[Arry]

Wulfham



The mid-day meal is had . . .

From where he stood at the edge of the small clearing where they were to have their midday meal, Brand heard Vaenosa’s cutting comment to Dorran. The woman was bent on making it as hard as it might be for the two men in the group to feel any sort of camaraderie with her. Perhaps it would just be best to ignore her outbursts, he sighed. It had done no good to speak with her he felt.

He strode quickly to where Dorran stood with his jaws clenched, the muscles in them pulsing in irritation. Brand put a restraining hand on the young man’s arm, drawing him aside. ‘Can you leave it be for now, Dorran?’ he asked. ‘Keep the peace and let us get through this meal quickly. I’d like to be as far down the river as we can go today.’

A quick meal of stewed mushrooms, some way-bread the march-warden’s wife had made, a handful of last of autumn’s berries – all washed down with a cup or two of hot herbed tea. Then, Brand called for them to load up their ponies with the wood they’d gathered.

----------

A place to camp for the night is found . . .

This time, he led the way on Lady, with Dorran following and Vaenosa and Incana to be on the watch in the rear as they rode along. It was nearly sunset when they reached a place that satisfied him for a night camp. The river was on their left, less than a hundred paces away, as they approached the level, dirt clearing. To their right were rolling, brown grassed hills, and lowlying rocky outcroppings scattered here and there in the grassy fields. Ahead of them was a grouping of willows, their roots creeping down the river’s edge, their dried, brown leaves rattling in the chill evening wind.

‘We’ll set up camp there,’ Brand said, as the others drew up to him. ‘The trees will block most of the wind if we camp near them. And we can get fresh water to fill our waterskins from the river. Dorran, can you set up camp and get a fire going for us. The big rucksack on my horse has dried meats in it, I think, and some barley. If you dig deep enough, you might even find something extra from the Lord's goodwife. In the metal can with the tight lid, you’ll find a little salt. See what you can conjure up for us.’

He nodded to Vaenosa and Incana. ‘Take the waterskins and fill them, all of them. That way we’ll have naught to do tomorrow morning but load up the horses and be off. I’ll set some small traps over there in the grasses, and near those rocks. We’ll see if we can have some fresh meat for breakfast.’

The sun was just a finger’s width above the horizon as they hurried to see their tasks done . . .