02.06.2016
Dalence woke to the sound of her tent’s fabric flapping against the wind. She lay there for a moment, watching the ripples make their way down the tent’s sides. Then rain drops, heavy ones, hit the fabric and left darkened spots which spread out as the water absorbed. She rolled over, pushed up to her hands and knees and crawled out through the tent’s flap.
The air was much cooler now with the sun behind the thick clouds that hung above all the land she could see. A steady wind blew at her back, coming over and down the Knuckles. Those large rain drops didn’t fall too quickly yet, but they had inspired a lot of motion in the camp. People were dismantling their tents and readying their packs. The telescopes sat in wooden crates, which were covered with canvas tarps.
Dalence walked over to Starhen and asked, “Is everyone packing up to head off the mountain?”
“The wind picked up a few hours ago, and brought the clouds over. According to some who had hiked to the Splitskin, a dark line of clouds and heavy rain is headed this way. And no one wants to be at this elevation and exposed when the storm arrives.”
“You’re right about that,” Dalence said, and a rumble of thunder rolled over the mountain from a great distance. “When that storm’s on the Knuckles,” she said, “I’m sure the lightning will will lick at the mountains with forked tongues.”
“Better get packed then,” Starhen said. “I’d like to move soon. The rain is only going to pick up.”
Dalence walked back over to her tent. She pulled up the stakes, collapsed the tent, and rolled the wooden poles up in the canvas. She bound this roll up with twine, and attached it to her pack. Inside went waterskins, snacks, and her blanket. She and Starhen checked whether anyone else nearby needed help before setting off down the scree and boulders.
The rain steadily increased as they hiked, and by the time they were half way down, they were soaked through. Along the way, they passed the groups of people who were transporting the telescopes. Leather straps on all four sides of the crates were held by four different people. Insurance against dropping the valuable equipment on the way over the rocks.
The lightning and thunder were just coming over the mountain tops as they made it to Suu-manth’s furthest edge. Dalence and Starhen agreed to meet at the central marketplace once the storm broke, and parted ways. Gusts of wind brought the rain down harder against her neck and pack, as she made her way home. Smoke rose from the chimney as she neared. Brust must be home and making lunch.
She stepped inside the warm house and shut the door against the rain. Her shoes squished water as she stepped to the fire and took off item after item, all soaked. She spread the tent over a few chairs in the living room and the table there. Brust came out of his bedroom and helped hang her shoes by the hearth.
“I wondered when the storm would bring you back in. The fish must have known about the storm, because none had been biting all day.”
“I woke up to the sound of wind and raindrops on the tent and made it down before it could get much worse. I wonder if the storm will last long,” Dalence said.
“It’s hard to say,” Brust replied, “but it keeps getting darker, which means we’ve got the worst yet to come.” And he lit a few lamps in the house to offset the darkness outside.
They both shared stew and bread as the storm intensified. Lightning shown through the windows and thunder shook at their chairs. The light continued to fail outside as the rain came down harder and evening neared. After the street lights outside were lit, Dalence decided to head to the marketplace. The weather might keep them off the mountain, but it wouldn’t keep people from gathering for drinks, gossip, and revelry.
She threw back on her damp clothes and shoes and let Brust know where she was off to. Brust was adding more wood to the fire, and said, “I’ll be here.”
She had a ten minute walk in the storm and could see the people lighting the street lamps as they were silhouetted against the sky when lightning forked in the air. Her shoes hardly noticed the puddles she stepped through. Sometimes being in a storm was nice. Freeing in a way.