Chapter 11. Guarded.

  The sun had fallen completely and landed somewhere beyond the mountain. Sid had been trailing alongside this mountain with Abram and his donkey; he still couldn’t remember its name.

  Sid watched the night sky as he shuffled a slow pace.

  The sky was deep that night full of glowing purples and pulsing greens. The night sky was always incredible; it seemed to breathe with a life of its own. Beautiful colors twist with a romantic dance, shades from pinks to purples, greens and blues. Each pulsing with a rhythmic heartbeat as they grabbed and reached for each other.

  On nights like this, Sid remembered how his lost wife Sophie would boil down berries mixing water and a small blend of herbs, making a wonderful evening drink. It was warm and soothing, just like she was.

  They would walk along the mountain base, just like he was now. He would carry a satchel filled with the baked goodies Sophie had prepared, while she led the way twirling her dress with smiles and laughter. Finding a cozy spot outside, and away from the others they would watch the colors of the sky pulse and clash. Sid wasn’t much of a talker, but Sophie would tell of her days.

  He liked to listen, particularly to her, her voice was like a songbird and Sid could listen all night. Even when the two of them were quiet and he would just hold her while they watched the colors, her presence held a different warmth completely. He could still taste the berry cider on her lips. It was a perfect memory, and he would slightly forget just that much more as the memory fell from his cheek.

  Abram looked over his shoulder, detecting an empty aura. He see big Sid standing in the path, looking straight up at the pulsing sky.

  Looking up toward the lovely night sky himself he approached. Noticing the glossy reflection along that big guys rosy cheeks. Abram looked up at the sky again.

  “Ye knows somebody in that dust up there Sid?” Abram asked, watching the night sky clash.

  Sid remember the new boots Sophie had stitched. Double mending of leather, durable to keep his feet safe and dry. Lined with soft jackalope fur to keep his toes warm. No straps, she knew just how big to stich the soles, they were a perfect fit and he still wore them today. He could hear her voice trailing words through the memory as he watched the pulsing greens.

  Abram watch the sky with big Sid. He wasn’t going to push the answer he already knew. Not only could he feel this man’s grief he could smell it. Abram didn’t know who Sid lost, or how many, but he knew that man was empty, and it was a pressuring sorrow that radiated.

  “No.” Sid finally answered.

  It was a cold answer, and Abram held a spot of woe for the man.

  He knew Sid ached, the man’s presence reeked of it. The man traveled with a burnt sword, not only was it charred with color it wore a pouch of ashes proudly. Abram didn’t know how many were in the pouch, but he knew what the pouch contained, he’s seen them before.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  “We should build a fire its getting late.” The bold mustache suggest while Sid bent for a rock.

  Arieo brayed at the remark he was happy they could stop for a rest.

  Wheeling his little speed wagon to a wonderful spot under a tree, and what a wonderful spot it was indeed. It had everything he wanted; green juicy grass, a good branch incase it rain, a marvelous view for the moon, and…. Oh my even some mushrooms.

  Abram slowly reached for a rock, watching that heavy man wipe his face repeatedly. Adding another two stones to the formulating ring. He watch Sid pull up his pants every couple steps, the man desperately needed a drawstring, but never did he put the sword down. It was funny seeing this big man use such a sword as a cane.

  Sid was looking at the donkey, content eating its grass under the tree just a few legs from the slow fire ring. Beady eyes landed against those mushrooms it was gently grazing for.

  Then out of nowhere was that chirp of the bell, it rang soft, with a long pulsing reverberation as it had before. Sid swallowed anticipating what was next, and there it was, the snarl.

  A sound that made his arms prickle and his neck hair needle. It even forced him to check his surroundings just to be sure.

  Then was the uncomforting sense of advancement. Rolling his beady eyes looking at that glimmer of words, he didn’t really care what the symbols say, not that he could read them anyway.

  Blinking the message away Sid see the donkey was now only a lips reaching distance from the mushrooms.

  He knew it would be taking a bite of all three of them after it chewed its grass. With that feeling of advancement Sid had a knowing of this mushroom, like he had connected with it. Like yesterday when he felt that connection with his hammer and anvil.

  “Don’t let it eat those.” Sid pointed to the donkey.

  Arieo was casually munching on some grass, working his way for the mushrooms. Arieo was saving those big delicious caps for last, mushrooms always had a lovely taste after eating some grass. He suspect it might have had something to do with the dew drops along the grass.

  Abram frowned at the it remark but could feel the warning in Sid’s tone and walked to the tree picking the mushrooms right as Arieo wanted to taste one.

  “Haw-Hee-Haw!” He cried and stamped his hooves with aggravated fury.

  “He says nots to eat em.” His master answered.

  Arieo only blinked with an ear flick, wanting an answer as to why not.

  “Oye Sid?” Abram said.

  Sid already knew what the man was going to ask, he picked up on this conversation rather quickly.

  “They are poisonous.” He said, looking at the donkey, firmly.

  “How’d ye knows.” Abram said looking at the mushrooms in his hands, not really sure if he should be holding them or not.

  Sid’s left hand feel for the brass button over the axe head, and he released the strap for the sheath. He held the chilling tree dropper in one hand, before finding the tree of his choice. He didn’t start swinging though, no instead he removed the satchel and gently laid his sword over the top. Slightly curious as to why he knew.

  “Turn it over and pull the stem out does it look like an eye with red veins?” Sid asked.

  Abram pulled a stem out investigating the cap. It was hard to tell if the cap had veins in the dark, but it did resemble an eyeball. It was creepy looking and would be making the list of plants he didn’t like.

  “Well, I’ll be a sea hags lover, it do look like an eye Sid, how in all the hells did ye sees that?” he asked throwing the mushrooms away from Arieo.

  “Ye gots a star in botany?”

  -Star? Sid ignored the thought and question completely.

  He wasn’t about to tell this stranger about a noise he was hearing in his head; and how he suddenly was more sapient about vegetation he’d never seen before.

  People just didn’t take kindly to that kind of thing. Instead, he focused on finding flints to start his fire. The man was a seasoned blacksmith, even in the dark Sid was able to find the right stones in no time.