Page 64 of Deadwood
After Lander left, I couldn’t settle. I was tired, but not in the way that sleep would relieve. I itched to explore outside, but a peek out the window told me the winds were still high, and I wasn’t sure when they’d calm.
There wasn’t any way I could predict how long it might be until the sun reappeared. Dark clouds covered the sky in a thick sheet, allowing no splotches of blue to peek through. It cast the land in an eerie gray, making everything seem unsettling, like danger lurked not only above, but on the streets, too.
I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to wander through Deadwood, so I needed a reason if I were to leave this house. If a guard asked, I could use an excuse of enjoying the day, but the conditions outside were barely tolerable for that to be believable.
I paced the living area for a few minutes, testing my ankle for a walk and trying to think up a reason to leave the house. Ultimately, I decided to check on the guards. I hadn’t spoken to them since we had moved out of the tents, so making sure they were okay wouldn’t be out of the ordinary if any of the townspeople were curious as to why I wasn’t in the house.
Wrapping the wool-lined coat Siara had lent me tightly around myself and tugging on the pair of boots she had provided as well, I headed out the door, making sure it clicked into place so the winds wouldn’t blow it open. My knotted hair whipped in the wind, and I wished I’d thought to comb it out better before going out in this. I’d bathe once I returned. I wouldn’t be able to sit still long enough in the bath to properly soak the dirt and grime of traveling off of me—I was too anxious.
The houses we were placed in were off to the side of the main street, on the edge of town. It seemed most of the citizens’ houses were the same, lined up in rows that led to the businesses of Deadwood.
Though I’d planned to visit the guards, now that I was out here, I figured a short stroll wouldn’t hurt. Well, aside from the pain in my ankle and the soreness in the soles of my feet. That, I could ignore. But being cooped up for not the first time in my life? I needed air.
If someone approached me and asked why I was out, I could tell them I got lost. How believable that might be, I wasn’t sure, but the likeliness of someone asking seemed slim. Deadwood wasn’t massive, as far as I’d seen.
Dirt kicked up in flurries as I walked, coating the bottom of my dress, while other bits flew into the air. It wasn’t cold out, despite the powerful winds that whipped my hair around my neck and face as I walked out of the neighborhood and into the town.
Most of the old buildings looked the same, whether they were houses or stores, but a few on the main street stood out amongst the others. The one with the winding staircase on the exterior was a faded green, while another shop a few doors down was black. The paint on the buildings had chipped with the weather and sun, which was most likely why there were only a few painted.
Every other building stood uniform with their wooden planks turned various shades of brown from the sun bleaching the slats. Some had overhangs over small porches, others with signs dangling above their doors, but none were built of stone like in Amosite.
Last night, Lander had briefly told me there were other towns like Deadwood spread about Serpentine, but each was presumed to be under a monarchy. Deadwood, however, was not.
The town was truly lawless.
I shouldn’t have been intrigued, but there was a sliver of me that couldn’t help it. Bowen had been in Amosite. He’d stayed in the castle, had a history with my father, and yet, he came from here. A town without rules. Without a leader.
I wanted to know more.
The boots Siara had lent me felt a hundred times better on my sore feet than my slippers had, and the high laces helped support my aching ankle. By the time we’d crossed into Deadwood, my slippers were full of holes and soaked to the sole. I silently hoped Siara would let me keep the boots for the journey back to Amosite.
We weren’t close to the chasm or to the bridge that led back to the kingdom. There was only one way to cross over, and I’d been told there were two reasons for that. One, to better control who could enter and exit the kingdom. And two, because the ledges were unstable almost the entire way around the chasm. Where the bridge sat was one of the few places rockslides hadn’t occurred, and it’d stood strong for centuries.
“Auria,” a voice spoke up from behind me.
I stopped in my tracks, turning to find Paxon approaching me.
“Out for a walk?” I asked. I really didn’t want company, so I hoped he’d continue on his way.
“Looking for you, actually,” he replied, stopping a few feet in front of me. He still wore his battered clothes, his shirt unbuttoned at the top, exposing a bit of his chest. Upon glancing at it, I noticed the button was gone altogether. Did someone bring them clothes, too, and he chose not to wear them? Or was I the only one?
“Oh?”
“Take a walk with me,” he said, not a hint of a question in his tone.
Without waiting for my response, he turned, heading away from me. I glanced around, noting a few of the townspeople talking in the street or going in and out of businesses. A few guards clad in black leathers stood outside shops, and one in particular had his eye on me. He was talking to a man in similar attire, but it seemed he was hardly listening as his gaze was dead focused on where I stood.
With a deep inhale, I followed after Paxon. He passed a row of houses, then continued on into the desert.
I hurried to catch up to him, my limping and the wind battering against us slowing me down. “Where are we going?” I called to him.
“I wanted to talk to you about a few things,” he said, his hands folded behind his back as he walked.
I finally made it to his side, nearly out of breath. “About?”
He was silent, staring straight ahead. I waited for him to answer, but he didn’t. For ages, we walked in silence, and the wool coat I wore suddenly became all too hot. The wind only seemed to get worse as we went, the bottom of my dress kicking up around my calves.
We approached a hill, and as we reached the top, a split in the ground at the base revealed itself. The open mouth of nothingness stared up at me like a warning as it seemed to stretch on as far as the eye could see. I wasn’t sure if it was attached to the chasm that separated Amosite from the rest of Serpentine, but it seemed similar enough that I would almost expect it to be.
