Chapter 5

They walked down the path together, Eustace still a few steps behind Sasha. Neither one of the spoke for a very long time, listening to the sounds around them as they went. It wasn't an awkward silence but more of a consensual one – a silent agreement passed between two people that nothing needed to be said at the moment.

Anyway, Eustace knew that even if he tried too ask her anything that he would just get shut down. She had that way about her, like she would be fine with doing just about anything in the world but talk. It made him nervous.

Looking at her back, he watched her hair swing back and forth in its loose ponytail. She had such a sure way of walking, it was light and quick with almost a slight skip to it, not making a single sound as her feet hit the ground. She never once looked behind her too, as if she always knew exactly where she was going and not really caring whether he followed her or not. Birds whistled in the trees and she whistled back matching their song with a genital voice.

Finally deciding to try one more time to find something – anything - out about her he quickened his pace a little until he came into stride beside her.

"Where are you from Sasha?"

"Around," was her distracted answer.

"Around where?"

"A little here, a little there," he could have sworn he saw her smirk at his dismay of not getting any real information out of her. "What about you? Where are you from?"

"I'm not going to answer any of your questions if your not going to answer any of mine," said Eustace hostile.

She just shook her head at this with a small smile, which only infuriated him.

"We have to find somewhere to set up camp, it going to be dark soon and being stuck out here at night is a very good way of getting yourself killed," she said matter of factually.

Now it was Eustace's turn to shake his head as he followed her a little further down the path, wanting to get far enough away until they were sure that the boggles would not be able to follow them.

She stopped suddenly as though she saw a sign in the surrounding trees that told her this was the place to go, and turned to the right, walking through the dense coverage of trees. He followed closely behind her, afraid of getting left behind and not being able to find his way back, little sticks and thorns from thick growing bushes scraped his arms and face causing them to sting with the rest of his wounds.

They eventually broke through the trees and he gave a sigh of relief. The clearing was bright due to the fact that it was big enough so that the branches of trees were not able to grow far enough over the clearing to leave it in the shade.

There was a large mound of rock towering on the opposite side of the clearing from where they were standing that seemed to him to be even bigger than the old mansion that they had rented for the summer, it loomed over the earth in front of in a menacing way. A shallow cave was carved out at the bottom with jagged white rocks surrounding it like a sharp, protective fence. The trees that were surrounding the clearing grew closely together with thick foliage to guard the gaps where none did. It seemed like a safe place to set up camp, not easily found unless you knew it was here, which she obviously did from the sure way she lead him to it.

He was so busy admiring this little haven that when he turned to ask Sasha how she knew that this was here it was to find that she was no longer at his side. He gave the clearing another long sweep until be saw her pale arm sticking out of the cave he had noted earlier, in the rock. He walked over to her in time to see her pick her pack back up where she had thrown it carelessly to the ground and tighten her sword belt, she turned to look at him when she heard his approach.

"Make a fire, right here to the right of the cave entrance. I'm going to go find us something to eat," she said, and turned to walk back into the forest they had just left, not waiting for an answer.

Eustace just glared after her at her demanding behavior. When he looked back at where she had told him to make the fire however he frowned. He had no idea how to make a fire.

Wood, He thought. First I need to find some wood.

Walking in the same direction Sasha had headed for, he walked a little ways into the forest and started to gather some dry firewood and kindling to start his fire with.

Once he had all that he could carry, he headed back for camp, retracing his steps, and dropped his load on the cave floor when he got there.

Now too start a fire.

How on earth did one start a fire!? He thought exasperatedly.

He stood there glaring at the wood disgustedly, his mind starting to wonder to the fact that Sasha was nowhere to be seen. He could just leave her here and take off into the woods before she could even realize that he was gone. But, he was so tired – covered from head to toe with mud, scrapes and bruises and didn't think that he would get very far. So, he stayed, glaring at the wood like his misery was all its fault.

Movement to his left caused him to turn around to find that Sasha had returned her pack slung over her shoulder and both her arms above her head, carrying dozens of long sticks that were just as tall as she was, braced on her back, trying to lift them as high as she could so that they didn't drag along the ground. Each one was covered in tiny thorns from top to bottom that must have been poking her back something awful, but if they were, she didn't let it show on her face.

When she reached him, she slung her burden off her back and set them on the ground at his feet.

"What are those for?" asked Eustace.

"There to give us extra protection from anything that may wander into the clearing," she said simply. "Nice fire," she added as an afterthought.

He rolled his eyes at her amusement. "Thanks. I'm thinking about writing a survival guide, I just can't think of that pesky title," he jested.

She laughed at that and walked over to his small pile of sticks and picked out a large dead one. Then, she took a knife out of her pack and started to carve out a notch in the center of it. When she opened her pack he saw that it was full of berries and something small and furry that she had caught on her hunt.

She hadn't taken very long in finding it, and thought she must be well practiced at hunting.

Once her notch was done, she picked up another dead stick that was the same size in width and then set them both down on the ground as she opened her pack once again and took out a round, flat rock. She placed the rock on the ground in front of her then took some dry pieces of kindling from the pile and set that beside that rock.

Eustace just stood there thoroughly confused.

