So we continued on in the same fashion for two weeks, until we reached the edge of the mountains. I stopped, looking up in wonder at the majestic kings, with arms outstretch trying to catch the sky.

Charles glanced at me. “You feel it to then? The wonder and awe in this place?”

“Is there any who could not?” I asked.

“Yes.” he stated simply. I didn’t ask further questions on this matter. There was something more to his “yes” than just “yes”, but if he had wanted me to know that more, he would have told me.

“Well, shall we begin?”

We climbed through the lower parts of the mountains all day. It was difficult work, and we didn’t make to much progress. We had to go slow so we wouldn’t travel in circles and get lost. It looked to be about six o’ clock when I suddenly sat down on a boulder. “I think I’ve pushed myself to the limits. I don’t know about you, but I think we should rest, eat, and sleep here. This looks pretty secluded.

“Fine with me. What shall we eat?” I pulled out our food bags. “I think we can each have a piece of bread and a small fish. Thank goodness we stocked up on those fish when we were at the stream! I’ll start the fire if you prepare the fish.”

“Agreed.”

I busied myself with the wood and rock, making fire. I made sure to light the match on the first attempt- though we had plenty of matches, we could waste none.

Preparing fish is a messing business, but when you’re almost alone in mountainous territory, fish is a delicacy. However, after a while, fish gets tiring. I looked at my food bag. There had to be something in there..ah, yes, carrots and potatoes. Fish stew was on the menu tonight. I slowly let the food boil as I stored everything back into the bags. Finally, we sat down to eat one of the best meals we’d had in a while.

“I suppose you’re waiting for me to tell another story.” Charles sighed good-naturally. “I’m afraid it’s your turn though, if you can think of any.”

I bit my lip, “Well, OK. But mind you, it’s not at all pleasant. I was five. My mom was still around, and those were the good days. My brothers were always idiots and thugs but they usually stayed away from Mam. She wouldn’t have their tendencies in her house. They usually stayed with their gang or with their girlfriends, I think. I’m not even sure about that. There were probably some one-night stays in jail too. I mean, they were home occasionally...sometimes Mam would tell them to be home for diner and then she’d try to urge them off their self-destructing-path, but they never listened. It was a night like that- we were all home for dinner. I can even remember what we ate. Mam cooked roast, sweet potatoes, carrots, bread, and even an apple pie. We all went to bed that night, at home- even my brothers. During the middle of the night, I woke up. I thought I heard a series of loud noises, including a scream. I didn’t hear anything after that, so I figured it was a dream and went back to sleep. The next morning when I woke up, Mam wasn’t home. I thought nothing of it- she often worked early in the morning to late in the evenings. I busied myself by cleaning the house and cooking dinner- yes, I knew how to cook at the age of five. My brothers were home in the morning, but left in the afternoon. “We WILL be home for dinner tonight, tell Mam.” Dinner came, and Mam wasn’t home. We still thought nothing of it. Then we went to bed, but as my brothers went to their rooms, I crept off towards Mam’s. A broken window was there, a little blood- not enough to kill anyone but enough to show a struggle, and rumpled sheets. I knew Mam had been taken. And from then on, my brothers lived at home, and took care of me. For a year, they seem to move away from their old lives, but then they fell back in, and after that, it was torture living with them. I managed to survive somehow, and escape.”

Charles shook his head. I figured I knew what he was going to say so I playfully snapped, “And don’t say you’re sorry for me, please!”

He chuckled at that. “OK, OK, no sorries.” he promised. “Good.” I said. I yawned, despite the fact that just now was the sun finally starting to disappear totally off the horizon. “Do you mind keeping watch second tonight?” I asked.

“Not at all.”

I promptly fell asleep before he had finished his sentence.

“Mala! Mala, wake up!” I protested, groaning and turning over.

“Mala, WAKE UP!! We have to get away! And fast! Please, get up! We’re in danger here!”

The word “danger” registered. I woke up quickly grabbed the things around the camp, forgetting to try and take the fish from the big pot of stew that was still on the fire. I dumped the stew out, so I could have the kettle.

I followed after Charles as he sat off. “What happened, Charles? What was it?”

“Gleorns.”

Gleorns were creatures that looked like wolves, but far worse-tempered and had a horned tail as well. Think of a dragon-wolf crossbreed.

“Oh, what if the mountain range is full of them? What if all that lays beyond the mountains are evil creatures?”

“Than we shall see evil creatures. You are a wanderer, an adventure-seeker. Don’t pretend that the danger doesn’t make everything seem more exciting than it already is.”

“Maybe.” I said, “but I still would be safe than sorry. If there ARE only evil creatures beyond the mountains, I am turning back immediately. If you wish to stay, well then, we shall split our separate ways.”

“Not so fast, Mala. We’re not even halfway through the mountains. And we’ve both traveled a long way, and this is the first real danger we’ve come upon- well, except men who say I have no honor and cheat. But that wasn’t really so bad, and besides that...”

“That wasn’t really so bad,” I repeated him, “you were on death’s doorstep! And you call that “not so bad”? What kind of things did they teach you growing up?”

Charles laughed. “Much more boring things than survival 101, I guarantee you. History, politics, English and grammar, arithmetic, and I did learn a bit of fighting- swords and bows- but not so much. For I always was to be a king, and why it was important kings could fight, our kingdom is rarely at war so usually the king’s main duty is just governing the place. Though I sense dark days ahead. Oh yeah, speaking of sensing, I was also thought prophecy for a while, not because people thought I had that gift, just because it was tradition. I usually fell asleep during that lesson.”

He saw the expression on my face, “Well, I was supposed to empty my mind! What better way to do that then sleeping?” he playfully defended himself.

I laughed. “Do you think we’re far away from those gleorns now? You need rest, I’ve already had mine, and if we don’t stop NOW you won’t get any at all, the sun will be coming out in about two or three hours.”

“Rest sounds great. I sleep, you watch and maybe you could even cook breakfast.” He suggested. “Actually, that’s not a bad idea. We have two eggs, and might as well eat them now before they spoil. Can’t save the best stuff for ever!”

I circled around for about an hour, then decided I could probably make the breakfast. With a strip of bacon, I turned normal fried eggs into a feast.

“You are quite talented Mala. You can heal and cook quite well. Probably fight too, I would suppose, though I don’t know. Speaking of which, do you even have anything to fight with if we run in to anything? I have an extra dagger..”

I swallowed a mouthful of eggs with a distinct bacon taste. “I have a bow with five arrows and a dagger in one of my bags.”

“Your bags must expand. You have only three of them yet you have a cloak, weapons, may herbs and ointment, and plenty of food.”

“Well, don’t forget, some of the food comes from your bags too. Like this time, for example, you had one of the eggs and the bacon.”

“Point taken. Still...You must know how to pack neatly. Another gift of your mam’s?”

“No, Mam never mastered the art of folding clothes. That was always my job, since the age of three. Whatever else she could do, Mam couldn’t fold or pack.”

“Now, we can we please try to sleep again?”