I woke up and stretched. My muscles were a bit stiff, but they quickly loosened up as I climbed down to the ground. It was the fifth day and there was no actual pain, although my bite mark still ached occasionally if I moved too quickly.
Diane smiled at me, "Good morning."
I grinned at her, I was waking up a tiny bit earlier each day, but Diane still had breakfast cooked by the time I rose. "Good morning."
We were both certain that the Heartfire virus had taken and that the zombie virus was long gone. I was so relieved and happy. I was looking forward to trying to keep up with Diane as the days kept passing.
Diane shifted the cooking rock away from the fire, "Ready to go for a walk?"
I nodded eagerly. One good thing was that as soon as I woke up, I wasn't tired in the least. Diane grabbed her glaive and her pack before heading towards a nearby deer trail. I walked beside her and occasionally tried jogging. I knew if I pushed myself that things would progress faster. I wanted the speed and stamina that Diane had.
Diane always let me set the pace and I was out of breath by the time we got back to the campfire for breakfast. There wasn't much in the way of greens this early in the spring, but Diane always managed to find a decent variety, which was a small miracle.
Once breakfast was done, we started down the road again. I kept pushing myself, and when I got tired, Diane carried me on her shoulders while she stretched her legs at a much faster pace. It worked out well for both of us.
We were covering lots of ground now that walking no longer hurt my leg. I glanced down at Diane, "How far are we from Toga Place?"
Diane thought for a moment, "If we continue at this speed, we should get there in five days or so."
We had remained at a treehouse for a couple days while my pain faded, so that put us behind schedule. "Are we going to stay there?"
Diane sighed and I could tell that she didn't really want to talk about this subject, but she was being honest with me as she always was. She always treated me like a mini adult instead of like a kid. I really appreciated it.
"It would be best if we can stay there for a few months while we think about where we want to go. Toga Place was one of the more welcoming places. As much as I would like to return to the Trader group at Wainwright Fort, it simply isn't safe. Your eyes are already mostly blue and that alone might have them targeting you as well."
The hard tone of her voice towards the end promised that anyone who tried to hurt me would probably regret it. I was once more reminded that even though she didn't really look like a fighter, she was quite dangerous if she felt a fight was warranted.
Diane was right though, Matthew and Ace had both mentioned in their letters that it wasn't safe to return. I really didn't want people shooting at me with arrows. I wouldn't be able to dodge them like Diane could.
I didn't really want to stay in a settlement, but I knew that winter would eventually return and we would need some sort of shelter. I guess I would just have to get used to new people again. I could understand the necessity of it, but I didn't like it.
I still planned to stick close to Diane. Too many people had tried to convince me to stay in their place and I didn't want to be parted from Diane.
I looked around as I jogged beside Diane. We should reach Toga Place sometime today. I glanced down at my leg, but the bite mark was hidden. Diane had lent me a tube of concealer to put on the silvery scar.
The scab had fallen off and the mark didn't hurt, but the scar showed no signs of fading. Diane's mark had never faded, and that was why she always wore her archery wrist gauntlet. My scar was on the back of my leg and much less noticeable. It didn't really look like a bite mark either, but Diane told me to put the concealer on whenever I wore shorts that could reveal it.
She could speak from experience, so I counted it as a wise decision. Too bad there wasn't any fancy thing I could put on to hide the mark without makeup. Diane had a very nice archery brace that many people admired, but I doubted I would get that reaction regardless of how pretty of a knee brace I found... Not much covered the area just behind the knees...
I was out of breath, so we slowed to a walk. I was making progress. At this point I could jog over half of the day if we broke it up into small chunks. I was starting to understand what Diane had meant when she told me that anything that moved caught her attention.
There were dozens of birds and animals in the forest beside the road. I had never noticed them on our previous trips. When Diane pointed out something, I found it easy to spot whatever she was showing me. My hearing was a bit better as well.
Between the enhanced eyesight, hearing, and energy, it felt like a brand new world. I was eager to see as much of it as I could. Many plants were just starting to sprout in the spring weather and many birds were starting to return from their migration. There were so many things to see.
I pointed, "Look, there is a fox under that bush."
Diane glanced over and nodded, "Yes, if you look just to the right, you will see a second one."
Well, I guess my sight still had some improving to do. My mirror showed me that I now had the same bright blue eyes that Diane did. They didn't glow in the dark yet, it would be another month before they would begin to merely glimmer.
A blue jay called in a tree nearby before flying across the road. I watched the pretty bird as it disappeared into the trees. Movement caught my eye and I stiffened. I transferred my gaze back to the road and leaned closer to Diane before whispering, "Diane, there is someone in the tree..."
Diane glanced in the correct direction, but didn't look surprised as she whispered back, "I know. It is a sentry for Toga Place. There were some last time we came as well. Try not to look at him in case he realizes that you spotted him."
I should have known that she had spotted him. My training had also taught me not to let the watcher know that I had spotted him. Diane gently took my hand before twirling me around like I was dancing. I started laughing, and when Diane let go, I continued my ballerina spin in a complete circle around her as she kept walking.
