Chapter 3-Food
Sakira slowly rose out of the water, and stumbled to shore. The water got colder every time she entered it. The pleasant breeze was now a freezing wind.
With frozen hands, she wrung her hair, and ran her fingers through it. If her fingers ever unfroze, she'd have to braid it. Her clothes were made for the pleasant Japanese summer, not a harsh Canadian one.
Sakira looked up as blankets were wrapped around her. A hood was made over her head. "We should get some firewood. She's been here 4 days, she won't last much longer at this rate." Sakira corrected them. "4 waters." They looked at her, and Sakira realized it was with pity.
No. They would not pity her. Those tears would only freeze on their faces. She'd figured that out the only time she'd cried, late at night, and the tears had frozen her face, making her cold body shiver. She was sad, too. She was no longer able to wring her dress out. She didn't know how she realized this, but realized it was wrong.
She stood, threw the blankets over their heads, and ran.
Sakira ran, even though her wet hair cruelly whipped her, the wind bit and fought her. She could not stop running. Through the trees, past another lake, and through the trees again.
Tomoko and Syaoko looked at each other. It was night, and although running would warm her up, it would help no one if she froze. "Tomoko, you must stay at camp and light a fire. I would bet she's at the next lake, submerged again. That'll freeze her if she doesn't have something warm." Tomoko slowly nodded. "Bring her back quickly. Don't stop and talk. Just bring her back."
~*~
Yamazaki and Chiharu had a daughter, Chelsea. She liked camping and adventures, but her mother never let her go alone. Until. A phone call came from an old classmate they'd had in school. "Tomoyo! No, Chelsea's fine. Ran away? Why would she? Oh, well you know Syaoran and Meiling. Those two loved getting in trouble. We never did? Oh, Yamazaki's been tamed." Chelsea saw her father's eyes dance. She doubted her mother had ever tamed her father. "No, don't worry. With all the training I've heard those three do, they should be in no trouble at all. Sure, we'll fly over Quebec, but if we see them, I don't think we'll do anything. Especially not if Eriol says he can get them in a second! Thanks for calling, but could you wait until morning next time? It's 11pm here!" Chelsea smiled at her father. Her mother would never let her go. Her father would understand. "I'd like to speak with Eriol, Chiharu." His wife nodded, and was upset as they spoke in rapid English, a language she just barely understood. "All right. Thank you. I'm adding Chelsea to the mix." When he hung up, a suspicious Chiharu stood before him. "Add Chelsea mix? You not gonna put Chelsea out there?" Yamazaki laughed. "No, you don't understand English well enough! I was asking Eriol for his recipe. He said Chelsea's cherries would go well in the mix." Chiharu shook her head. "What cherries, Yamazaki? This had better not be another story you've cooked up!" Chelsea's eyes gleamed. As soon as her mother fell asleep, she'd be heading for some new friends, and an actual adventure!
~~*
Syaoko found Sakira a few lakes over, and was shivering cold, hungry, and tired. "Sakira!" he yelled again. He heard her giggle. SNAP! What was she doing? SNAP! CRACKLE! She had a small fire going. She was holding her pendant, and smacking his chain against it. Sparks were flying. Her little fire died. "Take me home, Syaoko. I want to make a big fire."
However, at 'home,' Tomoko was having nowhere near the amount of success Sakira had just had. He was still beating two sticks against each other, when they came back. She came over to Tomoko's fire pile, and with Syaoko's ripped up check book, coaxed a fire out. With some prodding, their fire dwindled, but they quickly realized why, and made a rock circle around it. They pushed the paper down towards the bottom with a damp stick. They didn't want it wet, that had almost killed the flame. But once the fire had started, Sakira had taken her bag, and changed into something else which her cloak covered. She had her white ripped dress in front of her, and she held it before the flames. It had been wrung out, but she knew she couldn't wear it again wet. She must make sure her clothes were all dry. As soon as her dress had dried, she poured water over it. "Come. We will sleep in a cave tonight. More safe." She held their bags, and they realized they were supposed to carry their firewood. They followed her, and slowly stumbled onto the reason she wanted the cave.
