Reborn

Chapter Five

The water had been cool but not too cold. It was not until they had been floating for a long time that Renee felt her body beginning to shiver from its cold touch.

By that time, it was already dark and there was no way to see how far they had ended up. Well, they couldn't stay in the water regardless of where they had ended up, so might as well get out as soon as possible.

Renee frowned as she began to kick her legs to push the log they were clinging onto towards the shore. It still took a long time as the current kept trying to drag the log back out to the center of the river, and Alec was so small he couldn't help much. Most of the kicking was left to Renee while he simply clung to the log, trying to not to get swept away. Even though the water looked slow and lazy, it moved more quickly than Renee had originally thought it would.

That in itself was a two-edged sword. They got away from the Red Fox Tribe more quickly using the current, but it also meant it was harder for them to reach the shore.

By the time Renee could touch the ground with her feet, she was exhausted. Her body was shaking from the overexertion of her muscles, and she could barely pull herself and Alec to the shore. The moment she could use her feet, she had let go of the log to drag Alec out of the water. It drifted until it settled on the riverbank as they climbed out, most of it still in the water. The tug of the water eventually pulled it back into the swirling mix of river. Renee simply watched, gasping for breath, as it was taken away once again.

Alec beside her was breathing harshly and coughing occasionally as he also tried to catch his breath. She could feel his body shivering as the air met their cold bodies, and she knew that they had to move. To just lay here in the dark and cold meant sickness and potentially death.

"Don't stop moving Alec. To keep your body warm, keep moving..." Renee gasped out.

Alec licked his lips and nodded his head before he began to push his body to keep moving. Renee followed her own advice and refused to allow her body to collapse like it wanted to. Regardless of whether it would be seen or not, they needed a fire for warmth. All their supplies had gotten wet. There was no way for them to curl in the furs for warmth tonight, so a fire was necessary.

"Collect sticks. We'll start a fire." Rene's voice was hoarse, the words difficult to get out. Her whole body trembled as she also began to collect sticks and looked for anything they could use for tinder.

As they worked, Renee looked around to take in their surroundings. The river lay at their back and before them was the forest. They couldn't just sleep in the open as it would be too dangerous, they needed something to help protect them.

Pausing for a moment, Renee decided to use a small fallen tree that lay off to one side. It was large enough that they could hide beneath it, which would help with both protection and warmth.

After what seemed like a ridiculously long time, they finally collected enough branches for their use.

Staggering, she led the way over to it before she dropped the load of wood off to one side and her pack of supplies on another. Alec copied her movements and dropped his sticks as she inspected the area.

There was already a depression in the ground close to the base of the trunk. They could easily curl up there. There was nothing behind it other than the tree, the river to one side, and the side with the forest was blocked by the tree. Satisfied that this would work for the night, Renee nodded her head once.

She sat down and began to build the fire close enough to give off warmth but far enough that they would not get too much smoke around them.

After it was built, she pulled the flint out and her stone knife. Renee herself had never started a fire this way, but this body had practiced with her mother several times. Pulling the memories from the back of her mind, Renee quickly struck the two together towards the tinder. After several tries, sparks flew, and Renee immediately got low to blow lightly until the tinder caught fire. Once it began, she loaded small sticks onto it until they also caught. In such a way, she fed the growing fire until it finally was a sizable, little blaze.

With a sigh of relief, she leaned back and smiled happily at her accomplishment. After a few minutes, she readjusted her position and sat with her back against the tree trunk. Alec sat next to her, gladly taking in the warmth the fire gave off. He snuggled unconsciously closer towards Renee, and without thought, she wrapped him in her arms to help him keep his body warmth close by.

In such a way, they sat and recovered for several long minutes. Alec's head began to hang lower and lower as he began to doze.

Renee slowly readjusted him until he lay comfortably against her. Today had been a hard day for him too. He was only six years old and left everything he knew that was safe.

Staring into the fire, Renee sat, absentmindedly feeding it when it was necessary.

Today so much had changed. She had gotten into a car accident, somehow traveled into a different body, and now had been forced into a mad dash through the woods. Renee took this time to try to come to terms with the fact that she was no longer in her old world, and more importantly, her old body.

How was she supposed to survive here in a wild forest with such a small and weak body? And to take care of a child at the same time?

A breeze blew by, and a shiver ran through her body. She frowned in response. First would be a safe place for them to live, and better clothes.

Frowning, she looked down at the fur that she wore. It was obvious that this place she had come to was not as advanced as her world if they used furs as clothing.

The furs were no longer covered with dirt, which was nice, but they now smelled wet, and an overwhelming moldy smell was coming off them. Could she clean them somehow? It was worth a try. Which also begged a different question. How was she supposed to do that if she was wearing them?

She grimaced lightly at the thought. She was sure there wasn't a spare set of clothes, but the idea of going naked just to clean them made her uncomfortable. She'd have to figure out a way.

Her attention then turned to her overly thin body. She was weak. Some things that she wanted to do would be impossible, and others would be just that much harder because of it. She needed to nurture both of their bodies so they could grow stronger so they could live well and defend themselves.

But before she could do any of that she had to get far enough away from the Red Fox Tribe. It was not a safe place for them.

Determination flickered in Renee's eyes as she turned her attention from the fire in front of her to the river at their side. The river meant water and food if she could figure out a way to fish. That meant life for them both, so following the river was their best bet.

They would, of course, have to be careful, because the river not only meant life to them but to others as well. She had no idea what kind of wildlife lived in this lower section of the forest, but it could be assumed that it was similar to what lay above the cliffs. If that was the case, they could expect wolves, bears, wild pigs, deer, foxes, and many other types of small animals. Some wouldn't pose a problem, some they should be able to avoid, but some might try to hunt them.

She would have to have a way to protect them both. A simple little stone knife just wouldn't cut it.

Slowly considering her options, Renee decided that she could try to use the knife to carve a simple wooden spear first. She could use it as protection, and she could also try to see if she could spear some fish for them to eat.

With the beginnings of a plan starting to form in her mind, Renee fed the fire once more and closed her eyes. In one hand she held tightly to Alec, and her other held the stone knife. It was the only thing they had to defend themselves. Renee knew falling asleep wasn't very safe, but she was exhausted and needed rest and with a fire roaring, it was unlikely curious animals would get very close for the time being. So, the only thing to really worry about was other people, and that... well they needed the heat, so they would just have to take their chances. Tomorrow they could take turns watching. Tonight, she would let the fire protect them.