Carnival Souls

The Way Back

           
As the two walked back the way they had come, Owen realized the silence between them was much different than the companionable silence that had brought them here. This one was hostile and metallic, but Owen didn't dare address it until they were out of the woods and free of Zabaria's domain.

They were soon clear of the trees and plodding along the river once more. Owen was about to suggest they take a break when Lira exploded.

"I can't believe her! What a huge waste of time! We came all the way here, risked everything, for help, and she sends us away with riddles!"

Owen let Lira seethe for a few minutes before offering her a drink of water. She took it reluctantly, mumbling her thanks.

"I don't think she was entirely unhelpful," he said carefully.

"No, the part about my soul being trapped in this violin was exactly what I wanted to hear," scoffed Lira. Owen looked over and saw fear blooming in her green eyes.

"We'll find a way to set you free," he said quietly. "I promise."

Lira flashed him a grateful look, though her hands still trembled by her sides.

"Do you think we should tell the others?" she asked.

Owen considered for a moment. Would it be better to consult the other kids? They had all been here longer than he had and would probably be more helpful to Lira. But was it too risky to confide in them? Zabaria's warning to be wary echoed in his head.

"I think we should wait, at least until we know more."

Lira nodded, content to accept his decision.

"Genzel might know something," mused Owen. "We could ask him."

"No!" said Lira at once.

Owen tried to quell his annoyance at her insistence to distrust the old man. "Why not?"

"Something's not right about him," she said. "We're here by force and he's-"

Owen rolled his eyes. "I don't think he's here by choice."

"No," conceded Lira. "But he's here for some other reason. If we don't tell the others, then that includes him too."

"For now," pointed out Owen.

With her jaw tight and her lips pursed, Lira nodded and pushed ahead.

###

By the time they reached their original camping ground, Owen was nearly bent in half with fatigue. His pack felt filled with rocks and his feet had gone numb from all the walking.

"How far do we think the lake is?" asked Lira, voicing his own thoughts. She too seemed ready to keel over.

"Dunno."

Genzel was nowhere to be seen and there were no fresh marks to indicate that he had been back this way.

"Shouldn't he be back by now?" Lira squinted in the direction Genzel had taken that morning.

"Maybe it's taking him longer because he has to catch two of them?" suggested Owen. He tried to ignore the uneasy feelings creeping through his limbs. Genzel's fine. He knows what he's doing. He knows this place. "He's bound to come back soon."

The two unrolled their mats and lay down. Owen pillowed his arm beneath his head and stared up at the unforgiving sky. Questions racing through his head made it hard for him to fall asleep. What if Genzel was hurt? How long should they wait? Should they go after him if he didn't come back?