LONG ROAD AHEAD

18

They spent the day following the sun as it moved across the sky. It took them six hours of bushwhacking to find an old gravel road that had become covered in fallen dead trees. Most of them were easy enough to get over. The road had to lead somewhere, so they decided to follow it. It wound up the mountain and back down then up again.                                                              

            They walked along in a single file overlooking the steep valley below. The trees and rocks seemed to have slid down the mountain many years before. They were high up in the mountain when they sat down for a drink. Their canteens were getting low once more. “We need to find some fresh water,” Craven complained, taking a rationed sip. “We should have filled up at the river.”

            Phoenix tipped her canteen back and drained the last drop. “That water was terrible,” she argued. “There was no telling what sort of parasites was in it.”

            Craven ran his hands through his dark hair. “It is so hot out here. What I wouldn’t give for some cloud cover or rain,” they were tired. Their bodies were sore from the tumble over the falls the night before. Phoenix stood up. She had to keep in motion, or her muscles would stiffen up painfully. She paced a few feet and stared down the valley through the dense trees. Something caught her eye. Down far in the bottom of the valley, behind all the trees and rocks, was a road. It had to have been the road they had been following. They found it.

            “Craven, it’s the main road. We found it,” Craven rose to his feet and came to stand behind her staring down at the road over her shoulder. “It’s just down there,” she smiled.

            “This is great,” he grinned, giving her arm a happy squeeze. “We got to get down there somehow,” he said, stepping closer to the edge to see if they could climb down. “It’s too steep to get down that way.”

            “This path we’re on must connect to the main road at some point. We should keep following it,” she suggested. “Now that we know which direction the road is, we can just make sure we stay headed toward it,” she said with a confident grin.

            “Then, we should get moving,” he suggested swinging his long legs over a fallen tree and climbing to the other side. Phoenix tried to follow, finding the log a bit high to swing her legs over as Craven did. She placed her hands firmly on the log and lifted herself. Once she was seated on top, she dropped down on the other side.

            They trudged along as the path led them around the side of the mountain. They walked until the sun began to set over the peaks of the mountaintops. They drew their weapons as they rounded a corner. There was a faint foul smell. Like something was rotting. It could have been a carcass left to rot by some vicious predator. The last thing either of them wanted to do was tangle with another animal that saw them as food.

            “What is that?” Phoenix whispered as they grew closer to the source of the smell. Her bow readied in her hands for anything that might happen.

            “I don’t know,” Craven said, pulling his throwing knives from the leather-strapped to his forearms.

            They were both ready for battle as they came down the slope to a small clearing. There was no carcass, no sign of any animal. There was a small cave in the rock face, and there was water pouring out from the face of the rocks, a tiny waterfall pouring into a still pool of clear water.

            They both stood and stared at the water. The smell was coming from the water. Phoenix lowered her bow and looked at Craven. “What is wrong with this water? It smells funny,” Craven said, replacing his knives to their rightful place on his arms.

            Phoenix placed her bow on the ground and knelt on the rocks surrounding the pool. She leaned in and smelled the water. This was definitely the source of the smell. Phoenix dipped her hand into the water. Cupping her hand, she lifted some water to her lips and tasted it.

            “Phoenix, no!” Craven objected too late. Phoenix spat the water out. It had a terrible taste. “Are you mad? That could be tainted or poisonous.”

            “It’s Sulphur, I think,” she said, sitting back on her knees and looking up at him. “And it’s warm,” she smiled.

            Craven knelt on one knee beside her and dipped his hand in the water. “Wow, how is it so warm?”

            “I think it has something to do with the Sulphur,” the water was wonderfully warm. She smiled at Craven and began to remove her belt and armour.

            “What are you doing?” Craven asked as she began to undress.

            “Do you know how much a hot bath cost? More than you could earn or I could steal in six months. This is free, and I am not passing it up. We may never get another chance to enjoy one,” she explained, letting the last of her clothes hit the ground. She placed her bare feet into the hot water and slid off the rock, sinking into the pool. The water came up just below her shoulders. She waded across the small pool and stood beneath the falling water letting the warmth wash over her. The glorious heat felt soothing on her stiff muscles. “Oh God, it’s so wonderful.” She moaned.

            Phoenix opened her eyes and slid her hands over her wet hair. She smiled when she saw Craven stripping away his chest armour and belt. He had a devilish smile she had come to recognize as he gazed at her. Her lips curved when he shed his jeans and jumped down into the water. Craven sighed with pleasure as the hot water soothed his aching body. “Oh, this is heaven,” he agreed. Craven sunk slowly down under the water for a moment and came back up, his hands pushing his wet, dark hair back off his face.

