Author's Note: I'm pretty excited about this chapter :). Things are starting to speed up.
"Sir," Roxanne turned to their Commander, "This place checks out."
The veteran scout nodded, "Good. We'll camp here tonight."
Next to him, Davis fidgeted before finally asking what had been on his mind for the past few days. "Sir, why are we setting up so early? We still have several hours of daylight left. Wouldn't we make better time doing so later?"
Commander Rodney regarded him with an unreadable expression. "Davis right?"
The red-furred boy nodded, shuffling a little under the intense gaze.
"You make a good point. In many situations speed is a top priority. It's why we set up camp later when we're inside the mountain range. But can you tell me what's more important than speed in this situation?"
Milli hesitantly raised her hand, "Safety sir?"
The Commander nodded, "Safety and preparation. Knowing what you're up against so you know how to avoid it, as well as when to take calculated risks. The Kumungu jungle is unpredictable and dangerous at the best of times. Do you really want to add to that by reducing your own senses when the deadlier predators are active?"
His sharp eyes watched the recruits carefully as his words sunk in. Satisfied, he continued, "In our line of work, information is the most valuable tool you can utilise. And if you can't gain knowledge in advance, you take things slow. We're not like the normal troops or the Commandos, whose job is to strike fast in a predictable situation or a known territory. Our job usually takes us into uncharted territory or behind enemy lines – situations without backup or a clear way out. A scout who rushes in that scenario is usually a dead scout."
The younger yordles shifted a little under their Commander's words. Things they'd been told but until now – in this situation – hadn't fully hit them.
"Which brings up the next important lesson: knowing when to fight, run or hide. If you've retained anything from the past two years of training you should know that for scouts, fighting is generally a last resort. You should only go for a fight if you know you can't lose or if you have no other option left. Similarly, you should know that running is not without its own risks. If you plan to run you should know where you're running to, how to get there – including alternate routes – and if you can outrun your opponent. Without this information, it is too easy for your enemy to cut you off or for you to get lost on enemy ground. That goes for here too. It's why we've made sure you all know your way both to the other scout's camp as well as back to the Sablestone pass. However, there is also one more option you all have that has not been covered yet – hiding."
As Davis opened his mouth to argue, Commander Rodney held up a hand. "Yes, I know you've been taught about how to blend in to avoid suspicion and how to escape notice if you are in trouble. But as yordles, we also have another unique advantage when hiding over other species. One that Thomas Fleetfoot discovered and passed on to the Mothership Scouts. One of our most valuable secrets. How to be overlooked in plain sight. Observe."
The recruits looked on in confusion as their Commander simply stopped moving. The seconds elongating as nothing happened. Nearby, the three lieutenants shot each other humorous looks as the old scout patiently stood still. Bewildered and bored, a few of the yordlings started to look away, only to look back when gasps came from the others; turning back to see – nothing.
They all gaped at the spot for a few moments before the grisly, old yordle moved (the air seemingly shimmering slightly) and the illusion was broken.
"How is that possible?" Teemo asked in awe.
"No one knows," Roxanne answered for the Commander. "It's been lost to history."
"But it's one of the tricks we plan on teaching you all while here," Commander Rodney added before getting back on task. "Now! Enough chit-chat. We're losing daylight. Arin and Teemo, you'll go with Darren to collect firewood. Davis and Milli, you're on tent duty. Cooking shall be done by…"
The Commander's voice trailed off as Teemo and Arin followed the good-natured lieutenant away from the others.
Their progress was slow. Not only were they frequently stopping to gather the dead wood, but they were also stilled to ensure they wouldn't run into any of the numerous (and seemingly insignificant) dangers the Kumungu held. Once more, Darren held out his arm, stopping the cream-coloured male and dark, green female in their tracks.
When he was sure he had their full attention, the scout gestured to their path. "See those red berries on that bush right here. Those are Reju berries. You can tell due to the broad, flat leaves and the thorns. Reju berries are used in a lot of the human cities to make health potions. They're not as effective raw, but if you're ever in a pinch and need energy, a couple of these will keep you going for a few days. Make sure you eat them spread out however, because the more you have in your system at one time, the less effective they'll be."
The short-eared yordle waited for the recruits to nod before pointing a little to the left of the Reju bushes at some brightly-coloured, squat mushrooms well hidden in the long grass.
