The further they headed east, the fewer villages and cities there were and more temporary camps to serve as refuges. When a village succumbed to a Gate opening, people no longer can live there and had to evacuate as monsters prowl in the area for days on end. Then often than not, villagers don’t want to return to a place haunted by bloodshed, horror and death.
The refugees left a marked impression on the students. The manus students surveyed each one of them grimly, their stances considerably more tense. Verne and Raka both had swords and more often than not they had a hand resting on the hilts, even as they sat on their horses. Dori, who previously spent his off-duty time sleeping or chatting, started dedicating more time sharpening his twin shivs. Laell was visibly shaken by the hordes of refugees and kept close to the horses when they weren’t riding, as if ready to jump on the back of her horse and run away at the first sign of trouble.
The men had stopped chatting amicably and treated guard watch a lot more seriously. In fact, Camaz kind of hoped they would relax a bit as the tension was palatable. Raka, who previously disregarded Laell completely, started questioning her education.
“Can you even close one of those things?”
It was an unprovoked question, with no lead-up, spoken over a dinner of rations one evening when they were all jumping at the slightest noises in the dark. Laell stared at him, unable to speak. She was rarely able to say anything in normal conversation, much less a confrontational one. One of her hands picked at the fingernail of another.
“No one’s able to close it,” Dori said over the shearing sounds of shivs on sharpening stones. “Runeology’s not been able to find the enchantment for it.”
“Then why in Part’s name is she even doing here?” Raka gestured to Laell who seemingly tried to shrink down on her spot next to the campfire. “She can’t even fight. I mean, Professor Camaz can’t either, which is why we are here. But isn’t dragging a runist along just dead weight?”
“She has her role to play,” Camaz said smoothly. He threw more wood into the fire and gave the young man across from it a cold smile. “As do you.”
Raka dipped his head slightly. “Yes sir.”
“I mean, I’m open to your criticism,” Camaz added to Raka’s growing look of horror. “But it can wait after our mission is finished.”
“It wasn’t my intention, sir,” Raka said quickly.
Uhg. Camaz fought the urge to rub his face in frustration. He felt like he just kicked a puppy - a mouthy, loud puppy, sure, but still a puppy. But it’s been many days since they left the Academy and his legs were still sore from horse riding so he wasn’t exactly in a mood to deal with childish squabbling. It was funny for about a day. Especially at this point, perhaps the students needed discipline returned to their lives just like how Yepla teaches the manus students. Camaz hated it. Next time he was going alone, dangers be damned.
It would at least save him the energy from trying to figure out who was responsible for letting someone follow them. At any settlement, Camaz had the distinct feeling of being watched, like too many eyes were on them for what they were doing. Or was that simply paranoia, just like how the students were beginning to be paranoid as well? No, they were most definitely being followed. Like the steady pattern of a heartbeat, Sharp watched the path they had just traveled, bobbing back and forth as if waiting for something. Camaz tried to send the shade out to seek out their stalker, but Sharp refused to leave Camaz’s side. Was it afraid it would get lost? Would it be able to find its way back to him if they separated?
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For the first time, Camaz agreed with Gardlo’s disapproval of his use of Shades. “You don’t know a damn thing about those things yet you rely on them so much,” the runeology professor would grumble.
While on watch, Camaz thought long and hard over their tail. It was most definitely someone interested in Aris. Anyone else sees them as an expedition to the East for research and to aid the people there: only someone with vested interest with why Camaz is really traveling east would follow them.
It would mean someone who knew who Aris actually was. It would be the only reason why they would devote so much time and energy in stalking them. The alternative - regrettably much less feasible alternative - was Camaz’s eternal fan. Although he held on to a sliver of hope to that option, he knew it would most likely be the former.
If that was the case Camaz would rather there be a confrontation than letting the unknown lurk. It was his selfish stance on secrets: only he should be privy to them.
“I think it’s time to tell you all what the mission is,” Camaz said after moments of awkward silence between himself and Raka. “I apologize for keeping it from you. But I believe this information now would be a boon to morale and help us work together.”
Verne, who was brushing down the horses, quickly put down the brush and joined them by the fire. Dori also set down his sharpening to give Camaz his full attention.
“We are here to bring back Aris, my student. My former student,” Camaz corrected himself with a sigh. “It is probably public information that she has specialized abilities. Laell is present to help me contain her. The rest of you are present in case she puts up a physical fight. Of course, the added dangers of Gates is also why you are here, in case we run into the Unseeing. This is because her last known whereabouts is within a village that had been overrun with Unseeing.”
“So is this an imprisonment or a rescue for this Aris?” Raka asked.
“Both.”
“What if she’s been killed by the Unseeing?” Verne asked quietly.
Camaz opened his mouth but no words came out. Then he closed it and stared at the shimmering heated air above the campfire. Of course, Aris’s death was a possibility. If Aris died, it would be all his fault. It was something he avoided thinking about. “If she’s dead,” he said slowly, “I need to find her body and bury it.”
“I’m sorry,” Verne said after a pause. “I pray that she will be alright.”
If Aris was dead, all that about the Parts leading the way, all that about alignment of the heavenly bodies would be wrong. Camaz found himself deep in thought that night, thinking about Captain Rask on the day he brought Aris to the Academy.
If she dies because you can’t handle a teenager’s attitude, it’ll be insulting enough.
Damn that fucking Orrna. She always knew where to prod where it would hurt the most, even her most casual quips. Even without knowing much of anything. If she didn’t have an ear to the ground at the Heart he would have cut off all ties with her long ago.
But that never happens in their world. You knew people until they died or until you died. No, no more death. Camaz turned onto his side on his mat next to the fire and tried to get some sleep.