Chapter Six: Post Blue

-Matthew-

Matthew rolled over, groaning as he felt his stomach muscles contract with the sudden movement and pulsed with pain. He felt like throwing up but he didn't want to, mostly because his throat was sore and dry and he just felt like Hell.

He stood, blinking his eyes open blearily, knowing that his whole body was sore now, not just his throat or stomach. His head throbbed, but most of the pain was centered around his ribs. Maybe a broken bone?

He looked around at the forest, taking a deep, unsteady breath of the cold air, and then hurled his lunch the edge of some ferns.

Wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, he sighed. Well, his stomach felt a lot better. At least now it just felt bruised and achy.

He heard a soft, feminine gasp behind him and turned to the sound of someone exclaiming, "Oh my! Êtes-vous mieux?" Matthew blinked in confusion for a moment, mind processing both the sight that greeted him and the French words spoken.

The girl was about his age, maybe a year younger. She had a doll's face, smooth, pale skin covering it and folds of neat, coal colored hair that tumbled around her face. Her eyes were round and soft, also dark but with a blue hue, and she had thin yet pretty lips that were tipped in a perplexed, concerned smile.

He stared at her blankly, rolling the phrase around in his head for a moment. Êtes-vous mieux? Are you better?

"Y-Yes," Matthew replied shakily, nodding in case she couldn't speak English. It was too much for his hazy brain to respond in French. "I'm... Better..." He was distracted, briefly, by the tilt of her lips as her smile brightened lightly. She was holding a roll of gauze or something in her hands, and she stepped forward to take his elbow --he had been unintentionally gripping at his stomach-- and lead him to a spot beneath a tree.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, watching him with a concerned gaze once he'd settled (slowly) on the ground again. She set the gauze down and went about straightening it out, checking to make sure it was still clean.

"Confused," Matthew replied. She gave a soft laugh, and he continued, "And very sore. What happened to me?"

Her nimble fingers lifted and began undoing the buttons on his shirt. He watched with the fascination of a man who had nothing better to watch at the time. The girl's fingers were slender, thin. Delicate. She leaned him forward, gently, and slipping the torn, collared shirt from his shoulders, and then brought the gauze up to begin wrapping around his midsection. He would have blushed if he hadn't been so tired and sore.

"I was walking along the trail here," she explained, indicating the trail that was naught but a few feet away, "when I was nearly hit by an Indian woman riding her horse. She was going very fast, what some would call breakneck speed, and I barely made it out of the way. There was a bend in the trail, and when she made the turn, I heard her shout something and then it sounded like someone got hit." She paused, looking at him, but he was too lost in his own thoughts.

It sounded familiar. He paused now, closing his eyes and trying to remember; had he been walking along that trail? Now that he thought about it, yes, yes he had. He'd been going to meet Francis at this fort, or something, run by the Hudson's Bay Company. Francis and Arthur. He had been going to meet them and he when he turned at the sound of horse hooves and then--

Oh.

He'd been hit because he'd been in the way and the woman riding the horse hadn't been looking. He couldn't remember much after that, though, only blissful, painless sleep.

"When I came around the corner, the woman was kneeling by you. She would have stayed, I'm sure," the girl continued, "but I knew she was in a hurry, and I was there to take care of you, so I pulled you off of the trail. As far as I can tell, you have some bruises and cuts, maybe a broken rib or two."

"That would explain the searing pain in my stomach," Matthew muttered, and she flashed him a quick grin before pinning the gauze.

"I just came back from getting this. I figured I ought to wrap your midsection in something, seeing as you might have broken ribs," she finished after a moment. "And when you woke up, I was going to walk you to the fort."

"Fort?" Matthew asked, perking up slightly. "Is it the fort run by the Hudson's Bay Company?"

The girl laughed. "There are a lot of those, you know," she informed him, standing and holding her hands out to help him. "But yes, it is. I was coming from there to head to the outpost somewhere down along this trail when the accident happened."