            It had been so long since Phoenix had taken a hot bath. Only the wealthier towns had bathhouses where one could buy a hot bath for a small fortune. Most of the time, they washed up with a basin of cold water, or as she so often had done in the past, bathed in an ice-cold creek or pool of water if one could be found. A hot bath was a luxury that most people could not afford. She had never even had one until she had perfected her pickpocket skills and lifted the purse of a wealthy man. It had been enough to buy a hot bath, a good meal and a room for the next three nights.

            Phoenix sunk under the water and swam the short distance to where Craven was resting comfortably with his arms stretched out over the rocks as he enjoyed the water. She came back up for air and with a smooth swipe of her arm, pushed her wet hair back and off her face. Phoenix leaned against the side, folding her arms over the rocks and resting her head on the cradle her folded arms made. After so long on the road, after so much trouble and life-threatening situation, they deserved this peaceful rest and relaxation.

            “I wish there were more of these around,” she grinned. “Nothing could make this moment any better,” she said, watching Craven.

            Craven turned around, folding his arms over the edge of the rocks as Phoenix had done. He offered her a humble half-smile and looked down at his hands. “Phoenix, I want to apologize for my assumption back at the inn. I should have never accused you of double-crossing me,” he said quietly. “I’m also sorry about the whole waterfall thing. That was my fault. I was so sure we would get across.”

            Phoenix shook her head. “You couldn’t have known that thing inhabited the water,” she said, trying to ease his guilt. “Sometimes, life can be unexpected.” Like their unpredictable partnership. Phoenix would have never believed in a million years she would have started a journey with a man. She had never trusted men, and yet she found herself entrusting her very life to an assassin — a man known for his cool indifference and cruel intentions.

            “I come from a long line of mercenaries. My father was one, his father, and his father before him, and so on. I knew from the cradle what I was meant for. My father used to always tell me; you can’t trust anyone in this world,” Craven said sadly as he thought of his late parents.

            “It was good advice,” Phoenix said softly.

            Craven shook his head. “No, it wasn't,” he disagreed, his gaze meeting hers. “I trust you,” he said with a slight grin. “With my life,” his confession made her smile. “I don’t want you to be angry with me for the whole trip.”

            Phoenix stared into his dark eyes. How could she stay mad with this man? He made her feel unusually happy and safe despite their many near-death experiences. There was no one else in this world that she would ever wish to make this trip with. “I trust you with my life also,” she heard herself saying. She could not take her eyes from his as they gazed at one another.

            Craven placed his hand on her back and moved closer. His lips found hers in a soft, gentle kiss. So sweet and tender, Phoenix parted her lips to his tongue as Craven deepened his kiss. His hand caressed her back, and Craven pressed his hard body against hers. The warmth of the water wrapped around them both. His lips moved down her throat, and Craven moved behind her. His hands softly caressed her neck and moved down over her shoulders and arms. Their fingers entwined as he pressed against her, trapping Phoenix between his powerful body and the rocks.

            Her head fell back against his shoulder, and their lips met once more. His kiss was intoxicating. Phoenix loved the way he felt wrapped around her. She lost herself in Craven’s kiss and felt his arousal grow pressed against her bottom. Craven’s hands moved slowly to Phoenix’s waist, and in one fluent motion, he lifted her slightly and nudged her legs apart with his knee.

            They both sighed with satisfaction as Craven entered Phoenix from behind. He slowly began to thrust up, filling her, forcing her body to yield to his invading manhood. Phoenix rocked back eagerly against Craven. Her hands planted flat against the rocks. His hands moved to her breasts. His thumbs toyed with her peaked n*****s. Every nerve in her body was alive and flooded with sensation.

            He made her feel so alive. Her mind spun with excitement. The feel of him inside her was like nothing she had ever experienced. His caress, his kiss, made her drunk with desire. Craven made her feel things she had never felt. She longed for him, needed him… his body, his touch, his kiss, and when she felt she could not stand the pleasure any more, Craven pushed her over the edge of ecstasy.

            Craven brought her to the heights of pleasure, and their bodies trembled as the powerful climax gripped them both. He nuzzled her cheek as a warm afterglow washed over them. The sun was almost down, and above them, the stars were coming out. “We should get moving,” he whispered against her ear. “Find a place to hold up for the night.”

