When Given a Lemon

Part 3

Nearing the end of the afternoon our incline became a sudden decline and as the world turned to twilight we stumbled over roots and disguised depressions in the road as we continued onward. Someone twisted an ankle and they made him stand back up and continue on with the rest of us, limping as he tried to not fall behind and get swallowed by the darkness.

We were all short of breath. There was no chance of conversation even if it was allowed. Several dredged onward with bowed backs and unsure steps, pushing themselves to their limits, afraid to be the first to drop out and incur the wrath of the gnarled leader. Then without warning they called a halt. Looking around I couldn't see much of anything. The area bowed out a little further than the usual road width but the foliage around us was so dense that it was visually impenetrable. High above glimmers of the night sky could be seen, but not enough of it reached the needle covered floor, leaving us in complete shadow. A few torches were already burning closer to the road, the only reliable light we had.

Underneath one of them cold, hard rations were handed out.

I blindly found an area closeby a handful of others to lay out my roll for bed. Of course it still smelled, and I was quickly shooed away to find somewhere else to sleep. I tried my luck a few other places with the same results and had to make due with laying out my bedraggled bed at the very edge of the wood; the closest anyone would allow.

Squinting I tried to look through the dense undergrowth but between the trunks of the trees thick bushes and scrabbly twigs had packed themselves in.

At least I wouldn't have to worry too much about large predators. Getting through that mess wouldn't be worth the effort. If I were hunting unwary prey, I would go for the ones sleeping out on the open road where I could easily dash in and away without the risk of being caught in the maws of a prickly bush.

The juniper wall added little comfort though and I still struggled to get any amount of restful sleep. Even pretending I was camping out in the woods didn't work because I would never sleep out in the wild without a cheerful fire to chase away all of the ominous shadows.

In the darkness my heart rate spiked with every movement within the brush whether it was the rustle of the wind pushing through the trees or a crack or quiet scrabbling of woodland creatures climbing through the branches. I nearly jumped out of my skin when a small scream came out of the wood followed by silence. A while later the ho-hoo of a nightbird sounded from somewhere high above.

I wished that I was anywhere else rather than here!

I tried to think of Nan but her face always warped into the gnarled leader's and I had to blink and rub my eyes to force the image away!

Dawn couldn't come early enough.

We rose to pack up and even in the morning light the area was full of heavy shadows that matched the somber atmosphere.

I quickly assembled my gear then headed out into the wood to relieve myself along with two others, none of us comfortable with the idea of being alone out in the dark woods with our pants down though we gave each other enough distance.

"Oh, berries!" One spied on our journey back and turning to see I smacked my head hard into a low hanging branch and fell to my feet. "Holy gods! You okay?!"

Blinking away the tears, I nodded and made myself get back up, rubbing at my injuries. Both the sore spots on my head and my ass were tender to touch. "Great, they're probably going to bruise." I grumbled.

The berries they found didn't look familiar to me, nor to my other companion who recommended they wait until they could ask someone before eating them. Filling up a square of cloth they nodded then followed us back. They were eager enough that I wondered if they would actually wait.

Once again marching, we pushed our way deeper into the forest until our path began to rise. The grade grew sharper until eventually we were above the treetops and stepping into the wispy misted land of low bushes and high rocks. Suddenly feeling a little light headed, I barely caught myself before I stumbled into the islander, though she didn't seem to be doing any better if her red eyes were anything to go by.

Surprisingly they called a halt then and there. It was only midmorning so it was unexpected. Glancing around I quickly realized that most of us were struggling. I sat down on the ground. Despite the mists painted across our vision, everything was drier than what we had trudged through below. The fisherboy looked worn down but better off than we were as he squatted down comfortably next to where the islander had all but collapsed. Another jogged up to us looking as fresh as the morning laundry. I couldn't help but to grimace at their bright smile.

"Hey, they're handing out food." They said, smile growing wider while passing me hardtack to distribute. Handing it out to everyone around me, I noticed a soldier off to the side bent double and retching all over the ground and their boots. A lieutenant stood by them, holding them steady while calling for a medic.

"That's the berry kid." Fresh-laundry said. Looking up again, I hadn't recognized them from this morning, not that the woods had provided a lot of light to see by. "I guess he didn't listen. Tsk, tsk. Can't say he wasn't warned."

"I guess not." Fisherboy said, us both glancing back over to the sick kid again. "Think he'll be able to continue?"

"I'm Lemon." Fresh-laundry cut in. My eyes flicked up again. "Who're you guys, where you from?"

"What kind of a name is Lemon?" I snort, but answer anyway, "I'm Keenah, from a town near Seaport."

"What? Lemons?" Fisherboy looks confused.

"Your name," I explain, then try to take a bite of the edible cement they call hardtack.

"Kipol," the islander offered, "from Renfeou."

"Oh the Red Islands, cool." Fisherboy clapped once, "I've been there a few times –to trade there. Which side of the island are you from? I love their candied Rehn leaves! I'm Bill, by the way." While Kipol and Bill chat about where they have traveled to, I turn back to Lemon who seemed to watch the soldier spewing his guts out with amusement.

"I don't think it's all that amusing," I state but their grin only gets bigger.

"Why not?" They tilt their head to the side, "I told them to not eat them and they didn't listen. You can't act like a five year old in the military. If he doesn't smarten up he won't last long."

"How callous of you." I retorted. Bill glances up but quickly goes back to his description of some remote place he had been. I don't care about his sailing adventures. I have zero plans to venture anywhere out on a boat where anything I do could easily result in my drowning.

Lemon only snickers in response but sits down next to me and plucks at the soft ground cover in companionable silence. I don't really know what to make of them but so long as they aren't chattering I don't mind if they sit here with us.

A short time later we got moving again.

The sick soldier was treated by a medic and marching along with us though their complexion is ashen and they look like they should be home in bed. He shouldn't be forced to march feeling that way. What if he collapses? I do my best to keep my comments to myself though I really want to say something. The others would probably say that in battle we wouldn't leave a sick person behind either but that's not here or now.

Speaking of others, I hadn't noticed Lemon before today and as soon as we got marching they slipped back into the ranks and disappeared, still full of energy. What an odd fellow, I couldn't help thinking. I wondered if they were from a mountainous region where treks like this would be a walk in the park for them.

The rest of us continued our ascent in quiet discomfort. My calf and thigh muscles were screaming at me but I forced myself to trudge onward like everyone else. As we went higher the mist got thicker and the air colder with a chill wind that gusted without any trees to impede it.

I was ready for another drop in elevation but the pathway only seemed to climb ever upward.