At first, they didn't realize there was a cave. A waterfall cascading down a rock. She climbed halfway up, and flipped herself at the rock. The boys cried out. She was going to be smashed and thrown down the waterfall. But they didn't see her blue cloak falling, so they dropped the firewood, and climbed up after her. They realized this cave was not primitive. Stone steps actually crossed the lake. The boys had thought them odd stones. Beneath the waterfall, carved stone steps actually eased the climb. It appeared Sakira's cave was only a smaller version of the original. "We'll store our firewood in there. We must get a lot of wood. It gets much colder at night." They thought she was used to being cold, and now that she was warm, she thought it would get colder. And as the flying insects attack again, the boys realized either the fire they'd started, or the waterfall they were now behind, or mabe both, kept them from the pest bugs. They now realized she'd been here two days, as the bugs came right before daylight, and right after sunset. Sakira closed her eyes and listened. "Another plane. Who will they drop on us this time?"
Syaoko, as he'd rescued Sakira last, had to stay and watch the fire. Tomoko was glad to come, until her. We are not all skilled as you are." Tomoko watched the red head drift down in a rough brown outfit, holding a brown bag. Sakira kicked him. "Stop staring at her, it's not polite." Tomoko obediently bowed his head.
A few minutes later, they swam out to help her. She held what Tomoko now realized was deerskin above her head. "Hey! Found the raspberries yet?" Sakira groaned. "I've been such an idiot, starving these people! We'll talk over berries." Tomoko looked at her. "I am Tomoko Choka. May I ask who you are?" The girl listened carefully. "I believe you just asked for my name. Chelsea." Tomoko carefully repeated, "Chelesi?" Chelsea beamed. "Chelsea, two sounds." He nodded. "So what is camp?"
Syaoko watched in awe as Chelsea told him the clothes were for him. "You came in ceremonial robes, just like your parents! These will keep you warmer. Your parents know where you are, and I am asked to tell you that this is training you must do yourself. Well, that's the nearest Japanese words I can use. Inflict is a word I don't know a Japanese equivalent to." Sakira grinned. "Well, there is an equivalent, but it doesn't have the same meaning. It's more like punishment than something you force yourself to do." She turned to the boys. "We'll get some food while you change."
Out by the first lake, they found pointed sticks. "Perfect!" Chelsea exclaimed. "Now we can teach ourselves to spear fish!" Sakira reluctantly picked up the sticks. "All right. Let's clean ourselves up a bit." Chelsea nodded. "You of course found some flowers?" Sakira held up crushed blossoms. "It still doesn't make sense to put leaves in my hair when we're trying to clean it." Chelsea giggled. "Well, it's the closest we'll get to soap." Sakira shook her head. "Soap? Okay. We need to talk to each other in English. I'm not going to teach it to the boys!" Chelsea giggled again. "I wouldn't know how to! I have a limited vocabulary, enough to please my mother." Sakira nodded. "Like I know enough Spanish to please the teacher!" Chelsea sighed. "But you speak so fluently in Japanese and English!" Sakira nodded. "My mother is a born Japanese woman. My father came from England. He learned Japanese, and she's recently mastered English." Chelsea nodded. "My dad knows English, but my mom knows enough to survive a meeting at the school or a trip to the store!"
The boys washed themselves in the water, and pulled on their deerskin pants. They put the loose shirts on, which they felt would work better if they were 20, rather than 10. "Well, they want us to wear them, and I bet these are warmer. Besides, she probably has some sort of idea for a bed. There's probably some secret she knows." Syaoko shook his head. "No. Eriol came from England, but he had indian blood. Sakira would know. In fact, I bet that's how she knew about this cave." They looked at the ceiling. From the light that was starting to glow, they knew the bugs were about to come out.
The girls were having a water fight, and the bugs still tried to attack, but were drowned as water doused their wings and they couldn't fly away. When they got tired of fighting, they ducked under water, and waited, then sprang up and splashed each other.
