A Change in the Weather

Chapter 65: It’s raining, it’s pouring

12 July, 2008 – 11:23 pm

Raining

‘Rain? That’s all we need,’ moaned Scarlet, screwing her face up and staring at the night sky above.

The stars that before had twinkled crisp and bright were now obscured behind a thick veil of cloud. Even the moon was now just a soft opaque disc. Like some heavenly gas lamp it tried to light the countryside with a feeble glow.

As she looked up a big raindrop hit her square between the eyes.

‘Gah!’ she spluttered, wiping her face. ‘I suppose we’d better find some shelter.’

As soon as the words left her mouth, the heavens opened and the raindrops started to fall thick and fast. It wasn’t long before they were both drenched to the skin.

‘What about under there?’ suggested Thomas, pointing to a wide cedar tree, with long low-hanging branches that sat back from the track.

‘Alright, let’s get off this path.’ she agreed, her boots making squelching sounds with every step. ‘It’s getting too muddy already.’

‘I don’t like this place.’ said Thomas, who had pulled the blanket up around his face and was staring around suspiciously. ‘The trees are different here.’

Scarlet nodded.

‘I know what you mean.’ she whispered. ‘Almost as if they’re watching us. I felt like that in…’

‘… Bracken Wood?’ said Thomas, finishing Scarlet’s words with a wry smile.

‘Yes. Exactly. But this is different. For a start, I don’t feel safe here. It’s kind of difficult to explain…’

Thomas sighed. In his heart, he knew the words he wanted to say, but he just couldn’t articulate them properly.

‘Why did we leave the inn?’ he said, eventually, changing the subject. ‘At least it was warm and safe there. I mean, we don’t even know where we’re going do we? So what’s the point?’

‘Look Tom, I don’t trust Hillary. He’s not being straight with us. He’s been here before. I’m sure of it. And yet he’s pretending that he hasn’t. Why? What’s he hiding?’

‘No idea…’

‘Remember the island?’

‘Yeah, so?’

‘Didn’t you think it was sort of strange the way he knew exactly where to go? Almost like he’d been there before?’

Thomas shrugged.

‘I don’t know.’ he said. ‘I kind of like him still though. After all, anything is better than here, isn’t it? I mean, it’s not as if he’s a bad person. Not like those Fiery Brand people. I mean, they were scary. Really scary.’

Scarlet sniffed, and then a sound made her press a finger against his lips to shush him quietly.

To be out in the forest on their own was one thing, but to be out on their own in the company of things they had no knowledge of, well, that was another. She just hoped that it wasn’t the wolf that they’d heard the call of earlier. Worse things than that didn’t bear thinking about. And so they both sat there, cold and wet, huddled together silently and draped in the blanket, hidden by the boughs of the cedar tree.

She blinked and her heart leapt. Right in front of her eyes, she watched as four figures walked past along the muddy path directly in front of them. They each wore wearing heavy coats and seemed to be carrying swords which were sheathed in scabbards and strapped to their backs. None of them seemed to be bothered about the torrential downpour that was happening all around.

As they walked on, one of the figures turned and glanced over at them.

Scarlet felt herself tense up, and a feeling of nausea washed over her as a man with piercing green eyes looked straight at them. It was uncomfortable, but she found herself locking her eyes onto his, trying to second guess him, as if her life depended on it.

‘Remember the rings…’ she muttered, under her breath, trying not to move her mouth. Thomas understood and just squeezed her hand in confirmation.

After what seemed an eternity, the man turned and glanced the other way and she allowed herself to breathe out. How did he not see them, she thought? After all, he’d looked them straight in the eye. Or at least it seemed that way. Whatever the answer, the figures carried on down the path, and she silently thanked the stars above that she couldn’t see.

Something jarred with her though. Something seemed out of place. And then she realised what it was: it was the coats. They were modern-looking, with fur-brimmed hoods, like Parkas. But how could that be, she thought, especially here, in this world? Where did they come from? And, perhaps more importantly, where were they going?

She had a horrible feeling that she wasn’t going to like the answer.

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