Chapter 14
I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to be doing with my time now. I mean, after the little revelation just now, all I can think to do is sit by the fire. I don't even eat, but I'm not hungry. I've got no idea what time it is, and the sun still has yet to come up.
I'm beginning to think it might be more of a permanent feature. Which I'm okay with. My eyes have begun to adjust to the dim light, and I can even make out who is who from where I sit in the camp.
Max sits down next to me, as he's lowered down by Robert. Robert doesn't stay to talk, turning around and moving away. He has been ridiculously odd lately. It's been quite a few days since James died, and I know everyone needs their time to mourn, but he still isn't speaking to anyone.
At least he isn't dancing along the edge of a cliff.
"You're awake." Max points out.
I nod. "I was out for a while, huh?"
"I guess." He says. "Jared's back now. He helped me make some better splints."
The boy shakily pulls himself up, balancing. "I can't walk, but I can stand up. And it doesn't hurt."
"That's good." I'm still at a loss for words.
Peter just kissed me.
Max sits back down, grunting as he does so. He hasn't grown physically since I saw him last, but at lot has changed. The fear in his eyes has melted into a stern assuredness. Gone from a confused school boy to a young man, a fighter.
I wonder what my eyes look like. I'm more easy-going since I got here, less quick to anger. I'm definitely quicker to violence though. That's what separates Pan and I. He has a calm head, and makes decisions as they come. He prefers to goad people on, angering them.
He knows how to control a room, but that comes with years of practice. I need my experience to grow before I can do what he does.
"I'm going to learn to be a medic." Max tells me.
"Really?" I cock an eyebrow.
He nods. "Robert's going back to the Hunt. He doesn't think he's cut out for a life of healing people, and would rather fight the Natives."
"Why?" I ask.
Max cocks an eyebrow. "You know why. He's still upset about James."
I look down at the dirt. He can be upset all he wants, but turning into a soldier isn't going to bring James back. Getting out your anger isn't going to make it go away. It's just going to consume him.
"Well, it's good that you'll be a medic then." I smile.
Max nods. "Well, we are also talking about me being a long range archer. They could put me up in the trees, and I'd snipe out people. Instead of being a medic, you know."
"Wouldn't that be dangerous?" I ask standing up. "You can't run."
He shrugs. "I'm paralysed, not useless. I can't live my life in fear."
That's fair. If I were paralysed, I'd do everything I can to get in on the action. Max must be so bored on a day to day basis. At least Jared's teaching him how to do things. There's almost nothing to do around here, I almost wish the Natives would do another attack.
Which is why when I see Harry sprinting towards us, I can't help but smile. With Johnny nowhere in sight, I can only imagine the Natives abducted him.
Like I said, politically I might not be in favour of fighting them, but I'm so bored I'm willing to put up with it. Out of the fifteen people who've died so far, against all odds I wasn't one of them. If Max can't fight, and I probably won't die, I'm alright for a war.
"Charlie," he pants, as he runs up. "Alex is missing."
Oh great. At least now I can still run through my plan. I was kind of looking forward to Johnny to just being offed, that way I won't make things awkward by asking Pan for a favour.
"Sorry Max," I tell him, getting up and sprinting off. "I'll see you later."
He nods, sitting still as I kept up and run after Harry.
"You think it was the Natives?" I ask Harry.
Where are we running?
"No way, you think Inali would let that happen?" Harry asks. "If it was the Natives, we'd know about it, right?"
We dodge around a few boys into Harry's tent.
The dirt is kicked up into piles, turned up and over. Not from footprints, but from kicking. I kneel down, examining the thin lines torn into the ground. The dirt here is incredibly dry, but this is wet. Smearing it on my hands, a mahogany colour stains my fingertips. It's blood.
The claw marks go down on to the ground from a hammock. I can only assume it belongs to Alex, and there are marks along it as well. Shredded fabric. This is not good.
"Why would the Natives take them?" I ask Harry.
He shrugs. "Pan's gone to go talk to their leader. Already went to him."
That would explain the noise we heard at the door. Slightly mad at Harry about this whole situation, but Alex has gone missing.
"I don't think this was the Natives." I tell him. "This isn't their whole shtick. It's always on their territory, attacking small numbers. Besides, how would they know this is Alex's tent?"
"You think it was an inside job?" He continues. "Who would do this?"
I roll my eyes. Alex has more than half a dozen enemies, and there's about a dozen people here. Harry, to start off the list, although it seems like they are talking now. Devin, but they also seem to be on decent terms. Most of his enemies have ended up dead, some of which he's killed. Funny how that works.
"Keaton." I say.
Harry's eyes widen, as he looks from the ground to me. "Gregory."
We both take off running. Not that I know where to go. It seems as though Harry does, and he sprints forward into the forest. I leap after him, around trees and over roots. Where would they be, and how would Harry know?
I hear a grunt, and I watch Harry lunges straight into a large mass in front of him. I whip out my dagger, sprinting forward to Harry.
