Chapter 9,
On The Road at Last!
A chink of sunlight shone through the cave, right on my eyes. I tried to swat away the horrid light, but it seemed that it was vehement that I needed to wake up. Yielding to the inevitable, I yawned and stretched my limbs, my body sore from all the events that transpired yesterday. As I started to slowly rise to my feet I heard a gruff voice from behind me.
“Hey there sleepyhead, you feeling better?”
I spun around, my fists raised, when I noticed that Grim was kneeling next to our supplies, all of which were securely packed inside a tarp. He was currently trying to strap said tarp across his back, using some rope he had brought in order to turn the whole thing into a makeshift backpack.
’He just packed all of our supplies? Did he get any sleep?’
’Awwwwww, you got yourself a little Peeta, Katniss.’
I scowled for a second, then walked over to Grim and started to tie the ropes around his chest. After a few minutes of work the ropes are pretty secure. He flopped down onto all fours, carrying the tarp as if he were a horse.
“Okay, I’m ready to go when you are Em.”
’Em? EM?’
’Called it.’
I grimaced as Gemina proceeded to gloat. “Ummmm, could you not call me that Grim?” I asked.
“Okay, you prefer just Ember then?”
I closed my eyes and face-clawed, feeling like I was the only one in this room who wasn’t trying to either be stupid or play annoying mind games. “Yes, I would.” I muttered, forcing myself not to think anything that Gemina could then use against me.
’What did I do to deserve this?’ Never mind that, I failed, which was evident the second I heard a chuckle echoing in my head.
’You don’t want to ask that, do you.’
It sounded like a question but I knew better. It was a statement, plain and simple, but I was saved by Grim laughing. It was a deep rumbling chuckle that I swear shook the floor beneath my feet. “Just Ember is fine by me. Oh, I almost forgot, did you eat anything last night?”
I sighed and shook my head, secretly glad that I could end my conversation with Gemina. “No, I was too tired to think about food.” As I opened my eyes I noticed a gem shoved right in front of my face, a fuzzy paw holding onto it.
Grim smiled at me, his canines (did I really say that?) visible through that huge grin he had plastered onto his face. “Then have this. I left it out just in case.” he said.
I slowly reached out and grabbed the gem. It was clear, one of my favorites. “You made sure to keep this out for me?” I asked, unsure whether to be puzzled or touched.
“’Course I did, why wouldn’t I? I knew you didn’t eat yesterday, and I was packing things up ages before you woke up. If I had gotten hungry by now then you surely had.” he said with a shrug.
“Are you insinuating that I’m fat.” I asked, flaring up at once.
’He doesn’t need to insinuate anything.’
‘Thanks a lot Gemina!’
He shook his head again, once again chuckling. “No, but your still growing, I mean, really, you’re still a growing dragon.”
“Are you always this perceptive?” I asked, astounded that a D-dog was making so many connections unaided.
“Usually. People say that I notice things like this way too often, yet I never seem to know tact. Rather ironic when you consider it comes from my kind. Most of them now so little tact that I’m amazed they know the word exists.”
I just laughed. This simple act made me feel like I had suddenly shrugged a huge weight from my shoulders. I gave the gem in my hand a nibble and had the familiar taste of Asian pears roll over my tongue. I savored the meal, eating each bite slowly. It was our last breakfast before we set out after that Griffin, and I wanted to memorize each detail of our home before I left.
After a couple minutes I had finished my meal. Grim looked at me and smiled. “So then, how are we going to follow them then?” he asked innocently. Good grief, he was acting like a naughty schoolchild for crying out loud.
In response I raised my right hand and pointed my index finger towards the sun. “Interioris oculi, rubeum chorda fati.” I chanted. A small red light sprouts from my finger and shoots into the distance, leaving a trail in its wake. Grim stared at my finger, then at the light in the distance.
“Is that connected to the griffin to? Won’t he see it?” he asked.
“No he won’t. He might feel a sense of dread when we draw near, but nothing more than that. “ I said, a grim smile on my lips. “It’s a line that I used to show the red string of fate. While I know that the string is not used in quite this way, it will work for the present.”
“When did you practice that spell?” Grim asked, staring at me, his head cocked to the side comically. Wait, could anything be comical in this world?
’Possibly it does, probably doesn’t. I just want a safe to fall on your head.’
I rolled my eyes at Gemina’s newest remark and started down the side of the hill, Grim plodding along behind me, his question going unanswered. It was time to find that griffin. It was time for an adventure.
