The World Which Is

Chapter 43

We leave the assassin unconscious and tied in our room, then exit the way he came in. I'm surprised that Helen isn't complaining the entire time. Brandon just says the assassin probably isn't alone when I ask why we need to rush out the window, and that any other question can wait until we're well away from this place.

The caravans are surprisingly well lit, with a mix of torches, campfires and magical lights. We keep to the edges of them, so go around the entire thing. Once we're on the road, a long stretch of it has the sides lit by the caravans parked along each side.

I'm amazed at how many there are. Court only saw one or two a year.

Once we leave their lights behind us, Brandon still keeps us from activating ours. Fortunately, the moon is full, so I can at least make out the edge of the packed dirt and avoid tripping into the ditch.

"What was that about?" Helen demands.

"I told you, Dennis is in trouble and I—"

"Bran, no one pays ten thousand for a journal, not even if it contains the secret to the system." Her silhouette shifts. "Does it contain those secrets?" she asks me.

"No," Brandon answers.

"I don't know. I can't open the written parts, just the maps at the front. But Xander isn't after any secrets. He'd after a place called The Knox."

"What's there?"

"I don't know," Brandon says.

"I'm not asking you."

"What?" he asks and I walk into him. He turns. "You think Dennis is going to know something about it when I don't? Or do you really believe that I'd hold out on that kind of information when his life pretty much depends on it?"

"The second," she replies flatly.

"Fuck off." He turns and walks again.

"You stole father's journal when you first left, Brandon," she says with vitriol. "And lost it. When they forgave you, you left with mother's necklace, and never brought it back."

"I'm working on that!"

She snorts. "Somehow, you managed to gain her forgiveness again and—"

"I was a kid, Hel!" He bowls me aside and I don't think he realizes it. "I was a fucking stupid kid who thought those great adventures dad and mom went on was my destiny. Did it ever occur to you that I might have changed?"

"No. You haven't."

I step between them. "How about we focus on where we're going, instead of arguing? Maybe we're far enough to make camp for the rest of the night?"

"It's still not safe," Brandon says. "There's no way that guy worked alone, and his partners are probably already searching the grounds for us. The best thing to do is to keep going through the night and day. Silver, can your songs help with that?"

"The only song I have for this, is just a straight up buff, It'll probably counteract some of the debuffs not sleeping will cause, but I don't know how long we can go before they're too much."

"We'll see what happens. Can you sing us the buff now?"

"We can walk while I do it," she answers, opening her case, then passing it to me.

Our pace picks up as soon as she starts playing, and she continues doing so once the buff appears beside the 'didn't sleep well' debuff. I don't ask, because I'm pretty sure doing that will start these two arguing again, but the fact we're all silent while she plays has to be why she continues.