Zoel, unfortunately, like usual, awoke early. She sat up in the little space she had and, with a deep breath, stretched out her back, eliciting a couple of small pops. It felt slightly better, but it did little to relieve the rest of her aches and pains. She flinched as she reached the apex, the armour she’d slept in pinching at the skin under her arms. She interlocked her figures and, while letting out a slow and steady breath, folded forwards while raising her arm to complete her stretch.

The stretch felt good, and the amour stopped pinching. It would have been pleasant if not for the odour of the tent. She found that they often needed airing out; however, this morning, it was particularly foul. Her hair still stuck to her face, and her light gambeson clung to her body with sweat. She rubbed her eyes, and a realisation came slowly to her. She pulled back the gambeson and pressed her nose under the collar. She grimaced and promptly left the confines of the tent.

Dawn had already broken, and the sun was high above the forest horizon. She crept across the camp; fortunately, nobody else was yet up. In sunlight, she could better make out her own dishevelled self and all the patches of grime and gore on her armour she had missed. In the darkness of the previous evening, much of it had been hidden in nooks and crannies. At least it was no longer pinching.

She reached her own tent and, from within, grabbed her pack. They would have to make a detour towards the river today as they didn’t have much fresh water left. That, and the that they were all a mess, bloody and muddy from yesterday’s engagement. It was unhygienic; they risked cuts getting infected, and surely feeling more comfortable would help them travel faster. Nami needed treatment, and sometimes to travel effectively, slowing down was the best course.

She moved more slowly with the added weight of her pack, stopping multiple times to knead the muscles of her thighs. The team had moved with great haste yesterday, and she was now paying its price. They did, however, manage to return to the clearing where the unit had split, and the teams parted ways. It was a slight reprieve as the campsite was well equipped. As the first one up, Zoel decided to cook breakfast for the rest of the team. Cooking was the least she could do after her poor judgement yesterday.

Zoel grabbed the meat Hanju had scavenged. He must have dressed it while moving as the hand and skin were gone. Being predators, the meat from the Agmagon would be tough, but it saved them from digging too deep into their rations. The morning calls of birds and rustling wind faded into the background as the trance of familiar action swept her along. Only when she’d cooked everything did the dance end. Food was piled high and beyond what they needed this morning; she’d cooked longer and salted to keep.

Movement and the smell of breakfast must have roused them from their tents as, without noticing, the stone-carved table had become surrounded by the sleepy eyes and messy hair of the team. Almost all had emerged and were sitting around the table. Only one was missing.

“Has Nami not woken yet?”

“Her health has me worried,” Jung spoke with eyes still on her plate. Her food was mostly untouched, other than being delicately pushed around her plate. “The blast seems to have done damage I can’t even identify, let alone treat”.

Zeol expected it, but on hearing it, she still found the weight in her chest grow ever more heavy. She thanked her nevertheless and watched on until Yol’Jung finished rearranging her plate. The rest of the conversation was much the same, not deviating far from the concern they all shared for their absent teammate. Zoel put some food aside for Nami anyway, in case she woke.

Breakfast remained a solemn and quick affair. The ringing in her ears had stopped, but she was still half deaf and suspected the others were too. None of them volunteered further conversation and returned to packing away their gear.

Eventually, Nami did wake and was helped over. She had little to say, but her face was fraught with moments of teeth clenching, eyelid dropping, and sharp breaths.

Zoel could do nothing but look on. She finished her own meal and quickly left. She moved towards the cairn, lumbering and sparing the occasional backwards glance. She scribbled a short note and left it amongst the rocks of the cairn. It was a simple description of their plans and route. Hopefully, the unit leader would come by this way and find it.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

She returned to the group, doing her best to suppress a limp that seemed to be worsening as the morning progressed.

“Finish up. We’ll be moving again as soon as everyone is packed up.” The team grumbled but were ready and moving again in good time. Zoel led them, Hanju took the rearmost position, and the other the middle, carrying the litter they’d strung together to carry Nami.

The litter was a crude construction made from newly snapped-off branches, rope, and her bastardised tent. Nami laid out in the middle. It couldn’t be comfortable, but they had little else on hand, and despite it, Nami was once again asleep.

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Two days into their return journey, the pace felt the slowest it had been the entire expedition. They were still tired from the fight, having had no time to recover, and pushing too hard would only worsen it. Zoel reached down and pressed her palms into the knotted rope muscles of her legs. Her feet dragged, and her limp often led to her stumbling on the rough ground. Every step needed to be a conscious effort. She looked around at her team, picked up her feet and cast aside the growing pain in her knee.

They saw the river before they heard it, which is a testament to how poor the team’s perception was, certainly how deaf she felt.

The great Chondu rivers, deep, wide and mighty roaring flow, spread out before them. It seemed to divide the whole world, reaching from horizon to horizon. It was the largest river on the planet, or so Zoel had been told. She’d never personally checked, but standing upon its banks and looking out gave her little reason to doubt it. The men washed first as she and the others kept watch.

She and the other women washed next. It was bitterly cold, although it could have just been her exhaustion. Despite her shivering, she felt much better, refreshed but no less fatigued. Zoe and the other women sat Nami on the shore and helped Nami clean herself, much to her dismay.

She was being generally disagreeable but didn’t have the strength to resist. Despite the constant rest, her injuries were taking a toll. Not only was she becoming less and less alert by the day, but she was also becoming more and more irritable.

Nami, mustering what little strength she had left, swatted away a helping hand. She lost her balance, and she fell backwards.

Jung caught her, but it did little good. It started with a twitch but grew and grew, becoming a thrashing of limbs, then a full-bodied flailing.

Out of control like the boils of the river, she struck and battered herself against Jung’s naked chest. Namis’s tremoring head drew blood from Jung as it smashed against her face and split her lips with the impact.

Zoel bounded over despite her knee, and Nami wailed. The noise of the struggle alerted the others, and they hurried over despite their immodesty.

However many people came over; nothing they could do would make any difference. Zoel knew this, but she searched for ways to help nonetheless. Unfortunately, she knew nothing that could help. The team crowded around. However, it was without doubt that Nami smashing her body against the unforgiving hardness of the rocks of the river bank would do her no good. Zeol and the other did their best to hold her down while Jung remained seated with Namis head pressed firmly into her midsection.

The time dragged for Zoel, but the thrashing eventually settled to shacking, and later that too abruptly ended. The team were shaken, and Zoel felt cold right down to her bones. She knew that Nami’s episode hadn’t lasted long; however, it felt like she’d been fighting the Agmagon all over again.

The soft voice of disillusionment whispered in the back of her mind. They’d done all they could. It wasn’t her fault. Sometimes things just go wrong.

She accepted it, understood it, and stamped it out entirely. The team would get back, and she would lead them there. She’d been given the responsibility and would rise to it, however high and hard the climb.

They didn’t remain by the bank of the river for long. Time enough only treat Jung’s face, redress, and refill their canteens with water from a small stream that would have otherwise joined the Chondu.

The river may have been suitable for washing but needed to be cleaner to drink. This far from the river source it was littered with dirty patches of foam, branches and all manner of other debris.

Nami was injured worse than she feared, and what little reluctance there was to keep moving disappeared as Nami slipped into unconsciousness. Zoe tied back her still-wet hair and grabbed the front of the litter.

The group carried on towards the city. It was still a few days away, but hopefully, somebody would rejoin the unit on the way.