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Hejira: Crystalline Hall

By Mantrid Brizon

Episode 05: And Through The Woods

It’s been three days since the rock slide separated the party into two groups. Gareth, Kahlera and Naomi are nearly out of food, and have even been gathering wild edibles alongside the road the entire way, but miner’s lettuce, flower heads and handfuls of berries can only go so far. They are nearly out of the valley, and the hills are becoming easier to move through, should they need to. They set up a campsite for the night, but Gareth seems distracted.

Kahlera kneels by Gareth and asks him what is bothering him. Gareth smiles to her and stands up. He reaches out a hand to her and she takes it. He pulls her up and motions for her to follow. They walk to his pack as Naomi builds the fire, placing more logs into it. He takes out his Kahr CT9 pistol and checks the chamber for a round, and the magazine for ammunition, before setting it next to Naomi. He reaches back into his pack and collects a large spool of brass wire.

“We’re going to set some snares. Only use that if you have too. We’ll be right back.” Gareth says to Naomi.

“Where’s my babysitter? Or am I old enough to be left home alone now?” Naomi snarks.

“You have a gun. You’ll be fine. We won’t be more than one hundred meters away anyway.” Gareth assures her.

She merely shrugs as Gareth and Kahlera head into the woods. Gareth looks carefully for animal tracks and other signs of life. He sets a deadfall trap over a small game trail. As he sets the trap, he explains how to build it to Kahlera, who takes mental notes. They move on and find another area with rabbit tracks. Gareth sets a snare, also explaining how to make it, as he sets it. There is an area with deer droppings nearby, so Gareth sets a large snare around chest height. They set several more snares and deadfalls before night begins to creep in.

“I have never set traps before… I have only ever hunted with a bow and a sling.” Kahlera admits to Gareth.

“Well, now you know, and knowledge is power.” He smiles.

“This is true.” She says.

“Besides, I’m sure you are going to teach me things that I don’t know.” He adds.

“What could I possibly teach you?” She asks.

“I don’t know. I still brush my hair like a princess, thrown over my shoulder. Maybe you know a more dignified method.” He shrugs.

She giggles at his silly remarks. She doesn’t know why, but she finds him to be charming. She is quickly growing to enjoy his company. They return to the camp where Naomi waits for them. They eat what’s left of their food and lie down for the night. It becomes unusually cold and Naomi moves closer to the fire, regularly feeding it logs. Gareth looks to Kahlera who holds her bedroll closed. He isn’t sure, but she appears to be shivering.

“You know, Kahlera… If you’re really cold, we could always cuddle.” He half teases her.

“No thanks… Shivering is more comfortable.” She quips.

“Fail…” Naomi murmurs.

“You just look cold. At least take a space blanket. I have one for emergencies.” He says as he sits up.

She pauses and looks at Gareth. He appears genuinely concerned for her well-being. She grips the bedroll tightly and then sighs. Why did he have to give her the option? She doesn’t want the opportunity, and yet she does; she is conflicted.

“Fine…” Kahlera grumbles as she sits up.

Gareth looks over to his nearby pack. Digging through the musette bag, he finds a small stuff bag that carries emergency supplies. Opening it, he looks through the contents for the silver space blanket. As he digs, he feels his sleeping bag shift. He turns to see Kahlera climbing in with him.

“That works too.” Gareth says in surprise as he holds the space blanket in his hand.

“It is only because it is cold. Do not get any ideas.” She growls.

“Absolutely no ideas will go through my head.” He assures her.

“Just like every other day.” Naomi teases.

He puts the space blanket back into the stuff bag, cinches it closed, and then buckles the flap of his pack. He slides back down into the now crowded sleeping bag. Her fur rubs softly against his flesh as he buries himself into the bag like a tick. She places her back towards him and leans in. Gareth slides his makeshift pillow over towards her and pulls up his pack, using it at a headrest in place of the pillow. Kahlera is surprised by his generosity, and wishes that she didn’t like this as much as she does.

“You must really trust me.” Gareth suddenly comments.

“What?” She asks.

“To put your back against me like that. It’s a very vulnerable position.” Gareth nudges her gently.