Matthew let out a groan as he stood. Not from the pinching ache in his stomach, but rather from the fact that he had been going the wrong way in trying to reach Francis and Arthur anyway. He'd missed the turn, he supposed --no wonder that man had looked at him funny and laughed when he'd asked for directions!-- and that had ultimately led to his demise.

"Are you sure you're alright?" the girl asked him, concerned at his obvious pain. He grimaced, but nodded, and she pulled his arm around her shoulder. "I can get some more help, if you want," she suggested after a moment, but he shook his head this time.

"I'd rather just get there as quick as possible," he answered.

She nodded, quiet for a while, and then began leading him along the trail. "I'm Mona, by the way," she told him, and he gave her a meek smile.

"Nice to meet you, Mona. I'm Matthew." He sighed through his pursed lips, hobbling along the trail beside her. "Thanks for taking care of me," he added sincerely, and she gave him a warm smile.

"Don't mention it," she replied, and they continued the trip in companionable silence, leaving Matthew alone to his thoughts. Silently, he watched Mona out of the corner of his eye, watched her eyelashes flutter slightly as sunlight burst through the trees and how she gave a quiet laugh, a pretty noise in the warm silence of the forest.

Maybe getting hit by that horse wasn't so bad.

x x x

-Alfred-

Camp just wasn't quite the same without Kai. He smiled when he thought this, though --Kai-- and felt like he had a secret treasure no one else did.

Well, except for the Indian men, of course. They knew her name.

Progress went steadily as they reached the foot of the Blue Mountains. He watched as kids stared at the formidable obstacle loomed over them at night, and then burst at the seams with excitement as they headed onto the rocky path.

Akando rode with him most of the time. They didn't speak, but Alfred liked to listen to the other man mutter to himself. Whatever language he was speaking, it was comforting to hear it throgh the whole trip.

The Blue Mountains were scary. Not only because they were so remote, so empty and lonely, but also because they were the last mountain range they had to cross before really getting into Oregon Country. It was exciting, terrifying. He felt his heartbeat pick up when he thought about it.

As they began heading into the climb of the mountains, through the dark pines and spruce trees, Alfred heard a man, Samuel, shout out, "Here we begin climbing the Blues, and if they don't beat the devil!" A ripple of laughter passed through the group, before it grew into a soft murmur between family members.

The roads were bumpy and tiring, but the settlers plunged on with their three Indian guides.

Akando, riding next to Alfred, looked over at his companion and looked curious. "Alfred," he stated after a moment. Alfred startled at the sound of his voice coming from the Indian's mouth (for the first time?). He looked over at Akando and gave a perplexed smile.

"Yeah?" he asked, and Akando turned to look back ahead of the trail, allowing his horse to step delicately over a fallen log.

"You and her had a talk before she left, yes?" he asked, and Alfred paused. There was only "her" that the Indian could be referring to.

"Yeah," Alfred replied, sighing, taking no trouble to hide it. He was pretty sure all of the Indians were already quite aware of his miserable situation.

"Did she tell you her name?" Akando asked him, and he blinked in surprise now, perking up again.

"Yeah, she did!" he said, proudly now, puffing out his chest. Akando quirked a brow and gave an amused smile.

"And? What did she tell you?" he queried, and Alfred paused. Was this a test?

"... Kai..." he replied uneasily, and Akando's smile warmed.

"I thought so."

They were silent for a while longer, and then Alfred deflated.

"Is it wrong?"

"What?" Akando asked, perplexed.

"Her name. Did she give me a fake name?" Alfred persisted, and Akando laughed.

"How do you say it?" Akando mulled for a moment. "Not in the... Littlest?"

It was Alfred's turn to laugh. "Not in the least."

"Right, yes. Not in the least, Alfred."

Alfred beamed, preening.

Ha. Goal one down.


So this took a long time to get up! I'm going to be lazy and not post what I usually put at the beginning because... I'm being lazy.

So I introduced the next pairing, Matthew/Mona. Short-lived, I'm sure.

Tell me what you think? C:

And thank you, to all of my wonderful reviewers! You're what keeps this going!