By the time Tris returned to Christina's home, everyone was fast asleep. They had left the door open for her to come it, at least. Nonetheless, she felt like an intruder as she tiptoed inside and looked for some bread in the kitchen. She knew Christina's mother would probably be alright with this, but it still felt as if she was doing something forbidden. Yet her stomach was rumbling, and she wouldn't be able to fall asleep this hungry.
When she finally climbed into her makeshift bed on the floor beside Christina's, exhaustion took over fast. She had known she was tired before, but now that she got to rest and relax her aching legs, it washed over her like a giant wave she couldn't stop. She welcomed it, for it allowed her to fall asleep soon instead of spending half the night awake. Most of her nocturnal worrying turned out useless anyway.
Christina shook her awake the next morning.
"Tris, I think you have to get up. I let you sleep for a while, but if you want to make it to the fountain today, I'm afraid you have to get out of bed."
"I'm so tired," Tris mumbled, wishing she could at least stay in bed a little longer.
"I know you are, and it's not surprising after your trip to the library yesterday. You could still take a break today and go to the fountain tomorrow, though. In that case, you can sleep all day if you need to."
What? Sleep all day? She never did that, except when she was sick, and even then, it wasn't something she liked, for she knew there were others she burdened with having to take care of her or her chores.
"No, it's fine. I'll get up, just give me five more minutes, please," she sighed, knowing she didn't want to take a day off.
If she came across any kind of obstacle on her way to the fountain, she wanted to have as much time as possible to try again and complete the task. She explained it to Christina over breakfast. They could speak freely, since her mother and sister had already eaten and left the house.
"Fair point, and actually very smart of you. I admire how resolute you are. The last two weeks have been so draining and I'm so thankful I can rest now. I can't remember going to bed as early as I did yesterday," Christina said between spoons of oatmeal.
"I'd love to take a day off to rest, but I can do that when I'm done with this task. Or all of the remaining tasks. It's only three more weeks."
"Oh, so you're optimistic you'll make it to the final one and complete that, too?"
"I guess I do."
Tris was a little surprised that she unconsciously believed in herself like this. She hadn't at the beginning, but now that she knew what lay ahead of her if she won this competition, or rather who she could be with then, she had more reasons than ever to hold on to the idea of getting through this successfully.
"I'm going to spend the day with Will," Christina changed the topic.
"Are you? Again? That's a good sign, isn't it?"
"I hope. He didn't have much time yesterday, since he had to work. But today he can take the afternoon off, and we're going to the lake together. We'll have more time to talk today."
"I'll keep my fingers crossed."
"I'll keep mine crossed for you, too."
The lake lay calm and sheltered between snowy hills, its frozen surface reflecting the clouds in the sky like a giant dark mirror. It looked otherworldly and surreal, unlike any other landscape. The sheer size of it stretching out towards the horizon was impressive.
Tris took a moment to admire the beautiful scenery before she remembered that she had a task to fulfill. Tapping the bag she had slung across her shoulder to make sure she had everything she needed with her, she set a foot onto the ice. She knew it had been frozen for years now, but she still had the need to test it first. What if she accidentally stepped onto the one patch that wasn't frozen over enough to carry her weight? It was probably good that she was so thin, even if it was just for the psychological effect.
As soon as she noticed that the ice carried her, she slid onto it and slithered rather than walked over it. While she stumbled a little at first, she soon got the hang of how to move across the shiny surface. She got braver and faster, enjoying the freedom that expanded inside her. She spread her arms wide and imagined she was a bird that took flight over the world, able to soar above the impertinences and struggles of everyday life and look down at it from afar. With no obstacle in sight, Tris closed her eyes for a moment, envisioning what her life looked like from above, feeling nothing but the ice gliding away under her feet and the wind caressing her face. It was cold, but for once, she didn't mind.
There was peace in the lonely quiet surrounding her, for it didn't push her or ask her to do anything. She didn't have any need to fill it with words, and neither did she want to taint it with fears and concerns.
With reality tuned out like this, time lost its meaning, and it could have been either a minute or an hour that Tris had passed on the lake as she opened her eyes to see the mouth of a stream at the shore in front of her. She skidded to a halt, took out the map and unfolded it. All it showed her was an arrow pointing ahead.
