The sun was setting beyond the trees, coating the camp in dimming light. The seven hadn’t returned yet, causing worry and anxiety to fill the talks, spreading like a stain, permeating every interaction. Everyone was stressed, the situation they found themselves in somehow acceptable while the attacks and uncertainty felt less so. Two girls were talking away from the fire, near where Hitch was sharpening his knife.
Kunit was the oldest of them, though she was quite short, her hair long, dark and wavy, tied up right now. She was talking with Nargha, a pretty good cook who was currently pacing around as though stopping would be deadly for her.
“What if they don’t come back? Maybe we should leave now, before more of those things return, just head downstream and see what we find there?”
She kept pacing about, the other girl leaning against a tree.
“We could float the idea around. I’ve no real attachment to this place but it at least feels okay? All the stuff is here, and pulling it with us might be difficult. And if there’s a division, I don’t want to have a fight.”
“You think people would try to beat each other?”
“What? No, I meant an argument. I just don’t think adding more strain to the current situation is a good thing.”
Hitch walked away, closer to the fire, warming himself up and putting the knife away, eyes on the woods, looking for another rustle or anything to help see the approaching thing just a moment sooner. He had first watch again, sitting with Layah this time, both quiet. She had been studying one of the tomes for the larger part of the day, but now was just as keenly looking out towards the woods, as on edge as anyone.
“Do you think we’ll die?”
Her voice was calm and startled him a little. She was looking the opposite way of him, the two sitting back to back, fire burning to their side.
“We’ll all die eventually, right?”
“You know what I meant. Whatever, it doesn’t matter.”
“I hope we don’t.”
He didn’t say that, not able to form the words. He clenched his fists, tried to relax a bit, eyes still searching for movement.
Once their shift was over, it took him a while to fall asleep.
—
The sky was clear, the moon full. The boy was afraid and the fear was something it was keen to feed.
—
Hitch woke to a racket, his dreams restless. The group that went out was back, or part of it at least. They were missing Ponneltor and Voysh, those who returned hurt in some way, Luce most of all, being carried by Titor. The larger boy put him down, laying him near where the other hurt people were, though Mayhe was up and walking again now. They were beset by people, waving them off, Hari filling everyone in.
They’d gone looking for the things and they found them. A group of them, the small ones, no sign of the huge thing. They initiated the fight, attacking the four armed things, but were quickly overwhelmed. Voysh stayed behind to hold them off, Ponneltor joining him so the others would have more time to run away. And they ran successfully, getting here by walking through the night, as difficult as that ended up being.
“I don’t regret going, really. But I wish we did better. I did better.”
No one argued with Hari. They were the least hurt of them all, their fingers bloody and feet full of blisters. There were cuts on their arms and torso, shallow but still painful looking. They went off with the other three returnees that were still okay, going to wash up and bandage their injuries.
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There was an argument going on among them. Olivia was being loud enough to be overheard by everyone within camp. Frustrated and wanting to head back immediately, she was being held back by the two archers.
“We get more people and go to help them right now! Anything else would be horrible of us.”
Titor sighed, wrapping a makeshift bandage around his arm.
“So we go back, they’re dead and we get more people killed? Great fucking plan.”
“They could be alive. And we owe it to them to avenge them if they’re not!”
“Fuck avenging! We killed one of theirs. They got into our camp to show off and then we went and lost two of ours. I don’t want more trouble. If you go, go off on your own.”
He shot her a look, then headed for the opposite side of the camp, ignoring the looks he got.
—
By midday, Olivia was rested enough to be heading out again. Fita was joining her, looking quite a bit more serious than before, subdued in a way. Hari was going too, their arrows replenished.
“Can I join you?”
Hitch approached the group, pack filled, sword taken from Luce hanging by his hip.
“Sure. You’re ready to head off, right?”
“Yeah, all ready.”
Fita looked him in the eye.
“You sure? Why go now?”
“I want to do what I can. To do better too.”
She nodded, then the four of them set out back towards the battleground. Olivia was leading the way, Fita keeping her eyes on ahead.
Hari was the one to strike up a conversation with him.
“So what are you good at? In a fight and overall.”
The question caught him by surprise. The boy went quiet for a moment, thinking before speaking up.
“I’m pretty quick, I think. And my eyes aren’t bad. I’m not the strongest, but I think I could deal with one of those things. Though I gathered you faced more than a handful. I haven’t had much practice with the sword, but I can use the knife well. Been working on the wood now and I can make sure the leather’s worked well.”
“That’s something. I’m the one archer here today, but I’m also pretty good at tracking I would say. And math, really, though that’s less useful now. My parents sent me to a tutor.”
“So you were one of the rich kids then?”
“No, not at all. We were well off, true, but the tutor was a friend of my mother’s and I would sit in on the classes when there was time. Officially, I was helping out, but I tried to learn what I can.”
Hari smiled, looking off to the side.
“Those were good times. I hope we get back safe.”
“Yeah.”
They stopped for a short rest, traveling familiar ground. Olivia addressed him.
“We’re getting closer. I think we should walk through the night, then we’d get there as soon as we can. I don’t fancy resting here.”
He nodded along with the others, then the group set off again.
—
They found the battleground. Bodies scattered around, the porcelain like bits stomped into the ground. There was blood on the white shards, and more leading off to the side. They followed the tracks of blood, broken branches and shattered creatures, walking for a few minutes until they got to a cave in a hill. It wasn’t deep, and they took a step closer, Hitch grabbing Olivia by the collar and pulling her back as an axe swing came for her.
“Voysh?”
Fita took point, addressing the darkness.
The large boy stepped out of the cave, covered in cuts and bruises, bandaged up by his shirt as much as he could be. The axe was in his left hand, his right a mangled mess. He was barely looking at them, but smiled, then collapsed before them.
Fita ran over and started looking him over, fixing up the dressing on the wounds, Olivia and Hari looking around. Hitch went into the cave, his eyes used to the dark. It wasn’t long until he found the other boy too. Ponneltor was slumped against a wall, clutching his spear, sleeping. Hitch went to wake him, grabbing his shoulder and giving it a light shake.
Ponneltor was cold, his body stiff.
Hitch retracted his hand, shaking. He went out, his mind a mess and empty at once.
“I found Ponneltor inside. He didn’t make it.”
Olivia ran in to check, the others frozen for a moment. Fita kept doing her best at redressing and cleaning the wound, Hari looking out to the wood.
“Fuck.”
They went for one of the trees, kicking it hard when they got to it then climbing it. Hitch went back in after Olivia, the girl standing there, tears rolling down her cheeks. They picked up the body and carried it out, then started working on a way to keep it steady and carry it back. Voysh was still unconscious, so they didn’t rush too much, though they always kept an eye out.
