Free Outcasts of Velrune by Isaac Crowe Page A

going a little farther down from the rest of them.
    Max slid off Starlight and began unpacking for the night like the others. “Not much here.”
    Tyco looked up from laying out his bedroll. “This is a way point. Travelers spend the night then move on. Only the guards stay for any length of time.”
    Max looked around the camp. “I only see one guard. What if bandits attack?”
    Tyco gave a short laugh. “Don’t worry Max, there are three more in the guardhouse. That’s plenty to handle most anything a bunch of untrained bandits can come up with. Any attack organized enough to be a threat will cause enough stir beforehand that the first camp would be able to send help. Farther in, where help is scarcer, you’ll see twice as many.”
    Tyco finished unpacking. “Now, I would recommend refreshing yourself in the river. The Clanrye slips underground not much further west from here. This will be the last chance you get until we reach Moenia. Be sure to come back before dark; however, just in case.”
    A dip in the river sounded pretty good to Max. He turned to look for Eve only to see her already heading out the east side of the camp with Mr. Penna. Max ran after them, catching them short of the river’s edge.
    “Gee, thanks for waiting.”
    Eve grinned. “Sure, no problem. Well, see ya.”
    Eve turned and walked away leaving Max confused.
    “What? See ya? Where are you going?”
    Max started to follow her, but Mr. Penna grabbed hold of his arm.
    “Sorry Maxwell, you cannot go with her. Do you see the wall stretching into the river? It is ladies only on the other side.”
    Max had noted the separate segment of wall running into the river earlier. His face reddened.
    “Oh.”
    Mr. Penna let go of Max’s arm. “Come, let us get cleaned up a bit. It will be four days before we have another chance.”
    Max followed Mr. Penna as he removed his outer clothes and waded into the river. The coolness of the water felt great after the day’s long ride. Mr. Penna, always thinking ahead, handed Max a bar of soap. As refreshing as the bath was, Max kept worrying about Eve. She still had a lot of work to do on her swimming. To make matters worse, she did not return before they finished. Max started to wade over to the wall but was stopped once again by Mr. Penna.
    “I am sure she is fine Maxwell. We saw the acolyte go over there ahead of us.”
    “But we don’t know anything about her.”
    “Aside from us, Evangeline will not find a safer place to be than with the Children of the Immortals. So, it is back to camp with us.”
    The two gathered their things and headed back for the camp, Max looking over his shoulder the whole way.

 
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER EIGHT
     
     
    Eve left Mr. Penna and Max at the water’s edge and headed for the other side of the dividing wall. She couldn’t wait to feel the cool water on her toes again. She was used to the soft earth and grassy plains of Swiftwater, not the hard, rocky surface of the trail they traveled now. Her tough feet would adjust, but it would take a little time. Until then, she would have to take extra care of them.
    Eve walked around the edge of the wall. Ten feet farther, next to the water, stood the acolyte. Her robe lay on the ground as she worked on removing the rest of her clothing. Eve, like Max, was curious about the woman. Now she could at least see the acolyte’s features. Her hair was blond, ending right below her shoulder blades. She had a rounded face that carried only the slightest tan. She was slender and fit with fair skin. Eve guessed the woman to be in her early twenties.
    Eve, not wanting to be caught staring, walked to the river where she let Spook out before removing her own clothes. Laying them in a pile, she carefully inched into the water, staying close to the wall for support. She stopped when the water reached her knees. A little scared, she very slowly sat down. After a few minutes she began to relax, enjoying the soothing water. A moment