Shaynen huddled under the blanket. Staring blankly at a crooked board in the covered wagon. His eyes were stuck open wide. The wagon bounced along the roads.

The heavy rain was a comforting sound, hitting the wagon cover in a sound reminiscent of the rain hitting the canvas tents back home. But it wasn’t enough to release the ball of tension that was Shaynen.

“Hey, how you holding up?” Phosi asked, ducking into the covered part of the wagon. Shaynen didn’t answer, just huddling deeper into the blanket. Phosi knelt down in front of him.

“I grabbed you something,” Phosi spoke softly. As if coaxing a wild animal.

They pulled out a little blonde doll and held it out. This one didn’t have a sword and shield, nor was it wearing a dress. Instead, it wore leather armor, and its arms changed from dark skin color at the shoulders to blue in the hands. Emulating magic.

“It’s yours if you want it,”

Shaynen slowly slipped out from under the blanket and took the doll. Yanking it under the blanket and gripping it. Phosi nodded and stood up.

“Is my dad mad at me?” Shaynen whispered before Phosi could leave. They turned and knelt down again.

“No, honey, your dad’s not mad at you.” They said, “You just scared him pretty badly.” Shaynen curled into the blanket until Phosi couldn’t see him at all. With nothing more to say, Phosi patted Shaynen’s knee and stood up again. He slipped back up front to the driver’s seat.

Shaynen curled up into the corner of the wagon and held the doll. He closed his eyes and pressed them into his knees. But when he closed his eyes, he saw the bloody trading post back room. His head snapped up and his eyes opened wide. Centering on the crooked board again.

In front of him, he could hear the sounds of the second wagon rolling down the road. The driver’s flap opened and Shaynen’s father came into the covered wagon and sat beside him.

“Not doing well?” He asked quietly. Shaynen shook his head. His father pulled him into his chest and gripped him. “Yeah, that was pretty rough.”

“What made it like that?” He whispered. His father took a deep breath and held him tighter.

“There’s a lot of ugly stuff in the world, and sometimes that ugly stuff gets into people and makes them do ugly things.” His father said.

“Like that black stuff?” Shaynen asked.

“Yeah, but there can also be ugly feelings that make you think ugly thoughts.” His father continued. “Those ugly thoughts can convince you it’s okay to do some truly ugly things. Like hurting others.”

“Is that what happened? Someone went through and hurt everyone?” Shaynen asked. He sounded like his voice was flooding.

“We believe so, yes,” his father said. Shaynen curled deeper into his father’s shoulder. The concept was foreign to him.

“I don’t understand. Why?” He asked, the flooding had reached his nose. He rubbed it against the blanket with a watery sniffle.

"I don’t know,” His father said. Squeezing his shoulder. “Some things just are, and you have to accept it.”

“I don’t want to accept it,” Shaynen said stubbornly.

“Yeah, I understand.” His father said. He hugged him tightly but stopped and looked around, concerned. “What is that?”

“Phosi gave me this,” Shaynen revealed the little wizard doll.

“Oh, that was thoughtful. Did you say thank you?”

“I didn’t feel like talking.” Shaynen hid the doll again under the blanket.

“That’s fine. Just thank them when you do. Okay?” His father stood up. “We probably will reach everyone else soon. Then we’ll camp for the night.” Shaynen nodded and curled back up in the corner.

His father went back up to the front. Once alone, the weight settled back over Shaynen. A chill settled under his bones and no matter how tightly he drew the blanket over his shoulders, it wouldn’t leave. He pulled the doll out from under the blanket. Wondering what kind of magic user the doll was. Puzzling out what the blue arms meant kept his mind from stumbling into unwanted places.

The wagon stopped. Outside in the rain came the sounds of jumping from the driver’s seats and calling for the villagers to split into two groups. Shaynen was humming a little while he played with the doll. He dropped it when his mother jumped into the covered wagon and grabbed his face.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” SHe inspected his arms and face in a panic.

“I’m okay,” Shaynen said and held up the doll. “I haven’t named her yet. But I can’t figure out what kind of magic she uses.”

“Are you really okay? Are you sure?” She asked.

“I guess so,” He said. Though his mother’s intense concern was giving him doubts. He laid the doll down in his lap alongside the blanket that had fallen off his shoulders.

“I’m not letting you out of my sight. Never again.” She pulled him into a hug that choked him. Then she drew him back and looked at him. “Were you doing what your father said?”

“Yeah. He said stay at the Trading post and not to wander. So I stayed in the trading post and didn’t wander away from it.” He said. “I listened.”

“Did he say to stay in the trading post or at the trading post?” His mother asked.

“I don’t remember,” He said sheepishly. His mother nodded.

