{"id":899,"date":"2022-08-23T00:43:28","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T00:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=899"},"modified":"2023-11-20T03:41:33","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T03:41:33","slug":"the-caravan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=899","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"_3d-flip-book  fb3d-fullscreen-mode full-size\" data-id=\"1359\" data-mode=\"fullscreen\" data-title=\"false\" data-template=\"short-white-book-view\" data-lightbox=\"dark-shadow\" data-urlparam=\"fb3d-page\" data-page-n=\"0\" data-pdf=\"\" data-tax=\"null\" data-thumbnail=\"\" data-cols=\"3\" data-book-template=\"default\"><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\">window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA = window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA || [];window.FB3D_CLIENT_DATA.push('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');window.FB3D_CLIENT_LOCALE && window.FB3D_CLIENT_LOCALE.render();<\/script>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Caravan<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Chapter Six, Summer 2037<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMarshall,\u201d Jewel was shaking him awake. His vision was still darkness, but he sensed significant movement a few hundred yards off. \u201cMarshall, wake up,\u201d She whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He moved his head up. \u201cMmmh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLook.\u201d She was pointing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGood one,\u201d he said and laid his head back down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMarshall,\u201d she said through a smile. \u201cThere\u2019s the caravan of Cavaliers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall put his hands under him and pushed to a seated position. He listened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Horses, yes. Wheeled vehicles of some kind; they sounded wooden. People muttering as they walked alongside the rolling carts and whatever else they were toting. Marshall couldn\u2019t sense specifics, but he guessed there was a troupe of fraisers giving off that strong fraiser scent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAre they going to Stablefield?\u201d Marshall wanted to confirm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re headed in that direction,\u201d Jewel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe gotta get ahead of them.\u201d Marshall started rising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cStay low; they might spot us from over there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey seem pretty far away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey are, but let\u2019s wait until they\u2019re actually past. Then we\u2019ll move. I can see the end of the caravan from here,\u201d Jewel said. \u201cWe\u2019ll travel at least twice as fast, especially if we take the trees.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ten long minutes stretched by before Marshall and Jewel rose silently, the only thing to hear being the trees being rustled by the wind. They left the mobile campsite and headed into the forest without eating.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall said, \u201cIs there even time to eat? We gotta make sure we make it to the city without being spotted by them. And what if the caravan runs into some of my friends on the way?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe caravan is slow. We\u2019ll be able to overtake them, but we have to stay far out of their sight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI wonder if they stopped at the outpost I killed\u2026 those Cavs take my eyes-\u201d Marshall barely managed that last word. Why would he have trouble talking about something that happened to him? Marshall quieted, letting the pang of memories fade once again into the recesses of his mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two fraisers bushwhacked for a while alongside the caravan, giving the Cavaliers a quarter-mile berth. Eventually, Marshall noticed. \u201cWait, it sounds like they\u2019re gathering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Cavaliers had stopped and Marshall and Jewel stopped as well. Jewel was looking in their general direction, but couldn\u2019t hear as well as Marshall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall looked at the ground and then knelt. He felt the ground and on its touch he could hear the caravan even better. Footsteps, and the voices of those sitting down. The words were smeared into the rest of the sounds, but hoofbeats and the tacking down of tent pegs were distinct.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI can hear them. Kind of,\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat are they saying?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCan\u2019t hear them that well. But they\u2019re pitching tents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI wonder why? It\u2019s so early and they\u2019re so close to Stablefield,\u201d Jewel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI hear a couple\u2026 of pairs of feet. I think it\u2019s just two guys. But they\u2019re walking on the path\u2026 maybe they\u2019re walking with some kind of sticks. But they didn\u2019t stop with the rest of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cScouts?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMaybe. They sound full-grown.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel said. \u201cWe should tail them. Lucky they don\u2019t have a prophet with them, otherwise they would probably sense us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSense us how?