Walking on Water - Chapter 8

Eth didn’t know what to think of the woman before him. She was literally smiling at the sun. He looked up…. The sun seemed different than he remembered. More gold. Less hot. Or was he imagining things. Eth sunk to the ground and seated himself on the moss. Amber danced about in the water and he tried to process everything she had told him. A canoe came around the bend up stream. It was made of a light wood it looked too thin to make any sense. But there it was. Inside were two children one with long golden hair and the other with a mop of brown.

“Hello!” Shouted Amber and the two smiled back at her brightly. “Where are you headed?”

“We are headed back south. Don’t you know your skies?” Asked the blond with a shake of her head. She laughed an infectious laugh and Eth got the feeling she wasn’t a child after all.

“I do. But why is your kind so far south.”

“Our kind. Do you hear that friend? We’ve only gone two miles and we’re a kind.” The girl laughed again and the boy also laughed.

“We don’t mean any harm.” Said the boy pulling the watercraft towards the tree line.

“I didn’t imagine from what I’ve read.” Amber smiled.

“How does a woman reach the ripe age of, how old? Without meeting a Nitesol.” The girl clicked her tongue and shook her head and then began laughing all over again. She hopped out of the boat. She had to be shorter than 5 feet and she looked up at tall Amber with a smile. “Hello, I’m Emylin Poin.”

“Amber Marcson. And this is my brother…”

“Yes.” Eth replied, also offering his hand. “Eth, Markson.” He shook his head; it was his third name in three days. But Amber just smiled.

“I’m Paulson. Are you hungry? I want a stop.” Said the boyish man from the boat. He hopped ashore, which was impressive for his size and scaled a tree.

“Paulson, stop showing off.” Chided Emylin tethering the boat.

“I’m hungry.” Replied Paulson who returned to them with a fruit in one hand. Eth took the fruit and Paulson climbed up to the canopy again. Emylin laughed and shook her head. Within the next few minutes Paulson climbed a nearly two-hundred foot tall tree and returned to the ground to drop off fruit until Amber, Emylin and Eths arms were full of them. They were not like any fruit Eth had seen. They were about the size of a mango but they were purple, pink and blue and most of the fruit looked flatter than he had ever seen a mango. Emylin and Amber were chummy by the time Paulson became grounded.

“This way,” He motioned going further into the forest. Eth wasn’t sure what to think of this tiny man. He couldn’t decide how old he was… Were all the people in his world so small?

“Never met a Nitesol eh?” Asked Paulson with a smile over his shoulder.

“Never,” Eth replied. He glanced back to see the women chatting away. They acted like old friends discussing this king and that haven, this province and that. Eth had never heard a more open conversation between strangers in his life. Was everyone so kind in this world? Were they so trustworthy?

“So how long have to been here?” Asked Paulson.

“Where’s here?” Asked Eth.

“She must be in charge.” Paulson laughed and grasped a branch. He hoisted himself unto it and stood on the branch so that he towered over Eth.

“I guess,” Eth replied.

“Let me tell you then. You’re in the woods south of Dossint, the far north kingdom… And we will be heading south soon to the capital of Natchare. My friend Emylin and I...”

“Whose chair?” Eth was feeling tired. Maybe the two nights without sleep were catching up to him.

Paulson laughed… “It’s not a chair, it’s a place. You’re not from around here are you?” Paulson jumped from the branch. He stared at Eth with huge blue eyes. “We will set up camp here.” He announced. Emylin nodded and everyone dropped their fruit.