            She never wanted to leave this pool. To feel his body move away from hers, but sadly Phoenix knew he was right. They needed to find a safe place to rest for the night, and where they were was too open. Craven climbed out of the water and reached his hand down to help her out. Phoenix placed her hand in his, and Craven lifted her effortlessly from the water.

            They put their clothes back on and gathered what was left of their armour and weapons. They followed the path they had been on, hoping to find a cave or something to sleep in. Finding nothing, they gathered wood for a fire. They built up the flames to keep predators away and slept near the fire. Phoenix laid down in the dirt on the hard ground and smiled when Craven laid down beside her, his arm coming around her waist as they went to sleep for the night.

***

            It was another week of strenuous hiking before they put the mountains behind them. The trek through the foothills was considerably easier, and they found themselves covering more ground through the flatlands. They had filled their canteens up in a creek before they reached the stretch of desert. There was not a tree or body of water anywhere in sight.

            They walked for days with the hot sun beating down on them. It was so hot, and they were so thirsty, but they rationed their water, unsure when they might find more. Food was scarce. Occasionally they found a snake or some lizard they could catch and eat, but as the days turned in to a week and then two, Craven noticed Phoenix was weakening. She had become so tired, and she had lost what little appetite she had once had and began to become ill frequently.

            The heat had gotten to her. Craven knew she was suffering from heatstroke. Too much sun and not enough water and shade. The sun was getting too him as well, but he held together far better than she was. They trudged along, and Phoenix dropped down on her knees and fell forward, lying face down in the dirt. She was barely awake. She had become so weak.

            Craven knelt beside her, trying to coax her to get back up despite his desire to join her on the ground. “Phoenix, you need to get up and keep walking,” he said weakly.

            “I can’t,” she whined. “I can’t take another step.”

            Craven sighed and placed her bow over his shoulder and took her arm. He wrapped her arm around his neck and scooped her up into his arms, holding her close to him. Her head rested against his shoulder, and her body was limp in his arms. She was going to die if they did not find someplace to get out of the sun soon, but the sun and desert never seemed to end. He would be damned if they came this far to die now. To wind up a pair of bleached bones in the dust.

            Tired and growing weaker himself, Craven carried Phoenix. He was not about to leave her behind. He was not sure how much farther he could go when he came up over the crest of a huge rocky hill. As he stood at the top, he looked out over the world before him. A sense of hope-filled him. They had found the ruins of a city. Towering buildings lay in rubble, and the streets were buried in small mountains of sand. It looked like the desert had tried to take the great city back.

            Craven found himself infused with a sense of renewed energy as he headed for the ruins. There was a good chance that they could find shelter from the sun and perhaps a well that had not been tapped out. Phoenix desperately needed water and shelter if she was going to make it. Craven carefully found his way down the rocks and headed into the city. The sand was undisturbed everywhere. He did not see any footprints but his own.

            Craven carried Phoenix’s limp body in his arms, searching for a safe place to stay. The remaining buildings were covered in glitz and glamour as if they were meant to have drawn crowds and entice them. He pushed open some glass doors and went inside. There were not many windows lighting the vast room inside. Inside he found countless green top tables and chairs. There were rows of machines with leavers and along one wall, something that looked like cages. There was a bar in one area. The place looked very much like some strange gaming room.    

            Craven carried Phoenix through the building. He found some rooms that might have once been shops, and another with tables and a huge stage. Some rooms may have been dining halls and a large counter with papers and other garbage scattered around. Craven found some stairs that were still intact, and he climbed them up to the next level. They appeared to keep going, but Craven was far too tired to keep climbing.

            The next floor appeared to be some sort of inn. Only it had countless rooms. Craven found a room that was open. Inside he found a bed along with many other furnishings he could not imagine needing. He took Phoenix to the bed and laid her down. She was barely conscious as she laid there with her eyes closed.

            Craven stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. He was not entirely sure how aware she was at the moment. “I’m going to look around and see what I can find,” he whispered to her in case she could hear him. Craven placed her bow in the corner of the room. He then removed Phoenix’s weapons belt to make her more comfortable, placing it in the corner with her bow.

            Craven left the room and wandered from room to room to see what he could find. In a few, he found some blankets in reasonable condition. He took them back to the room where he left Phoenix and used them to cover her up. Next, he headed for the stairs and returned to the main floor. He wandered around, looking at the dust-covered ruins of the gaming room. There was an old rusted metal cart he found. The wheels squeaked terribly.