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cProphets can detect everything hidden around them. From what I know, there are some cases that allow them to actually predict the future or glimpse it, but their powers can only sense the stuff around them. I don\u2019t know of any cases where the prophet actually predicted the future, aside from your friend Myles. C\u2019mon, lead the way to the two Cavs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnd Mariah,\u201d Marshall said, starting toward the path. \u201cShe was the other half of those predictions. I thought that was like their main thing. They are prophets after all, so with a name like that, you\u2019d think they\u2019d predict a lot of stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve heard prophets are difficult to fight because they can detect what your next move will be, so I guess there is that form of prediction, right?\u201d Jewel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI need to find Myles and Mariah and ask them all this. We\u2019re going to intercept these guys and take them by surprise, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe don\u2019t need to fight them, Marshall. We just need to follow them and see where they\u2019re going.\u201d Jewel had hushed her voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOkay,\u201d Marshall matched his tone with hers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They sneaked until they were forty feet from the main path which was wide enough to let two horse-drawn carts pass one another. The two fraisers each chose a thick tree and put their back against it. A few minutes later, they could hear the two Cavaliers\u2019 mutterings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c-and I didn\u2019t,\u201d one voice finally became distinct. \u201cOne was already burned, the second still had nails in it, so someone must have blown it out. I\u2019m always punctual when it comes to those, so it wasn\u2019t me. So I tell both of them that. \u2018If the candle was still burning, I would have heard the nails plink and would have remembered he needed to be fed.\u2019 There\u2019s no way the wind did it since the candle itself was inside the living room of the house. If I had one of those electric or battery-powered timers, I would never be late for or forget anything. Apparently, everything was portable and electric before this, or it was plugged into the wall, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another voice picked up the conversation: \u201cYeah, there was a standard socket for everything. Everything was built to be plugged into a wall or plugged into something with a standardized plug-in port, like a USB.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall could sense Jewel\u2019s heartbeat growing stronger. Or was that his own?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMaybe I\u2019ll find one once we reach the city. What\u2019re you looking for?\u201d Voice One said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall froze at those words. Did they see or hear us?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBoots. And to get this dent out of this part. I\u2019ve started getting a callus on my chest where this dent is,\u201d Voice Two answered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall exhaled noiselessly. They weren\u2019t looking for fraisers in the woods. By now, they had passed without any knowledge of two kids tailing them just a few feet behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat made that dent?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFuckin\u2019 cage. They were stacked on one another and as me and Will were moving them, it fell and the corner jabbed it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSucks,\u201d Voice One said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe hammered it as best we could, but it\u2019s still ugly as hell,\u201d Voice Two said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUgly as hell. There\u2019s gotta be a better way to describe it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUgly as you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUgly as <em>you<\/em>,\u201d Voice One returned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUgly as\u2026 that one guy\u2026 that leather worker. Who fixed Kim\u2019s satchel\u2019s strap?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI know who you\u2019re talking about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFat old bastard, but he knew how to work leather.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDidn\u2019t he have that one-eyed son?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah,\u201d Voice Two said. \u201cHad that eyepatch. No way that kid was a prophet or anything special.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d say hush or hanger. If any.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey all wind up becoming one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThink there have ever been two fraises mixed in? Like\u2026 a hush that could also fly?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhy\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAnda said it had something to do with each fraiser being born a certain way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That seemed to end the conversation. The men walked in silence and the fraiser became even quieter in their following.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>They know Anda<\/em>, Marshall thought. <em>Well, they used to know him.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two Cavs eventually came to the lip of the forest and stopped. Before them was the expanse before the city; the area where all of the trees had been cleared and only saplings and stumps lay before them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a few seconds, Voice Two said: \u201cI don\u2019t see the compass.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe\u2019ll be docking right over there if he does,\u201d Voice One said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat still gives us all of tonight. Don\u2019t gotta spend money to stay anywhere if we just camp out in the woods.