Alexander sat on the mangled remains of the stolen carriage and listened to the silence. At least the quarrel would be ended, though he desperately wished he had been wrong. Just ahead, Natalia’s black silhouette, radiant against the setting sun, paced the dirt track and kicked at rocks. Soon the frogs would start, then the crickets, and they would need to figure out what to do with their precious cargo for the night.
Worn out, Natalia returned to the heap, her face twisted into an apology. Alexander spoke first.
“I wish you had been right.”
“I should have listened to you.”
The silence returned, stretched out and yawned between them. Then, in unison,”Truce?”
Natalia smiled and punched his arm, then immediately began excavating their precious cargo and placing it in her slightly scorched knapsack. In one motion, she heaved it onto her back and started walking on down the trail, and, without looking back, called over her shoulder, “Race you to the next camp!”
After giving a rueful glance at the carriage, and the cut lines where they had released the horse just in time–it had been nice while it lasted–he set to work salvaging the provisions Natalia had left him to manage. Still, he found himself humming as he chose the most edible bits from the charred rubble, and a bounce in his step as he set one foot in front of the other on the long path ahead. Then, as he made steady ground on Natalia, he could see in the distance a small puff of smoke emerging from her sack, and a small, scaly green head poke out of the top, a laugh burst out of him, at first hoarse, then bubbling and rolling ahead until it reached Natalia. She looked back, stuffed their small charge back in the bag, laughter began to flow forth from her as well, higher and lighter. It mingled with his and together they joined the chorus night creatures singing into the dusky sky.