            He pushed the cart around. It would be convenient for carrying things if he found anything useful. He decided to search the gaming room. He found ancient cards that looked as if they might fall apart, but there were plenty of them he could certainly get a half-decent deck if he combined them. He found poker chips and dice. Behind the cages, he found some paper with numbers and faces printed on it. Completely useless. He tossed it aside and kept looking.

            Craven left the gaming room and headed to the dining halls. There were toppled tables and layers of dust and cobwebs — broken chairs and looking glasses. In the back, he found some old storage compartments and cooking tools. He ransacked the room, looking for something to drink or eat. There was likely nothing this place had obviously been abandoned for centuries.

            He tried turning the knobs on everything to see if anything would work. He had gotten nowhere and then suddenly. He heard a terrible groaning sound coming from the walls and the steel basin in front of him. The knobs and spout shook and raddled, and suddenly water poured out. Craven was delighted to find water. He cupped his hands under the water and lifted it to his lips to test it and be sure it was drinkable. It was drinkable. Thank God for small miracles.

            Craven took this chance to refill his canteens, and then he turned the flow off. He had not found food, but the water was just as good. He pushed his cart along and went to explore the other rooms. He came to the rooms that had once been shops. One had fake people deformed by the blasts dressed in strange clothing. There were a few garments that seemed to survive the trial of time, but they were dusty and full of tears and holes.

            He stared at the fake man in the window. He wore pants made of some strange smooth fabric, and he wore what must have been a shirt only finer, and the colour of blood. The one next to it wore the same thing in a deep brown. Craven had not had a shirt in so long. He stepped up on the raised floor where the fake man stood mounted on a pole. He snapped off the arms and pulled them from the sleeves. Craven then pulled the brown shirt off and tossed it on the cart. Next to this thing stood a fake female in what must have been a dress. The fabric was the colour of the sun and incredibly thin and light. The skirt was short above the knees and more decorative than he was used to seeing.

            He moved on to the next shop and found many glass counters. Behind the glass, he found jewels and precious gems mounted in silver and gold. It was a jackpot of wealth behind the glass. He might have taken them too if he thought he had anyplace to use them, but here in the middle of nowhere, thousands of miles from anyone else, these beautiful precious gems were no more the trinkets and shiny bobbles. They could not find him water or be bartered for food or a safe place to spend the night. They were worthless.

            Something did catch his eye. It was a small band of gold with small diamonds embedded in the band. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Craven took out his colt and used the handle to smash the glass. Returning the weapon to its holster, he reached into the shattered glass and plucked the ring from its resting place. He held it up to get a closer look and then tucked it into his pocket.

            Craven kept looking around. He was hoping to come across some form of a cloak, something they could use to keep the unforgiving sun off them. He continued searching many of the back rooms. He found a storage room filled with little things. Solid cleaning bars, and little bottles of some cleaning liquids. He found rolls of soft paper and folded pieces of soft fabric in various sizes, all useless.

            He then found some tiny packages and tore them open. Inside was a clear plastic cap. Craven held it up and stared at them, confused. He could not imagine what it was for. He tossed it aside and tore open another to find a needle and thread. It gave him an idea. He found the other boxes with the same markings and tossed them all onto the cart. He could use the thread and the various blankets he had found and made a useable cloak to cover them from the sun.

            He continued looking, tearing the shelves apart, and he smiled when he found bandages. He did not need them right now, but it was always good to have on hand in case they found themselves injured once more. He stuffed the bandages into the small compartment on his belt for later.

            Pushing his cart along, he came to another room. Inside, he found chairs and a wall of glass screens. It looked like a surveillance room of some kind. Craven looked around to see a case mounted on the wall. There were weapons and cases of ammunition. He tried to open the case, but it was locked. He drew his shotgun and used the butt to bash the lock over and over. It took all his strength, and five minutes before the old rusted lock broke.

            Craven pulled out the weapons and piled them and the boxes of ammunition onto the cart. They had been out of bullets for some time now, and restocking their arsenal was important. One could never be too prepared. Having explored the building, Craven decided to head back upstairs. He had to make a few trips up and down to get everything upstairs. He could not get the cart up the steps.

            Once he had everything where he wanted it, Craven removed his armour and pulled the top he had found over his head. It felt good to be wearing something once more. He then went through the weapons he had found, trying to determine which were still safe to use. Years of no usage made them risky. He loaded the weapons and set them aside then divided what was left of the ammunition between his belt and Phoenix’s.

