Randell's?"
Daen glanced over his shoulder and saw nothing except the road they had just traveled. "What do you mean?"
"You know, the cars, the technology. Did you already speak English when you arrived?"
Daen and Randell looked at each other. Randell thought back to when he was 13 and Dean appeared, like magic, in Randell's backyard. Randell thought about the expression on Daen's face when he first saw a television and the appliances in the kitchen and couldn't refrain from laughing. "The look on his face was priceless."
Daen rolled his eyes. "And the look on your face was just as good when you laid eyes on me for the first time." Daen peered over his shoulder. "You should have seen him, eyes wide, mouth gaping open," he laughed, "he looked like a kid who had just found a magic genie."
There was no way for her to understand without sharing the story of the day Daen arrived, so Randell told her about finding Raisal's dagger and how when he was rubbing it with his shirt sleeve, a blast of blue light filled the room and how a few minutes later, he'd discovered Daen in his backyard.
"What was it like when you saw your first car?"
Daen laughed to himself, remembering his tour of the house. "I'd already been shocked by the small appliances in the kitchen, so seeing a large metal box on wheels was just one more strange thing. Of course, seeing it move without horses," Daen shook his head, "that took some getting used to."
They continued on for another hour before Brauns came into sight on the horizon. Seeing the town reminded Daen that the conversation they'd been having so freely had to change. "Rhea?"
"Yes?"
"We're going to need a way for you to communicate with us while you're hidden."
She chuckled to herself. "I suppose having a voice drift out from nowhere could cause a few heads to turn. What did you have in mind?"
"I have an idea. Place your hand on my arm."
Rhea did as Dean asked.
"Randell, does that part of my arm disappear?"
Randell looked at Daen's arms and started to shake his head but stopped. "There, your upper right arm, it looks like a chunk has been removed. Rhea, is that where your hand is?"
"Yeah. If I can't speak or touch you, what're we going to do?"
"I had to look closely to find your hand," said Randell. "If you don't keep it there long, I don't think anyone will notice."
"Okay, I assume a tap to your arm is what I'll use to get your attention, but then what?"
They walked for another few minutes and then Randell suggested, "Daen and I will pretend to ask each other yes/no questions. Rhea, you tap once for yes and twice for no."
Daen shrugged. "I suppose that could work."
"Works for me," Rhea added.
"Also, we need to switch to Aduraun," Daen continued. "English will be a dead giveaway that something is up."
They all agreed.
~~~
Gauvin watched Bestian stir as he started to wake up just a few hours after falling asleep. It wasn't out of consideration that Bestian woke—it was the light. Gauvin knew he'd lost his chance to get any rest given Bestian's desire to leave at the start of the day. At least his clothes were almost dry, even if his boots weren't. He'd taken them off shortly after Bestian fell asleep, and had placed them close to the fire. It helped but they were still damp.
Bestian looked at Gauvin's feet. "Why aren't you wearing your boots?" Once again, Gauvin proved he was going to be a hindrance to Bestian's plans. What fool removes his boots when on watch?
Gauvin didn't answer as he watched Bestian stand and start to walk into the bushes with the soles of his boots squishing under his feet. Bestian hesitated, looked down at his own boots, and growled something Gauvin couldn't quite make out, but it didn't matter. Bestian had his answer.
Now that Gauvin was back in his own world, his tracker senses would return, and he wouldn't be totally dependent on Bestian. His gift hadn't worked at all in that other world, not until just before he'd been caught by the guardian and sent
Daen glanced over his shoulder and saw nothing except the road they had just traveled. "What do you mean?"
"You know, the cars, the technology. Did you already speak English when you arrived?"
Daen and Randell looked at each other. Randell thought back to when he was 13 and Dean appeared, like magic, in Randell's backyard. Randell thought about the expression on Daen's face when he first saw a television and the appliances in the kitchen and couldn't refrain from laughing. "The look on his face was priceless."
Daen rolled his eyes. "And the look on your face was just as good when you laid eyes on me for the first time." Daen peered over his shoulder. "You should have seen him, eyes wide, mouth gaping open," he laughed, "he looked like a kid who had just found a magic genie."
There was no way for her to understand without sharing the story of the day Daen arrived, so Randell told her about finding Raisal's dagger and how when he was rubbing it with his shirt sleeve, a blast of blue light filled the room and how a few minutes later, he'd discovered Daen in his backyard.
"What was it like when you saw your first car?"
Daen laughed to himself, remembering his tour of the house. "I'd already been shocked by the small appliances in the kitchen, so seeing a large metal box on wheels was just one more strange thing. Of course, seeing it move without horses," Daen shook his head, "that took some getting used to."
They continued on for another hour before Brauns came into sight on the horizon. Seeing the town reminded Daen that the conversation they'd been having so freely had to change. "Rhea?"
"Yes?"
"We're going to need a way for you to communicate with us while you're hidden."
She chuckled to herself. "I suppose having a voice drift out from nowhere could cause a few heads to turn. What did you have in mind?"
"I have an idea. Place your hand on my arm."
Rhea did as Dean asked.
"Randell, does that part of my arm disappear?"
Randell looked at Daen's arms and started to shake his head but stopped. "There, your upper right arm, it looks like a chunk has been removed. Rhea, is that where your hand is?"
"Yeah. If I can't speak or touch you, what're we going to do?"
"I had to look closely to find your hand," said Randell. "If you don't keep it there long, I don't think anyone will notice."
"Okay, I assume a tap to your arm is what I'll use to get your attention, but then what?"
They walked for another few minutes and then Randell suggested, "Daen and I will pretend to ask each other yes/no questions. Rhea, you tap once for yes and twice for no."
Daen shrugged. "I suppose that could work."
"Works for me," Rhea added.
"Also, we need to switch to Aduraun," Daen continued. "English will be a dead giveaway that something is up."
They all agreed.
~~~
Gauvin watched Bestian stir as he started to wake up just a few hours after falling asleep. It wasn't out of consideration that Bestian woke—it was the light. Gauvin knew he'd lost his chance to get any rest given Bestian's desire to leave at the start of the day. At least his clothes were almost dry, even if his boots weren't. He'd taken them off shortly after Bestian fell asleep, and had placed them close to the fire. It helped but they were still damp.
Bestian looked at Gauvin's feet. "Why aren't you wearing your boots?" Once again, Gauvin proved he was going to be a hindrance to Bestian's plans. What fool removes his boots when on watch?
Gauvin didn't answer as he watched Bestian stand and start to walk into the bushes with the soles of his boots squishing under his feet. Bestian hesitated, looked down at his own boots, and growled something Gauvin couldn't quite make out, but it didn't matter. Bestian had his answer.
Now that Gauvin was back in his own world, his tracker senses would return, and he wouldn't be totally dependent on Bestian. His gift hadn't worked at all in that other world, not until just before he'd been caught by the guardian and sent
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