The sun rose, and the girls dressed, and picked up their raspberries and blueberries. "I never knew they grew up here!" Chelsea explained. Sakira smiled. "Certain things you learn when you're half blackfoot." The girls now started back towards camp. A wounded moose limped by. Sakira grabbed Chelsea. "Come on." she muttered. But Chelsea was much too happy to stop lingering. "I wonder how it got hurt. Do you think we could help it?" Sakira rolled her eyes. "If you want to wait around to ask Mr. Wolf if you can help, then go ahead. The world isn't all a staged nature show, Chelsea. Wolves or coyotes will come to finish him off. Surely the nature channel tells you that's natural?" Chelsea's eyes welled up. "We're not going to leave him to die?" Sakira rolled her eyes. "Look, no human would bite into his flanks twenty times. They'd use arrows, or spears, or even guns. That is the work of an animal. I'm not getting in it's way. Besides, I won't use my talent to delay the death of this creature, who wouldn't survive the night if an animal didn't come along to finish him off. I could get us some meat, but I'm not sure you guys want moose yet. You're still picky. Maybe in a few days, you'll be ready. I've softened it for you, Chelsea. We have a cave and a fire. You won't have to duck under the water."
When Chelsea and Sakira returned to camp, the boys were wearing the shirts. The girls giggled. "You're wearing your shirts!" Tomoko protested. Sakira laughed. "But we're girls. Guys usually wear their shirts in winter or cold days. It's not cold. You should be using that for your bed. Unless one of you brought an empty mattress, or a hatchet." Syaoko grinned. "No, we didn't bring a hatchet, but there's one back here." Sakira's eyes danced. "Good. After I teach you to spear, we'll work on beds. For now, the deerskin will be sufficient. If you're fine with the deerskin bed, we won't worry. However, I think you're a little more picky than I am." Tomoko looked at Syaoko. She had spent two days on a ledge, going back and forth from the water at dawn and dusk. She was now setting up a life for them.
Sakira slowly rose out of the water, and stumbled to shore. The water got colder every time she entered it. The pleasant breeze was now a freezing wind.
With frozen hands, she wrung her hair, and ran her fingers through it. If her fingers ever unfroze, she'd have to braid it. Her clothes were made for the pleasant Japanese summer, not a harsh Canadian one.
Sakira looked up as blankets were wrapped around her. A hood was made over her head. "We should get some firewood. She's been here 4 days, she won't last much longer at this rate." Sakira corrected them. "4 waters." They looked at her, and Sakira realized it was with pity.
No. They would not pity her. Those tears would only freeze on their faces. She'd figured that out the only time she'd cried, late at night, and the tears had frozen her face, making her cold body shiver. She was sad, too. She was no longer able to wring her dress out. She didn't know how she realized this, but realized it was wrong.
She stood, threw the blankets over their heads, and ran.
Sakira ran, even though her wet hair cruelly whipped her, the wind bit and fought her. She could not stop running. Through the trees, past another lake, and through the trees again.
Tomoko and Syaoko looked at each other. It was night, and although running would warm her up, it would help no one if she froze. "Tomoko, you must stay at camp and light a fire. I would bet she's at the next lake, submerged again. That'll freeze her if she doesn't have something warm." Tomoko slowly nodded. "Bring her back quickly. Don't stop and talk. Just bring her back."
