A/N: Hello my wonderful readers. I know that I haven't updated in what seems like forever, but I'm back with a vengeance! My computer decided to go rogue and crap out on me so when I actually had the time to write I couldn't. With that I won't keep you waiting any longer, here's the next chapter!
Natsume and I somehow managed to come to some sort of an agreement: I wouldn't storm off after an argument and he would try to keep his own temper under control. This was the simplest solution I could come up with that would help increase our survival rate for the time being.
The sun was starting to make its decent being this side of the earth only to rise again on the other side. With the already dark woods it was hard to see, but now it was nearly impossible to tell where I was going. The only thing I had to go off of was the strong shoulders of the boy in front of me. Deep in thought about this whole whirlwind adventure I was whisked into, I lost track of where I was walking. I stumbled over what I thought was a root, but after a second look I could make out the non-descript features of what -upon closer inspection- turned out to be a lost animal arm in dire need of a body.
Fear rippled through my body and a loud scream passed up my throat and through my lips.
"Oi Polka keep it down, it was probably just a-." Natsume abruptly cut himself off when he took in my terrified features.
"Probably just a what Natsume? A stick, because last time I checked sticks do not look like dismembered limbs." I quickly stood up and rushed to his side.
Being the brave soul that he was, Natsume bent down and actually poked the arm. Yes that's right, be literally bent down, lit up a small flame in his hand, and poked the freaking arm with his index finger.
"Don't touch it!" It was hard to tell where he was exactly so I just shrieked at the flame hoping that it wouldn't turn evil and freak out on me.
"Maybe it was just a poor old wolf that ran into the wrong animal at the wrong time. The arm looks like it was ripped clean out of its socket. I don't know what human could possibly do that, Alice wielding or not." Shaking his head, he stood up and continued in the same direction we had been traveling before my little discovery.
"There is no way I am leaving here. If it was actually an animal that did this, then I don't want to travel in the dark anymore." I stated with my arms crossed trying to look determined.
"What do you suggest we do polka? Wait for that thing to come find us while wait near its prey? I don't think so, keep your head up and lets go."
"It's not that easy Natsume." He turned to look at me with a flicker of anger in his eyes but I continued, determined to make him to listen to me for once. "I don't have a good feeling about his area of the woods and the farther we travel, the more intense the feeling gets. On top of that, we've been traveling for what seems like forever and my legs are tired. I haven't bathed in who knows how long and I'm starting to get fatigued. We need to find a place to rest for the night so we can work out a game plan to get back to the school."
At first all I received in response was a blank stare, but then something else flickered through them. Defeat maybe?
"Fine, you win." He started looking around and finally his eyes set on something that somewhat appealed to him. He took off to his right and I followed closely behind him. How he could see where he was going at all was beyond me.
"Ne, where are we-."
He cut me off with a short 'shhing' noise and I was about to complain until he said, "do you hear that?"
I listened closely for a few moments, but all I heard was the breeze brushing through the trees. "I only hear the wind."
"Listen closer, past the tree branches swaying. There's a river near by somewhere."
I simply followed him briefly wondering if he had finally gone bonkers. Why would there be a river anyways, with our luck it'll turn out be an enemy camp. I had just gotten ready to open my mouth when I could faintly hear the sound of rushing water.
A few more minutes of trekking through the woods and Mr. Cranky-Pants was right. There was a pretty large waterfall flooding into a small pool of water that drained out into a small creek. Turning around as to say "hah I told you so" Natsume stuck his tongue out and led me over to the base of the waterfall.
"We can sleep in the small cave behind the waterfall and make a camp. That way the fire won't be seen well from the outside and we have some shelter. We're going to have to survive not eating until the morning so I can go fishing or something."
The idea of Natsume hunting and gathering brought a small giggle to my lips. I could not for the life of me picture him waiting patiently at the waterside with a fishing pole by his side. The image that I managed to conjure up horrified me to some extent and the giggle slipped past my lips.
"What's so funny?" I could tell that he was attempting to pull off a serious face, but I saw the small smirk creep onto his features. I think the idea of fishing disturbed him more than it horrified me.
He turned out of the cave and came back a few minutes longer with some firewood. After setting up a perfect little tepee of sticks, he snapped his fingers together and a fire was brought to life.
"It's pretty handy having a notorious fire starter around." I said with a small smile.
"Tch, as long as no idiots nullify it."
I sent a playful glare his way, but then a thought dawned on me. "Natsume, what's going to happen if the organization is brought down?"
"They'll probably all be trailed for their crimes. Some of them have committed murder, so death might be in their future."
Glancing up at the cave's ceiling I asked a question that I didn't really want to know then answer to. "Do you think my mom will be put to death?"
He didn't answer for a few minutes, and I thought that maybe he just wasn't going to answer at all until I heard a small sigh. "It's hard to tell polka. You don't even know if she's definitely alive. She turned against the school to work with the Outsiders, but she left them to give birth to you safely. If they ever find her, the trial could go anyway. I guess for your sake, you should hope that she's never found by any officials."
I took what he said into consideration. I had never before even thought about the idea that she could be dead. I haven't heard from her, well pretty much ever, and if she was alive she could be working back with the organization. If I thought about it even harder I realized that the higher ups of the organization could've taken her out already, which would explain why they want me. I'm the next best thing besides the great Yuka Sakura.
My head began to hurt as I played through all of the different scenarios and outcomes; none of them seemed to end well for the both of us. My head began to ache and I rolled over onto my side. The hard floor of the cave was by no means comfortable, but the coldness did soothe my headache.
"Good night Natsume." At first he didn't respond and I wondered if he had fallen asleep.
With a grunt he said "get some rest polka, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. And about your mother I, well I hope for the best. Whatever that might be."
With a small sound as my only reply, I quickly fell into a restless sleep that was tortured with thoughts of my mom and what awaited me in the future.