Not realizing that he’s just playing with her, she struggles to turn over, facing him instead. She stares at him as they lie there and he gently places a hand on her upper arm. She clenches her teeth and growls; it’s all she can do to keep from smiling. He pulls his hand away from her, his expression silently apologizing.

“Warm?” He asks her.

“A little…” She answers softly.

After a brief staring contest, she suddenly turns back over, pressing her back against his chest. Gareth slowly wraps an arm around her and holds her close.

“Don’t make me break it off…” She mutters.

“It’s just until you warm up. Don’t be so stubborn.” He says sternly.

His tone takes her by surprise, and she seems to purr in response. His sudden aggressiveness is appealing. Her tails drapes over his waist, within the sleeping bag. His arm doesn’t move a centimeter, staying wrapped gently around her waist.

“Are you warm yet?” He asks.

“Oh… It… It is getting warm.” She answers softly.

“Good.” He smiles.

He rests his face just behind her shoulder as he holds her. His nose rests near the nape of her neck as he slowly breaths in and out. He likes her faint scent, which is not dissimilar to most women’s. After snuggling for a while, Kahlera’s eyes shoot open. She turns her head and glares at Gareth, bearing her teeth. Gareth tries to pull his hips away from her body in the confined space.

“I’m sorry. It’s not my fault.” He whispers.

“If you ever want to use that in the future, I better not feel it again.” She quietly warns.

“Hey, I’d like to see you control your body when you are pressed against someone as attractive…” He blurts out defensively.

He stops mid-sentence and her angry expression quickly morphs into one of shock. He closes his eyes and sighs, frustrated at his own impulsiveness. He stops talking and shifts his body so that she doesn’t notice, but continues to hold her close.

“Is that better?” He asks.

“… Yes…” She murmurs.

“Hey… About what I said… I-” He begins.

“You didn’t say anything.” She interrupts.

“Good.” He whispers.

Though he didn’t finish speaking, she is certain what he would have said had he continued. She presses herself against him again, resting her back against his chest. Although she no longer feels his pelvis pressed against her, she doubts his condition has changed, and though she won’t ever admit it, hers hasn’t either. She only hopes that this hasn’t ruined anything that may be between them. She rests easily; warm and comfortable in his arms. The pair soon drift off to sleep.

They awaken early the next morning, almost simultaneously. Gareth’s arm has shifted up, tucked underneath her bust. Though she is awake, Kahlera takes the time to enjoy the moment, pretending as though she were still asleep. She doesn’t want him to move; she is content where they are. Gareth, oblivious to the act, lies there and watches her silently. She eventually decides to feign her awakening. Gareth is quick to pull his arm away from beneath her breasts, though they slept fully dressed, and give her room to move. She crawls out from the sleeping bag, followed closely by Gareth. She stretches and turns to him, smiling faintly.

“Have a good sleep?” He asks her softly.

She simply nods her head. As Naomi wakes up, they leave to check their traps. The deadfalls are all empty, and the first few snares are too. They collect the snares as they move. They approach the final snare and see a large figure stuck inside of it. The body of a small whitetail deer hangs in the snare, caught by its neck. It’s a juvenile, and not full-grown. Gareth sits by the carcass and takes out his bone handled skinner.

“Okay…” He says with a sigh. “I haven’t done this in a long time… Or ever.” He comments.

“I don’t have a knife, but I will talk you through it.” Kahlera replies.

At her direction, Gareth guts and cleans the deer on the forest floor. Kahlera collects the snare and Gareth carries the carcass back to camp, throwing it over his shoulders.

“See? You taught me something already.” He says with a smile.

“You did well, Gareth. You are not as dumb as I thought you were.” Kahlera snarks.

“Thanks, I guess. You don’t have to call me Gareth. You can shorten it, or say something else entirely.” He replies.

“You do not like Gareth?” She asks in surprise.

“Not the whole thing.” He admits.

They make it back to camp and cook the deer for their breakfast while Kahlera dries the remaining meat over the fire. Kahlera stuffs dried meat into her pack and places more meat above the fire, moving like an assembly line. Gareth watches her as he eats, and turns back to his pack. He digs out his larger stainless-steel skinner with wooden grips.

“Hey, Kahlera.” He says, getting her attention. “I want you to have this.”

