Page 81 of Beyond The Maples
I slide a nervous glance over to Berkley, feeling uneasy about her assumption. He should be leading, not me. I never wanted to lead the crew. That wasn't my intention with the tower. He must sense my hesitation, because he gives me an encouraging nod. My first instinct is to keep my crew in one buggy, but that doesn't seem possible.
"You two are driving?" I ask, nodding towards Tane without actually having to address him.
"Obviously," Vera replies, with a sigh of annoyance.
"We'll do Lieutenant Valo with Solana and Rigby in one, and Denver, Choser and I will go with you."
Everyone is securing the bins and moving towards the zippered plastic doors, when Leo pushes Tarius out of the way and yells, "I'M IN THE FRONT," and slides enthusiastically into the front passenger seat.
Tane’s lips press in a firm line, before looking away, and I can't help my smirk. Leo is going to talk his ear off for an entire day, and Tarius will be absolutely no help.
Feeling an immense sense of satisfaction with this knowledge, I load up and hop in the back with Farra, who shakes her head with a smirk of her own, recognizing the punishment I've handed the other buggy.
Two hours into the drive, and I am bored beyond belief. I'd almost missed the dust, right until we got out here, and now can barely see five feet in front of us. Vera's jaw is going to be permanently locked from how tightly she's clamped it this whole drive. She's done exceedingly well, considering we can't see the path, following Tane's faint dust cloud that's marginally thicker than the other dust clouds. How he's navigating, is beyond me.
"Where are you from?" I ask, hoping to break the deafening silence with some form of conversation. Why not get to know the surly legionary who'd probably like to take my head off?
Vera glances at me briefly in the mirrorabove her head.
"Ancestors are from where Zaphira is now," she says through a deep exhale.
I nod. That makes sense. Her skin is much darker than those who've been mixed through the years.
History suggests that this continent was originally landlocked, until travellers started arriving from distant lands in hordes, desperate for the abundance that grew freely here. Eventually, though, travelling by sea became impossible; the distance too vast, and the sea too rough to navigate. Especially without magic.
Even now, I think it’s been decades since anyone has made it out to our own islands that sprinkle the outskirts of our country.
"That's where my grandpa's side is from," Farra offers freely. I'm a little shocked she gave that information up so willingly. Maybe she's turning a new corner with making friends.
"Berkley, what about you?" I ask, hoping to include him. He's been looking a little haunted since we left base, and I'm wondering if I can shake him from his stewing.
"Who knows, who cares," he grumbles.Gods,he's been miserable. He's riding with the boys on the way back. At least the three of us are cordial.
My attempt at small talk dies, which ends up being fine, because the dust begins to settle as we crest another large dune. The buggy glides over the rough terrain. I'm thankful for how smooth this ride is, my sore muscles not being tossed around as much as I'd anticipated. I see familiar rolling golden hills, and way off in the distance, I spot a dark shadowy mass.
"What is that?"
"The dead forests," Vera responds bluntly.
My heart clenches in my chest. My entire life I've wondered about the forests. My mom was obsessed with them, as evidenced by our names. A wave of gratitude weaves its way through me as I wonder if I would've remembered that a month ago. We stretched out the herbs Sibs gave us the best we could. We've almost run out now, but I'm thankful for all the memories I've recovered, the clarity. No matter how jarring it can be.
As we creep forward, I can't take my eyes off the dark and twisted shadows of the forest on the horizon. I feel a pull, like there's something attached to my center, and it tugs harder the closer we get. My mom always said we came from a long line of green thumbs––harvesters, farmers. When magic was lost, her family line had died out quickly, alongside the natural world. She believed that we, more than others, needed to coexist with the things that grow in the ground. I've always wondered if that would have been my gift, if we had magic. That maybe the disconnect I feel is because that vital piece of my soul is missing. Maybe I'd have a garden bursting at the seams, if only the entire world hadn't withered up instead.
Farra nudges my arm, and I shake away my melancholy. She examines me, silently asking if I'm alright and I smile and nod. I peer up front and see that Berkley's mood has only worsened in the last few hours.
"Hey Berk," I whisper, although clearly Vera will hear me, regardless.
"What?"
"Do you think Lieutenant Valo is having a great time with Leo?" My eyebrows inch up, hoping Berkley catches on to my pettiness.
Berkley is quiet, and for a second, I think he's a lost cause. But then he lets out a croaky laugh. The first real one I've heard him give in weeks. He wheezes, and Vera glances back.
"Leo is the most optimistic and obnoxious young man I've ever met. He almost never shuts up and has absolutely no shame. He is probably making the Lieutenant's ears bleed," Berk says all of this through raspy chuckles, and my heart fills up.
Vera casts another glance at me in the mirror before a mischievous grin blooms on her face, showing off beautiful dimples that completely contradict the usual harshness she carries herself with.
"That is... hilarious," she snickers. "Tane is going to lose it when we get to the charging station."
