The Adventure: Part ninth, nuts and trees.

You may find that I tend to talk slightly negatively about my traveling companions. I also haven't referred to them by name, because at this point, I knew no names. But this latter fact is about to change. For, it was during this part of the journey that I learned their names.

The one I had been traveling with, the woman, was named Alyra. That was pronounced with the sounds of Uh, Leer, Ah. Of course, this being writing I may need to try more. I will add an appendix later on, in which I cover that topic thoroughly.

But, I have digressed. Alyra was the type of woman who was very self sufficient. Apparently, to this point, I had succeeded in showing the side of me that is an annoyance, but capable of serving without too much trouble on the side of the person who needs the helper.

Now, to move on, we had just met William Van Heinrich McLaughlin da Firenze Vincent Hugh Mohair Ibn-Abbaas Lebachovski CCXVII, Or Henry for short. He was a wild man, born and raised in the hills and mountains, to parents who firmly believed in not fixing unbroken things. If the name worked, they wouldn't change it, and so it had been for two-hundred twelve generations, and there was no reason to change that.

Henry was an odd man. His beard was long and unshaven for countless years, and his clothing worn. Upon his shoulders were suspenders for his pants. He liked to take it easy, paying attention to things I would never have thought of. Such things as the birds, bees, rabbits, weather, lions, wolves, cities, clouds, grass winds... The list went on. All those things I never thought about were the utmost upon his mind.

But, enough of that. I had last mentioned climbing the hill, to find my companion and this new person deep in an engaging and obviously entertaining conversation. I finally reached them, dropping flat on the ground, not daring to move a muscle.

"Oh, he's quite a hard worker, isn't he Alyra?" The wild mountain-hill man said this.
"Eh, he'll do. Considering that he's got the willpower of a-" Was Alyra's response, once edited to remove her usual foul tongue.
"Well, 'bout time to give him a rest, right?" Said the wild man.
"Only if he really needs it." Said Alyra, "Because I gotta keep moving."
"Oh, don't spend too long on the road. It's dark now, and you never know when a Fearsome Orangie will appear!" Said the wild man.

Now, I must explain to you the danger of the Fearsome Orangie, otherwise known as Limus Orangus Formidolosus, was a strange form of slime. It was a large floating mass that emitted the most eerie of squeaking noises as it floated through the air. They only wandered during the night, or in dark places, and threatened to attach to your head and drown you. Or asphyxiate you. Or something like that.

Naturally, nobody ever wanted to run into those. So, Alyra accepted the wild mans offer, grumbling as she did so. Still being held down with weight, I merely stayed as I was, and fell asleep to the strange singing of the wild stranger.