31 To Tyrsted

It took little time to pack the truck once Mingan decided he'd healed well enough. He was still stiff, the scar tissue affecting his stride more than he preferred to let on. But Elloreah could also sense a very clear restlessness in him.

It had been hard to part with Maggie, but the woman had assured her that she was better. Sarah had a surprisingly substantial list of duties around the ranch. Putting Maggie in charge of a number of those things had given her a much needed sense of purpose and distraction. Something that Elloreah could almost envy. She was still caught in a sort of limbo.

Sarah fussed over Elloreah, doing her best to push extra clothes and a few other bags of produce on her. Mingan finally put a stop to it.

"I'll see to her needs. There's food a plenty at Tyrsted, it is a farm after all. And, it's a four hour drive. Let's go already."

"Okay, okay! I just want to make sure she's well prepared. From the condition she was in when she got here, we know that you're not the most accommodating travel partner."

"She got here in one piece," Mingan growled. "Thanks to me."

"Still!" Sarah protested.

"Just let the woman fuss," John grumbled. "I have a feeling it's only going to worsen over the next few months. If you're going to spend time with us this autumn, you'd best just get used to it."

Sarah flushed, and turned to John. "Shush!"

John shrugged and promptly changed the subject. "You'll be fine on your own while I drive them?"

Sarah laughed. "It'll only be a day, two at the most, right?"

John nodded.

"Maggie will help me out. You know the kids. They laze about as often as they can, but they'll help if they know they won't get fed."

John laughed and pulled Sarah into an embrace. "Right you are," he said before kissing her.

Elloreah took the opportunity to climb into the truck sliding into the center of the cab and pulling her knees to her chest. She was crawling with nerves. It was harder than she'd expected. Maggie's head injury was still a concern, and she hated to think she wouldn't be there to see her through the healing process.

Mingan leaned into the truck and shook his head, startling her out of her thoughts. "You need to take the window," he told her.

She glanced up. "Ah, alright..." she relented, sliding back along the seat. She found herself quickly missing the carriages she knew from her home realm. This one was strangely tight, allowing for little leg room. She could hardly see how all three of them would fit comfortably.

Mingan stood by until she was out and climbed in. "It's not that I relish the leg cramps I'll get from being wedged between you two, I just think it's good you see the land first hand."

John chuckled and climbed into the driver's seat. "And he doesn't want you anywhere near me."

Mingan growled, a playful warning. His protective tendencies towards her had become something of a joke between them.

John chuckled and pulled his door shut. Elloreah did the same. When John put his arm along the window, she mirrored his gesture, unsure of what to do with herself. The rumble of the engine coming to life startled her, and Mingan reached over and patted her knee.

"It's a frightening sounding beast, isn't it?" he said, solemnly.

She nodded.

"Let's hope it actually gets us to our destination," Mingan added.

"Hey," John snapped. "You'll hurt her feelings."

"It won't harm the old clunker any more than your lack of maintenance," Mingan retorted. He patted the dash. "Get us there, and I'll give you a proper tune up when I come back," he told the truck in a low whisper. That earned him a snarl from John, and Elloreah giggled despite herself.

"It is just a machine, isn't it?" she asked.

John chuckled. "Even machines have minds of their own."

Mingan turned to Elloreah, leaning back in his seat and stretching his legs out as much as he was able. "It's a machine, nothing more. No magic unless you count science and engineering. Still, it can be as frightening as any magical creature."

Elloreah gave him a startled glance and pulled her arm off the window, holding her arms in close to herself as the metallic beast began to move. "Really?"

He grinned. "No."

John glanced over at them. "Stop teasing the girl. We've got a long drive ahead."

"We'll stop for a break to stretch our legs, right?" Mingan shifted unsuccessfully in his seat.

"We might need to fuel up about halfway. I don't have a full tank, and it's been so long I don't remember how far this thing will get us."

"We might be stranded?" Elloreah asked.

Mingan laughed again. "Doubtful."

John tapped the dials. "Look, see these?" Elloreah leaned across Mingan to get a good look. "This one tells me if we have enough fuel. This one, our speed, and this one the temperature of the engine." He flashed her a smile. "Nothing to worry about."

She nodded and sat up, all too aware of just how much of herself had been draped across Mingan to get a good look at the dash. Cheeks flushed, she stared out the window, enjoying the wind coming in through the window.

"Only benefit of sitting here is easy access to the radio." Mingan muttered, reaching for one of the dials Elloreah could make little sense of. The sound that followed made her jump in her seat and put her hands over her ears.

Mingan laughed at her reaction, and looked to John. "I guess I'm more used to modern music than I realized."

Elloreah pulled her hands from her ears. "I didn't expect..." She listened intently for a long moment.

John chuckled. "I think you're more forgiving of musical trends than most, what with your fondness for collecting songs," John told Mingan.

Mingan shrugged.

"You'll adjust to the music here. Especially at Alistair's. The staff'll have a radio blaring more often than not," John added to Elloreah.

Mingan worked the dials some more and the music changed to a static and whine before finding more music. The next song was less abrasive. "Better?" Mingan asked.

"Much," she answered. "This isn't magic, either, is it?"

"No, as much as it might seem," Mingan explained. "As time goes on, and magic dwindles in this world, it would seem technology fills the gaps."

"Ah," was all Elloreah said. The music, the voices, the instruments in the song that Mingan had selected were actually quite lovely. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the moment. The wind on her face, the hum of the metallic beast in which they rode behind the music, the warmth of the day, it was all rather soothing.

Elloreah watched the scenery change from cool mountains, thick with pines to rolling hills covered with dry grasses, spotted with the occasional boulder and oak tree. From time to time, they'd pass a stream or other body of water that would bring a sudden shock of green, but most of the journey was brown and gold in color.

There were soon farm houses, and eventually a town. They passed through without stopping and she stared out at the small wooden houses. They weren't entirely unlike the cabins and cottages of her home world, but she was surprised to see so many packed together on the streets with swaths of green lawn in front of each one.

There were many people out on the streets in the heat and Elloreah fanned herself uncomfortably every time they came to a stop. The truck had grown almost unbearably warm, and she felt sticky from the heat. She didn't envy Mingan, wedged in the middle.