Foundations of Vapor, Part 1 (Len's Song, 2022 edition, Snippet 16.1)

A story fragment from the Dustsong Cycle

(Read Len’s Song, 2022 edition, Snippet 16, Part 2.)

Once Len cleared the end of the bridge, he kept running flat out. By unlikely chance, he realized, his hat had clung to his head, albeit askew, through the brush with Livyat. He also became keen aware that his pack of seeds and such pummeled his shoulder blades with every pounding step. Most incredibly of all, it seemed by instinct he’d held tight to his stone blade, useless thought it had been.

Len almost flung the pack and stone into the nearest field, to be rid of the added weight. Besides, the blade had an uncanniness about it, including the way he’d rediscovered it by that creek; he was unsure if the thing brought him trouble or good.

As it happened, the camel made up his mind for him. Just as Len’s strength began to wane, he found the creature a few paces from the roadside, chewing on a newly budded grape vine. Already the fool beast seemed to have forgotten its near brush with the Mother of Serpents. Len stowed the blade in his pack, or as much of its length as would fit, and tugged the camel’s reins so the beast would kneel and let him mount up.

Atop the camel’s hump, he was able to gather his breath and scattered thoughts somewhat while they continued up the winding road to Danoh-town. The closer they got, the more low-walled gardens broke up the farms and fruit trees. But there was no time to enjoy the scenery today.