-----------------------
Despite her increasing discomfort, Jenessa was glad for the light rain
which had begun to fall. It would make tracking them more difficult.
But she'd have to build shelter quickly. She'd flung one of the
water-proof tarps over Meera, and left her sitting atop the flest,
after tethering the beast beneath the sprawling branches of a greatnut
tree.
Now she cut several limbs, strapped them together and placed them
against the massive trunk. Then, taking the remaining tarps from the
flest's carry-pack, she unrolled them, put one on the ground beneath
the lean-to, and another across the branches.
Meera sat slumped between the padded ties that held her against the
saddle's high, ridged back. Jenessa had used her show-saddle because of
that high leather ridge. Never before had the saddle been worn by a
gentle, matronly animal, and never before had it been worn in the rain.
The swirling embroidery she'd spent weeks pulling through the leather
was already streaked with mud and wet leaves. At another time, Jenessa
would have been both angry and tearful at the sight. Now she gave it
only a brief, regretful thought as she lifted the child from the flest.
Carrying Meera to the shelter, she lay her on the tarp. Then Jenessa
hurried through the rain, unclasped the saddle and bags from the flest,
and draped the remaining tarp into a sloppy tent, covering the animal's
head and back.
By the time she dragged the saddle and bags into the lean-to, her shirt
and trousers were soaked, and she had to sink back against the saddle
and catch her breath before opening the bags. Then she took two
blankets, covered Meera with one, and wrapped herself in the other.
Though the late summer nights were still warm, the wet clothing chilled
her skin. Her hands shook as she took a bottle of water from the pack
and held it against Meera's lips. "Aren't you thirsty? Try to drink a
little," Jenessa said.
The girl raised her head, took a sip, then lay back. Jenessa pulled the
child against her, and lay down, hoping to steady her own ragged
breathing. Later, she'd eat some of the bread and smoked meat she'd
brought. She doubted Meera would be able to eat for at least a day.
Jenessa hadn't, for the first two days of the sickness.
And after the third day, if she followed Jenessa's pattern, Meera would
begin to hear the voices and see the visions. Jenessa wondered if
they'd be the same as her own. She felt very curious about that.
With the anxiety of taking Meera from town in the middle of the night,
riding along forest paths more remembered than seen, and finally
rushing to build their shelter, Jenessa had paid little heed to the
flickering visions and voices. And she'd become so accustomed to them
during the past six days that sometimes she could relegate them to the
back of her mind, not letting them take her attention from other
matters. But she was more and more fascinated by these inner
happenings. A few of the words she recognized; most were strange. When
the unknown words were accompanied by images, she'd
often make quick sketches of them. These were on a tablet she'd put in
the bottom of one of the bags. Now, safe and relatively comfortable,
Jenessa closed her eyes, and watched her mind fill with strange scenes
and sounds.