Gareth presents the knife to Kahlera. She hesitates to take it.

“What is this for?” She asks apprehensively.

“To cut things.” He says facetiously.

She glares at him, silently demanding a serious answer.

“You need one… Plus, this one is stainless-steel. It’s very resistant to rust and corrosion. It’ll last longer than my knife.” He explains.

“What do you want in return?” She asks.

“Nothing.” He replies with a smile.

“Nobody just gives away things like this.” Kahlera says as she eyes Gareth with suspicion.

“I guess you haven’t been given many gifts, huh? At least not by a human.”

“That is true…” She admits as she slowly takes the knife, looking down at it with a faint smile.

“But wait, there’s more.” Gareth says as he reaches back into his pack. “It’s getting colder, so take this too.” Gareth pulls out an orange and black Keffiyeh, presenting it too her.

“Oh no, I could not!” She says; his attention embarrasses her.

“It’s alright. I have a few.” He replies.

He takes out an entirely black Keffiyeh for himself and wraps it around his neck. Her faint smile grows ever wider. She clenches her fists as she tries to hide it.

“Orange is one of my two favorite colors.” He comments.

“What is the other?” She asks.

“Purple.” He answers.

“Purple is my favorite too.” She adds.

Gareth examines his worn hiking boots, and takes them off, saving the laces but tossing the boots aside. He takes his new boots from his pack and slips them on as Naomi and Kahlera take down the campsite.

“Help would be nice.” Naomi grumbles as she watches Gareth.

“I catch and kill the food, you do the dishes.” Gareth smirks.

With the campsite dismantled, the trio put on their packs and get back onto the road, continuing the trek north. A cool breeze rustles the trees and throws Gareth’s and Naomi’s long hair over their shoulders while Kahlera tightens her high ponytail. After a few hours of walking, they approach a group of four men who sit in a circle on the road. Gareth and Kahlera stop in their tracks; their guts tell them that there is something wrong. The men see them and stand up, casually walking towards them as they draw swords. Gareth balls his left hand into a fist before spreading out his fingers, preparing to draw Vetra from her holster.

“Well, look at what we have here.” One man says.

“Two bitches, and their pet cat.” Another laughs.

One man steps forward. He seems to be the leader, as the other three look to him and watch his every move.

“So, I will play nice with you. Hand over all of your things and surrender that innocent looking girl, and you can go.” The man begins.

“I never screwed a Sahvorai before!” One of the goons says excitedly.

“Actually, on second thought, pass that fur ball over here too. We can have some fun with her.” The leader grins.

“Okay. That’s not going to happen.” Gareth answers.

“Hah! And what the hell are you going to do about it, shithead? I don’t see a sword, dagger, axe, or bow between the lot of you.” The leader laughs confidently.

Gareth steps into a bladed stance, drawing Vetra slowly and holding her tightly with a two-handed grip. The men don’t seem to realize what he is doing. Gareth feels like he is cheating them, but he is pragmatic; they brought this on themselves.

“Fire from the Gods… Don’t make me burn you.” Gareth glares.

“Fuck you!” The leader steps closer as he holds up his bronze sword.

Two shots ring out as he falls back onto the ground. Gareth holds Vetra close to his stomach, firing from a crumpled weaver stance. The rounds plow through the man’s abdomen and rip into his intestines. His last few days of life will be spent in horrendous agony, as he dies slowly of septic shock. The gang’s leader writhes on the ground as blood pools beneath him. Gareth stretches out his arms, aiming at another man. The three goons turn and run. Gareth fires a third round, striking another man in the shoulder. He holsters his sidearm as he watches them flee in terror.

“What the hell are you doing?!” Kahlera shouts. “Finish them off or they will come back for us!”

“I don’t want to kill them if I don’t have too.” Gareth replies.

He takes a deep breath and tries to control his adrenaline. He successfully fights the urge to vomit. He takes a moment to collect his spent brass, pocketing it with the other casing. While the three goons abandon their leader, Gareth, Kahlera and Naomi make their escape, casually walking past the injured man on the ground.

“You really should have killed more of them…” Kahlera comments.