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We had been following the path for a whole day when we saw a vast expanse of beach laid out before us. It seems that the griffin had started to hug the coast for some reason.
’Maybe he’s a seagull?’
’Okay, that hurts. You do know that I’m FORCED to hear those pathetic attempts at a joke, right?’
I chuckled somewhat guiltily before responding, ‘Sorry, I forgot’
I could hear a sharp intake of breath and a huff. After a moment Gemina sobbed, ’You forgot me!’
’Mind cutting the melodrama?’
’Fine, fine, whatever you say boss lady.’
I looked at Grim and noticed the way his tongue was lolling out of his mouth. He looked exhausted, his ears drooped and his tail hanging limply behind him. I guess that carrying all the supplies had worn this puppy out in the end.
’I said stop Ember’
’Fine, I get the hint.’
’Obviously not if you keep doing it.’
I rolled my eyes and scratched Grim behind his ears. He seemed to like it as his tail started to softly wag behind him. “Ready to call it a day Grim?” I asked, giving him a cheeky grin.
Grim huffed at me “Do you have to try and torment me so?” and proceeded to flop to the ground in evident relief. “You know full well that I’m exhausted.”
I smiled down at the poor puppy ’Stop it Ember.’………and laughed. “I still haven’t completely forgiven you for when we first met, so yes, I do have to torment you so.”
He popped open an eye and gave me a deadly glare from the ground. If he had been a pony I would have sworn he used the stare. After a few seconds of the glare he sighed and closed his eyes again, saying, “And I haven’t completely forgiven you for castrating me within two minutes of our acquaintance.”
That hurt. It was a low blow and I bet he knew that perfectly well, but he did have a point. After only a minute or so of knowing him I had tried to ripped his manhood off and succeeded. I literally did a banana split I guess.
’SHUT UP EMBER!’
‘Shut up yourself Gemina, you aren’t any better.’
To my complete surprise she did just that. The silence seemed ringing after squabbling for so long. I guess my statement really stumped her. Guess she couldn’t stand the pot calling the kettle black.
“Ummmmm….Grim, want to set up camp now?” I asked hesitantly. My only answer was an irritated huff. Rolling my eyes yet again I grabbed the tarp and walked a fair distance away into a small patch of trees.
“Really, why is everyone here so touchy?” I asked. My only answer was a snort of derision.
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It was evening now and we had set up camp, which in truth was actually rather easy. All we had to do was hang our food up in midair by stringing it along a line that ran between two trees, and start a campfire. The second one was a little hard, but after a few tries I got enough of a fire going for a modicum of light.
Grim was laying on his back, a small knife in his right hand and a piece of wood in his left. He was slowly working away at it, carving the block of wood down into what looked like an ornate club. But it didn’t seem like the piece of wood was meant to be a club, anyways Grim already has a sword, why would he need a club? So intent was he upon his work that he didn’t even notice me walking over to him until I was standing right over him.
“What are you making?” I asked him, pointing at the lump of wood.
He looked at me for half a second and then returned his attention to his project ”…………………a violin.” he said softly.
I stared at him for a second before saying, “You’re making a…..violin?”
“Yep.” he said.
“Why don’t you buy one?” I asked. ’Are violins super expensive here?’
’Maybe, who knows, you don’t.’
Grim looked at me again, smiling sadly. “Ever try to buy a piece of art from a pack of barbaric Dogs?” he asked. When I shook my head no he continued, “Well it’s like trying to get milk from a dead cow, it’s just not going to happen. So, yeah, I’m trying to make one rather than use the one I have.”
“Wait, one you have?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.
He laughed at me, and reached into the tarp, pulling out a very crude violin, the strings showing signs of being well used. Even the strings were mismatched, as if the maker couldn’t be bothered to get more than one copy of string. The poor instrument was pitiful, and I could see why Grim was so vehement in his want for a new one.
“So, can you play any songs?” I asked, but my only response was him pulling out the bow, putting it to the violin, and starting to play with one of the largest smiles I’ve ever seen on his face. After the song had ended I just sat there, staring at him. The violin no longer looked pitiful, but rather beautiful for the way that it could still play even while it looked like crap.
Grim put the violin back in the tarp and laid his head down on the ground, closing his eyes. “Goodnight Ember.” he said to me.
“Goodnight Grim.” I replied, allowing myself a small smile alone.