Into the Wild

Chapter 5

AN: Stay with me, people. This is a dumb chapter, but I promise it will get better.

The boat rocked gently on the fast flowing river. Will narrowed his eyes as he stared across the wide expanse of water. Jagged rocks stood out in places. On the other side, the dark tree line stood tall and ominous.

"So this is the dangerous river of Oramin," Will murmured. He was rewarded by the butt of a spear jabbing his ribs.

"Quiet prisoner!" a soldier ordered. Will grimanced. His hands were bound behind his back and he couldn't reach up to rub his bruised ribs.

Beside him, Halt, Lillian, Ruch, Sirisa and Antil were also bound. Oramine soldiers surrounded them, nudging them with spearpoints.

"Into the boat," one ordered.

"No!" Sirisa cried. Her legs collapsed under her and the soldiers had to hold her up. "No! I'm innocent, I swear! It's this lot that are the traitors! Send them! Not me! Please, have mercy!"

Will had to feel sorry for her, even though she had betrayed them. Tears were pouring down her face, making her nose run and her body shake violently. Ruch and Antil were silent, but white faced and tense. Clearly, fear of the wild had been ingrained in the Oramine from a young age.

"Get in!" The soldiers picked Sirisa up and threw her in the boat. She screamed and struggled desperately, biting down on a soldier's hand. The man cursed and held her in a headlock until her limbs stilled.

"In you go," The soldier by Will jabbed him with the spear. The young ranger stepped into the boat. The others followed him. Halt relaxed into his seat, apearing completely unconcerned. Will forced his own muscles to do the same and flashed Lillian a reassuring smile. The courier was tense and silent, her face drawn with fear.

"There are viscious fish in the water," Ruch told them quietly. "And the current is strong. It is impossible to swim."

That wasn't hard to see. The rowers were big men with muscles that flexed with every oar stroke. Sweat rolled down their skin. It was taking all their strength to keep the boat on course.

The boat pulled up on the bank. The soldiers shoved them off the boat. They had to lift Sirisa up and throw her onto the sand. None of the soldiers left the boat. They eyes the treeline nervously. Even they were afraid of the Wild.

Sirisa landed awkwardly. She leapt to her feet, biting and trying to grip the boat.

"No!" She cried. "No! Please! Have mercy! I'm not a traitor! Let me go home!"

The soldiers just laughed. They drew their swords. For a moment, Will thought they were about to attack and he tensed. But the soldiers just took hold of Sirisa and cut the ropes that bound her. She clawed at their faces. Two men had to hold her back while the others cut the rest of the ropes off the prisoners.

"Have fun," One soldier said. They pushed Sirisa away from the boat. The oars dipped into the water and they sailed back across the river. The prisoners were alone in the wild.

For a long moment, the world was frozen in time. Ruch leaned against a tree, rubbing his raw wrists. Lillian hugged herself for the meagre comfort it provided. Antil sat down on the ground. Sirisa had her hands in the water, her knees in the mud, sobbing her heart out.

"Come on," Halt urged. "We need a campsite before darkness falls."

Sirisa spun at him. "It's all your fault!" she yelled. "You stupid foreigners! I hate you! I hate you! I hate you all!"

She lunged forward, trying to tear his face with her nails but Halt grabbed her wrists and held her back easily.

"If we're going to survive, we have to work together," Halt said calmly. "And we are going to survive."

"There is no hope of survival," Antil disagreed. "We are the walking dead."

"Cheery people," Will said softly to his mentor. Halt rolled his eyes.

"Let's at least make a nice dry camp," Halt said. He was starting to lose patience, Will could see.

"What's the point?" Antil muttered sourly.

Halt took a deep breath. "The point is that we need a warm place to sleep for when darkness falls if we are going to live."

"We aren't going to live!" Sirisa cried.

"It's better if we die now, rather than drag it out," Antil muttered.

"You will, if you keep that up!" Halt snapped, losing his temper. "But I am going to survive. Will, Lillian and I are going over there to set up a camp. If you don't want to join us, it doesn't matter to me. I just thought I'd give you a chance."

"I for one am most definitely joining you," Ruch said.

"Good," Halt said. They moved into the trees, following the grizzled ranger, until he decided there was a good enough spot to camp.

"Halt?" Will asked.

"What is it?" The ranger was only half paying attention, looking around the undergrowth for useful shelter making materials.

"How are we going to make a camp?" Will asked.

"We'll use these little sticks as a frame for a sheltor," Halt said, lifting the end of what was certainly not a little stick. It was, in fact, a small log. "I'll show you- when I lived with the Temujai, they showed me how to make this type of shelter."

The rangers and Ruch balanced the logs between trees, forming several v shaped skeletons. They tied them securely in place with the rope used to bind them. The soldiers had thankfully left it there for them to use.

"Most useful enemies I've ever encountered," Halt said, grunting as he pulled a knot tight.

"Except that they're the reason we're here in the first place," Will pointed out.

Halt thought for a second. "Yes, except that," he agreed.

"Here," Lillian dumped large leaves to the ground. Halt had asked her to gather them while the men rigged the shelters. They arranged them over the framework, along with whatever else they could find. Will discovered a patch of moss which they used to insulate the shelters.

It was when the work was done and the four of them stood back to study their shelters that Sirisa and Antil joined them.

"Thank you for the help," Halt said stiffly. "I assume you've changed your mind now and want to sleep in one?"

"That's right," Sirisa met his eyes with her own bloodshot ones. "Seeing as it's your fault we're here in the first place."

"My fault?" Halt raised his eyebrows. "That's not how I recall it."

Sirisa stomped off into a sheltor, curling up on her side and refused to say anymore. They had only made four, so Halt and Will decided they would share, Antil and Ruch would share and the girls would have one each.

The rangers set up some snares around, but the light was beginning to fade. There would be no food to eat tonight.

"Got your flint?" Halt asked. All rangers carried one with them for easy fire starting.

"Yes, you?" Will replied.

"Of course."

They were both experienced campers and it didn't take them long to gather a bundle of firewood and light a campfire. Everyone was tired and they didn't linger around the campfire. Halt and Will curled up in their cloaks, huddled together to retain body warmth.

"I would think this is going to be a very uncomfortable night," Will said.

"We'll cope," Halt shrugged. "And after all, things could be worse."

And by morning, things would be worse. Much, much worse.

Sorry it's so short. I couldn't seem to drag it out...

Bad chapter, I know. Next one will be longer, I promise.