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re good to head back?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall guessed Voice Two nodded since both feet started walking back to the campsite. The fraisers let them go and stayed hidden near the edge of the woods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat compass were they talking about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Jewel answered. \u201cBut they said someone was docking there. If there is someone docking, they\u2019re referring to a boat which means they must be trading fraisers for something. Maybe the Compass is the person they\u2019re trading with?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat would make sense,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cAll of those kids are gonna get traded or sold like slaves, though? What can we do to free them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c\u2018Free them\u2019? With just two of us?\u201d Jewel said. \u201cIf we had your friends, we might be able to do something, but Cavaliers are dangerous, even if we have dexterity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s a big word; I\u2019m surprised you know it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRipley taught me all kinds of words just by the way he talked. I had to ask him about their definitions, otherwise I wouldn\u2019t understand him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo, what do we do? We\u2019re here waiting for the Astronomers who we think will be coming this way. Is this the only way to Stablefield?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel shook her head. \u201cI don\u2019t know how many paths lead to Stablefield, but it\u2019s not just this one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBut we would see them if they were heading into the city from one of the paths?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s enough foliage that we may not be able to.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe\u2026 well, <em>you<\/em>, have a shitty view from here; if we were in a tree we would have a better chance\u2026 wait, what if they walk right into the Cavalier\u2019s campsite?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou said a couple of your friends were prophets and if that\u2019s true, they\u2019ll sense the danger before they walk into the Cavaliers camp,\u201d Jewel said. \u201cYou said a couple of the Astronomers were already at Stablefield. I thought we would be looking for them? The more of us there are, the less we\u2019ll have to worry about Cavaliers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIs this the most popular road to Stablefield?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel shrugged. \u201cI don\u2019t know the Hook very well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow many other paths are there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel shrugged again and looked out at the field of saplings and stumps. \u201cWe could travel along the side of the forest and count?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHell, we don\u2019t have anything better to do,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cOnce we find one that we think\u2026 well, what if they <em>are<\/em> on the road with the Cavs? Then we would want to help them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s too much we don\u2019t know to make that decision I think. I say we explore and count on your friends\u2019 own survival skills to keep them out of harm\u2019s way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall disliked his choices of \u2018bad\u2019 and \u2018slightly less bad\u2019, but he agreed with Jewel. \u201cShould we head left of the city or right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLeft because I\u2019m left-handed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLeft it is.\u201d Marshall started leading the way, crossing the path and heading back into the woods. \u201cYou\u2019re left-handed?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m guessing you aren\u2019t?\u201d Jewel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI draw pictures with my left, but I throw knives with my right.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They keep walking through the forest and reach another path. It\u2019s worth making a description of what they\u2019re feeling and thinking here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall and Jewel finally made it to a different path. \u201cThis one is even wider,\u201d Marshall sensed. \u201cAnd more used. Lot of potholes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSomeone\u2019s coming.\u201d Jewel was looking up the path away from the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201c<em>Shit,<\/em>\u201d Marshall said as the fraisers whisked off the path and each climbed a different tree. Marshall lowered his head and listened to the footsteps as they approached. \u201cYou didn\u2019t tell me it was just one guy,\u201d he said, slowly lowering from the tree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMarshall, he could be dangerous still,\u201d Color said. \u201cIf he\u2019s brave enough to travel alone, he\u2019s either desperate or dangerous, which makes him dangerous either way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPlease, it\u2019s one guy and there\u2019s two of us, literal superheroes with swords.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe odds are with us that we could overpower him, but it\u2019d be smarter to stay out of it.