Chapter 7 – Shengcún
AN: Firstly I want to again say a big thanks to you all for the support – you guys are brilliant, love you all!
Second, I've had a few comments asking for longer chapters & here's my answer:-
I see each chapter as a separate part of the story (unless it's a cliffhanger) & at the end of the day each is the length I feel is needed. Also, if I wrote longer chapters then the updates would be a lot less frequent. I've decided to go with the advice from my stunning beta Rennie75 & simply write what I am happy with each time. I truly do want to make you all very happy & enjoy my writing as that is a Huge part of writing for me – but I have to write how I feel is best. I hope you understand?
Having said all that, I have made this chapter longer than I originally planned, as well as staying up late in order to write all of the next chapter as well so as to give you another fast update. I hope you will like it when I post it tomorrow :-) I take it as a huge compliment that you want more so thank you!
Disclaimer: Don't own it, CW does. I only own my mistakes.
"Slade." Oliver knew that for now at least that was all he had to say.
Third Party POV
Roy followed Oliver out of the cave and they headed back to meet the others with Oliver updating Roy on the way on everything that had happened. Roy was less than impressed that Slade had brought Thea into it yet again and it was clear from his barely restrained anger that Roy was against anyone who might hurt Thea. She was his world and he would do anything for her. For now that meant working with Oliver and the rest of Team Arrow so that was what Roy was willing to do.
They detoured slightly on the way so that Oliver could kill a deer for them all to have for their meal. Feeding nine was going to take a lot more than it had when it had only been him on the Island, the most Oliver had ever been with at one time was four others he realized. Fyres' mercenaries didn't count as they hadn't been with him and had had food shipped in anyway.
Roy was surprised to see how involved it was to kill an animal, he had only seen Oliver going up against people of course and had just assumed it would be no more difficult – easier even as an animal wouldn't be attacking in return. Things like needing to stand downwind had never even occurred to Roy before, nor did he think about just how sensitive an animal's hearing could be. They had lost the first animal when Roy had inadvertently caught the edge of a leaf making the slightest of sounds – hell he hadn't even heard it himself, but the stag had and so had Oliver, somehow.
Once he'd killed the deer Oliver proceeded to use a vine to strap it to a branch and Roy then carried it back to the cave for Oliver. Roy figured the carrying was the least he could do, especially as he'd lost them the first animal after all. Plus Roy knew it was safer for them both if Oliver had his hands free to use the bow. Neither man trusted Slade not to have left other traps or dangers set up, or even a Mirakuru enhanced force to attack them.
If he was honest with himself Roy was still surprised that Oliver had released him. If he'd wanted to he could have just stayed quiet and Roy would never even have known that it had been Oliver – heck he hadn't been certain he'd heard anything/anyone in the first place. Roy knew that he owed Oliver his life, again. Nobody would have ever needed to know that Oliver had found him while he was still alive either Roy realized, everybody would have just blamed Slade without stopping to query it.
"Why?" Roy found himself asking without ever really meaning to.
Oliver looked at him, knowing exactly what it Roy was asking, but still wishing he hadn't.
"Thea." Oliver hoped that would be enough of an answer for now. He knew he was going to have a lot of questions to answer tonight as it was and really wasn't up for adding to that. Thankfully Roy seemed to understand and accept that and let the matter lie.
"Thank you." The words were simple but heartfelt and considering everything that had gone on Oliver was just grateful to have someone outside of his main Team who wasn't angry with him right now.
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They got to Yao Fei's cave to find that Sara had got the fire going as asked and such blankets as there were had been handed to Thea, Laurel, Felicity, and his Mom. Oliver was glad it was summer meaning that even though it would be cold at night it was still perfectly survivable without blankets, unlike winter. Oliver had already told Roy to leave the deer outside for now, best to let them know he was here first. Oliver walked into the cave with Roy right behind him. As they saw the others Roy stepped to one side allowing them to see him too.
"Roy!" Thea screamed in delight, relief, and surprise all at once.
Considering the force with which Thea launched herself at Roy it was a good thing he was enhanced by the Mirakuru. Again questions rained down on them, something that Oliver was fast getting sick of but knew wouldn't be ending anytime soon, unfortunately.
Roy looked at Oliver before answering briefly with the abridged version. "Slade captured me, I got knocked out. Next thing I knew I was chained in a cave, don't know quite how long I was there before Oliver found me. He saved my life."
Talk about the cliff notes version! Diggle thought seeing straight away there was far more to it than that. Especially considering the remnants of injuries Roy was sporting. He knew better than to ask any further though, if Oliver thought it was something they needed to know then he would tell them.
Oliver's POV
Putting a stop to all the questions that were still coming Oliver just walked out of the cave to get the deer. He had previously slit its throat so that the others wouldn't have to deal with that, trying to make things as easy for them as possible.
"What the heck is that?" Laurel asked pointing at the deer.
"Dinner." Oliver answered succinctly.
"Oliver you can't really expect us to eat that, surely?!" His Mom said disdainfully.
