He Who Waits for She Who Dreams

[orphans]

Our guide was not what I expected. Truth be told, I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but certainly not a masked figure covered in clothing that obscured all identifying traits. I couldn't even tell what gender our guide was. Then again, that hardly mattered. All I was concerned with was whether or not the guide would be useful. As we approached, I could feel the eyes of our guide examining each of us, lingering a bit longer on me and Sophia. No one else seemed to notice and I couldn't quite be sure as the guide immediately waved to the team of heavy tundra horses, but said nothing.

"You know, Artemis, our guide looks pretty stupid too. Still looks better than you though." Jackal's ribbing of the mercenary brought the shadow of a grin to my lips as I selected a horse for my own use. Artemis said something in reply to Jackal, but his words were carried away by the trademark gusts near the city gates. The others began to select horses as well while our guide approached me and then presented a piece of paper to me abruptly.

I took the note and read it quickly before tucking it away in a pocket. "I was expecting this journey to be much longer. Care to explain this teleportation gate?" The guide simply stared at me and then shrugged. The only offered explanation was the guide pointing to his or her throat and then a shake of the head. "You're mute then?" The guide made no motion to answer for a long while before giving a firm nod. "Ezraehie!" Looking over my shoulder as I shouted, I caught sight of the eluvian woman securing a spare rifle on her horse.

She turned her head to me with a perplexed look in her eyes as she started making her way towards me. "What is it? And call me Erieai." Her reply was terse as she looked to the guide and then me again.

"We're going to make our way to a teleportation network, apparently. Mind giving me a quick explanation?"

"Why can't the guide? He should know what it is."

I looked over the guide and figured it was a safe assumption that it was a man beneath the coverings. "The guide's mute and informed me by paper."

Annoyance crossed the eluvian's features as she folded her arms across her chest. "And command didn't explain to you before what the teleportation network is?"

Part of me wanted to reach out and knock some sense into the eluvian. Then again, I couldn't help but grin at her crass behavior. It was strangely comforting to know this crew would have a similar feel to my old one. "Catching up with twenty years of change in a week is difficult. An explanation, if you would please."

To my surprise, a smirk curved onto her features as she gave a shrug. "I guess it can't be helped since you're only human, after all." The look I gave must have told her I wanted to waste no more time as she began quickly after, "The teleportation network is relatively new - within the last two years actually. We have one of the main gates about a day's travel from here and from there, it connects to other beacons."

"I'm guessing the beacons take us to the front or outer domes, correct?"

Erieai's brow furrowed a little as she gave a disgusted reply, "All of them take us to the front actually. Caravans still make the journeys to outer domes. They weren't considered high enough priority."

"I see..." It made sense, tactically. The outer domes consist mostly of non-human grezick communities that supplemented frivolous supplies to the front and to Pretalia. Added bonuses to morale, but ultimately, not considered important enough.

"That all you need from me? I need to pack a few things still," Erieai rattled off quickly as she jerked a thumb behind her.

"That is all, thank you Erieai."

The woman rolled her eyes at my thanks and began to walk off. "Yeah yeah, just don't get us killed."

When I turned back, I saw that the guide had left my side to help Sophia. Despite having only a single pack, the girl was oblivious in how to strap her things to the horse, much less on how to use a stirrup to mount a horse. I suppressed a laugh as the girl fell on her first attempt and landed on the slushy road. Jackal didn't. In spite of that, I was taken aback by his decision to lend a hand and with his help, Sophia succeeded the second time.