Translated From Sarconain Highway

Joshuel is practially purring.  He couldn't be more excited out this, especially since he didn't have to fight for it like before.

 

Melissa was surprised that her instructor during her Junior Scouthood was Joshuel Carzim.  Normally, Junior Scouts were placed under older Scouts.   Jonathan was often with Joshuel, however, and she suspected that if the council had approved Joshuel as her mentor, he was capable.  Besides, she had been noticing that the list of Scouts killed on missions was growing longer.  The Aranara were becoming more aggressive, and she had the feeling that the Council was trying to turn out Scouts as quickly as possible without interfering with the very exacting training.

Joshuel, for his part, often felt inadequate as Melissa's instructor, but he was always boosted by his brother.  He was also leveled out by Jonathan.  He and Melissa were rarely alone together, in acquiescence with the Scout Code of Conduct, but that didn't stop Joshuel from noticing that his childhood friend was growing more beautiful by the day, even when she smelled of woodsmoke and sweat, was covered in mud, and hadn't washed her hair in a week.  Her gentle presence and quick mind drew him to her like a magnet, and he was beginning to wonder if he wasn't enjoying her presence a little too much.

"Thane," Joshuel said to Jonathan, "I think it might be best if you took over Melissa's training."

"Why?" Jonathan asked.

"I'm attracted to Melissa.  Alot."

"I cannot take over her training," said Jonathan.  He held up a hand to stop his brother's protests.  "I have reasons for this.  However, Josh, I will arrange with the council for me to be sent on all of you and Melissa's missions.  That way, I'll be with you.  We'll stay at Scout Stations as much as possible."

Joshuel nodded.  "Alright."

 

Melissa glanced at her tutor, Joshuel Carzim, waiting to see what he made of the trail that she had found.

"They were moving very quickly," Joshuel murmured, scanning the tracks.  "Either they had someplace to go, or something frightened them."

Melissa looked around for other tracks, the tracks of whatever had scared the party they were tracking.  Then she saw it.  "J-Joshuel?" she said nervously, "Isn't that a Kraser track?"

Joshuel moved swiftly to her side.  "Yes, it is.  That's good that you recognized it.  So that's what scared the group...and it's chasing them.  Now what do we do?"  He looked carefully at at Melissa, waiting to see her reply although he was already laying plans for their next move.

"We follow it," said Melissa.  "But there's a problem."

"What is the problem?" asked Joshuel.

"Two problems, actually.  Kraser spiders are very big, very dangerous, and always very grumpy."

"Why do you think we're following it?" Joshuel said dryly.

"I-I'd rather not follow it actually," said Melissa in a small voice.  "I'd very much like it if we went the other way right now and never caught a glimpse of it."

"Is that the other problem?" Joshuel asked her gently.

Melissa nodded.

"Well, I'd rather not run into this creature myself, but we'll probably run into it with that group about, and there is strength in numbers."

"I suppose so," said Melissa, images of them combating the spider and dying spinning through her head.

"Courage, Lissa," said Joshuel, patting her shoulder.  "Let's go."

They trailed the spider and noted that the party it was chasing had split up.  They rode fast on the spider's trail now, and the tracks swiftly became fresher.  At last they burst into a clearing, drew rein, and dismounted.  "He may have hid in a thicket," said Joshuel, referring to the person that the spider was chasing.  "You check that thicket, I'll check this one."

They moved off, Melissa working hard to control her trembling.  Dawn, her unicorn, was very upset, and she knew that the spider was close by.  Slowly, she bent to peer into the thicket.

Joshuel glanced back at the nervous unicorns and bit his lip.  He was liking this situation less and less every second.  Jonathan, his older brother, was supposed to be following them, and Joshuel hoped he would show up soon.  Jonathan was two years older than Joshuel and considered very experienced by all the Scouts.  Suddenly, Melissa screamed.  Joshuel turned swiftly and saw her fleeing from the thicket across from him.