Gareth wonders if he made a mistake by not killing more of the men when he could have. They keep a swift pace, nearly jogging as they head north. Barely an hour down the road, Kahlera suddenly stops. She turns back and her ears twitch, overcome by a terrible feeling in her gut.

“Run!” She yells.

She grabs Gareth and Naomi by their wrists and pulls them as the three raiders return on horseback, riding in from the south. They must have had a camp just inside the woods where their horses and gear were kept out of sight. They all have bows and arrows. Knowing that they could never outrun horses, Gareth turns and fires several rounds, startling the horses. He side-steps towards his right, moving off to the left side of the road.

Kahlera and Naomi rush towards the woods, following Gareth’s lead. The riders pursue them, and Gareth fires several well placed shots, killing a horse and causing it to fall over, injuring the rider by falling on him. They flee through the woods, which are too thick for the remaining horses to enter. Several arrows fly past Gareth as he backs into the forest. He turns and runs through the dense brush, trying to catch up to Kahlera and Naomi who are just ahead of him, and barely in his sight.

Branches snag, scratch, slap and jab him as he barrels through as fast as he can. After a few moments of running, he catches up to Kahlera and Naomi, who are carefully moving towards a small waterfall that runs from a large stream and into a considerable pond. The two girls disappear behind the waterfall, and he realizes that there is a cave behind it; it is very difficult to see, as the waterfall is positioned so that sunlight doesn’t beam on the cave opening.

He breaks several branches and tramples a bush at the edge of the clearing, creating a false trail. He turns back and rushes up to the large pond and carefully heads inside the cave. He passes underneath the water where a soaked Naomi and Kahlera stand with their backs against the wall. Gareth stands beside them and checks his pistol’s magazine while Naomi moves even deeper, pushing against the opposite side of the cave. Gareth takes his Kahr CT9 from his pack and offers it to Kahlera.

“I do not know how to use that.” Kahlera says.

“It’s easy. I’ll show you.” Gareth replies.

He hands her the pistol and gives her a very brief lesson in firearms safety.

“Assume every weapon is loaded, and never point it at anything you aren’t ready to kill or destroy. Never put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot. Squeeze the trigger carefully; don’t pull it quickly, or you might miss your target. Never point a gun at a man unless you intend to shoot him, and never shoot a man unless you intend to kill him. No warning shots.” He quickly coaches her.

He holsters Vetra and stands behind Kahlera, taking her hands into his and showing her the proper grip. Kahlera’s heart races, as much from his touch as from the dash through the woods.

“There’s only two left, but I don’t want to kill them if I don’t have too.” Gareth whispers into her ear.

As they hide in the cave, the raiders walk close by. Kahlera tries backing away, as she worries her image will be seen through the waterfall. A raider seems to notice movement and walks closer. She bumps into Gareth; he doesn’t move or say anything, and seems to be almost meditating, as he breaths very slowly and deeply. He wraps his right arm around her and rests his hand on her toned abdomen, pulling her gently away and guiding her deeper into the cave as they both back away from the waterfall.

The raider seems to look at his own image in the rushing water, standing there for a moment. Gareth slowly draws his sidearm from his holster. The raider lifts an arm and flexes his muscle, admiring his reflection. Gareth leaves his hand in place. Kahlera notices, but doesn’t say anything. Gareth suddenly and gently scratches Kahlera’s flat stomach with his fingertips. She likes it, but looks back and bears her teeth at Gareth, hissing quietly. He glares at her and brings Vetra’s barrel to his lips, shushing her.

Kahlera is surprised, and gazes at Gareth. She feels almost aroused by his growing dominance. Soon, the raider walks away without a word, heading into the woods as he follows the false trail. Gareth and Kahlera stare at each other as their faces slowly move closer together. Kahlera’s pink nose touches Gareth’s and her breathing grows heavier. Naomi watches from the opposite wall of the cave, rolling her eyes.

“Hey… They’re gone now…” Naomi interrupts.

As though snapping out of a trance, Kahlera quickly turns away from Gareth and pulls out of his grasp. She exits the cave and steps through the waterfall. Gareth turns to Naomi and glares at her with clenched teeth. She grins wide as she also exits the cave.

“Shit…” He murmurs, holstering Vetra again.