Frowning, she tucked the map back into her bag and made her way over and carefully stepped onto the frozen grass at the shore. It wasn't covered in snow, but it scrunched under her feet. From now on, she knew she wouldn't be allowed to speak.
There was no real path beside the stream that she could walk on, but it was easy enough to trail along beside it. With concern, Tris kept looking for signs that it wasn't entirely frozen over, that somewhere beneath the ice was still water flowing towards the lake, but she couldn't make out any. She would have to see what the fountain looked like once she got there.
The further she walked, the smaller the stream became until it was a mere rivulet. Now the surroundings changed, for she had reached the foot of one of the hills after following the many bends through a never ending valley. The open landscape with its endless meadows turned into a forest. Tris was thankful that it wasn't as dark and scary as the one they'd walked through in Abnegation, but she had to think of what Christina had told her. The fountain lay close to the Candor part of the Dark Forest. Still, she hoped it wouldn't turn out as frightening as the one close to the wall. She shuddered as she remembered being lost in the dense fog, chill creeping underneath her clothes and fear clasping her throat.
No, she couldn't go there now. She'd have to ignore the memories and be stronger than them, before they grew stronger than her. So far, it was a light, friendly forest. She came across paw prints in the mud, and sometimes birds flew past her. It was oddly comforting, for it reassured her that she wasn't all alone out here. And like earlier when she was crossing the lake, her thoughts calmed down, and she lost count of the steps she was taking and the hours that passed.
Eventually, the terrain changed again and turned steeper. The vegetation was less dense as the ground turned stony. Behind a sharp bend, the rivulet was leading into a gorge. Tris gasped as she took in the powerful sight and bit her lip to not accidentally say anything to herself about how impressive it looked.
There was only a narrow path leading upwards between the frozen water and the solid rock on the right. As soon as Tris entered the gorge, the world turned darker around her, for less light reached the ground down here between the walls of rock. Again, she was thankful she was so thin, and also that she had started training regularly, as there were a few spots where she had to use her hands to climb over a fallen stone or to pull herself up on a rope that someone had tied to a branch high up above. The latter didn't look very trustworthy, weathered over the years, but luckily, it supported her weight as she clung to it as she overcame a ledge.
Someone else might have gotten discouraged, but not Tris. She didn't even need to spur herself on. She was so focused on what she wanted to accomplish that she knew that the more difficult the path became, the closer she was to the fountain. So she welcomed every obstacle, ignored the pain in her muscles and enjoyed how clear and calm her mind was.
And then, suddenly, she was there. She could see where the water used to flow out between stones, right ahead of her, only a few more yards away. She needed to get there to examine it and see what she could do to unfreeze it. Or, if she was lucky, there was running water somewhere below the ice.
This last part was particularly difficult, since the path was carved into the side of the rock and rose up before it led down to the fountain, like a very adventurous narrow bridge. It would be no use trying to walk on the frozen rivulet instead, for it was too slippery. Out here all alone, she'd better not twist her ankles.
Tris set one foot in front of the other as she ascended on the rocky ledge. The path was as narrow as her forearm, which made it a slow climb. She had to stop to find good spots she could clutch to stop herself from falling. She looked down between her feet as she reached the highest point, which was a mistake. A few pebbles fell down from where she stood, demonstrating just how easily she could fall, too. With her eyes closed, she focused on her destination once more and forced her breathing to slow down. After that, it was easier to finish the last part of the hike.
She had made it! She swore to herself she wouldn't leave without the required water now. Not after getting this far.
She examined the ice and wondered if she could just chip off some of it. Did it matter that it was frozen? It was the same substance she was charged to get, so she could just put it into her bottle and the vial until it would thaw. Too bad she didn't have Al's pickaxe anymore. Looking around, she saw a broken branch lying beside the rock that had to have fallen down from one of the trees above. Tris hurried to pick it up and started to hit the ice with it, hoping to batter it into tiny pieces. It took an unusual effort to accomplish, and she knelt down to collect the shreds and fill them into the bottle she had brought just for this. To make sure that her plan was working, she tucked it beneath her coat, shivering as the cold glass made contact with her stomach. It felt much colder than the temperature of the air suggested, and that even though there were still two layers of fabric between the bottle and her skin.