"Those are Rumpo Shrooms. Also known as Noxious Traps or Purple Death. Be very careful around them. They're poisonous to the touch. Worse, they have a violent defence mechanism when disturbed that propels a cloud of toxic gas away from themselves. This vapour slows the heart and neural system and if you inhale too much it can kill you. The easiest way to spot them is their distinctive purple spots. It will take a bit of practise, so until then it's best to go slow."
Another set of nods and they were moving again, giving the Rumpo Shrooms a wide berth.
Not far from there, Darren stopped them again. Teemo and Arin paused, expecting another analysis of their scenery but they tensed when he stayed on alert before pulling out his weapon. The two recruits strained to hear anything, but they didn't know the sounds of the jungle well enough to pick something out of the ordinary.
Suddenly, the brown scout's ear twitched and he threw himself at the two recruits, pushing them out of the way just as a large beast landed where they had just been. Teemo gaped at the creature: a massive but wiry frame covered in grey scales that stood as tall as them on four legs. It growled at the loss of its prey, teeth gleaming it the low light before – with a dexterity underestimated by its size – it sprung for them again.
Darren moved quicker, darting into its path and swiping at its eyes, causing it to pull back.
"Run!" he shouted. "Warn the others!"
Arin hesitated but Teemo simply pulled her along as he turned to dash back to the group. He'd seen how little damage the lieutenant's swipe had done to the creature. Neither his nor Arin's weapon would be of any use in the fight. And if they all fell, there would be no one to tell the camp what had occurred.
Seeing the two yordlings fleeing, the creature tried to go after them but Darren blocked the way. Frustrated, it pulled its head back and let out a long, chilling howl. But what was worse were the answering ones.
Teemo's mind raced at the sounds of rapidly approaching treads behind them. What were they going to do?
Arin voiced his concerns. "We're never going to outrun them. What do we do?" the green yordle gasped as she kept pace just behind him.
The pale yordle racked his brains for an idea. They weren't that far from the camp, so they wouldn't have to slow the creatures down for long. But it was still necessary for them to get there. What had Commander Rodney said about running? Always have a route in mind; one that took into account being pursued.
Suddenly, an idea sprang to mind.
"Come on!" he swerved slightly off course. Unquestioningly, Arin followed him. He kept his eyes focused on the ground in front of them, searching for what he knew would be in their path. While not a yordle's strongest sense, the dim light from the trees should be enough to spot them.
There! A flash of purple.
"Jump!" He shouted. The green female reacted quickly to his directions and the two sailed over the patch of mushrooms before racing as fast as they could away from the spot.
A few seconds later, there was an explosion of green and purple gas along with a chorus of whines.
Teemo let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. Hopefully that would buy them enough time.
The pale yordle bolted awake, panic consuming him as he frantically looked around the unfamiliar room. His eyes swung across the clean, white space before landing on the equipment by his bed. Almost immediately his breathing began to slow as he remembered where he was.
He took in long, deep breaths as his mind returned to the dream, or at least, the last vestiges of sheer panic he'd felt upon waking. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember anything else from it.
He let out a sigh of frustration. Another morning, another nightmare he couldn't recall. However, before he could dwell on it too much, the door opened and a peach-coloured yordle walked in.
"Mum," his face lit up.
Nina returned his smile with just as much care. "Hello Teemo," she said softly, as she sat down by his bed. "You seem to be doing a lot better."
It was true. His fever had broken and his leg was healing nicely. His arm would take a lot longer to heal so he was still on pain killers for that, but at least they were no longer being fed to him via a drip. Both it and the heart monitor had also been removed recently. While they were still checking his vitals regularly, there was nothing physically keeping him in the hospital.
He gave her a soft smile, "I'm feeling a lot better too. So much so that if they keep me in here for much longer I might start driving the nurses crazy – either that or my friends will."
The peach-coloured nurse laughed. A glimmer of humour in her eyes as she responded seriously, "I'll have to warn them then."
Looking at the woman who'd raised him, Teemo felt his heart swell with warmth. Acting impulsively, he pulled her into a hug. "I've missed you mum."
"I've missed you too." Her words were light but as he pulled back he could see a tiredness in her eyes and a tightness in her smile that said his disappearance had caused her more pain than she was letting on.
The teen took her hand, pulling her eyes towards his. "I'm okay. I promise."
