Screaming, burning, the sickly sweet smell of charred-- Amethyst woke. She was having that dream again. The warped play on the stage of her slumbering mind echoed too close to reality. She stared up at the tarp which diligently held back the onslaught of pitter patter the sky dropped onto the small camp. She took a deep breath. The sun stirred lightly, reluctant to wake as well. She rolled onto her side and hugged her twitching tail to her chest. Twenty-one years hadn't been enough time to dull the sensations that performed in the theater of her imagination. Even as she had laid there and tried to forget, the sights and sounds flooded back even angrier.

Her grandfather had asked her to fetch water, a simple task for a brave eight year old girl. Never mind that it was dark outside or that the river was beyond the sight of her mother's cart. She wore a large smile that masked her fear. She looked up at her mother who smiled faintly at the little girl.

"Go on now, water won't fetch itself, now will it?" Her grandfather had said. He had a slightly annoyed tone. He must not have had a very profitable day. He would get snappy when the day didn't go as planned. Her mother, Garnet, would make him some tea, and he would puff on his small pipe. That would make him much happier, but he couldn't have his tea without water. So Amethyst hopped out of the back door of her mother's cart, patting the steed which pulled her home from town to town.

The pathway was dark but she had traversed it in the day several times over the last few months they had been parked here. She followed the call of the winding river which flowed out of the nearby town. "Fifty-six, fifty-seven." She counted each step, "Sixty-one, step *over* the big stone." She could make this walk with her eyes closed. Of course, she couldn't chance that! How would she know if the shadows were going to get her if she couldn't see? She did wonder about the legitimacy of her grandfather's tale. There was an older woman in the last town who claimed to be blinded from birth, so why didn't they get her?

Thoughts like that often drifted in and out of her imagination. She quickly forgot about her fear as she watched the flickering lightning bugs. The water was icy-- snowmelt, a boy had told her. A silly thought though, her grandfather had told her that the cold water came from the winter spirit and were the last hints of its reign for the year. As Amethyst lifted the heavy bucket she could see a bonfire back at her camp. Maybe Papa was in a better mood if he gathered everyone together for a dance. Amethyst became excited, as she tried to rush back, she lost her footing on a large stone she had forgotten about in her haste. The chill water dumped over her causing her to gasp. She scrambled back to the river then started her return, counting her steps once more.

"Where are you!" A gruff and unfamiliar voice called out.

"I dropped the water, so I had to get more!" she called back.

No sooner had the words parted from her did the large figure of a human man appear. There were no humans in her group. She wanted to scream out, but the man put his hand over her mouth and clutched her tightly against his body. She managed to bite down on his hand, hard. She spat something thick and meaty out as she hit the ground.

"You little bitch!" He cried. She didn't look back, the light from the bonfire had grown bright enough that she could see her trail through the trees. "I'm going to get you!" He yelled again.

She ran to her mother's cart, just as it was in sight--

"Gotcha, ya little devil!" The man had one arm clenched around her torso and the other was wrapped in a drenched cloth. He started dragging her back towards the tree line. She screamed and cried as he carried her away. Her home grew smaller and disappeared behind the wall of foliage surrounding the camp. The man suddenly let out a short grunt and crumpled. Amethyst pushed him off and backed away quickly until her back was pressed up against a tree.

Yet another human man was there, but he wasn't chasing after her. Instead he put his finger up to his lips in a shushing motion then gestured her to go away. Her Papa had used that gesture often. She tried to move, but couldn't. She had become a part of that tree. Another branch shooting off of it now rooted into place.

"Ah boys we gots ourselves a hero!"

"Let's show 'em what 'appens to 'eroes!"

More humans bloomed into the small clearing. The man who had seemingly tried to help Amethyst fought hard against the horde of men that came for him. It was over when one of the ruffians dug a dagger into the back of her hero's knee. After they had finished their fun with him he lay gurgling, begging for Amethyst to run. But her roots were too deep and she was trapped as those men grabbed her.

"Amethyst?"

Amethyst woke, startled. She looked around frantically.

"It's me, Busara. You are not in The Sewers anymore." His soothing voice was extra rumbly in the morning. She felt her body start to relax. The sun had already started its journey. That meant she was late to start hers. "A bad dream?"

Amethyst rubbed her eyes and gathered her wits as her mind returned to the present. "Not a dream so much as a memory." She laid her head in her hands. She could hear everyone bustling to pull camp down. Although her feet hurt, her hips were sore, and her back ached fiercely, the pain helped her to forget the past for just long enough to pretend it didn't happen.

§

They had been traveling for nearly two weeks, each day grew warmer and warmer until they simply couldn't travel from noon till a couple hours before dark. The rain had been coming later in the evening which allowed them to travel closer to dusk. Though camp would be set up in haste, they were making good time considering all the world seemed to be turning against them. Amethyst had kept hope in her heart, refusing to allow her pessimism to get the better of her. She and Wa Chini did all they could to keep spirits high.

