The trio started through the dense woods at a steady pace. Aside from the increasing heat, and countless insects trying to bite exposed flesh, it was almost pleasant. The forest was quiet, but at the same time full of ambiance- birdsong, the rustle of tree limbs, twigs and dry leaves under their feet, and the faint chorus of frog croaks every once in a while.
Well, plenty of tinder here, Claude nodded as he led the three, old man's beard to light the fire and pine to get the smoke going. Maybe our luck's holding out.
"Quiet here," he said, and he saw the trees up ahead ended in another clearing, "looks like we might have what we're looking for. You hanging on, Dima?"
Dimitri nodded, though his mouth was very dry and he stumbled a little over a twisted tree root. Edelgard helped him up by the hand, shaking her head. Together, the three crossed the border and as the sun touched their faces again, they were greeted by an amazing sight.
They were looking into a small valley, framed by steep hills, and it was filled with hundreds of antlered creatures. They were too big to be deer, but had differently shaped antlers than moose or elk. They stretched out in a loose line as far as the eye could see in both directions, and although alert heads turned and sharp noses sniffed the air, there was no panic. The creatures had the advantage of numbers- and speed- should any predators advance.
"Amazing," Edelgard whispered, though that small noise made a nearby creature paw the ground warily. She flinched, and took a step back as Dimitri got closer.
"They're called reindeer, and we… ought not to bother them," Dimitri said with a sigh, "if there were fewer, we could pick off the smallest if we… surprised them, but it's too dangerous."
"I agree," Edelgard whispered, swallowing her fear. A calf at the foot of the hill was at least as tall as she, gazing upwards at the strange creatures before going back to its graze.
"So here's our do-not cross line, seems like. Nothing for it but to-"
Claude stopped as he spotted something to his far right. A dark speck was slinking down the opposite hill, turning its huge head, before its bouncing gate turned to a run.
"That's gotta be a bear."
Claude was right. Some of the reindeer had been getting skittish, moving away from the far hill as they tried to resume eating. Although it was still hundreds of feet away, the trio could see that the bear was gaunt, its dark fur ragged. The predator hesitated as it reached the halfway point of its descent, one paw raised. Claws as long as Dimitri's dagger hung from the toes.
"Shouldn't we-" Edelgard began, but it was that moment that the bear went in. The valley was suddenly exploding with life and the ground shook as every reindeer more than a dozen feet from the bear ran, calves and up. Those closest to their assailant formed a circle of attack, heads low and hooves high.
But the bear darted back to the hill with surprising speed for something so bulky, only to wheel as the attackers turned their stubby tails. The bruin launched itself at a lame youngster, fanged jaws agape. It easily brought the four-legged creature to the ground, bellowing and kicking, but its blows had no effect on the starving predator. The ones that had defended it fled, vanishing into the distance with the others, knowing their fate if they stayed. In only a minute's time, the valley was still, except for the bear ripping into its catch.
"Move it, you two! Back to the beach!"
Claude whispered harshly as Dimitri limped to join them, and with an impatient sigh, put his hands under Dimitri's knees and lifted him off the ground. Edelgard followed as quickly as she could manage on the uneven ground. The beach was only half an hour away at a good pace, but as soon as they reached the shade and sand and familiar place, Edelgard dropped panting against the sturdy rock wall. She felt a lot more tired than she had anticipated. The lack of good food must be taking its toll on her.
But Claude seems fine, Edelgard thought as she watched him re-examine Dimitri's chest, and Dimitri's injured… Why am I so…
"El? El, you alright?"
"She's asleep, don't blame her," Claude said with a laugh. But he, too, was concerned with the flushed look in Edelgard's face, and the myriad of red bumps that had sprouted on her pale neck and throat.
But Edelgard didn't stay asleep for long. By the time the sun was at its highest point, she had joined Claude in their search for the best place for the fire. The beach was their only option, it seemed- if the flames got out of control, at least water was nearby.
That day was an unseasonably hot one. The sun blazed in a brilliant sky, completely clear of clouds. It was enough for Dimitri to remain all day in the shade of the rock, and he struggled not to doze. He wanted to help Claude and Edelgard with their hard work, but every time Dimitri tried to stand, a jolt of pain forced him back down.
And even if he weren't injured, Edelgard glanced his way about once every ten or fifteen minutes, calling out instructions like "Don't exert yourself" or "Claude and I can handle this". He supposed he should feel annoyed, but Dimitri found he could tolerate this. Perhaps it was Edelgard's way of showing that she cared about him.
No, that's untrue, Dimitri thought, his eyes following a rather damp rat as it scurried among the wood Claude and Edelgard were sorting through. She only wants to keep me alive. Nothing more.
"Not much without going back to the forest, eh?" Claude mused, wiping his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand, "we could try again tomorrow, if Dimitri's ready to walk."
