Let's Stop and Ask for Directions

‘Are you sure we’re going the right way?’ Ahnah Macon looked at Tanner Hawkwood with a suspicious gleam in her eye and spoke in accusatory tone.

‘Of course I am. I’ve gotten good at tramping around in the woods since we all started running around together.’ Tanner spoke with the utmost confidence.

‘There’s a big difference between tramping around in the woods and heading in the right direction, Books. You might want to reconsider on this.’ Faolan the Red Wolf had a look on his face that was not seen much, but surfaced from time to time. It was a subtle grin. Usually it showed up when Tanner had started thinking too much and gotten in over his head.

‘Nope, nope, I’m right on this. We headed north along the tar stone road into Manchester lands. Once we got into the northern most part of their territory we headed east towards the gap in the mountains. Which we did. We passed through the mountains and have been going north through forest and foothills. Eventually, we’ll pick up a tar stone road and head north into Martin’s Ferry. The ancients called the road ‘I-77’. Maybe the number had mystical significance.’ Tanner was starting to drone on in his ‘I’m the smart guy, don’t argue with me’ tone of voice.

‘Edward Hawkwood, don’t you talk to me like that! You have no idea of what you’re doing.’ Ahnah spoke with a rising tone of annoyance that might boil over into anger.

Tanner’s voice moved from a droning tone to an annoyed tone. ‘Don’t argue you with me, mage girl! I’ll summon up a wall of bone more fierce than all of hell can produce. Your sorcerer’s ways don’t frighten me, little girl!’

At that Ahnah’s staff came swinging towards Tanner’s head. It might have done some damage, but instead Tanner stepped into the blow and caught it with his left fore-arm. The blow stung, but it was better than getting hit in the head. Tanner’s right hand grabbed at the end of the staff. ‘Time to give you that spanking your grandmother never gave you that you had coming at when you were ten or so.’

Now an odd thing happened. Faolan had to be the peace-maker in the group, the voice of calmness and reason. He stepped upped, put a hand on each of their shoulders, and threw them to the ground. ‘Children! Enough already! Don’t make me open up a pot of whup-ass on the both of you. I haven’t seen behavior this bad since the last time I went to Madame’s and I had to keep the girls from fighting over me. Cool it!’

‘If Lord Know It All knew what he was doing, we’d be in Martin’s Ferry by now’ said Ahnah petulantly.

‘And if I didn’t have to slow down for a girl and her ‘female problems’, I’d be in Martin’s Ferry.’ Tanner was speaking in the most sarcastic tone Faolan had ever heard him in.

‘Cool it! You two need to take a time out!’ Faolan shouted. ‘It wasn’t this bad killing Red Legs on election day.

Tanner stopped for a moment. He undid his water flask and took swig of it, and breathed deeply. He stood up, walked over to Ahnah and offered her a hand up. Hesitatingly, she accepted. Once on her feet, Tanner handed her the water flask. She took a gulp. It looked like things were cooling down.

Tanner and Ahnah made small apologies and were speaking quietly. Faolan walked over to a tree and noticed some moss on a nearby tree. ‘Uh guys?’

‘Yes’ replied Ahnah and Tanner in unison.

‘Aren’t we supposed to be going north to Martin’s Ferry?’

‘Well of course we are’ replied Tanner.

‘And doesn’t moss grow on the north side of trees?’

‘Yes’ answered Tanner suspiciously.

‘Then since we ate breakfast a few hours ago, we’ve been going east more than north. Unless you know a super-secret way to go to Martin’s Ferry, I suggest we turn around. Of course, with this overcast sky today, I could see where you might not see where the sun rose. I can't believe it, Books. This is mighty inefficient. We're not getting paid by the mile. A silver penny saved is a silver penny earned. How are you going to expense this waste of time?’ Faolan spoke with an air of mock self-righteous authority. At that, Ahnah started to laugh uncontrollably. Tanner’s face turned red in embarrassment.

With that, the group started to pack up and prepared to head north instead of north east. Ahnah playfully hit Tanner on the back-side with her staff. Tanner grinned back. ‘Looks like I’ll have to cast a wall of starlight on my rear to protect myself from your advances.’ At that, it was Ahnah’s turn to turn red and Tanner and Faolan’s chance to laugh.