\u201d Jewel lowered herself from her tree as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall and Jewel stayed off of the trail until the figure was close enough and they walked onto the path, facing him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The man slowed, but continued toward them. At fifteen feet away, he stopped, considering the children: a girl with a katana and a boy with full ninja attire, daisho, and a blindfold. The situation was too mysterious to be taken lightly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHello,\u201d the man said. \u201cMay I pass?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIs this the busiest road to Stablefield?\u201d Marshall asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOne of them. Most popular one is about a mile right of the city,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou got a lot of weapons on you,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cDon\u2019t try lying; I can smell them from here.\u201d They smelled less pure than his own swords, but there were enough of them inside the man\u2019s packs and jacket that<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSeeing as I\u2019m looking to sell them in Stablefield because I\u2019m a blacksmith, yes, I do have a lot of weapons. And in making them, I\u2019ve had a lot of practice using them as well. Was that the only question you had for me? Or am I free to pass?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat kind of weapons?\u201d Jewel asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMostly knives, but a few shortswords that are popular with the Cavaliers. They would be quite annoyed if their shipment didn\u2019t make it to them on time,\u201d the man said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m Marshall and this Jewel.\u201d Marshall gestured to each of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNice to meet you,\u201d the man said. \u201cMay I go?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWell, we were actually in the market for a few throwing knives,\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The man drew a sharp breath in. \u201cThey\u2019re expensive. I don\u2019t sell bad knives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI would be willing to trade this sword.\u201d Jewel removed her katana gently and held it by the case with the handle facing the man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The man took a few slow steps toward the fraisers. \u201cWhere did you get it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI found it,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cSmelled it under a pile a rubble. We don\u2019t mean any harm by the way; we\u2019re just looking for some information and her knives were broken fighting some barrygangs, so we really are looking for some new knives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf I\u2019m able to throw them, that\u2019s even better,\u201d Jewel added as the man accepted the katana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He removed it from its case and studied it. \u201cThis is a pre-rise weapon. Incredible. The folded steel\u2026 I don\u2019t have the equipment to do that, but if I could\u2026\u201d He looked back to the fraisers and lowered a few of his packs to the ground. They didn\u2019t clank around as Marshall expected them to, but they fell heavily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy name is Jared,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd I lied about having many weapons to sell, but I do have knives which I would be happy to sell to you. Or trade for this sword, in your case.\u201d He removed several packets of blankets and began rolling them out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat do you see?\u201d Marshall had to ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s forks and knives and spoons\u2026 the table kind,\u201d Jewel said. \u201cSome are knives used to cut twigs and string, and to whittle, but there aren\u2019t any throwing knives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jared shrugged. \u201cI do have two of my own survival knives which I could trade you for that katana.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh,\u201d Marshall smelled several other pieces of metal on Jared, one with drying blood on it. Marshall had no trouble identifying <em>that<\/em> smell; he had a few feelings rush through him: The feel of flesh\u2019s resistance as you stab a knife into it. Like a mixture of jello made of sand. He had to swallow quickly and force his rising gorge back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jared removed two somethings. \u201cWhat are they?\u201d Marshall asked Jewel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She answered, \u201cOne is a foldable knife and the other is a solid blade that doesn\u2019t fold. You can\u2019t throw either of these knives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo you would rather keep the sword?\u201d Marshall said, wondering about the bloodied knife Jared hadn\u2019t removed yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d Jewel took a few steps back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNone of this silverware appeals to you? Some of these are pre-rise pieces. This spoon set is almost complete. And metal chopsticks?\u201d Marshall heard two metalic clicks. \u201cReusable and horribly handy for the road,\u201d Jared said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat about that bloodied knife you haven\u2019t shown us yet?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall thought he felt Jared\u2019s face look at him. \u201cThat\u2019s my knife,\u201d Jared said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow about letting her see it anyway? That\u2019s not the safest, you know. Keeping a knife hidden like that. Makes us kind of suspicious.\u201d Marshall loosened his shorter <em>shoto<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jared removed the knife, but kept it in his hand. \u201cHere.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s another bigger knife, but it isn\u2019t great for throwing either,\u201d Jewel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHow about those three knives for the sword?