The sentry was likely confused at the sight of a heavily armed woman and a child walking alone on a road that led to nowhere, except to where another settlement had been destroyed. They would be suspicious, but hopefully not threatening or violent. We had stayed here before after all.
I peered ahead as I heard hoof beats. Two horseback riders rounded the bend and Diane slowed down her walk a bit more in caution. Both the man and the woman were armed. I nervously ducked behind Diane and that caused them to slow down their approach.
Rick had told me that if a child looked nervous and hide behind an adult, that most strangers would slow down if they meant no harm. Once more, he was correct. The woman looked guilty as I hid. Diane slowed to a stop as she put the butt of her glaive beside her foot and stood at ease.
They slowed their horses to a stop once they were within speaking range. The one guy spoke up first, "Hello, welcome to Toga Place. I hope you don't mind me saying it, but it is rather odd to see two people on foot with no nearby settlements in that direction."
Diane looked at him, "If any of those pigeons managed to get back, then you know that there were no horses around after the bandits left."
The other guy looked at her with suspicion, "You are from Bethany Fort?"
I peeked out around Diane as she nodded, "Yes, I passed through this town on the way down last fall. You may recall us if I mention how a couple of teenagers wrecked my bike."
The guy looked startled, obviously recognizing the story. Diane continued, "Last time we were met on the road by Elizabeth. She should be able to recognize us if she is still around."
The woman looked at me in curiosity before focusing on Diane, "What happened to the bandits?"
Diane shrugged, "I saw a Swift in the remains of the fort with my binoculars and there were a lot of unfamiliar zombies in the area the next day. I have a guess as to what happened to most of them, but I wasn't about to go down and do a headcount. We were out on a walk when they bandits hit and we avoided the Fort after that. Have any other survivors come through yet?"
I was disappointed as the man shook his head. Although if others had escaped the fire, they may be further behind us or they may have gone the other way down the highway. Diane exhaled in disappointment.
The woman looked sympathetic, "Well, let's go find Elizabeth and see what we can do for you."
We continued walking down the road with them. They tried asking details about the bandits and the fire, but Diane was rather vague and brushed most of their questions off. At one point, she sent a pointed look in my direction when I was looking at the trees, and the other two quit trying to ask. She must have been worried about the story bringing back my grief.
We approached a side gate and a lady was standing there. I kind of thought that she was the one who met us on the road the first time. She came forward with a smile, "Danielle, Laura, good to see that you two are okay."
Diane grinned, "It's Diane, and I am also happy that I am okay. Long time no see, what have you been up to?"
The other two left to stable the horses and Elizabeth led us in a different direction, "Feel like a bite to eat? You probably didn't get much on the road..."
Diane nodded, "Supper sounds good. We have been living off of dandelions, clover, rabbit, and partridge most of the way. Plenty of food to go around, but we really missed bread."
That was true, I had missed bread and cheese, although we never went hungry. I preferred greens, and dandelions grew everywhere even this early in spring. Diane was an excellent hunter and was quite good at smoking meat with herbs on it.
Elizabeth led us to the mess hall and I took note of as much of the layout of the place as I could. I remembered it pretty well from the last time I was here, but Rick's training had always emphasized that things could change. Well, I didn't see any change, but I kept my eyes open anyways.
The smell of fresh bread made my mouth water. I followed behind Diane and took a big bowl of soup and some bread. We didn't have a pot on the road, and I had also missed soup. Diane left a spot on the edge of the bench for me, so I didn't have to sit beside anyone.
My shyness around these semi-familiar strangers still made me want to hide behind Diane. Elizabeth sat across from Diane. "I assume you will be here for a few days?"
Diane nodded, "Yes, I still have a few trade goods from before, but most were destroyed in the fire. I can work for my keep as well, helping with foraging and hunting."
Elizabeth nodded thoughtfully, "Don't be surprised when Phil comes to ask questions. That note with the pigeons gave him far more questions than answers, but we increased our surveillance just in case."
Diane nodded and glanced at me before asking Elizabeth about any recent news she had heard from other settlements. She hadn't heard much, the information she had was from places we had never stopped at.
We were just putting our plates away when an old man approached, "Ah, Diane. Do you have some time?"
This must be Phil. He was probably the leader here. Diane nodded, "Sure."
"Great. Do you mind coming to my office?" He glanced at Elizabeth, "Do you mind taking Laura to the showers?"
I squeaked in surprise and nervousness before stepping behind Diane. I held onto the strap of Diane's backpack as I peered out to look at the man whom I didn't trust in the least. We hadn't even been here an hour, and they were already trying to get us apart. I didn't like this in the least.
Phil looked shocked at my reaction, as if he hadn't expected it. Diane cleared her throat, "If I recall, there is a bench not far from the playground? We can sit there and talk while Laura plays nearby with the other kids."