How long would it take it to melt? Tris leaned with her back against the rock, trying to give her legs a short rest while she waited. She looked up and saw a flock of birds flying over the gorge up above. She couldn't make out which species they belonged to, since they looked completely black against the white sky. It was funny that from down here the clouds looked this white and soft, unusually so. Was it simply an illusion because of the darkness of the high walls or were they thinner here? If she squinted, she could almost imagine glimpsing the sun behind them.
Weirdly, she forgot the time again. The bottle had warmed enough to not feel uncomfortable to hold under her coat any longer, and she pulled it out to examine it. At least part of the ice should have melted to water by now.
But no. The ice was gone, sure, but it hadn't changed to water. The bottle was empty.
Tris had to bite her lip yet again to stop herself from shouting out loud. What had she done wrong? She had gotten permission to come here, had followed the path from the lake upwards, had climbed over rocks and fallen trees, and she hadn't spoken a single word since she had first set foot onto the shiny surface of the lake. And now, after all that, the reason why she couldn't fulfill her task should be that the fountain was frozen?
No, she refused to make peace with that. This was her one and only chance, she had to think of something else. There had to be a way to solve this problem, there just had to.
Tris leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to come up with an idea. But her mind was both racing and empty at the same time.
But sometimes, an idea strikes like lightning, sudden and bright.
Upon opening her eyes, Tris saw a glimpse of real sunlight behind the clouds high above. Sunlight... Warmth...
She hastily reached inside her bag, rummaged around in it. It had to be there, she wouldn't leave this behind anywhere. Her mother had given it to her, however Natalie could have known she would need it.
Triumphantly she pulled out the knife as if she'd already won the battle she was caught up in. She pulled off the leather shield and stared at the sharp blade. It was impressive, a powerful tool, sure, but she didn't need it to cut into anything. At least, not literally.
She polished the silver metal with her coat and then tried to angle it properly to try if her idea could work. Thankfully, miraculously even, the clouds broke open to reveal a patch of blue sky and sunlight. It streamed down onto her, fell onto her skin, her hand. That was where it touched her, but Tris wasn't interested in the warmth it gave to her skin. No, her eyes were glued to the blade that reflected the sun's rays directly towards the fountain, illuminating it with light. It took only seconds before its surface began to turn shiny and a drop of liquid ran down to the ground. It worked!
The ice melted away in no time, and water began to flow from the stone. It wasn't much, just a small trickle, but it was enough. She didn't need a stream.
Tris didn't dare to take the knife down out of fear the fountain might freeze over again immediately. With one hand, she reached for the bottle. It took some time, but she managed to fill it. Next, she filled Jack's little vial. She wasn't sure if she'd make use of his offer and return to the library, but she wanted to keep this option for the moment.
She put both vessels into her bag after checking twice that they were well closed, and the small bottle bumped against her drinking bottle. Should she maybe...?
It was a quick decision. She took it out and filled it just like she had the other two. This water was obviously considered precious, for whatever reasons, so maybe she could use it later in exchange for something else she'd desperately need in her next tasks.
The way back was much easier and shorter, or at least it felt as if it was. Perhaps it was the knowledge that the water was stowed away in her bag, that the task was almost fulfilled, or the knife she was now carrying proudly tied to her belt. She wished she could tell her mother how it had helped her, how thankful she was that she'd given it to her before she'd left. Or maybe it was the refreshed memory of how sunlight felt on her face, even if it had lasted for only a minute or two.
Tris reached the lake in no time. It looked even nicer now that she didn't have as many fears in her mind to smudge the view. It stretched in front of her, peaceful and quiet in the twilight. And now she'd be able to slither home to Christina, where food and a straw mattress awaited her, and where she would be able to finally share her success with someone. She was bursting to tell her that she had been successful.
But the moment she stepped on the ice and wanted to start crossing the lake, a hand gripped her shoulder and pulled her sideways with such force that she lost her balance, stumbled and fell.