Chasing The Wind (Novella) Read Online Free PDF Page A

her but did not lose his concentration. Not like she would have. “Just takes practice,” he said. The bead of sweat at the corner of his brow gave away his effort.
    “I wish I had your focus,” she had said. “Or your strength.”
    Grethan had turned to her fully and let the shaping slip away gently, barely a rumble of earth. He slid over to her and she remembered the deep smell of him, earthy and sweet. “Never doubt that you are strong enough,” he had said.
    That had been the day Zephra realized the depths of her feeling for Grethan. Though he probably remembered nothing of that day, she had hoped to master her own control before sharing those feeling with him. She still did.
    Zephra shook her head, placing the memory away to think about later. If she survived Incendin and the shaper, she would think about Grethan again. Only then.
    Calin led as they made their way across the waste, never faltering as he carried Lia, his steps sure-footed and careful to avoid the dangerous vegetation. Occasionally he would pause and turn to her, waiting for direction. Using a sense of the wind, Zephra traced it toward Ethea. The sense became more pronounced the longer they walked.
    The day grew hotter around them and soon even the hard rock baked their feet as they walked. The air became stifling and unpleasant to breathe. She felt herself wilting, only the occasional drag on the waterskin kept her moving.
    The vegetation around her seemed invigorated. Spiny brush stood taller than she remembered. The clumps of sharp weeds stabbed thorns into their feet and ankles if they stepped too close. The shooting nettles fired with the smallest of motion, sending their barbs farther than she’d ever seen.
    Zephra knew the heat not completely natural, but said nothing, simply awed by the sustained strength the shaper demonstrated.
    Over time, Calin began to slow. Even he, solid as he was, could not move endlessly through the rising heat without stopping. Lia stirred occasionally only to cough. Bloody spittle dotted the corners of her mouth. Healing seemed a lifetime away.
    “I don’t know how much more of the waste we have to travel,” she said. They were the first words she had spoken in hours and her voice cracked, croaking out the sounds.
    Calin grunted and turned. Dirt smeared his face and eyes wrinkled in concentration. How much longer could he maintain such dedication to Lia? What would happen to her when he failed?
    She held the water skin to his lips and let him drink, careful to avoid losing any drops. After barely wetting his mouth, he nodded toward Lia. Zephra tipped open the girl’s mouth, letting water trickle into her throat. She swallowed instinctively.
    “We cannot outrun him,” Calin said, his voice still strong.
    Zephra shook her head. The wall of heat had pressed on them all morning, the gusts of painful air growing more powerful. “Not like this.”
    “Take her, then. Save the Mother.”
    Zephra frowned, unsure what he meant until realizing that he must have seen her shape the wind travel. “Too dangerous. No controlling it, not for me at least. We could end up blown back to the center of the waste.” She didn’t tell him that she doubted that she could even catch the wind. Saving Lia had been simply a fluke.
    Calin grunted, nodding as if slow to understand her words. “Then we go on.”
    With that, he turned and continued west.
----
    Z ephra stopped suddenly when she saw the sudden swath of darkness in the distance where the ground fell precipitously away to a rocky canyon below. Any misstep would lead them tumbling down the rock toward the wide Fosa River winding through the canyon.
    Calin lagged behind, reaching the ridge a few moments after her, panting with ragged breath. “Hurry,” he huffed, barely slowing as he moved past her.
    Zephra frowned, wanting to pause and rest, knowing the waste was nearly behind them. The Fosa marked the western edge of the waste, leading into a craggy brush before finally