Lost at Sea-my version
Ch.10: What Would Cody Say?
For hours they walked, Maddy's sword clanked against her right leg and the rifle swayed against her back at every step she took. Maddy had her eyes glued to the map.
"How far are we?" Kala asked.
"We sure ain't close too halfway yet" Maddy said.
"We've been walking for hours" Kala complained.
"Let's take a break" Chen said.
"Yeah," Maddy agreed. "Take a break, I'll find where we are"
Kala and Chen sat down on two rocks, they drank out of the canteen they had been given. Maddy was sitting studying the map. Chen offered Maddy some water. Maddy took it and drank some, after she was done, she handed it back to Chen.
"So where are we?" Chen asked.
"Well closer than I thought" Maddy said. Maddy pointed to something on the map. "You see this river?"
Chen nodded.
"When we pass it, it's just straight on from there" Maddy navigated. "But by the looks of it, we won't get there till tomorrow afternoon"
"How long after we reach the river?" Kala asked.
"We might need to find a way across," Maddy said. "But after the river, we would probably, strongly, get there by tomorrow evening if we leave first thing in the morning"
"Alright" Chen said.
"Let's get some more covered," Maddy said. "Before it gets dark"
They got back up on their feet and continued on with Maddy leading.
That night, Maddy called it a night and they all set up camp right by a brook. Chen fetched some water right before the sun went down, it was pitch dark, all that there was in the way of light was the fire Chen and Maddy made, and the bright moon shining down upon the forest. Maddy was all wrapped up in a blanket, it was pretty chilly out in the woods. Chen stayed up guarding, keeping any eye for anything.
That morning, the fire had died down into embers but was still needed to be put out. She stomped the fire out, ashes went up in the air as Maddy's foot made contact with the scorched spot. She woke up Chen and Kala up. The sun was already rising. They ate some breakfast, packed up camp and started off again with Maddy still leading.
By mid-afternoon, they had crossed the river by making a small bridge. It wasn't a big river so it was easy to build a bridge. After the river, it all seemed easy. Maddy was walking while thinking of what to do when she reached the other village. What would she say? What would Cody say?
That's when it hurt her. Pain struck her heart, she was thinking about her friends and how she was separated from them. That was a tragic separation, probably right now her friends are either rescued, or stranded on an island or either worse dead. If they were rescued or stranded, they probably think she was dead. She let a tear fall while she was lost in her thoughts.
"Maddy?" Chen chimed as he walked with her. "Maddy..Maddy!"
Maddy shook her head.
"What?" Maddy asked.
"Are you okay?" Kala asked walking on her left.
"I'm fine" Maddy lied.
"Are you sure?" Chen asked.
"Yeah" Maddy lied once more. She looked back down on her map. "Come on, the village is not that far now"
They walked for another hour as night began to fall once more. They heard something and Maddy stopped.
"Wait," she whispered putting a hand out to motion a stop. "You hear that?"
It was the faint sound of beating drums, at first Maddy thought it was her mind playing tricks again but as they gained closer, it became more apparent that they were defiantly real drums. They were soon close enough to hear the chants.
"Ni Ka Wo Kon" it sounded like.
"That's a Nishawan chant" Chen said.
"We must be dead close" Maddy said. They soon picked up their pace and hurried to the camp. They walked up the clump of trees in front of them. They saw figures dancing around a campfire, while banging on hand drums or just dancing. It was indeed the other part of the Nishaw Tribe. But these Nishawans had huts as their homes not tepees. All the sudden, a group Nishawans grabbed Kala, Chen and Maddy. They brought them into the camp as prisoners. Maddy rolled her eyes at what happened, because it reminded her of the first time she met Nishawans. The drumming, chanting and dancing seized as the Chief came out.
"Who are these tresspassers?" he barked.
"Please," Maddy said. "I am Maddy and these are my friends Kala and Chen"
"Kala and Chen?" the Chief asked surprised.
"Yes sir," Maddy pleaded. "We were sent from our part of the Nishaw Tribe to seek help"
"With what?" the Chief barked.
"The Shuwai" Maddy said.
To be continued.