            Phoenix was soundly sleeping on the bed. Craven took two of the grey wool blankets and, retrieving one of the many sowing kits, he began to convert the blankets into suitable cloaks. He was losing the light and worked tirelessly at his task. His mother had taught him to sow. She had claimed it to be a useful survival skill, and she had been right. Many times it had come in handy, stitching up battle wounds or simply making a garment as he was at that moment.

            He spent the remainder of the afternoon fashioning them both cloaks. Once the sun went down, his stitching took far longer since visibility had been reduced. Despite his lack of light, Craven finished and tossed the cloaks over the nearest chair. He had no sooner done so when he heard Phoenix fall out of bed. He turned quickly to see her crawl sickly toward the window and threw it open. She hung her head out the window, and her whole body wretched as she got ill.

            He came to her side. His hand stroked her back. He felt helpless to ease her suffering. She had been exposed to far too much sun these past few weeks. It was possible they had walked through radioactive hot spots and never noticed. This land was new to them, and without the maps, they were wandering blindly. Craven pulled his canteen from his belt and handed it to Phoenix as she came back in. “Here drink this. You’ll feel better,” he promised as she accepted the water greedily.

            After drinking, she handed the canteen back and glared at him. “Why are you not ill?” She muttered with irritation.

            “I don’t feel a hundred percent,” he said, helping her back to bed. Craven laid down on the bed beside her. “It’s too much sun,” he explained. “I made some cloaks out of the blankets I found here. It will keep the sun off us when we leave here.”

            “Where are we?” She asked weakly.

            “The ruins of some city. The whole place looks like a giant gaming house,” he said with a smile.

            “Are we alone?”

            He knew exactly what she meant. She wanted to know if some beast of cannibal would come after them in the night. “As far as I can tell, yes.”

            Phoenix smiled and ran her hand over his new garment. “Where did you get this?”

            “I found it in one of the old shops downstairs. There are all sorts of strange clothing down there,” he said with a smile. “Do you like it?”

            “It’s unusual, but it looks good on you,” she smiled. Craven reached into his pocket and removed the golden band. “I found this too. I thought you might like it,” he said, holding it between them for her appraisal. Her smoky eyes lit up and sparkled as she stared at the ring. Craven took her by the hand and slipped the ring on her finger. When his gaze met hers once more, he saw a tear in her eyes and could not understand why. “What is wrong?” He asked.

            “No one has ever given me anything,” she whispered. “It’s beautiful,” she said with a smile.

            It was beautiful, but it paled in comparison to Phoenix’s natural beauty. Even in the dark, her hair shimmered like gold. Her eyes were bright. Over the past few months together, it astonished Craven how attached he had become to Phoenix. He had never cared so much about someone besides his parents. Her health concerned him. Craven could not fathom finishing the journey without her.

            In the past, Craven would have just left her behind to die in the sand and sun. An ill companion was in this world a liability. Liabilities were expendable, but he could not leave Phoenix behind. He will carry her the rest of the way if need be. He smiled as he tried to figure out just how this tiny slip of a girl had managed to wrap him around her finger.        

            Phoenix grinned up at him. “You know some people believe that when a man puts a ring on the finger of a woman, it means she belongs to him,” she joked.

            He knew the stigma attached to such gifts. In the past, such an idea would have horrified him. Here with Phoenix curled up against him, the idea held such promise. She looked at him the way his mother had looked at his father. He could be wrong, but he was sure he meant something to her. She certainly meant something to him.

            “Would that be so bad?” He asked, stepping out on an emotional limb and hoping she would not snap the branch beneath him. Her gaze held his, her silver eyes searching his own, trying to read him. He smiled warmly at her, not concealing the way he felt. He wanted her to see how much she had come to mean to him.

            She smiled and blushed. Phoenix looked so darn cute. “Your offer is sweet, but you are not choosing me because of some deeper connection.”

“I’m not?” He smiled playfully.

“No. It’s a lack of options that spurs your offer.”

            He could see where she was coming from. There was not another woman for thousands of miles. Craven could understand her hesitation, but Phoenix was unlike any other woman he had come across in his life. She was vibrant, fiery; she amused him, challenged him. She was a spark in the dark. “When you find the right one, you need no other options.”

            His answer curved her luscious lips in a disarming smile. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. “Then, it’s very lucky that you ended up with me.”