\u201d Marshall asked Jewel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019d rather keep my sword.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWell, Jared, thanks anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jared rolled up his packs carefully and put them back in his bag. \u201cThank you as well. I\u2019ll be on my way.\u201d And the salesman walked on toward the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As he left them about twenty feet behind and headed into the field before the city, Marshall shouted: \u201cHow about pretending you never saw us? It would mean a lot!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jared raised a hand in response. <em>Not a word.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two fraisers watched him for a few minutes longer and eventually turned to each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe should head to that other path, then,\u201d Marshall said. \u201cIf Myles or Pretty or Blink landed somewhere else on the Hook, they aren\u2019t going to wind up on this trail; they\u2019ll land on that one that Jared mentioned.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou don\u2019t think he may have been lying?\u201d Jewel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe didn\u2019t have a reason to. He was wanting to stay on our good side that whole time. He was probably happy we didn\u2019t just kill him and take his stuff right then,\u201d Marshall could hardly believe the way he was thinking so naturally now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel was nodding in understanding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGuess we\u2019re heading back the way we came?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGuess so,\u201d Jewel said, walking with him into the woods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They trundled along the woods and since they were focused on navigating the woods and foliage, they didn\u2019t speak.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall\u2019s mind bounced visions of home around in his head. He wondered if he would ever see home at all?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhere did you live before all of this, Jewel?\u201d Marshall asked after a while.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI grew up in a village and was an ordinary fraiser, like all the other fraisers,\u201d Jewel said. \u201cThen we were raided, so me and my brother Mikey stayed in the woods; we knew how to live off of the woods. Then more Cavaliers eventually found and captured us, but Mikey and I were able to escape the cages they had us in and we were looking to escape this little dungeon they were holding us inside of, but we were discovered and we panicked. So we ran to hide; Mikey hid me in this room and distracted them and in this room there was a wight who was locked up behind a silver chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe and I talked for a little bit; he told me he was locked up because he said the truth that people didn\u2019t want to hear. He convinced me to free him from the cage and in return he would help me escape the dungeon. When he stepped out from the chain curtain, I saw that he was a skeleton and I ran in fear. I was almost caught by the Cavaliers who were still looking for me, but Ripley killed them all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe couldn\u2019t save Mikey in time. He was dead when we found him; Ripley killed the men who had killed him. Then I stayed with Ripley and he showed me many things. He bought me my dragon jacket.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All the talk about guardians got Marshall thinking about his Mom. He would need to get back home soon; she would be worried about him, wouldn\u2019t she? Then again, if fifty years had passed, his mom would be an old lady. Maybe a grandmother. \u201cOh, Jeez\u2026\u201d He involuntarily stopped walking to think. His mom lived her whole life, which meant she\u2019d moved on without him for all of those years. And without his dad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, man\u2026\u201d he said. \u201cMy mom probably forgot all about me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel had stopped with him and was standing just a few feet away. \u201cDid she love you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYes.\u201d Marshall\u2019s response was instant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThen she didn\u2019t forget you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cShe lived all of those years without me,\u201d Marshall said as his stomach panged and writhed with a concoction of loss and disconnect. \u201cShe must have at least partially forgotten me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWell, you\u2019re not dead,\u201d Jewel said. \u201cEven if you weren\u2019t around for fifty years. Mikey was killed in front of me almost six years ago and I still love him and have never forgotten him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall didn\u2019t realize just how much emotion was waiting to break to the surface by telling someone who cared about him. \u201cFuck.\u201d His voice broke on the word. There wasn\u2019t a family for him to return to anymore; he was on his own on this strange planet with a stranger talking about strange things and his friends were somewhere far away. He put his hand against a tree to prop himself up since his footing seemed stupid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEverything is just\u2026 so big, Jewel. The whole world; I\u2019ve never felt so small.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Once she saw him lean against the tree, Jewel had taken enough steps toward him that Marshall could feel her breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m so tiny, like I\u2019m nothing,\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel listened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall\u2019s jaw clenched and his shoulders started to shake. \u201cShit.