The group followed Amethyst's hopeful steps as she walked alongside Tenya. She could hear their conversations with Agápi, there seemed to be a bit in common. In comparison, Agápi lived a rather lavish lifestyle, if the punishments were not considered. She was mostly free to do what she wanted, but had to make sure her job was done to perfection. Otherwise, their lives hadn't been so dissimilar. Wa Chini had been scouting ahead, keeping an eye out for any battling groups. It wasn't just the tribes they were worried about. There were plenty of big angry creatures in the wild and none of them cared who owned what land, or what family you were born to.

Tenya wasn't a very good conversationalist, but Amethyst had learned a little. She was married to a powerful man who was an actual elf. She was chosen for compatibility as she was herself part elf, though not enough to give her pointy ears or anything. It made sense to Amethyst she had elven blood; a woman couldn't be that beautiful unless she was magical. Agápi was beautiful too, but she had told Amethyst her people were bred for generations to be aesthetically human but shared more in common with Wa Chini's people than humans. So that wasn't the same. Besides, Agápi may be beautiful, but she wasn't Tenya.

"We are almost to Turkana" Busara said, "One more day and we will be at the river crossing."

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Clouds swallowed the sky, as the group made a hasty camp. The rain made fire impossible, the wind forced them to huddle their tents close together. No one slept that evening. Lightning spires split the night apart, while thunder would herald the small victory over dark after each flash. It was as though each strike were trying to find the way into the bundled groups' thin shelter walls. The water allied itself with the warring haven above, soaking through the defenses erected to halt the flooding advance. Just as it seemed defeat was imminent, the front crumbled and the night became calm, giving way to the dawn's fiery rise.

Amethyst felt like she was back in The Sewers with the choking humidity and biting flies that had started swarming them. By noon they had finally reached the river. It was just a small stop on the longer trip. Passing this was a morale-boosting milestone; at least before they reached its banks.

Tenya dropped into a squat as she hid her head in-between her knees.

"Without the bridge we will have to go back around the lake." Busara said grimly. "Five days back, it's a setback but we can keep moving."

"She won't like that." Amethyst's tone mirrored Busara's. "Could we not cross in the shallow water?"

"I do not think so, there are fish in these waters that are said to devour the flesh of an elephant in a minute flat."

"Surely that is just make-believe."

"No, I have seen them tear men apart in moments." Busara approached the banks. He took a piece of dried meat and tossed it into the water. A bubbling pool formed under the meat and it was gone in an instant.

"You wasted a part of your ration." Amethyst said, offering some of her dried meat.

Busara looked back as though to gesture Amethyst to look. Nuru had backed away and covered her mouth. Hofu and Agápi had looks of horror on their faces, Wa Chini was more interested in skipping stones along the calm part of the water. Tenya simply remained sitting, staring at where the meat had been.

"Not a waste if someone can learn." Busara's face remained emotionless. He sat at the bank and tossed rocks, watching the ripples travel slowly downstream.

Amethyst chose to sit near Tenya. She studied Tenya's curled form as she pondered. A few days back wouldn't be such a big deal in the grand scheme., but backtracking was demoralizing and almost humiliating. Her thoughts evolved as she considered that Ebba was at stake as well. Could they really afford to spend the days, nearly weeks, going back and around? Tenya's face was solemn and small streaks cut through the grime on her face. Amethyst's heart dropped and she felt a pit in her stomach seeing the despair on Tenya's face.

Amethyst steeled herself. There were a lot of people and a few animals to keep track of, but that didn't mean she couldn't try. "Everyone!" She called, startling everyone with her sudden outburst. "We are not going back around." She focused deeply before saying, "Everyone, get close to me and bring the animals too."

Hesitantly, they gathered. The animals argued a bit before falling into place. Once everyone had formed around her, Amethyst instructed them to step onto the water. Hofu and Agápi hesitated, and Tenya protested, but Busara, Nuru, and Wa Chini strode onto the water, each step was like walking on stone. Amethyst stretched her arms out for the rest to follow, and slowly they did. She felt the fatigue almost immediately. Like falling into a comfy bed after days without sleep, her eyes became heavy and her body stiffened. She struggled pressing forward until the group had crossed fully, then she collapsed. She felt dizzy and sick, like she had been spinning around for an hour. Everything went up and down as she floated in her own topsy-turvy world.

When she regained herself, Amethyst found Tenya was there to help pull her up. Before she could react, Tenya had guided her to one of the mules and lifted her up onto the creature like she was a child. "I can walk, it--"

"Shut up." Tenya said firmly. "You are going to spend at least the rest of today on this thing--"

"But I--"

"Did I ask you, or did I tell you?"