Phil nodded slowly, not really liking her suggestion, but accepting the compromise. Diane's suggestion sat better with me too. If I could see her, it wouldn't be too bad. Besides, she often ran laps while I played with other kids, so it wouldn't be too different.
Phil walked with us to the playground. Two kids my age were already running around on the equipment. I glanced at Diane, and at her nod, I jogged over to join them. I remembered them from the last time I was here.
I smiled shyly at the girl, "Remember me?"
She blinked and tilted her head before smiling, "Laura! You came back! Want to play tag with us? We can't really play it with just two people."
I nodded and quickly scampered up a ladder, "Sure."
I glanced back, but Diane was sitting on one end of a bench while Phil sat on the other end as they talked. The monkey bars were fun and I was able to pull myself up on top of the bars, a feat I had never managed before.
"No fair! That is cheating!"
I grinned at the younger boy before swinging back down and escaping down a slide while he tried to catch me. I eventually let him catch me before tagging the girl. We ran around the equipment several times.
My training had taught me different ways to get up on the equipment, and it often took these two by surprise. Playing with these two also showed me just how much faster and stronger I had gotten since I was last here. Most of it was probably due to the Heartfire virus that now ran through my blood.
It was one thing to try and constantly keep up with Diane, but it was another to compare myself against someone my age. I actually slowed down so my speed didn't stand out so badly. It wasn't long before they were breathing hard, but I wasn't tired yet.
After a while, their parents came to pick up them up. The differences between me and them still surprised me. It was going to take a while to sink in. I wandered over to where Diane sat alone on the bench. She watched me approach with a smile, "Feel like a hot shower?"
The last time I had felt hot water was back in Bethany Fort. I started dancing and skipping around in excitement, "Yes! Hot shower, hot shower, hot shower..." Clearly playing with the two kids for several hours had not had a noticeable effect on my energy levels...
Diane chuckled and shook her head as she stood up. I loved it when I managed to amuse her. She grinned down at me, "I am beginning to think that you ate the carrot that was meant for the energizer bunny."
I giggled and danced around her, "I somehow doubt that is the real reason."
She grinned silently in agreement. Diane also knew the Heartfire virus was to blame, she also felt its effects, probably much more than I ever realized.
The hot shower felt so good compared to the cold snowmelt water we had used to wipe ourselves down with. Diane had somehow managed a quick dip in that frigid water, but I had no inclination to try it. I doubted she would have let me anyways.
"We have the same guest house we did last time."
I nodded as I followed her to the tiny cabin. Diane lit the fire in the small stove before sitting at a tiny desk. She pulled out a hollow tube and some thin paper the size of my hand. I came to stand beside her and watch.
She picked up a pen, "Phil offered to send a pigeon with a message tube to Wainwright Fort. I can fit 6 of these light pages in it. Someone is heading north tomorrow to visit friends and will start a longer letter on its way. I paid them well enough previously that we have about 8 exchanges left."
She reached into her pack before passing me an envelope. I blinked in surprise, I had forgotten all about the envelope that Taver had brought back with him. I skipped over to the bed eagerly. I had a few letters from various friends whose parents were helping them write to me without others knowing. Matthew was considered the ringleader of the various letters that came to Diane and me.
Diane hummed lightly, "I will let them know that you are safe. As much as I don't want to mention it, I think Matthew and Ace need to know that you were bitten and now carry the Heartfire virus. If we end up going back, they are going to need to be prepared, since there is no way to hide your blue eyes."
I made a face, but nodded in agreement. My zombie bite was like a dirty secret that I wished would permanently disappear. I opened up my letters and kicked my heels idly as I read them. The one girl had kissed a boy for the first time and said that it was icky. I couldn't figure out why she even tried in the first place, but she was always trying odd things that were sure to fail.
Trish had somehow turned a spot on her brown rug a bright pink when she had used an unlabelled cleaning liquid. I made sure to write down that if she used that light blue window cleaner, that it should turn purple, which would be even better than pink.
I grinned as I wrote that if she wanted to get it back to brown, that she would have to ask Diane. That would get her going, she would have to wait for another reply from Diane even though she knew I could have easily asked Diane myself.
Diane snickered and I looked over to see her reading her own letters. She glanced at me with a grin, "I had previously suggested that if Ace was tired of being ganged up on by the Guard Group Leaders, that he should give them something else to do. I advised him to make a game with two teams, two balloons, and bucket on each side as a net. The objective is to get the other team's balloon into a bucket on their side. There were no rules except that the balloon could not be popped. Ace tried it with three of the Guard Group Leaders on each team, and apparently it was a huge success. Ace simply got to referee it while the others beat on one another."
I giggled, I didn't blame Ace for trying to avoid that melee. Guard Group Leaders were fierce fighters and very competitive in training. I returned to my letters and also wrote responses. I said that there had been a fire and that we were back on the road, but I didn't give any other details. They always loved to hear about our travels and I had to really edit my story so it seemed normal. Normal people were not able to jog for most of the day without collapsing...