\u201d His stomach felt similar to that gut-wrenching feeling, but this stomach-feeling was darker, like it spat out all of the emotion. He lowered himself to the ground, dazedly aware of Jewel matching his action. Quickly swallowing his spit showed him how swollen his adam\u2019s apple felt. He raised a hand up and could feel it shake. \u201cJesus, look at this shit. What the fuck is happening to me? <em>What is this?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMarshall, I don\u2019t know; you\u2019re scaring me. What\u2019s happening? Are you sick?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFuck, fuck, I don\u2019t know. <em>Fuck<\/em>, I\u2019m so scared right now,\u201d Marshall said. He hugged his knees and started tapping his foot. \u201c<em>FUCK.\u201d <\/em>He stood up again, but could only stand up hunched. And standing made him feel nauseous and dizzy. Jewel had started to stand with him, but found herself shrieking, \u201cMarshall!\u201d as he fell onto his side and gripped his knees in a fetal position, his sheathed <em>daisho<\/em> digging into his left side as they were pinned under him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel kneeled next to him and put her hands on his side. \u201cMarshall, you\u2019re okay. You\u2019re okay, Marshall. You\u2019re just scared, but you\u2019re going to be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His mouth was trembling so badly now that he struggled to speak. \u201cI\u2019m\u2026 I\u2019m fuckkking scared. I\u2019m\u2026 fucking shakinggg.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He couldn\u2019t sense anything around him again; his hearing dulled and his skin only felt clammy. His sense of smell was as acute as a mannequin\u2019s. Then he felt warmth wrapping around him: Two snaky coils from either side of him wrapping around him and raising him to a seated position. Then he felt the snaky ropes draw him close to an underdeveloped bosom and his head was locked neatly under a small chin. Under his bottom, he felt two legs about the size of his own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel rocked him, nothing but a ball of Marshall, in her lap. \u201cDid you know that you\u2019re safe?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The trembling persisted, but his concentration seemed to focus for a second. \u201cHm?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe world was always this big and you were given a lot all at once; I remember it being put this way: moments like these don\u2019t make you stronger, rather they show you how strong you already were,\u201d Jewel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall\u2019s mind seemed to chew on those words and he reached out in the darkness behind his eyes and grasped a coherent thought:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy english teacher used to go on these weird rants,\u201d Marshall started, feeling some of the shaking going away, \u201cAnd once he told a story about a student asking questions to a teacher about english. The student asked, \u2018what\u2019s good grammar?\u2019 to which the teacher said, \u2018words in the right order.\u2019 Then the student asked, \u2018so what\u2019s the difference between that and prose?\u2019 The teacher said, \u2018Prose is the right words in the right order.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel\u2019s arms were feeling warmer, not just around him, but inside of him. There was a power in this embrace. There was <em>love<\/em> that he could feel being transferred to him. Genuine care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat made you say that?\u201d Jewel asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall shrugged, noticing he had control over his shaking shoulders again. He tried not to think about it, fearing he may break the delicate calm. \u201cWhat you said earlier. If prose is just the right words in the right order, or maybe at the right time, I\u2019d say you just spoke some prose.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou have so much,\u201d Jewel said. \u201cAnd I for one am glad that you\u2019re here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m terrified, Jewel. I\u2019ve never been this scared,\u201d Marshall said as he started shaking again. <em>Shaking in his ninja boots, <\/em>he thought. \u201cI\u2019ve also never had a girl I don\u2019t know hug me like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLot of firsts for you, huh?\u201d Jewel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe can find your friends if we keep moving.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know if I can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI think you can. I really do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall didn\u2019t. \u201cI\u2019ve never had a girl hug me like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou already said that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m not letting this bullshit get the better of me,\u201d he said, starting to rise. As he stood, he felt that tuck in his stomach; his intestines were folding up like lawn chairs. Before he could even look back to ask Jewel for more help through this, she grabbed his right hand with her left.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRipley\u2019s hand was just bones. He had to walk me places all the time and sometimes he would be wearing gloves, but it\u2019s nice to be holding a human hand again,\u201d Jewel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUh huh,\u201d Marshall said, shoulders eased into a twitch. Standing up had helped, but he was tempted to just lie on the ground and try to shake himself to sleep or something. At last, a thought needling its way throughout the whole endeavor, punched through his mind\u2019s innocence like a nail through plywood: <em>It would be nice to die<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then he said, \u201cFuck.