“Here’s breakfast.” Chelsa handed her a protein bar. “I’ll go take down the tent in the meantime.”
Kristi took a huge bite out of the bar. It had a chocolate-peanut butter flavor, which tasted pretty good considering it had expired a week ago.
“Let’s hit the road,” Chelsa said. “We should reach the town of Oxfield by nightfall. Hopefully we’ll be able to refuel without running into any problems. However, we should be even more on our guard after our narrow escape last night.”
“Perhaps we should change our appearances?” Kristi suggested.
“Can’t believe I didn’t think of that.”
Chelsa dug out a knife from her boots and motioned for Kristi to come over. “How much of your hair do you want me to cut?” She fingered Kristi’s hair, which almost hung to her waist.
“A bit past my shoulders sounds good.”
Chelsa started hacking away. She worked quickly and efficiently, cutting off hunks of hair. Within minutes, the ground around them was littered with clumps of hair. Jaiden watched with a certain amount of interest, chomping on his breakfast.
“All done.” Chelsa rinsed off her knife with water from her water bottle.
Kristi shook her head back and forth, trying to get used to the lightness of it now that two thirds of her hair had been cut off. I never knew hair could be so heavy.
Kristi looked at Jaiden. “Your turn.”
He stood there, combing through his hair with his fingers. A small songbird fluttered to the ground near his feet, tilting its head. Then the bird picked up a cluster of Kristi’s fallen hair with its tiny beak and flapped away.
Chelsa watched the songbird fly away, carrying its precious cargo, with a slight smile. “I’ve forgotten chickadees like to line their nests with hair.”
Eventually, Jaiden allowed Chelsa to cut his hair.
“Thanks?” he said once Chelsa was done. The word came out unsure.
“Never knew you were vain about your hair,” Kristi said.
“I’m not.” He shuffled over to his backpack and lifted the considerably lighter pack onto his shoulder.
The sun threw a golden glow across the sky. The temperature today was cooler than yesterday and a biting wind cut through the air. Kristi burrowed deeper into her jacket.
The three of them trekked along the road, shoes encrusted with mud that was the result of last night’s drizzle, feeling heavy on their feet. Several solar-cars zipped by, passengers and drivers shielded from the outside world by tinted windows.
“Wish we had a car,” Jaiden said, not for the first time. “We could’ve reached Charleston within four days.”
“Suck it up, toughie.” Chelsa spread her arms open, waving to the open space all around them. “What’s the harm of walking? You get to enjoy the fresh air, the scenery and get some exercise as well.”
“You get to enjoy being drenched in rain, swarmed by bugs and blisters on your feet,” Jaiden said.
“You big wimp.” She punched Jaiden lightly in the arm. “And to think that I thought you were good at everything!”
“Your compliment flatters me, but being good at something doesn’t mean I enjoy it. It’s hard work being perfect, you know.”
Chelsa and Kristi looked at each other and rolled their eyes. “Right Jaiden, it’s just so hard to walk,” said Kristi.
“Aren’t you supposed to be the manly one? From what I’m seeing, both Kristi and I beat you in our manliness.” Chelsa let out a bark of amusement.
“I never knew you were sexist,” Jaiden replied.
“Discovering new stuff every day, aren’t you?” Kristi said.
They continued bantering in a friendly fashion, not noticing a rider slow his droid-horse’s pace to keep at the same speed as them until he coughed to grab their attention.
“How may we help you, sir?” Jaiden asked.
“I was wondering where you are headed towards,” said the stranger.
“Launceston,” Kristi lied, figuring it wouldn’t be a smart idea to entrust a stranger with their destination. Launceston was two towns before Oxfield. What is this guy doing on Route 56 by himself anyways? Is he an idiot? Nobody travels by themselves on such a dangerous route.
“I’m going there as well. However, I am rather unfamiliar with the roads. Would you mind if I accompanied you?” He scratched his balding head then yanked on the reins to halt his droid-horse.
He’s giving me a creepy vibe. Kristi scooted a few steps away from the flea-bitten grey droid-horse. She pulled the hood of her jacket down before Creepy Guy could get a clear look at her face.
“Will one of you kindly please answer my question?” Creepy Guy inquired.
“We’ll slow down your traveling because we don’t have droid-horses,” said Chelsa. Her tone wasn’t hostile, but it wasn’t friendly either.
“That’s alright. I have a few friends that will be joining me later. They have some droid-horses they can spare for you to ride to Launceston.” The man dismounted elegantly, his boots barely raising a puff of dirt from the ground.
Chelsa raised an eyebrow but made no comment about their unwanted companion. Kristi swallowed her apprehension and allowed Creepy Guy to walk beside her.
chapter fifteen
They traveled in silence for the next half mile until Creepy Guy shattered the quietness. “My friends should be here soon,” he said, raising his voice towards the end of the sentence.
Ambush! Kristi’s brain barely had time to register the thought when several bandits hidden around the bend sprung on them.
A woman with studs glimmering in her eyebrows swung down from an overhead branch, knocking the breath out of Kristi. She landed hard, sprawling on her back. Then she rolled over and jumped to her feet, doubling over and clutching her guts.
“Jaiden—” Kristi wheezed.
Wham!
The same woman backhanded her across her face. Kristi noted her eyes were an alarming shade of crimson.
“Don’t touch my sister,” Jaiden snapped. Creepy Guy wrenched Jaiden’s arms into a lock, but he twisted away.
Meanwhile, Chelsa was kept busy dodging two bandits wearing identical bandanas. Kristi slithered out of the grapple of the crimson-eyed bandit. She only managed to take three steps before another one tackled her to the ground though, ramming her head against a jagged rock. Silver light flashed in her vision. She snapped her eyelids open in time to see a hand reach down, hauling her onto her feet.
“Thanks,” Kristi said, thinking it was Chelsa who had helped her.
An arm wrapped around her neck and arms, immobilizing her. “You’re welcome,” purred a voice that was definitely not Chelsa’s into her ear.
Kristi wheezed for air, like a fish out of water.
“Let her go, Mag,” Creepy Guy’s coarse voice ordered.
Mag gave Kristi one last squeeze then released her from the headlock. Kristi tenderly rubbed her bruised windpipe, flinching at the soreness.
A few passing cars slowed down to see what was happening, but no one came to help them; Kristi didn’t blame them. Making an enemy out of bandits was not a good idea.
“Put your hands in the air and do not move,” Creepy Guy ordered.
They obeyed him without a protest. Being surrounded by twenty bandits was intimidating.
Think, Kristi, think! You’re a smart girl so figure out a way to get out of this mess. She scanned her surroundings for anything that could be useful.
There were eight droid-horses standing beneath an oak tree and no one was watching them. About three of the bandits were engrossed with searching and sorting through their backpacks. Only five bandits were keeping an eye on them.