A Flag For Drindl

 

Bebe stood up and looked to the east in a vain hope that Drindl might suddenly appear crossing a dune. "We need to leave something for Drindl. A sign we were here."

"That's a good idea," Fallon said, lashing the playpen to the travois. The babes still slept most of the time, growing rapidly. He stood up and looked around, then shrugged and looked to Alithea and Alpen. "Something visible but not too visible?" He looked back to Bebe.

"The lashing cord," she said, pointing to the playpen.

Fallon shook his head. "What would we…?"

"We could tie it to a reed," Alithea offered. "It might wave in the wind."

"Too heavy," Alpen disagreed.

"We can cut a cloth into strips and tie them to the tops of reeds," Bebe suggested. They all agreed. Alithea dug out the swaddling cloth, then tucked it back into their belongings, unable to part with the cloth that had also swaddled her as a babe. There was nothing else. Shoulders slumped, she knelt next to the travois. "We can cut some thin strips," Bebe suggested and laid a hand on Alithea's shoulders. "He knows that cloth. He held the babes in it."

Alithea nodded and took the cloth out again. She turned to Fallon and Alpen, suggesting that they start pulling the travoises. "We'll be right behind you."

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She and Bebe caught up with the caravan a short while later, and in the late morning she and Bebe took the harness of each travois. Fallon let Erthen sit on his shoulders, but then changed his mind. Erthen protested but Fallon was firm. He and Alpen made a hammock sling and carried Erthen between them as they followed behind Alithea and Bebe. Erthen loved the swaying motion as they walked, then fell asleep from all the excitement.

The contour of the land changed to undulating ripples as they approached the forest. The harder ground helped their progress, but the gradual rise to the highlands took a toll. Stopping to feed the young ones, Bebe collected soil samples and cuttings from the grass and shrubs. From her kit she took out the magnifying glass and inspected the lobes of a leaf. "This is a variation of the kettle bush," she said.

"Is that good?" Alpen asked as she handed him the leaf.

"We need to teach the young ones the good from the bad," she said. "If these plants are familiar, it will make our task easier." A sound from above startled them.

"Alsace bird," Fallon said. "Good. There's game here." They all turned to the sharp crack that came from the west.

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"A tree?" Alpen asked as he looked around at the others.

"That's a loud tree," Bebe said. They waited for another report but there was only silence.

"I wish we knew where Drindl was," Alithea said as she looked north and behind them.

Fallon rummaged through the belongings, found his sword and axe and secured them carefully beneath the playpen. They all watched as he loosened the cinch that secured the playpen, reached in to grab the handle of the sword, then recinched the playpen to the travois. He looked to the others. "Just in case."

The lightness in their hearts grew heavy as they advanced toward the forest. Then a change in wind direction brought the smell of the ocean to their nostrils and that helped moderate the wariness they felt.