She then placed the stick with the notch in it on top of the rock, then placed the end of the second stick inside of the notch. Placing both of her hands in a praying position at the top of the second stick she started to twist it back and forth quickly between her hands. As she twisted, her hands slowly slide downward and every time that happened she would quickly bring them back up to the top again, then start all over with the same sure motion. She did this for what seemed like forever, until he could finally begin to see smoke puff up from the notch. She started to pick up her pace a bit then, and the small puff of smoke started to grow bigger. Once it billowed at a steady pace she stopped what she was doing and removed the stick in her hands. She then tilted the stick with the notch in it onto the rock very carefully, and a small ember fell onto it. She quickly lifted the kindling up to the rock and placed it under it, holding it as if it were a butterfly. Then, she started to blow genitally on it, and the smoke started to grow and grow, until it was consumed in white smoke. Then, he saw a small spark escape and a lick of fire blew up from where the ember sat.

Quickly, she gathered some of the smaller sticks that he had collected and placed them on top of her small fire, and it blew up into a large flame. Once she was satisfied that it wouldn't go out, she put larger pieces of wood of top of it.

"There we are," she said happily, sweat trickling down her face from her effort.

Eustace was impressed. He had never seen anyone make a fire before. Even on his last trip to Narnia, most nights were spent on the ship, and the ones that were spent on land he had not witness the building of a fire, his attention always directed towards more interesting things.

The fire was built on the right side of the cave entrance which blocked anyone or anything from getting in on that side, leaving the other unprotected. That's were she placed her thorny branches, laying them up against the top of the cave and fanning them out to make something of a sharp, prickly fence.

Whipping the sweat from her forehead, she walked back over to her pack and took out the rabbit she had caught. It had a knife wound in its side where she must as throw her dagger when she hunted it.

Quickly skinning the animal, she cut away the fresh meat, and reached over to the side to retrieve one of the branches that she had not used for their shelter and stuck the rabbit to it, the meat sticking to the thorns like glue. Then, she placed it over the fire to cook and reclined against the side of the cave, covering a yawn that came to her lips with the inside of her elbow, her eyes suddenly looking a bit droopy.

Eustace felt thoroughly useless now. She had completed every task that needed doing all by herself while he just stood there watching. Just as he was watching her now.

Her eyes were closed and she seemed to hardly know that he was even there. He wondered if she had fallen asleep. But, just as that thought had left his mind she opened one eyes and glanced over at him, a soft smile coming to her lips when she caught him staring.

He quickly looked away, a slight blush coming to his cheeks which he hoped for the life of him that she did not catch. Her giggle however indicated that she had.

Once the rabbit was done cooking, Sasha took it off the fire and set it aside to cool. She reached into her pack then and retrieved the berries she had collected that were none to carefully wrapped in a brown cloth, with many of them spilling out.

Setting the berries on the ground sitting on the open cloth, she picked the cooked rabbit back up and pealed away a large bit and handed it over to Eustace, which her took eagerly. She then took a piece off for herself and took a big bite.

It had a very dull taste, like cardboard. She had been to tired to try to look for herbs to spice it up a bit so just cooked it as it was. Neither of them complained though, they were so hungry that the meat barely touched their tongues. They also had the berries which they ate to rid their tongues of the bland taste. At least if filled them up. Eustace didn't even realize how quick the day had gotten away from him. It must have been hours and hours since he had last eaten anything, which wasn't since this morning.

The warm meat filling his stomach made him suddenly feel very sleepy and he felt like he could fall over right where he was sitting. A quick glance over at Sasha told him that it had the same effect on her as well, which surprised him. It was the first time he had ever seen her even remotely tired. Or at least let it show.

The sun was really starting to set now. It dipped down low behind the trees, and left behind a deep glow of pink and orange in its wake. It was so beautiful and for some reason that made him even more sleepy.

He looked down at the cloth by his side and saw that there was one more berry left, he automatically reached out for it, but was to slow. Sasha's slender hand got there first and he watched as she popped it into her mouth, a wicked grin coming to her face when she looked back at him, mockingly closing her eyes and sighing like it was the most delicious thing she had ever tasted.

Eustace picked up the now empty cloth, balled it up in his fist and threw it at her face, which made her laugh hysterically.

"We should try to get some sleep," she said once she gained control of her laughter.

"You wouldn't happen to have a blanket it that pack of yours would you?" he asked, looking at the hard stone floor forlornly.

"Sorry," she smiled.

Getting up, she took the bit of rabbit that they hadn't eaten and wrapped it up in the berry cloth then stuffed it in her bag for tomorrows journey.

"Have any idea where were off to tomorrow?" asked Sasha.

"Nope."

Kicking off his shoes, Eustace went as deep into the cave as he could, which wasn't very far, not wanting to kick his foot into the fire as he slept. Once he found the right spot, he laid down and finally closed his eyes to get some rest. Maybe tomorrow he would have a better idea of what to do. Lucy had told him enough stories about places shes been to in Narnia, surly he could think of one, and maybe ask Sasha to expand on his idea when he came up with one.

He would be lying to himself if he said that he didn't want Sasha's company. Sure, she was intimidating, but she was one of those people who seemed so comfortable with themselves and others that it made you feel like you had known them forever.

Eustace didn't even know she had approached until he felt her arm wrap around his stomach from behind, her warm body pressing tightly against his as she got comfortable.

"Uh, Sasha?" said Eustace shyly.

"Hmm."

"What are you doing?"

"The nights get cold here. We'll be warmer if we sleep closer together," she explained in a sleepy voice.

This made him blush even harder than he had before, and some of his tiredness left him, giving way to nervousness.

"Relax. You're as tense as a board," she said annoyed.

Eustace tried for he life of him to relax, and succeeded the slightest bit. He rolled his eyes at himself telling himself that he was just being silly, but that did little to improve his state either.

So, he just laid there helplessly until his exhaustion was able to win over his body and he fell into a deep sleep.