Things Unseen: (An epic fantasy adventure series) (The Caris Chronicles Book 1) by Melina Grace Page A

be pushing in on either side of the road. The knowledge that openness was so close brought her some comfort as she forced herself to focus on the varied species of plant that began to introduce itself into her surroundings. As she rode, she noticed small droppings she was unfamiliar with and decided she would spend the afternoon trying to spot a new kind of animal.
    When they reined in that evening, Caris discovered that, although she hadn’t had any success in her search, she felt more relaxed than she had in days. She paused on Indira’s back momentarily for one last look around in the gathering gloom; suddenly Garner was at her side once more lifting her from her saddle. She began to think the joke was getting a bit old and hoped he wouldn’t continue it much longer.
    Everyone tended to their horses and set to lighting a fire much quicker than usual and Caris noticed that the shelter of the trees meant that darkness was descending on the camp much faster. As she sat down to eat, she was relieved to see that Garner didn’t sit by her but instead sought out Kalen’s company. A slight weight lifted from her shoulders and she realised it wasn’t just the trees making her feel closed in but Garners constant presence by her side.
    Caris finished cleaning the plates and headed over to lay out her roll. As she passed Kalen and Garner, they glanced up at her and she heard Kalen saying softly, “I just can’t at the moment Garner. I have my own stuff to work through.” Intrigued, Caris wanted to stop, but not wanting to intrude she continued on to lay out her sleeping mat. Instead of lying down immediately, Caris cut through the trees.
    This evening, she walked away from the river and headed for the tree line opening out onto the vast dry land she had always known. As she cleared the trees, the sky suddenly came alive with stars that had been blocked by overhanging branches. She found a place to sit but was disappointed to discover her view hindered by tall clumps of grass. Wearily Caris considered standing but found herself too tired . I’ve been sitting all day, she thought wryly, you’d think I’d be glad to have the chance to stand on my own two feet.
    She sat for a while gazing at the stars, and comparing the prickly plant nearby to the one she was more familiar with from home. She wondered what Garner had been asking Kalen to do and what was the stuff she had to work out. It could be about her feelings for Jispri, she mused, but though Kalen was always kind to him, Caris hadn’t detected any signs of affection that she didn’t show to her other companions; in fact she was probably more restrained with him than she was with Bonny, Syngar, and Crispin.
    Caris stayed a short while, then headed tiredly back to her roll. Sleep didn’t come easily though and she kept finding herself staring at the blackness of the canopy of trees above, where stars should have been.
    The next morning as they rode out, Caris watched as Bridee, a handsome young soldier who was friends with Jispri and Corin, rode up to join Kalen. Kalen shook her head at him and with a quiet word nudged her horse away. He fell back dejectedly and from behind, Caris heard Jispri laugh and call out, “Told ya”. Kalen ignored them and continued to ride, staring straight ahead as if lost in another world.
    Before long Garner’s horse fell naturally into step alongside Indira. “I’m trying to spot new kinds of animals,” she told him. He began to tell her about the quillet, a quick sleek animal similar to the eppet in appearance but much smaller. It sounded so beautiful Caris hoped she might see one, but Garner assured her that they were so timid they would never remain close to where the band was coming through.
    The rest of the morning, whenever their pace allowed, Garner told her about the wonderful animals in the jungle they were heading toward. Caris began to look forward to entering that immense area of trees. She wondered how Garner knew so much