“You gotta listen for the minor details like that,” His mother said. “You never know when those little details could save a life.” Shaynen’s eyes widened. Involuntary images flashed across his mind.

“Do you think listening could have saved those people in the trading post?” He whispered. His mother paled.

“I don’t know, honey, I wasn’t there.” She choked out. Shaynen nodded and went back to his doll.

“I’ll try to listen better,” Shaynen said.

“Good. Now let’s get everything ready in the wagons for everyone to sleep.” His mother said. “We have a long day ahead of us.” Shaynen nodded and together they pulled apart all the blankets and pillows piled up in the back of the wagon. Laying out a layer and making sparse barriers. Incorporating some of the bedding brought from their treetop home to make the covered wagon somewhat more comforting. Phosi and Reo took half the bedding and brought half the food that was stored in the other wagon.

Included in the selection was half the tray of sweetbread from the post. Seeing it made Shaynen’s stomach creep up the back of his throat.

“You keep staring at the sweet bread. I know you like sweets.” His mother said. Picking up a slice. “Since it’s an unusual occasion, why don’t you have one before dinner?” She offered it to him and Shaynen’s stomach leapt up. He retched and turned. Bolting to the edge of the wagon and throwing up into the mud over the side of the wagon.

The sweetness of the honey had become bitter and acidic. It burned Shaynen’s throat and inside his nose. The pressure coming from how violently ill he’d become felt like it’d burst his eardrums. His mother appeared over his shoulder and laid her hands on his back for comfort.

“I’m so sorry baby, I’m sorry.” She whispered. His mother laid her head on his shoulder. Shaynen stomach still churned. He shivered as he felt the nausea squeeze his insides again. The squeezing, accompanied by his mother, holding him tightly. Shaynen swallowed hard through the spasming. Trying to force his internal organs back to their assigned seats. He felt his mother’s tears soaking through his shirt. The feeling of her sobbing froze him in place. She squeezed him to her and buried her face.

“Mom?” He asked quietly. “Are you okay?” She sniffled and nodded. She sat up and wiped her face.

“Yeah, I’m going to be okay.” She whispered. She took his face in her hands and stared into his eyes.

“I am never letting you out of my sight. I swear I’ll keep you within reach at all times.” She said. Shaynen nodded the best he could while his mother held his face.

“I’m sorry,” he said. He felt like he should be sorry. But couldn’t think of what he was supposed to be sorry for. His mother shook her head.

“No, honey. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” She said,

“It’s okay.” He put his hands over his mother’s. “Mom, I’m okay. And the worst is over now. Right?”

“Yeah, yeah, it should be.” She nodded. She pulled him into her chest again and hugged him tightly. “Yeah. We’re going to be okay now.” Shaynen nodded and hugged his mother back.

“Mom?”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t think I ever want anything sweet ever again,” Shaynen said.

“Okay.” His mother let a small laugh escape from her.

The heavy rain continued long into the night. The sound lulled Shaynen to sleep in seconds. His parents were curled up on either side of him. Both had their arms wrapped around him tightly. The two wagons were crammed with the villagers, cramped but warm.

Shaynen’s slow breathing hitched in his sleep. He twitched and his face screwed up. His mother’s eyes opened as his nightmare intensified. He whined and jerked around. The sudden movements made his father sit up as well. His parents looked at each other and their hands met. His father squeezed his mother’s hand. She nodded and lifted her pendant. The pedant slipped up over her head and she placed it over Shaynen’s head and whispered to the silver.

It lit up and a bright tone rang out from it. The light and tone both absorbed into Shaynen. He relaxed instantly with a small, contented sigh. His mother slipped her necklace back on, his father squeezing her hand with a small smile. She didn’t return it.

Shaynen’s dreams were chaotic. They started out pleasantly enough. As just a barely moving image of rain throughout the canopy. Shaynen never dreamed much. What little dreams he had were the kind where he was just watching a memory that stretched on forever.

The dream was interrupted when the ground below changed. It went from the giant platforms to straight dark boards. Shaynen had no control as he stood up. He never moved in his dreams, much less could do so as he pleased. Dread built in his stomach. The walls closed themselves around him. It became too dark to see in seconds, but the sounds of the rain still pounded from above. Turning around, Shaynen saw the inside of the trading post. But instead of shelves and counters, there was an entire forest inside the post. A mist came through the trees and gave the barest of light to see by. Shaynen wanted to run away, every muscle in him tensed to run. But he couldn’t control his body. It pressed on into the trees. The forest seemed endless but also still enclosed in the post’s walls. The light wasn’t coming from overhead; it was coming from the mist itself.

Shaynen couldn’t stop or turn away. He started advancing forward into the forest. At the very end of the forest, there was the door at the end of the trading post. The dread hit Shaynen so hard it became panic. He kept going forward, no matter how hard he tried to resist.