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTake a quick deep breath in and let it out as slow as you can,\u201d Jewel said and showed him how.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He mimicked her, but the urge to heave breaths overwhelmed the first breath. The second was better. By the fifth breath, he had control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cKeep doing that until you feel like talking,\u201d Jewel said and started walking, pulling him along by his right hand. He focused on breathing and walking. Her fingers interlocked with his. \u201cAnd by golly, keep up. Your friends are waiting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>They\u2019re waiting<\/em>. <em>The Astronomers are waiting for him. <\/em>Breath in quick and out slowwww. He noticed his heartbeat had dwindled from a racehorse after a quarter-mile sprint to a dumpy panda\u2019s after an evening meal of bamboo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A thought occurred to him. \u201cJewel?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWould you like to join the Astronomy Club?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel tilted her head; the thought hadn\u2019t even crossed her mind, but she started to nod and said, \u201cYes!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall smiled and faced her to make it look like he was looking at her. \u201cIn Winton we had a whole initiation on bikes and in the arcade, but I think all the stuff we\u2019ve been through has been initiation enough. Welcome, our latest Astronomer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAw, shucks,\u201d Jewel giggled and let her gaze fall to her feet. \u201cDo I get a cool name like yours? You were the Guru, right?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah. I\u2019m impressed you remembered that. We gotta come up with one for you. The \u2018Dragon\u2019 because of the dragon on your jacket, maybe?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jewel shook her head. \u201cWe\u2019ll figure that out later I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI guess so. Where\u2019d you learn all of those breathing tricks?\u201d Marshall said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRipley taught me the breathing one after a few months of travel. I taught myself to try not to use the words \u2018not\u2019 and \u2018never\u2019. It takes practice; you\u2019d be surprised at how hard it is to stay away from those words.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marshall felt silly holding her hand and let go. \u201cWhat about the singing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI find that singing works best for me personally.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat\u2019s one that I haven\u2019t heard yet?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Well, as a child I mostly spoke inside my head,<br>Had conversations with the clouds, the dogs, the dead,<br>And they thought me broken, that my tonguewas coated lead,<br>But I just couldn&#8217;t make my words make sense to them,<br>If you only listen with your ears&#8230; I can&#8217;t get in,<br><br>And I spent my evenings pullin&#8217; stars outta the skye,<br>An\u2019 I&#8217;d arrange \u2018em on the lawn where I would lie,,,<br>An\u2019 in the wind, I&#8217;d taste the dreams ofdistant lives,<br>And I would dress my-self up in them through the night,<br>While my folks\u2019d sleep in separate baeds&#8230; and wondered why,<br><br>And through them days I was a ghost atop my chair,<br>My dad considered me a cross he had to bear,<br>And in my head I&#8217;d sing apologies and stare,<br>As my mom would hang the clothes across the line,<br>And she would try to keep the empty&#8230; from her eyes,<br><br>So, then one afternoon I dressed myself alone,<br>I packed my pillowcase with everything I owned,<br>And in my head I said &#8220;goodbye, &#8221; then I was gone,<br>And I set out on the heels of the unknown,<br>So my folks could have a new life of their own,<br>And then maybe I could find someone,<br>Who could hear the only words that I&#8217;d known,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After those last words, they didn\u2019t speak; Marshall could only think about finding the Astronomers and about Jewel. He felt called to say something to her, but the vortex of thoughts whisking around him about her mixed with his situation muddled his coherency and he allowed his mouth to say: \u201cJewel, you\u2019re great.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThank you, Marshall,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They said nothing until they reached the path Jared the silverware-peddler had recommended.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Caravan Chapter Six, Summer 2037 \u201cMarshall,\u201d Jewel was shaking him awake. His vision was still darkness, but he sensed significant movement a few hundred yards off. \u201cMarshall, wake up,\u201d She whispered. He moved his head up. \u201cMmmh?\u201d \u201cLook.\u201d She was pointing. \u201cGood one,\u201d he said and laid his head back down. \u201cMarshall,\u201d she said &hellip; <\/p>\n<p class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/?p=899\" class=\"more-link\">Read more<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-899","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fraiser"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=899"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1361,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/899\/revisions\/1361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=899"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=899"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbox.black\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=899"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}