They found the perfect place to set up camp when it was already dark. It was a large piece of bark, luckily forming a small hut. Eeri took out what was left of the dried meat and put it between Azazor and herself. They had walked for hours. They had been right to stay on guard: a few kirostas did find their way to the plateau, and seemed to be patrolling the area in groups. The Fyros redoubled their caution. Two of them would not have been the match for several kirostas, but a group was easier to avoid than a few scattered, independent individuals. It took them several hours, however, to get around the area and far enough away.
Still panting, they pecked at the meat, piece by piece, chewing slowly. The less there is to eat, the more you have to make your body believe that you are eating. Eeri began to speak in in hushed tones, so as to stay on the lookout for the slightest noise in the surroundings.
"Any idea where we are, dey?"
"More or less east of Coriolis. We should have gone west, but those damn kirostas…"
"I think we did well to stay very far away. Some of the kirostas back home can spot us from a long way away… So here, who knows."
"I'm not saying we should have gone near them."
Eeri swallowed a bite and swallowed loudly.
"Anyway, the east is our road."
"What are you talking about?"
Eeri took another piece of meat and began to chew it. She went to spit out a piece of rind, but changed her mind and chewed harder. Food was scarce. Azazor continued.
"We go west, we find a way to get off that damn ridge into the desert of the Oflovak Road."
"dey. We continue east, towards Fyre."
"BUT YOU ARE COMPLETELY INSA…"
"But shhhh!! We said no noise!"
Azazor, resumed whispering in a strangled voice, his eyes exorbited:
"You're completely insane… It's at least three months away…"
"So, have you ever been that close to Fyre? Me dey."
"And then, we have nothing to eat!"
"We'll find some."
"Eeri… We found an amber cube that seems to speak about Coriolis! I can't risk losing it. And then, there is probably nothing left, like here."
"I am ready to run the risk. I will go alone, if you don't keep up with me."
Azazor answer nothing. He knew that if Eeri had an idea in mind, it would be difficult to convince her to change it.
"We'll talk about it when it's light," he grumbled.
"I'll keep watch for a few hours, get some sleep," Eeri replied.
Eeri, on the lookout for the slightest noise, got out of the bark nest in which the fyros was already snoring. In the darkness, his gaze wandered eastward, ever further from the New Lands. Fyre, the land of her ancestors, the city whose name made the dreams of Pyr's children vibrate, when she was a child. A city so big, so far away. Probably destroyed, in whole or in part, by now. She backed up against a small bush, balanced her pike on her lap and closed her eyes. It was decided, as soon as the light of day appeared, she would leave for Fyre. With or without Azazor.
Still panting, they pecked at the meat, piece by piece, chewing slowly. The less there is to eat, the more you have to make your body believe that you are eating. Eeri began to speak in in hushed tones, so as to stay on the lookout for the slightest noise in the surroundings.
"Any idea where we are, dey?"
"More or less east of Coriolis. We should have gone west, but those damn kirostas…"
"I think we did well to stay very far away. Some of the kirostas back home can spot us from a long way away… So here, who knows."
"I'm not saying we should have gone near them."
Eeri swallowed a bite and swallowed loudly.
"Anyway, the east is our road."
"What are you talking about?"
Eeri took another piece of meat and began to chew it. She went to spit out a piece of rind, but changed her mind and chewed harder. Food was scarce. Azazor continued.
"We go west, we find a way to get off that damn ridge into the desert of the Oflovak Road."
"dey. We continue east, towards Fyre."
"BUT YOU ARE COMPLETELY INSA…"
"But shhhh!! We said no noise!"
Azazor, resumed whispering in a strangled voice, his eyes exorbited:
"You're completely insane… It's at least three months away…"
"So, have you ever been that close to Fyre? Me dey."
"And then, we have nothing to eat!"
"We'll find some."
"Eeri… We found an amber cube that seems to speak about Coriolis! I can't risk losing it. And then, there is probably nothing left, like here."
"I am ready to run the risk. I will go alone, if you don't keep up with me."
Azazor answer nothing. He knew that if Eeri had an idea in mind, it would be difficult to convince her to change it.
"We'll talk about it when it's light," he grumbled.
"I'll keep watch for a few hours, get some sleep," Eeri replied.
Eeri, on the lookout for the slightest noise, got out of the bark nest in which the fyros was already snoring. In the darkness, his gaze wandered eastward, ever further from the New Lands. Fyre, the land of her ancestors, the city whose name made the dreams of Pyr's children vibrate, when she was a child. A city so big, so far away. Probably destroyed, in whole or in part, by now. She backed up against a small bush, balanced her pike on her lap and closed her eyes. It was decided, as soon as the light of day appeared, she would leave for Fyre. With or without Azazor.
---
Eeri"Quand on a le nez trop près de la bouteille, on ne voit plus le bar"