Nina gave a small laugh. "I always forget how good you are at reading people," she said. "Maybe it's selfish of me but I'm glad you're the one that's alright. You're the last one I have to take care of. I guess I didn't realise I wasn't ready to let go of you yet. Please, if you need anything: promise me you'll be willing to come to me?"
He nodded, "I promise mum."
His mum couldn't stay for long, needing to get back to work. But she had promised to come visit him later. After that, Teemo was left to his own thoughts. His musings only broken every now and then by the nurse coming to check on him.
It was early afternoon when his next visitor came calling. The young yordle looked one from the book he was reading in confusion as the door opened. Who could it be? The nurse had just left and it was too early for his friends to arrive.
However, the perplexity gave way to happiness as his dad poked his head in. The pale teen gave him a brief smile in greeting before his focus drifted down to his arm. He shifted his fingers, feeling the dulled sensation of the skin against the bandage. "I can't remember anything that happened," he confided softly. "I've tried. I've tried so much but there's just – nothing."
Miles sat in the chair beside the bed. "It's not unheard of for soldiers to block traumatic memories in order to get over them," he explained gently. "They may return or they may not but the important thing is you're acknowledging it now. Even if you don't remember you're still grieving and moving on from it."
"Yeah," Teemo gave a wry smile. "My friends knocked some sense into me."
"So I've heard. Not the way I'd go about it. But effective in this case I guess."
"Does that mean you'll let me leave the hospital now?"
The dark-furred scout gave him a deadpan look. "You noticed that huh?"
Teemo nodded. "Not at first," he admitted. "It was only after I started thinking about what had happened and how long I'd been here that I started putting it together."
Miles let out a long breath, his thoughts flashing involuntarily to old faces and repressed hurts.
"It was a safety precaution. Until we could figure out whether you had slipped or not, it was easier to keep you under constant supervision. That way if something did happen it would be relatively easy to stop you."
"Yeah," Teemo nodded hesitantly. "I get that. But that can't be the only reason. I thought you could tell if a yordle was insane straight away. In that case, why keep me here for so long?"
"Every yordle is different Teemo," the older yordle explained softly. "It depends on the person and the circumstances that shape the insanity. In most cases it is very easy to identify a slipping yordle, but in some, the worst signs don't show up until later."
During the explanation Teemo never took his eyes off of his father, meaning he didn't miss the slight way his shoulders hunched nor the far away look his eyes got.
"You're speaking from experience," he realised.
There was a long moment of silence to the point Teemo was sure his dad wasn't going to answer. But then came the barely audible reply. "My best friend killed my sister."
The young yordle's eyes widened at his words. "I didn't know you had a sister."
"No. You wouldn't. It happened long before you became part of our family and I don't like talking about it much. Some hurts never fade."
Teemo had never seen his dad this vulnerable or hurt. The pain and grief that haunted his face was so deeply etched into it, the teen was surprised he'd never noticed it before. Still, he didn't stop the older yordle as he continued his tale.
"We'd been on a mission that had gone wrong and, in the aftermath, we'd gotten separated. I managed to get out okay but it was months before he was rescued. Everyone was worried, but he seemed to make a miraculous recovery. Then, about a month later, something just snapped. He killed his wife – my sister – and their unborn child before murdering several civilians. In the end, I had to shoot him to stop his rampage… It was the hardest day of my life."
The silence that followed was eventually broken by a quiet voice. "You're worried I'll do the same?" There was no hiding the fear that coloured the question, causing Miles to meet his son's worried eyes.
"No," he said firmly. "As different as that case was, when a yordle slips there are always signs. Things that are unusual or out of character. For my friend, it was his attitude shift. He became volatile around sensitive topics and wouldn't discuss the mission. That was why I was concerned when you wouldn't acknowledge your missing comrades. But now that you are, you're able to move on. That's the biggest difference."
The relief Teemo felt must have been palpable because his dad chuckled before pulling him into a hug. "You have nothing to worry about," he promised.
Now that his worries were soothed, the young yordle found his curiousity peaked. "Hey dad," he asked tentatively, "could you tell me about your sister?"
Miles smiled, an expression full of fondness but also melancholy. "What would you like to know?"
I'm really happy that the scene between Teemo and his mum ended up being this weekend. It was a nice way to give a shout out to all the wonderful mums on Mother's Day :).
Fun Fact: Rumpo means to break or burst in Latin.