Oliver was annoyed but not surprised by their response. He caught sight of Sara and Diggle both rolling their eyes and Felicity looked close to starting another glaring match with Laurel. Oliver avoided their faces as he knew that a grin wouldn't go down all that well now. He could have completely predicted this and had actually been expecting it. His Mom hadn't even been able to handle proper camping before so he knew this would be a rude awakening to her.
"Just be glad I didn't make you kill it." Oliver thought back to his own early days and how Yao Fei had taught him that his own survival was paramount. He saw the look on Felicity's face without meaning to and knew she was remembering when he'd told her about what Yao Fei had done. He remembered she had understood things better after that and had told him it was good to know there had been a process involved in him being able to kill. Maybe it would help if the other knew that too? I'm going to have to answer some questions tonight anyway, at least if I choose how I start I'll have more chance of keeping it under control.
Oliver took out the combat knife and started preparing the deer for cooking as Sara set up the spit poles over the fire. As he worked he took a few deep breaths first to help prepare himself for revealing things he had never wanted them to know. As he did so Felicity moved to sit opposite him so that he could focus on her eyes, she knew how much he relied on her to anchor him and even here, in the midst of all this, she was still trying to make it easier for him as best she could. Diggle and Sara moved into flanking positions, one on either side, lending their own unspoken support too. He looked at each of them, his own thanks also unvoiced but just as well known, as he began to speak.
"When I first got to this Island I was on my own and dying of dehydration, I'd been floating in a life-raft for days as I told you in Court when they legally resurrected me. What I didn't say was what happened after that. I was on the beach when I was shot with an arrow by a Chinese man I later found out was called Yao Fei." Oliver ignored the reactions to that and continued speaking.
"The Island was not abandoned, it was being used by mercenaries who were hunting Yao Fei, he had thought I was one of the soldiers and so had shot me in self-defense. Yao Fei realized I wasn't one of them so brought me here and treated my wound. He gave me water, herbs that are the only medicine you'll find here, and kept me alive to start with." Oliver looked around as he spoke meeting his sister's eyes first before moving onto to his Mom's eyes.
"Yao Fei knew that to make it here you have to learn one thing above all else and you have to learn it fast. He brought in this little bird that was alive in a cage, put it down next to me, and pointed at it saying 'shengcún'. I figured that meant 'bird', it was all he would say. He would eat himself but never let me have any, stopped me if I tried to get at it. He just kept pointing at the damn bird and repeating 'shengcún'." Oliver looked to Walter as he continued.
"Finally after a few days he pointed at me and mimed wringing the bird's neck. I was starving and weak already from the arrow wound. If I didn't eat soon then I would die, but I still couldn't do it though. I remember what I said to him next and his replies." Oliver met Laurel's eyes before continuing knowing that she would find this hardest to accept, but needing her to know he hadn't found it easy to kill.
"I said 'Hey, please, I'm starving. I never killed anything before.' Yao Fei paid no attention though, as if I wasn't even speaking. I realized I had no choice, it was either my death or I killed the bird."
Oliver gave a mirthless laugh looking down before he continued speaking. "I actually said 'I'm sorry' to the bird before I wrung its neck, killing it."
Oliver paused for a few seconds before meeting Thea's eyes. "After that he cooked it and let me eat the bird, before sitting down opposite me. He said 'shengcún' again. I was fed up with that damn word by then, I'd done what he'd said, what more did he want? I was pissed off and let it show as I replied to Yao Fei saying 'Yeah, bird, I know!' I wasn't expecting his response though."
"Yao Fei said, 'Shengcún not mean bird. Shengcún mean survive.' I couldn't believe it, he spoke English?! Yao Fei ignored my comment and just continued as if I'd said nothing. 'You want survive this place bird not last thing you kill. Shengcún, survive.' It was a tough lesson but over time I realized he was right. Shengcún, survive. If you want to survive this place then that is what you need to learn too. Survive." Oliver finished darkly looking finally to Felicity, needing her approval and was relieved to see her encouraging smile.
Third Party POV
"Just be glad Oliver's not making you learn it the same way." Sara said after a few minutes of shocked silence. She was reinforcing Oliver's words and hoping at the same time to distract them from the fact that she hadn't been on the Island with Oliver then too. Sara knew that it would be her turn to talk soon enough, that she would have to explain her part in the Mirakuru, in creating Slade in the first place, but hoped to delay that as long as possible.
Whilst Oliver talked Thea had been watching the faces of those around him. She realized that this story was not new to Felicity or Diggle, just as they had already known he was the Arrow. Just how much has my brother told them – and why did he trust them but not me? Thea had also noticed how Oliver had completely skipped over the part about being shot; it was as if his injuries, his own pain, didn't even matter to him.
"Thank you Oliver." Thea said without elaboration. She knew her brother would understand she was thanking him not only for the food and the lesson/explanation, but also for sharing something of his past with them all, despite the fact that he clearly found it hard to do so. Thea wondered about this Yao Fei, who was he and why were these mercenaries after him? How much other stuff did he teach Oliver? Was he the one who taught Oliver to shoot with the bow? So much we don't know still, but at least he's talking now, he's trying.
AN2: Hope you enjoyed your longer chapter, more coming tomorrow :-)