Gregory violently slams Harry on to the ground, but in the process, he drops Alex's unconscious body. It hits the dirt, and the small moan I hear from Alex's lips lets me know he is not in fact unconscious, but on the edge.
Harry scrambles up, but with the flick of my wrist he falls back down to the ground. I can't have him trying to fight Gregory when his hand to hand is so awful. It will only get him hurt.
"Look, the little bitch has shown up." Gregory laughs. "Where's your boyfriend to come save you?"
Why does everyone think Pan is my boyfriend? I didn't even know I liked him until recently. And I only knew he liked me very recently.
"Oh right, you let out the little secret and now he's mad." Gregory chuckles. "Funny, I thought Johnny was gay."
Seriously? Can't I hate Johnny in peace without someone thinking he's my ex? As cool and popular Johnny is, and as much as I have never been either of those things, I could do so much better.
Really, I may be a murderer, but I'm still above serial killers.
"I'll kill you." I shrug, playing with the tip of my dagger. The words are easy enough to say, more of a suggestion than a threat. A warning at very best.
Best not to mention I killed Samuel, that'll only make him mad. I may not care about his feelings, but angry Gregory is not one I like to bring out. Last time he knew someone killed his friend, it ended with me being strangled. That wasn't pleasant.
When I spot the glimmer of a boy on the edge of the hill behind us, and hear the rustling of the trees that's a little too sudden to be wind, I know why Harry knew to run here.
Gregory brought Alex to the border to kill him, so that way Alex's body would be taken by the Natives. Little bastard didn't want to give his friends the opportunity to mourn their friend. Now, I've never been ridiculously fond of Alex, and have wanted to strangle him many times myself, but this is petty.
"Go ahead kill him." I say, backing up carefully.
Alex stirs on the ground, sitting up and tightly gripping his head. The pain must be awful, from what I can surmise. Once he realises where we are, groggily begins to stand, leaning his weight against a tree.
I lift my hand, and suddenly Harry's breathing in and out, catching his breath. I only meant to keep him from interfering, did I make him loose his breath? How long was he unable to breathe? I should really practise my magic before I try it out on people. Especially since I only try it out when I'm stressed.
Gregory moves for Alex, and I reach my hands out, shoving him. My hands graze his shirt, but it's my magic that sends him backwards. He flies backwards, and I move closer to him.
"We're over the border." I laugh. "And they know."
Gregory glances behind him, looking for anyone. An arrow is fired, landing right next to his hand, and he's up and running. I can't make out who shot it in the dark, but I hope it was Inali.
Harry helps Alex, and the two start running back towards camp together. They're moving too slowly to get back to camp in time. Alex is dizzy, and in danger of collapsing on top of Harry. Whatever I did to them left Alex in a daze, but since he doesn't seem to direct any anger towards me, I doubt he even realises what happened.
With that in mind, as much as both of them are probably furious with me; Alex for essentially killing Rufio and Harry for pissing off Alex, I owe them.
I take off across the border, into the Natives' territory. I hear an arrow fired towards me, and I jump down on to the ground. Getting back up, I turn and run parallel with the border. Two more arrows are fired, their black tips heading towards me. Didn't someone tell me they were poisoned?
Is this how Keaton felt during his punishment? He was shot at, forced to run and try to survive. How very unfair, even if he deserved it mostly. I knew he didn't kill Jared, but now that I know Jared's alive and well, how mad at his memory can I be? Sure, he was despicable, so am I. We all have our reasons.
I turn around, and don't see Harry and Alex. Ducking behind a tree, I continue to look towards them. There's not much to make out in the dark.
Was I just played? Were they trying to separate us so they could capture them?
Even the dim light of the stars provides no help. The forest has no sounds, now that the arrows have stopped whizzing towards me.
"Damn it." I curse, throwing my dagger on to the ground.
The sharp metal clangs against the rock, and when I look down, I spot the reflection of a dark figure behind me.
My hands grab the dagger, but before I can turn around, there is a cloth on my face. It's wet, and smells awful.
I scream, thrashing about. Don't breath, or else the chemical will come in your body, and I doubt it's a medicine. Kick the man, turn around, and fight him.
There are two sets of hands on you, Charlie. Calm down, and use magic. They rip the dagger from my hands, and tie them behind my back. How do I do it now?
I forgot to not breathe, and my head spins like I'm on a merry-go-round. My heart is pounding. Where is Pan? Shouldn't he be here?
I didn't notice I fell on to my hands, until I feel the soft dirt pressed against my smooth fingers. Like a pillow. I fight to keep my head off the ground, but as my eyes flutter shut, I can't control it anymore.
~~~~~
Well this is fun. Another kidnapping by the Natives. Come on Charlie. At least Alex and Harry are talking again. And now Max can walk sort of, so that's a pleasant development. Things are finally looking up, because at least Charlie isn't bored now.
Where do you think Pan was? How do you think Charlie is going to feel about his failure to help her? Let me know in the comments.
For now, enjoy 2017, and I'll see you Sunday.