The Free Trader of Warren Deep (Free Trader Series Book 1) by Craig Martelle Page B

the heat and sun he was hot and worn out when he finished. He corralled the two horses back into the shade, and pulled down on their harnesses until they laid back down on the ground. Braden helped G-War and Skirill drink sparingly from a flask, following with a deep drink for himself.
    They settled back down, but sleep did not easily return. Everyone was restless. Eventually the daylight passed. As the sun headed for the horizon, the group ate their fill, while Braden took apart the shelter and reloaded the cart.
    “Moment of truth, my friends. Do we continue on or do we head back and consider this a successful second trial run?”
    ‘Why would we waste that first night’s effort? Have we not already come further than when we traveled during our daylight practice run?’ Skirill said over the mindlink. Since he believed that meant the decision was made, the Hawkoid leapt into the air, circling their camp as he gained in height, then he raced toward the south. Braden knew that he was scouting the night’s route ahead. He would be back shortly.
    “What do you think, G?”
    ‘I think it needs to keep the stupid horses from knocking the shelter down.’
    Braden laughed heartily. He should have known where the ‘cat would focus. Life or death? No. Personal comfort? Yes.
    “I have some ideas. We need to find a better embankment tomorrow morning, my friend. Maybe Ess can give us some options around dawn. I don’t want to fix the shelter in the middle of the daylight like that again. That was brutal.”

 
    33 – Half Way
     
    The trip through the second night went better than the first night. Braden was comfortable with how fast they could go, so he maintained a steady pace until after midnight, when he pushed harder.
    In the relative cool of the night, they made good time. In the morning, he asked Skirill if he could determine how far they were away from the oasis. He wanted to make it in seven turns, not ten. He wanted to have water remaining in the casks when they arrived. Desperation could lead to bad decisions. He did not want to be desperate.
    Skirill took to the lightening sky and swerved back and forth lazily on a general route southeast. G-War opened the mindlink and Braden saw the world spread out before him. Not far ahead, there was the remnants of a dry river bed. He knew where they needed to go and mentally thanked Ess for the view.
    Skirill stopped the lazy strokes and flapped heartily on a beeline toward where he thought the oasis might be. He gained altitude quickly and disappeared into the pre-morning haze.
    Max carried Braden to the embankment where they would make their camp. He dismounted as Pack drew the cart to a slow halt. Braden looked over the area, quite pleased with this spot. He unhooked Pack from the cart and then used the cart to stand in as he worked the branches into the bank. He drove them at about a thirty-degree angle so they could hold the hides and blanket without needing a vertical support. This would ensure that G-War would not have his sleep interrupted.
    Using the shovel, he dug into the hard earth. It was dry and cracked. Water hadn’t run through this area in a long, long time. Braden couldn’t dig too deeply, but he was able to make some progress. The first thing he prepared were the casks. They had to be protected. They were two full turns travel from the nearest water supply. They couldn’t make it without a drink.
    He then moved the horses in and once again fought with them until they finally laid down. He realized that once he got Max to lay down, Pack quickly followed. Max was the key to shelter bliss. G-War curled up on the ground behind the casks in a small hole that he dug out for himself. It was probably significantly cooler than on the open ground. Braden was tired, but couldn’t sleep until Skirill came back. The heat of the morning had not yet arrived, but it would and soon.
    Skirill contacted him well before he made it back. He sent his thought voice to G-War,