"I... Um..." Amethyst was lost for words, and her body felt like she had been crushed by boulders.

"Not negotiable." Tenya said softly. "Thank you." She turned away, making her way down the road leading the mule as she did.

Amethyst looked at the group and mouthed to Busara and Nuru, "Did she say thank you?"

Busara and Nuru shared a short laugh as the powered forward.

§

The blistering heat of the sun was as unrelenting as the flies which swarmed in thick clouds around anything that would try to breathe. The companions coated themselves in mud, hoping to help with the onslaught of the little biting pests that feasted on them. Rain would wash them clean and the flies would disappear, only for other insects like mosquitoes to take their place.

The land fought to keep them there, especially if it meant their deaths. They struggled onwards, and each day that passed shared fewer and fewer hungry vermin. The rain slowed, and by the fourth day past the river they were only occasionally bothered.

The land had opened up from rugged thorny scrub into vast plains of savannah, occasional trees dotted the land, and the road continued to become clearer and more defined. They even started passing travelers at times, though they had no interest in conversing with each other.

"Hey, Mystie?" Tenya asked suddenly.

Amethyst looked towards Tenya, wondering what she had to say. Tenya threw something underhanded with a high arc towards Amethyst. She tensed and panicked to grab at the odd object while at the same time intending to avoid it. She lost her footing and fell backwards, the object fell into her stomach. "UGH!"

"Oh gods!" Tenya exclaimed. She ran over to Amethyst and helped her up. Tenya had been keeping to the back of the herd all day.

Amethyst had remained close just in case she wanted to talk. She didn't, and of course the moment she showed any interest in interacting with Amethyst, she became a jumbled, clumsy mess and fell all over herself. Amethyst couldn't help but laugh at this unfortunate situation she stumbled into.

"You were supposed to catch it." Tenya said with a smile.

"I thought it would be more fun to put on a little dance for you and..." Amethyst gestured towards the empty grassland she found herself in. Empty except for the small rodent that stood on its hindlegs who had clearly watched the whole thing. Amethyst felt more embarrassment over the little creature seeing than Tenya.

"I guess you haven't had much time to practice?" Tenya chuckled, and offered a hand to Amethyst.

"Guess not." She giggled as she stood up. "Why are you throwing things anyway? Did I piss you off again?" She said with a little grin.

"Ha-ha" Tenya had a hint of sarcasm, but Amethyst could tell she didn't appreciate that joke. "It's a birthday gift."

Amethyst felt her heart bubble up in joy. "What do you mean?" Her voice was nervous, and she instinctively held the tip of her tail unable to make eye contact.

"Today is April thirteenth, right?" Tenya asked in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Oh yeah, it might be..." She said with a hesitant laugh, "I don't really keep track of the days."

"Well it is, the thirteenth." She claimed. "Trust me, I'm keeping track." Tenya passed by Amethyst.

Amethyst saw red on Tenya's face, more than what the sun had burned. Tenya also clutched tightly at her scarfed arm. "You remembered, from the other day. I thought you weren't listening." She walked briskly to catch up.

"Well I was." She said, dismissively.

Amethyst lifted the object up to examine it. A rock. "Oh it's a thoughtful gift."

"You don't know what it is, do you?" She didn't bother looking back as she asked.

"Well it's a rock, I can see that much."

"How observant." Tenya's voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Well... I've been told I'm a better listener." Amethyst kept a smile while she looked at the rock. Who cares what it was, it was a gift anyway. Just remembering that today was her birthday was the first time anyone had in twenty-one years. Joke or not, Amethyst was melting over the thought Tenya remembered.

Tenya snorted at the comment, "It is a rock, sure, but it's special." She said amidst a short laugh.

Amethyst could hardly focus on walking at the same time as listening to Tenya's laugh. The heat she felt was more than just the burning rays of the demanding sun.

"It's a type of geode." Tenya continued, "I read about them. Use another rock or something hard to break it open."

Amethyst looked around and found what she imagined was a suitable tool for the job. A few solid strikes later and it split in two. The inside glimmered brilliantly in the sun's radiance. She had only seen gems like this within the jewelry of the wealthy she served. "It's beautiful!" Amethyst's eyes flitted over to Tenya, who had stopped and watched Amethyst open her gift.

"Yes, I agree." Tenya said softly while looking at Amethyst. "Quite beautiful indeed."

Amethyst looked at the stone excitedly, a large smile spread across her face, and tears welled up as she embraced it to her core. It wasn't a joke. In her hands, Amethyst held the greatest and most generous gift she had ever considered receiving. The tears flowed freely as she looked up towards Tenya to thank her, but she had already started walking away. Amethyst's voice caught in her throat, and she couldn't find a way to say the simple words: 'thank you!'

As Tenya walked along the road she called back, "In the Hypirian tongue, it's called an amethyst."