~*~
Yamazaki and Chiharu had a daughter, Chelsea. She liked camping and adventures, but her mother never let her go alone. Until. A phone call came from an old classmate they'd had in school. "Tomoyo! No, Chelsea's fine. Ran away? Why would she? Oh, well you know Syaoran and Meiling. Those two loved getting in trouble. We never did? Oh, Yamazaki's been tamed." Chelsea saw her father's eyes dance. She doubted her mother had ever tamed her father. "No, don't worry. With all the training I've heard those three do, they should be in no trouble at all. Sure, we'll fly over Quebec, but if we see them, I don't think we'll do anything. Especially not if Eriol says he can get them in a second! Thanks for calling, but could you wait until morning next time? It's 11pm here!" Chelsea smiled at her father. Her mother would never let her go. Her father would understand. "I'd like to speak with Eriol, Chiharu." His wife nodded, and was upset as they spoke in rapid English, a language she just barely understood. "All right. Thank you. I'm adding Chelsea to the mix." When he hung up, a suspicious Chiharu stood before him. "Add Chelsea mix? You not gonna put Chelsea out there?" Yamazaki laughed. "No, you don't understand English well enough! I was asking Eriol for his recipe. He said Chelsea's cherries would go well in the mix." Chiharu shook her head. "What cherries, Yamazaki? This had better not be another story you've cooked up!" Chelsea's eyes gleamed. As soon as her mother fell asleep, she'd be heading for some new friends, and an actual adventure!
~~*
Syaoko found Sakira a few lakes over, and was shivering cold, hungry, and tired. "Sakira!" he yelled again. He heard her giggle. SNAP! What was she doing? SNAP! CRACKLE! She had a small fire going. She was holding her pendant, and smacking his chain against it. Sparks were flying. Her little fire died. "Take me home, Syaoko. I want to make a big fire."
However, at 'home,' Tomoko was having nowhere near the amount of success Sakira had just had. He was still beating two sticks against each other, when they came back. She came over to Tomoko's fire pile, and with Syaoko's ripped up check book, coaxed a fire out. With some prodding, their fire dwindled, but they quickly realized why, and made a rock circle around it. They pushed the paper down towards the bottom with a damp stick. They didn't want it wet, that had almost killed the flame. But once the fire had started, Sakira had taken her bag, and changed into something else which her cloak covered. She had her white ripped dress in front of her, and she held it before the flames. It had been wrung out, but she knew she couldn't wear it again wet. She must make sure her clothes were all dry. As soon as her dress had dried, she poured water over it. "Come. We will sleep in a cave tonight. More safe." She held their bags, and they realized they were supposed to carry their firewood. They followed her, and slowly stumbled onto the reason she wanted the cave.
At first, they didn't realize there was a cave. A waterfall cascading down a rock. She climbed halfway up, and flipped herself at the rock. The boys cried out. She was going to be smashed and thrown down the waterfall. But they didn't see her blue cloak falling, so they dropped the firewood, and climbed up after her. They realized this cave was not primitive. Stone steps actually crossed the lake. The boys had thought them odd stones. Beneath the waterfall, carved stone steps actually eased the climb. It appeared Sakira's cave was only a smaller version of the original. "We'll store our firewood in there. We must get a lot of wood. It gets much colder at night." They thought she was used to being cold, and now that she was warm, she thought it would get colder. And as the flying insects attack again, the boys realized either the fire they'd started, or the waterfall they were now behind, or mabe both, kept them from the pest bugs. They now realized she'd been here two days, as the bugs came right before daylight, and right after sunset. Sakira closed her eyes and listened. "Another plane. Who will they drop on us this time?"
Syaoko, as he'd rescued Sakira last, had to stay and watch the fire. Tomoko was glad to come, until her. We are not all skilled as you are." Tomoko watched the red head drift down in a rough brown outfit, holding a brown bag. Sakira kicked him. "Stop staring at her, it's not polite." Tomoko obediently bowed his head.
A few minutes later, they swam out to help her. She held what Tomoko now realized was deerskin above her head. "Hey! Found the raspberries yet?" Sakira groaned. "I've been such an idiot, starving these people! We'll talk over berries." Tomoko looked at her. "I am Tomoko Choka. May I ask who you are?" The girl listened carefully. "I believe you just asked for my name. Chelsea." Tomoko carefully repeated, "Chelesi?" Chelsea beamed. "Chelsea, two sounds." He nodded. "So what is camp?"
