Free Waking Olympus (The Singers of the Dark Book 1) by Peter Yard Page A

own caravan. He felt like a fool out of his depth. He didn't have the physical attributes, knowledge, or skills. This was going to be a nightmare, but as they say, when you jump off the end of the pier you either remember your swimming lessons or you drown. He would have to do a lot of learning and remembering. If he survived this was going to be the most incredible adventure. He caught his breath, reached into the bag on his left hip, his journal and writing tools were still there; he must record all of this later.

    By midday there was no city in sight, only trees, a few clouds in the sky, the grass in the surrounding hills and farms so intensely green it seemed like a chemical stain. The sound of rustling leaves as the light easterly breeze fanned the roadside poplars, their leaves shimmering and rustling, birds calling, the buzz of insects some droning close. It was day 12 of the month of Regin; the second month of Spring, just after the month of Greening, second month of the year 635. The islands were always lush so there wasn't the eruption of life that Spring produced on the mainland. Now he could appreciate why some still worshipped this season.
    To the north and south rose the Cantas, the mountain range running roughly north-south into the distance with dazzling snow capped peaks giving the view a crystal-like clarity. He had first seen them when entering the Bay of Pennit, but the closer he got the more amazing they became, there was no sense of familiarity.
    He was attached to Tarvis' file. He explained the general dynamics of the caravan.
    "You see a Trader has to be independent, that is the most important thing. When we join a caravan it is for mutual protection and also for mutual gain. Tei runs this caravan so makes quite a large profit, we also get payment for our duties. But we get to include some of our own camels in our file, so we also make a much greater profit on those. Because there is an acknowledgement that we assist each other, young Traders are often loaned a camel or two by the caravan leader, but aren't paid for their services. The extra camel or two is much greater value."
    "Services?"
    "The Plains can be dangerous. We need to be able to defend ourselves, everyone helps. Everyone also helps to get the caravan to the Caravanserai in the East."
    "Is there no Caravanserai on the Plains?"
    "That would offend the Cities," he said. "And they show their displeasure by arriving in the middle of the night and burning your buildings and confiscating your goods. Worse, if you aren't lucky."
    "Really?"
    "We had two caravanserais on the Plains once. You can't even tell where the buildings stood now, and that was in my lifetime. We have very good reason to be wary of the Cities."
    "What are the Cities like?"
    "Ruined cities of the Ancients. Not all of them survived, some were obliterated in the forgotten times, marked now only by odd glass in the dirt. Most survived, after a fashion, only to fall to Bethor a few centuries ago. Barbarian invasion, but don't ever, ever say that in front of any Bethorese."
    "Don't worry, I won't unintentionally insult anyone from Bethor."
    Tarvis then spent the next hour lecturing Mikel on Duty, which seemed completely at odds with the talk on being independent. He had to admit that even if it appeared contradictory it all seemed to work. This seemed deep, perhaps a little too deep because he still didn't understand it all.

seven
The Plains

    The route was now taking them to the beginning of the Great Plains. Even 80 kilometers east of Bethor the countryside had changed remarkably. There were no more wooded areas or patches of swamp from ox-bow lakes. All of it was dominated by the meanders of the Inda River, the outflow of Lake Baikal. The road cut across and around the obstacles. Mikel pitied the builders of the road and bridges; off the road it might look pretty but would be a nightmare to cross.  
    Increasingly, the road now wound through low undulating country covered with