With a cracking of branches, the spider reared from its ambush, hissing.  It stood at about six feet tall and was covered in matted brown hair.  Its red eyes glared at them, and its fangs dripped green venom.  The unicorns reared and neighed frantically.   Wailing, Melissa flung herself against Joshuel, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her face in his chest, frightened beyond reason.  The spider screamed at them, rearing, and began to advance.

Joshuel gasped for breath.  Melissa's hold on him was cutting off his breathing to an extent and she was screaming non-stop.  Joshuel grabbed for his bow, then realized that, with Melissa clinging to him, he would not be able to shoot with accuracy, if he could shoot at all.  "Melissa," he said earnestly, "Let go of me so I can shoot."

Melissa's terror was impenetrable.  She was rendered virtually deaf by her fear and continued to hang onto him with a death grip.  Joshuel began to try to forcibly detach Melissa, but the more he pulled at her, the more desperately she clung to him.  Joshuel's hands started shaking as he realized that the Kraser was almost upon them, and he would not be able to fight it.  Suddenly, an arrow hissed over his head and he knew that Jonathan was there.

Jonathan came to his brother's side, an arrow knocked on the string and held at half-draw.  "You get Melissa back to her senses," Jonathan said.  "I'll handle the spider."  He moved off and started shooting at the spider again.    At last, with a final hissing scream, it collapsed.

Melissa's screams slowly quieted, and she leaned against Joshuel, crying softly. Joshuel had put his arms around her and now rubbed her shoulders, soothing her.  "Is it gone?" she asked.

"It's dead," said Joshuel.

Melissa peeked out, caught a glimpse of the dead Kraser, cried out, and hid her face against Joshuel again.  Joshuel slowly pivoted and began sidestepping towards the spider.  Melissa went with him, not wanting to get close to the spider, but not wanting to let go of Joshuel's reassuring hold.  "Stop," she moaned.

Joshuel stopped about ten feet from the spider.  "Here, Lissa," he said,  "It can't hurt you."

Melissa peeked out again and didn't like the spider dead any more than she liked it alive.  "Yuck," she said in a mixture of fright and disgust.

Joshuel pushed her back from him and, taking her hand, led her over to the spider.  "You can touch it," he said, wanting her to face her fear and become familiar with it.

Not letting go of his hand, Melissa leaned towards the spider, touched the matted hair with a finger and recoiled with the shriek, flinging her arms around Joshuel again.  "I don't like it," she said.

Joshuel and Jonathan laughed softly at her response.  Joshuel glanced down at his clingy student and found that now that the danger was gone, he didn't mind hugging her so much.  In fact, he realized, a little surprised by the revelation, he was rather enjoying it.  Slowly, he urged her to touch the spider again.  She reached out and put her hand on it before jumping back and hiding behind him.

Slowly, she became more accustomed to the creature and no longer screamed and hid behind the boys at the sight of it.  Its presence was enough to make her flinch, but that did not concern Joshuel.  Kraser spiders were extremely dangerous and a fear of them was actually a healthy thing, so long as it did not get out of hand.

 

They stayed at White Rocks Scout Station that night.  Joshuel talked to some other Scouts who told him that the Kraser population was getting out of hand and the spiders were not only attacking but killing more and more people to the extent that the Council was organizing spider hunts.  He also found out why Jonathan had not agreed to take over Melissa's mentoring.    The stationmaster at White Rocks had a daughter, Justyne, who, though she was cordial to everyone, was just a little more cordial to Jonathan.  Joshuel did not immediately notice it, but when Melissa started choking on her food in an attempt not to laugh while watching the two, he figured something was up and noticed that Jonathan and Justyne were watching each other.  Jonathan managed to take an extremely long time eating his food, and by the time he was finished, there was hardly anyone in the room, and Justyne was free to come over beside him and eat her own supper.  The two of them stayed up later than most and talked.  Half on and half off the top bunk of the bunk bed in the room he was sharing with his brother, Joshuel thought about how pleasant it would be if he could stay up and talk with Melissa like that.