to wrap my mat.
My sword was something I wished they'd left handy but I doubted they'd return it.
