The Smi

20: Fractures

I twisted a thin stick in between my hands, against a larger log. Finally, smoke emerged from the log and the flame finally started to show through. I set a shred of metal Rien had found, while scavenging a few miles away, earlier in the morning, on top, and cracked the eggs onto it. As they began to sizzle, I crouched down and laid my hands on my knees. Aaron walked over and slung the two birds on, next to the eggs. I half-turned and looked up.

"Hey." I squinted from the sun's sharp rays.

He looked down sheepishly. "Hey."

We both took a deep breath and sighed it back out.

"So what will we do now?" He asked.

"I don't know." I was embarrassed because I thought of myself as their leader and I felt entirely responsible for all decisions.

"We could just stay here and let Rien go. Get married, have kids-"

"But then what would be the point?" I asked, trying to change the subject off starting a family, wincing at the thought.

"Love." He stroked his hand over my shoulder and then kissed it.

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Later, I decided we should leave. Too many memories that close to the Yard.

We left around noon and headed for the town.

A few hours later, we stopped for a break. I sat sharpening my knife with starling bones as Rien ran off into the woods to answer the "Call of the Wild." You have no idea what it's like to be the best friend of two boys.

When Rien was done, he reappeared, buckling his belt and zipping up his fly. He and Aaron switched, slapping each other on the back as they went.

I eyed them carefully, continuing to sharpen my knife. Boys...

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Later, I sat in the tall tree, roasting and grinding some leaves and herbs to put in the few sandwiches each of us had.

Aaron had set out to patrol the area and use his precious book to set up protective reinforcements.

Rien had gone to hunt for us, looking for fox dens or rat caves, hopeful to find a few rabbits. I gave him my Magnum and five bullets.

I was hard at work, grinding some mint and oregano in a wooden bowl with a stone grinder Aaron had brought. It smelled like him; sweet, honey-like; he smelled like honey, herbs, and kind of like Autumn (the season, of course), which was one of my absolute favorite smells. In Autumn, there was just something in the air that wrapped you up and gave you chills, but warmed you in a way, too. That was the way I thought of Aaron (and the way I thought he smelled).

I heard a cry. "Help!" I knew it could be a trap, so I slipped my dagger back into my short sock and reached, without looking, behind me for my Magnum, but caught nothing but air. I gasped, remembering that I had left it with Rien and swore under my breath.

I cast my hand over the opening of our tree as I left, casting a spell of sorts, that made our supplies invisible.

I then ran out, trying to tune into the far away shout.

Then, I reached him. It was Rien. I pulled out my dagger and asked him, "What were Lucifer's last words in the fight?"

"How would I remember?" he grumbled.

I leaped forward, holding the knife closely to his neck. I inched it closer and closer and closer.

"Okay! Okay! I'll think!" He scratched his head. "Weren't they 'Please... I surrender...'?"

I backed off and lowered my dagger.

"Jesus!" He sounded in vain.

"What happened?" I searched him for wounds. I stripped off his shirt to make sure he hadn't been shot (or shot himself, for that matter).

He hadn't.

I asked again, more forceful, this time, pinching his shoulder and looking him straight in the eyes.

He rubbed his shoulder and blushed. "I was looking in some rabbit holes and tripped over one and fell into that badger set over there." He pointed to a large, deep cave.

I nodded. He continued, "I dragged myself out because of this." He daintily lifted his Capri leg up and folded it neatly. It revealed a large split in his skin, bleeding moderately. Amidst the blood and gore, something white and shiny gleamed in the midday sun.

"Your bone!" I gasped.

"I'll be fine." He replied, wincing as he tried to get up.

"Don't." I pushed his shoulders down. I gave him a look that told him he wasn't going anywhere without me. This seemed to relieve him.

I wrapped his shirt around the wound, making a tourniquet. He was gasping from the incredible pain.

I stood up and helped him up onto one leg. He hobbled, with me as a support, back to the tree.

He had to stand on my shoulders to get up, but I didn't mind.

I properly treated and wrapped his leg with gauze once we were both in the tree. I sprinkled some herbs on the wound to sooth it.

Aaron got back soon. We all ate one egg each and shared a sparrow. Aaron saw Rien's wound and congratulated him on "getting his first scar as a man".

I knew we had to leave. And soon.