Edelgard nodded without speaking, striking her axe against the fire-rock they'd used for nighttime campfires. Claude saw that her neck damp with sweat, and knelt down to see her better, shading his eyes with one hand.
"Hey, take your own advice, Princess. We've got the wood stacked, I can start the fire. Don't want you collapsing, too-"
"I can hear you, and I'm not an invalid!" Dimitri shouted from the shade, but his anger faded when he rose on sore legs and saw Edelgard. She was panting profusely, not a surprise from hauling around heavy wood, but her eyes didn't focus on Dimitri for a few seconds.
"I need… to rest," she said, then a harsh cough racked her chest. Alarmed, Dimitri took her sweaty hand and led her to the shade. He placed the back of his hand on her forehead and felt a jolt of panic. She had a fever.
"What's wrong with her?" Claude said as he joined them, "is she… Hey, Edelgard, can you hear me?"
"Yes, I'm still awake," Edelgard snapped, shaking her head, but then another cough rattled her chest. She breathed deeply, through her mouth, and whispered, "but I do need water… working in that heat…"
"Of course," Claude said, forgetting his own tiredness in an instant. Between coughs, Edelgard said, "it's the heat… be better soon…" but Dimitri told her not to talk, to focus on breathing deeply and try to relax. A feeling of helplessness made him shiver in the midday heat.
Once Claude returned with water, Edelgard was barely conscious enough to drink. Again, Dimitri touched her forehead as she finally started to settle into sleep, and it wasn't just the sun. Her temperature was undoubtedly above normal.
"I'll watch her," Dimitri said. He watched Edelgard as she turned over, her expression a grimace, as though already having a nightmare. Claude nodded, put his hand on Dimitri's shoulder for a moment as comfort, and set to work outside, trying to get sparks from the axe. It was not an easy process, taking almost an hour before a tiny flame appeared, but the jarring clanks did not once rouse Edelgard from her sleep.
Eventually, Claude stood back as the waist-high pile finally started to burn. The dry pine branches created a pungent white smoke that shot thickly into the air, and Claude allowed himself to smile as he admired his work. Anyone could see this smoke for many miles as long as they were paying attention, and the wind, for the moment, was slight enough not carry it away.
For once, the stars align! But still… if we don't get help by nightfall, I'll have to put it out and try again tomorrow. Just hope by then, Dimitri can help out without breaking himself… And Edelgard…
But by the time the sky faded to star-studded black, no one arrived. Claude was more than a little frustrated and discouraged as he extinguished the remains of the fire, looking again at the faintly-visible pillar of smoke.
He joined Dimitri at their sleeping area, grateful for the coolness after standing so close to a bonfire. Edelgard hadn't stirred for the whole day, but at least her breathing was regular now.
"She's still warm," Dimitri whispered, "maybe more than earlier. This… Claude, I don't think I need to tell you I'm worried."
"Written all over your face," Claude agreed grimly, "but it's mutual. As soon as it's morning, I'll rebuild our fire myself. You make sure she's got water to drink, and try to make her eat a little, too, if you can."
"What should I do if her fever's gotten even higher?"
Dimitri's voice scared Claude. He hadn't heard the young man ever sound so worried, so uncertain. Without a reassuring answer, Claude stayed silent.
"Claude, what if she…"
"She won't die."
Claude sounded a lot more certain than he felt. He was shocked to see that Dimitri's eyes were wet, but he continued.
"Look, we're still on our own here, for now, anyway. It's natural to panic, but we can't let it take hold of us, Dimitri. We need to keep going, to do everything we can to stay alive and safe, until the people waiting for us realize where the hell we are and send someone after us."
Dimitri sniffed, suddenly red at having someone seen him cry. "Right… Thank you, Claude. I… I'm sorry I've been holding you back since we've been here."
"No worries," Claude said, finding a smile from somewhere. "You're wrong, by the way, having you around makes this a lot easier. Without you, I might've gone charging into that reindeer herd, guns blazing. But Edelgard… she's probably having a hard time getting used to the rough life. The calmer you and I are, the better we can work to keep her stress down."
Easier said than done, Dimitri replied silently, though he knew getting enough rest was step one. It was a long time before he fell asleep, and through the piece of sky visible, he counted the stars many times to keep his mind occupied. Claude was humming softly, which evolved into soft singing as the moon appeared, but the loudest noise was Edelgard's intermittent coughs whenever she turned over.
This one was so much fun to write. More than the others. I'm really loving this story so far, I hope everyone else is.
So, I have a busy week coming up and I don't have anything written yet for the next chapter. I'll try and make my deadline, but if I can't make it, I'll upload something else here. If you want more detailed updates, you can check out my twitter, our_own_vera. I talk about writing a lot there.