Syaoko watched in awe as Chelsea told him the clothes were for him. "You came in ceremonial robes, just like your parents! These will keep you warmer. Your parents know where you are, and I am asked to tell you that this is training you must do yourself. Well, that's the nearest Japanese words I can use. Inflict is a word I don't know a Japanese equivalent to." Sakira grinned. "Well, there is an equivalent, but it doesn't have the same meaning. It's more like punishment than something you force yourself to do." She turned to the boys. "We'll get some food while you change."
Out by the first lake, they found pointed sticks. "Perfect!" Chelsea exclaimed. "Now we can teach ourselves to spear fish!" Sakira reluctantly picked up the sticks. "All right. Let's clean ourselves up a bit." Chelsea nodded. "You of course found some flowers?" Sakira held up crushed blossoms. "It still doesn't make sense to put leaves in my hair when we're trying to clean it." Chelsea giggled. "Well, it's the closest we'll get to soap." Sakira shook her head. "Soap? Okay. We need to talk to each other in English. I'm not going to teach it to the boys!" Chelsea giggled again. "I wouldn't know how to! I have a limited vocabulary, enough to please my mother." Sakira nodded. "Like I know enough Spanish to please the teacher!" Chelsea sighed. "But you speak so fluently in Japanese and English!" Sakira nodded. "My mother is a born Japanese woman. My father came from England. He learned Japanese, and she's recently mastered English." Chelsea nodded. "My dad knows English, but my mom knows enough to survive a meeting at the school or a trip to the store!"
The boys washed themselves in the water, and pulled on their deerskin pants. They put the loose shirts on, which they felt would work better if they were 20, rather than 10. "Well, they want us to wear them, and I bet these are warmer. Besides, she probably has some sort of idea for a bed. There's probably some secret she knows." Syaoko shook his head. "No. Eriol came from England, but he had indian blood. Sakira would know. In fact, I bet that's how she knew about this cave." They looked at the ceiling. From the light that was starting to glow, they knew the bugs were about to come out.
The girls were having a water fight, and the bugs still tried to attack, but were drowned as water doused their wings and they couldn't fly away. When they got tired of fighting, they ducked under water, and waited, then sprang up and splashed each other.
The sun rose, and the girls dressed, and picked up their raspberries and blueberries. "I never knew they grew up here!" Chelsea explained. Sakira smiled. "Certain things you learn when you're half blackfoot." The girls now started back towards camp. A wounded moose limped by. Sakira grabbed Chelsea. "Come on." she muttered. But Chelsea was much too happy to stop lingering. "I wonder how it got hurt. Do you think we could help it?" Sakira rolled her eyes. "If you want to wait around to ask Mr. Wolf if you can help, then go ahead. The world isn't all a staged nature show, Chelsea. Wolves or coyotes will come to finish him off. Surely the nature channel tells you that's natural?" Chelsea's eyes welled up. "We're not going to leave him to die?" Sakira rolled her eyes. "Look, no human would bite into his flanks twenty times. They'd use arrows, or spears, or even guns. That is the work of an animal. I'm not getting in it's way. Besides, I won't use my talent to delay the death of this creature, who wouldn't survive the night if an animal didn't come along to finish him off. I could get us some meat, but I'm not sure you guys want moose yet. You're still picky. Maybe in a few days, you'll be ready. I've softened it for you, Chelsea. We have a cave and a fire. You won't have to duck under the water."
When Chelsea and Sakira returned to camp, the boys were wearing the shirts. The girls giggled. "You're wearing your shirts!" Tomoko protested. Sakira laughed. "But we're girls. Guys usually wear their shirts in winter or cold days. It's not cold. You should be using that for your bed. Unless one of you brought an empty mattress, or a hatchet." Syaoko grinned. "No, we didn't bring a hatchet, but there's one back here." Sakira's eyes danced. "Good. After I teach you to spear, we'll work on beds. For now, the deerskin will be sufficient. If you're fine with the deerskin bed, we won't worry. However, I think you're a little more picky than I am." Tomoko looked at Syaoko. She had spent two days on a ledge, going back and forth from the water at dawn and dusk. She was now setting up a life for them.