The door opened and the black ooze shot out to the nearest tree. The haunted looking nightmare creature that looked like Ila’s mom creeped out from the door. Its gaping black hollow eyes trained in Shaynen’s direction. He couldn’t breathe to scream.

Then everything went completely white. A ringing tone drifted through the white. Again, he was listening to the rain. The forest floor came into view again. It was quiet. All quiet.

Shaynen’s eyes snapped open suddenly. The steady beating of rain interrupted by splashing. Something crashing about and braying in the water. He sat upright and tossed his parent’s arms off of him. Startling them awake.

“What’s that sound?” He asked. His parents stared at the top of the covering blankly. His father jumped up with a loud swear. He drew back the canvas to show the driver’s seat. The pair of stags convinced to help pull the wagons were bucking and crying as the flood waters rose. Shaynen peeked up from the back of the wagon. The rain had come down even harder. His father leapt out of the wagon and over the driver’s seat. He vanished with a heavy splash into the floodwater.

“We have to go!” His mother yelled, startling many other adults in the wagon awake. She jumped into the front seat, the rain obscuring. Her voice drowned in the rain and her pointing wasn’t clarifying her intent. Shaynen’s father came into view, trying to untie the stag’s reins from the trees. The flood waters rising to his waist. Other adults from the two wagons jumped into the waters, all fighting through the currents to help get the steeds free.

The wagons shifted, the water shouldered up against it and started shoving. Heavy wagons dug into the mud hard enough they didn’t slide more than a slight inch. Adults in the water, shoved hard into the trees and slid around in the mud. While a few grabbed and tried to calm the animals, others grabbed the ties to free them. The water rose and splashed into the back of the wagons.

“Should we swim?” Called one adult, Shaynen felt his stomach twist, and he felt like he was going to gag.

“With the children?” Another called back, “They’ve never learned how!” Shaynen looked down into the churning water. The adults were swept under and appeared above the surface again a few minutes later. He shrunk down beneath the driver’s seat. Trying not to shake, he held his doll and squeezed the air from the fabric. Pushing out a gust that smelled like the empty trading post.

“Head for Feypost!” The wagon rocked as his father jumped into the driver’s seat. Shaynen pried open his eyes as the wagon jerked around and he was hit with a spray of water. The adults who’d helped free the wagons were jumping back into the covered area of the wagons. Dripping water over everyone in their path. Shaynen crawled out of the corner to get away from the water and mud streaming down from the volunteers. He crawled between the people, scrambling to get the blankets and bedding safe from the water.

The wagon jerked and rocked in the water as it turned hastily. Throwing people off balance, Shaynen crawled beneath the off-balance adults. Being accidentally kicked and causing people to trip over him. Shaynen kept a death grip on his doll, holding it to his cheek as he got to the other side of the wagon. He peeked out the back at the second wagon driving forward alongside him. He leaned forward to look at the other faces in the wagon. One woman snatched forward and covered a child’s eyes. Her own widened in horror. Shaynen looked back down the watery road.

The water rushed through the trees; the force shook leaves free from the trees. They drifted down as the wagons fought the rushing flood waters. The road’s incline tilted the wagons. Shaynen’s relaxed grip tightened on his doll as he spied something in the water. It bobbed in the water in a heap. There wasn’t much to identify it by, but there was a little patch on the cloth that Shaynen recognized. He scrambled around until he caught hold of someone’s coat. He pulled on them hard.

“What? What is it, Shaynen?” The man turned and yanked his coat free. Shaynen pointed at the coat in the water.

“Someone lost their coat,” He said. The man paled and covered his eyes.

“That’s right, someone lost their coat. W-we’ll grab them a new one at the post.” He whispered. Shaynen strained to hear him over the rain. “Why don’t you go find your parents? Go on,” the man forcefully turned Shaynen around and ushered him into the crowd.

“Wait, my toy.” Shaynen ducked and scooped up the doll. Peeking up over the wagon to see the coat one more time. The coat looked full, like it was still being worn. Shaynen fought his way back through the crowd. Brushing against the wet clothes. He sat and hung over the edge of the driver’s seat where his parents were sitting.

“We lost a coat,” Shaynen said idly.

“Oh, did we?” His father said with a yawn.

“Yeah, the water shaped it weird. Like there was someone wearing it.” He said. His father jumped up and leapt over him. Vanishing in the crowd. Shaynen looked back at his mother. She stared straight forward with hauntingly wide eyes. She was so tense he could see her bones.

“Mom?” He asked, placing his hand on her soaking arm. Goosebumps raised over her skin. Her head shook, and she looked down at him.

“It’s fine. Everything’s fine.” She said. Shaynen sat back and looked at her, unconvinced.