Guardian Awakening by C. Osborne Rapley

hours struggle, Aesia needed to rest. They found a small clearing and sat down together. Tristan had packed cold meat, left over from the previous night’s cooking efforts. Aesia ate and drank the food and water Tristan offered her. After a short rest, she declared herself ready to continue their journey. A few hours later, she collapsed, exhausted.
    Tristan estimated they had travelled no more than four or five miles for the day’s effort. While Aesia rested, he made a quick camp using the waterproof sheets he had brought with them. He set the traps, built a fire, and then cooked the meat he had kept from the previous night. Once they had eaten, he took the bow, arrows, and spear and went to see what he could find. After an hour or so, he located a small deer-like creature grazing on a small bush. It was nervous, so he made sure he was downwind, and crept carefully towards it. When he was in range, he carefully raised his bow, took aim. The arrow hit the animal squarely in the side. It jumped and ran for a little way before falling to its knees. Tristan finished it with a thrust from his spear. He lifted it over his shoulders and walked back to their camp.  
    Aesia was sitting with the laser on her lap. As Tristan approached she pointed it in his direction. “Careful where you point that!”
    As soon as she saw it was Tristan she lowered the weapon with a sigh of relief.
    “What happened, why are you so jumpy?”
    Aesia looked past him into the trees “I heard a noise, there seemed to be a large animal nearby.”
    “Did you see anything?” Tristan asked.
    She shook her head. “No.”
    “I will go and check.”
    She looked nervous. Please don’t go far.”
    Tristan turned and looked at her. “What happened to the fearless Sicceian warrior?”
    She glared at him. “Things like that give me the creeps OK? They are the stuff nightmares are made off.”
    “Ah, a chink in the armour.”
    “Just go and check quickly please.”
    Tristan did not find a trace of any large animal, so he butchered the creature he had brought back and carefully buried the remains away from their camp. He built up the fire, sat up for a while, and let Aesia sleep.
    The next morning, he looked around before they left. Something had dug up the remains he had buried the night before, but otherwise he found nothing. Once they had packed up they set off again. They continued this way for several days. Each day Aesia managed a little further distance.  
    They had glimpsed one of the bear-like creatures only once in the distance. It did not take any notice of them and after shuffling around it disappeared into the trees.
    By the end of the fifth day, the wood started to thin out and it gave way to smaller trees and bushes. It had rained only once since they had started, and they had remained dry. It was also warming up a little.

    On the sixth day, as usual at first light, Tristan packed up and prepared everything for their day’s journey. As the day wore on the going got easier. The wood gave way to flat plain. Tristan shaded his eyes from the sunlight. The plain stretched flat and featureless for as far as the eye could see. He checked the direction with the computer automatically. He could now gain access to it without thinking.
    While the plain made easy going for Aesia, game was scarce, and hunting difficult. At least there were enough small streams and pools to keep their water supplies topped up.  
    Aesia’s leg improved quickly. With the constant exercise she was now walking with just a stick, having abandoned the crutches.  
    The featureless and boring land scape seemed to go on forever. They trudged onward, thankful that the direction capability of Aesia’s computer prevented them from stumbling round in circles. The lack of food however had begun to tell on their strength. Some evenings they did not bother setting up camp. Suffering from exhaustion and hunger they would sleep where they fell.

Chapter Seven: Desert

    Eight days