The Storm We Start || Book One

Chapter Three: This is What Happens When You Go the Long Way

Argent stood in a calmer part of the river's edge nearly up to his knees, his shoes on the shore and his pants and sleeves rolled up. He could feel his feet beginning to go numb in the frigid water, but he didn't dare move. A large, silver fish swam around lazily nearby, getting closer and closer each passing second. Just a little farther, and...

The boy dove forward, plunging his hands into the water. For a glorious second, he could feel the fish's scales gripped between his hands, but just as he moved to bring it to the surface, it shot from his hands and lept out of the water. Argent gave a startled shout as an icy spray splashed him in the face. He stumbled back in a futile attempt to get away from the droplets now running down his shirt, only to trip on a stone and fall into the water altogether.

"Did the fish hit you in the face?" an amused voice asked behind him, and he turned to glare at Darin.

"No," he replied petulantly, unsteadily rising to his feet and trudging to the shore. He heard Darin and the old bridgekeeper laugh before returning to their previous conversation. At the moment, both he and Darin were stranded on the other side of the river. The bridge had been flooded over and damaged due to a freak storm a few days prior, and the river was too swift and too deep to swim across. They were forced to find another route. Darin said his goodbye to the bridgekeeper just as Argent began squeezing the water from his pants, and the old man returned to his post.

"So what did he say?" Argent asked before Darin could mock him.

"He's heard from other travelers that there's a ferry up the river, right at the edge of Vecjivi Territory." Darin pulled his spellbook out and flipped through its pages. He found the spell easily—this wasn't the first time he had to use it in the last couple of days—and within seconds Argent was significantly drier than before. "You're going to catch a cold at this rate," Darin commented, rolling his right shoulder in discomfort before returning the book back in its place.

"It's not like I do it on purpose," Argent muttered, slipping his boots back on and looping his bag around his shoulder. "So we gotta take the long way around?"

"Mhm. It'll add another few days to get to Langerich, but that's not a problem," Darin said. "We aren't in a hurry, right?"

"Right," Argent nodded, trotting ahead alongside the river with Darin following behind at his own pace. "So the Vecjivi, you said they were the...traveling people?"

"Nomadic," Darin corrected. "But yes, they're constantly traveling from place to place, home and all. During the warm season, they're usually by the sea, but now that it's becoming colder, I believe they should be starting to move back inland so they don't get caught in the first snow."

"Will we meet any, then?"

Darin shook his head. "Unfortunately, that would be unlikely. It's still too early, but I'm sure in a few months there will be a commission to buy the shells they bring back from the sea. The apothecary would grind up oyster shells and sell them as a remedy for indigestion, for example."