The Road...

Sie sits atop the carriage, the day is cold and crisp hir breath hangs in the air like the breath of the horses pulling the carriage. In fine weather other travellers would sit out here with hir, but it's winter so sie sits alone. The carriage is making good speed across the moors, as good as these roads will allow, sie could travel faster but that would be uncomfortable. As night approaches sie picks up speed but the cold damp ground still hinders hir progress, looking ahead sie can see the ruins on the cliffs of home and the sun starting to set. Sie realises sie hasn't made as good progress as sie though sie had, sie's not going to make the tavern before nightfall. Sie urges the horses onwards and the speed picks up once again, as the darkness draws near the need becomes more urgent. Sie half stands and cracks the whip, the speed picks up, the coach starts to bounce down the track. Keeping on eye on the sun and another on the road sie holds hir hat to hir head as sie races for the tavern. The night draws in and the wind whips hir long drivers coat around hir, now sie will not slow, not until the safety of the snug.

The world moves on, sie moves with it, sitting in hir wagon, always moving on.

Snow covers the ground and freezing wind blows but even in the open cab it's impossible to feel anything but the boiling heat, the mighty scarlet engine covers the ground fast. The fire box is opened and hir fireman shovels more coal into the fire before the heavy iron doors are closed again. Sie stands at the engine, one hand on the regulator, watching the line ahead, there's a station coming up but sie will not stop here, this is the express. Sie pulls the chain and watches the column of steam that accompanies the blast of the whistle, the signals change, sie's straight though on the centre line. Sie presses on the regulator and pulls the valve back picking up speed, as sie enters the station sie leans out with a practised hand throws hir token over the waiting post. The engine thunders thought the small station, passing the train waiting on the platform. The signal man is waiting at the other end of the station with another token, sie leans out once more positioning hir arm to accept the token, he throws it over hir arm and sie's gone, permission to use the line. Later the lights of the final station come into sight, here it's all change, the tiny two platform station a contrast to the massive multi-platform sie left from. The sie gives one last blast on the whistle as the train slows for the station, the signals are all clear, this is the end of the line.

The world moves on, sie moves with it, sitting in hir wagon, always on the road.

The convoy moves carefully across the tundra, these huge slow machines will cross half the world before their journeys end. Their progress is slow but out here that's all they can expect, they will cover the distance, the will make it home. But for now home is months away, for now all they can do is cover as much ground as possible. While the country is cold and unfriendly the people are not, the convoy travellers don't speak the language but they are accepted by the locals, so they enjoy the journey no matter how hard it is. Suddenly the middle trailer sinks into the ground and it's tractor cannot drag it out. The lead unit looks back as hir escort vehicle stops to assist the stuck unit, the third unit passes it and continues on the journey. They will be back, but not with their loads, if they stop they will sink like their friends, for now sie is all the help that unit's operator will have. Sie pulls along side to asses the unit, it's not as bad as it could be, the unit has sunk but there is ground below it. It will be possible to tow it out, but that has to wait until the other units return, hir vehicle cannot hope to pull that kind of weight. Sie's just there to be with the driver, there to offer any support sie can, it's going to be a long wait they they're going to be happier waiting in hir escort vehicle than in the big unit. Hours later they return to recover the stranded unit, their loads left where the ground is hard and safe, but now they're all tired, they've been on the road for weeks and still there is no end in sight.

The world moves on, sie moves with it, sitting in hir wagon, in the ever changing world.

The wheels dig into the soft sand searching for grip as the bike climbs, once atop the dunes sie comes to a stop and looks around. Sie's looking for the convoy, sie knows it out there somewhere, but all sie can see is a sea of sand. Sie pulls hir goggles up and rubs hir eyes, the blazing sun makes hir eye water inside hir goggles, and the mask uncomfortably warm, but sie needs them, anyone who rides this sea of sand needs them. Sie takes a small swig of water from the soft flask at hir side, it's hot like the air but at least it's wet. Sie's been looking for the convoy for hours now, sie needs to find it, it's too far to go back with the few supplies sie has left. They're not where they're meant to be or sie's not where sie thinks sie is, sie doesn't know which. But sie'll have to find them, it's a hard search, the wind whips the sand up, getting in everywhere, and the heat is unbearable in long clothes but to wear less would leave hir whipped by the sand. Sie longs to got back, where sie can feel the air between hir legs without the searing pain of the blowing sand. But home is a long way away, so sie puts the mask and goggles on to set out again. The three wheels grip the sand and sie's off once more in search of hir missing convoy.

The world moves on, sie moves with it, sitting in hir wagon, watching the world around hir.

The black road speeds away below hir, all around hir vehicles are at a standstill, but sie is small and nimble, sie can still move. The case on the back is five star, as fast as possible, not as fast as legal just as fast as possible, so sie dodges traffic. People in the gridlock see hir and react, some with annoyance some moving out of hir way. Sie's glad of hir heavy couriers leathers, as sie waves hi way though the gridlock at speeds most can only dream of. Soon sie hits the open road and hir speed increases even more, out here there's nothing to slow hir down, sie's inches from the cold hard tarmac as sie turns. But that doesn't matter, all that matters is getting the case to the destination as fast as possible. Couriers don't have a long life expectancy, it comes with the territory, but sie can always beat the odds, sie always makes it back.

The world moves on, sie moves with it, sitting in hir wagon, nowhere to call home.

Sie climbs down out hir truck, hir breath visible in the cold morning air, there's a hard frost on the ground as sie relieves hir self next to the truck before starting hir walk round. Once sie's happy that the truck is as it should be sie climbs back up into the cab. This small metal box has been hir home for the past few days, hir real home, hir wagon is parked back at the depot, sie muses it's probably a block of ice at the moment. Sie looks back at the bunk behind hir seat and just can bring hirself to tidy it, sie's two hours late already sie'll sort it another time, sie starts the truck and heads south. This run has been a long one, but now sie's empty sie can play for a while provided sie doesn't add excess time to hir journey, so sie runs though the country side heading home. As sie drives the wind freezes the line and forms ice on hir trucks supports, but sie's happy and warm in the cab. Sie's looking forward to the night, back where sie can go and sie in the snug, all round is cold, but the snug will be warm and the people friendly. Sie is not really known, but at least sie is familiar, this is the best sie can hope for hir life is the one of the road.

The world moves on, sie moves with it, sitting in hir wagon, this is hir life.