And so our story continues (or at least one half of our story)…
Day 34: The trip would take two weeks to accomplish if the weather remained fine.
The trip would take two weeks to accomplish if the weather remained fine. Luckily the day remained fine as she walked and she was easily able to spot the worn and overgrown road bed. In the mountains it was easier as it seemed the road followed a natural stone path.
‘I suspect the path between the mountains was more or less here before and it was just widened and paved when they turned it into a road,’ she thought. The landscape was pleasant, the area bursting with life. She knew that as she descended on the other side, water would be less abundant and the vegetation and wildlife would be less lush. The rain fell on this side of the mountain, but the mountains blocked much of it from the other side.
‘At least it did at the time the city was lost,’ she thought. She knew the city was built on an aquifer at the edge of the desert. It had been many generations since the descriptions of the fall of the lost city were written. Much time passed. The landscape may have changed. Anna found herself oddly excited to find out for herself if things changed.
Anna smiled. She may have run from the city but in this moment, she felt like an explorer. It was a good feeling. ‘Better than a fugitive at least.’
The feeling also let her forget that once she visited the lost city and its archives, she would need to figure out her next steps. It was nice to forget that for a while too.
Soon the day started to fade and she felt her legs grow tired. While Anna couldn’t see the incline of the road as she walked, looking behind her, she could see that she had risen in elevation. ‘And my legs certainly feel like I’ve been walking uphill.’
She looked for a place to stop for the night. There were no handy caves, but Anna found a rocky outcropping that provided enough of an overhang that the morning dew would not collect on her. She had a small tent with her, but felt it was best to do without for as long as possible.
She ate her meager dinner and scryed, learning that Marcus and Christopher were studying the footage from the gate surveillance in order to see if they missed her escape. It was one more day where they hadn’t found her home. Anna was satisfied as she put her things away and settled into sleep.
Her bed was rockier than the night before and Anna woke up with aches from sleeping on in. The day was just as beautiful, but she was in a slightly grumpier mood as she continued on her journey. As she began her day, Anna thought she might sleep on top of her blanket rather than under it when next she stopped. ‘It might be colder but the bed won’t be as hard,’ she thought. As she got into motion her aches faded and Anna debated being colder while on a softer bed or warm on the hard rock. The mental debate kept her occupied as she walked.
Ten til Midnight 