He leaves the cave and joins the girls, who are already heading back for the road. Kahlera passes Naomi the pistol as they enter the brush. They never see the other two raiders, though one raider lies dead, his mangled leg trapped underneath his equally dead horse. They begin walking down the road in silence.

“Are you alright?” Kahlera asks as she looks to Gareth.

“Yeah. Why?” Gareth responds.

“I can smell your blood…” She answers.

“Just a few scrapes from those tree branches.” He replies.

Kahlera shrugs and they continue their hike as though nothing had happened. After nearly an hour, Gareth slows his pace and seems to be in pain. Naomi turns and asks if he is really alright, but he simply tells her not to worry, ignoring the actual question. Kahlera looks back at him. She still smells the blood, but now she can see it as well; it runs down his right side, staining the waistline of his pants. Kahlera stops and walks up to Gareth.

“Show me those ‘scrapes’ of yours.” She demands.

“It’s fine.” Gareth barks at her.

He tries to walk by her, passing on her right, but Kahlera grabs his shoulders and pushes him back, pinning him against a nearby tree.

“I am not asking.” She growls.

She reaches out and moves his vest out of the way to find a hole in his shirt. Lifting the shirt, Kahlera can see a considerable gash on his right side.

“Damnit. I only have three of these.” Gareth grumbles. “A branch slid up under my vest and cut me.” He tells her.

“That is not a cut. This needs to be treated right now. Why did you not say anything?!” Kahlera asks.

“I didn’t want to slow us down… Or make you even more angry…” Gareth replies.

“Next time, tell me.” She says softly.

She takes him by a wrist and leads him away from the road. Naomi follows close behind, still holding the Kahr pistol. They walk into the woods to stay out of sight, if anyone should come by. Kahlera reaches into a small pouch tied around her waist. She takes out several bundles of leaves and selects a roll, placing the rest back into the pouch. She takes a few leaves from the bundle and places them in her mouth, then returns that bundle to her pouch as well.

She chews the leaves as she takes a cloth from her pack. She sits Gareth down beside another tree and lifts his shirt up. She spits the chewed leaves out onto the cloth and presses it into his gash. Gareth groans and winces in pain.

“That really hurts!” He comments.

“Do not be such a baby.” Kahlera says.

“I just couldn’t help but notice that you are pressing on a painful bleeding gash in my side.” Gareth snarks.

“If you must talk, do something other than complain.” She grumbles.

He grits his teeth as she seems to push the bandage deeper into the wound. He clenches his teeth as sweat beads on his forehead from the pain. He suddenly grins, chuckling faintly.

“I’m only, fallen through the cracks. I’m only, losing my will to live. I’m only, broken and beaten down. I’m only. I’m only.” Gareth sings softly.

Kahlera glares at him. He smiles back at her.

“What? I’m not complaining; it’s a song.” He says defensively.

Kahlera shakes her head, amused by his jocularity.

“Just be quiet.” She says with a smile.

He stops singing and breathes slowly and deeply.

“Good boy… If this wound stops bleeding soon, then you will not need stitches.” She adds.

“So what happens if it doesn’t stop bleeding?” He asks facetiously.

Kahlera looks up at him and presses even harder on his wound.

“Ow, shit! Stitches. Got it.” He groans.

They sit there for a minute while Naomi watches the road from a bush. Gareth’s wound soon clots and stops bleeding on its own. They take a short rest; Kahlera sits beside him, pressing her shoulder against his.

“Are you ready to go?” Kahlera asks softly.

“Yeah. I think so.” Gareth replies as he slowly stands up. He feels a little woozy, but feels confident that he can keep going. “Hey, Kahlera…” He begins.

She turns back to him. Her ponytail flutters in the cool breeze. He looks at her for a moment, a faint smile on his face. He wipes the sweat from his brow with a shirt sleeve, and walks up to her.

“Thanks for helping me.” He says, reaching out and taking her hand.

“Yeah well… I do not want to make a habit of it. Try not to be so clumsy next time.” She replies as she pulls her hand away and walks back to the road.

He shakes his head and chuckles. They walk back on the well-worn path and Naomi returns the Kahr pistol. He slips it back into his pack as they keep marching down the long and lonely road.