Things and Stuff

Warriors stumbled as he stepped out of the gate into bright sunlight. Twilight caught him by the shoulder and asked, “Alright there, Captain?” He nodded absently, focused on assessing the place (or time, really) where they had ended up.

The gate exited on the middle of a sprawling meadow. It seemed impossible that the Shadow could have reached the distant treeline already, but a scan of the surrounding area showed no sign of their quarry.

“We lost it,” Warriors huffed. Time hummed noncommittally.

Warriors had no way to tell east from west, but the hue of the light suggested the sun was rising, not setting. It would be many hours before night fell in this era. Something inside him withered at the thought. They had been dogging the Shadow’s heels for at least a full day now, too close to give up the chase for a rest. It had been early evening in the era they had just left. The late morning sun seemed to mock them.

Warriors gathered himself, banishing thoughts of soft pillows and blissful darkness, and asked, “Twilight, can Wolfie find the trail? It can’t have gotten too far ahead.”

Wind moaned dramatically, cutting off whatever Twilight had been about to say. “Do we have to? I’m tired. The stupid lizard can wait a bit, can’t it?”

Four agreed, “It’s been hours since we stopped for a break. If we keep this up, we’ll just wear ourselves out.”

Warriors glanced around and found the others nodding in agreement. Legend was massaging his hip with a grimace. Sky tried and failed to hide a yawn. Time met his gaze and raised a single eyebrow. “This spot seems safe enough. At the very least, we’ll see anything coming from a mile away,” he said.

“Fine,” Warriors sighed. “We’ll take a break.” Muted cheering met this declaration.

As the others made themselves comfortable in the grass and wildflowers, Warriors kept an eye on the trees. The Shadow had known they were following it, and there was a chance it would double back and strike while their guard was down. He wouldn’t let it.

As he turned slow circles, his eye was periodically drawn to his companions. Wild was clearing a circle in the dense flora so he could start a cooking fire without setting the whole meadow ablaze. Wind was talking Twilight’s ear off about something or other. The ranch hand looked about ready to fall asleep sitting up. Warriors remembered suddenly that Twilight had taken the third watch when they last slept, before this chase began. No doubt he could use the rest. Warriors had taken the second watch, but he wasn’t that tired yet. He could push through a while longer.

Twenty minutes later, Warriors had finally accepted that there wasn’t much point in standing to keep watch. The ground was level enough to see quite far. He sat in a patch of sprawling clover and tried not to imagine how it would feel to lie down in it.

The day was pleasantly warm. A cool breeze rolled over the meadow, carrying the scent of dozens of flowers. The humming of pollinators provided a backdrop of white noise. Warriors caught himself slouching and shook off the creeping drowsiness.

“Let me help you with your armor,” rumbled Time from above him. Warriors jerked his head up and found the older man settling down next to him.

“No need, I’d rather be prepared,” Warriors assured. His voice slurred just a bit. Time acted as though he hadn’t spoken, already loosening the straps of his spaulder. Warriors clumsily batted him away. Time let him, then leaned forward and resumed his efforts.

“You’re tired,” Time said. He set aside the spaulder and started messing with Warriors’s scarf. “You’ve been up for longer than anyone else, and you’ve not let yourself relax for a moment. We need you at your best, Captain.”

“I’m fine,” Warriors insisted, struggling to glare through half-lidded eyes. Truthfully, he wasn't tired—he was exhausted. Someone had to keep watch, though.

Time had unpinned and loosened his scarf while he was distracted. His baldric was also missing. Now the old man was running fingers through his hair, massaging his scalp in a way that was obviously calculated to lower his defenses. “You’re not subtle, Sprite.” Time only hummed.

The sunlight was red behind Warriors’s eyelids. He had somehow ended up horizontal. The clover was soft and cool beneath him. Sitting up sounded like entirely too much work right now.

“Easy, Captain,” murmured Time from close by. “I’ve got the watch. You can rest.”

Warriors slept.