Swiftflow and Redleaf's Journey
It was a
brilliantly hot day and the sun was glinting off the water. Shielding his eyes,
the red headed elf grumbled. He hated the beach. He hated the red his skin
would turn after a while, hated the squawking of the dolphins, hated the sand
that got in his boots as he trudged along, hated the way his walking stick was
essentially useless in the mud.
What he really hated though, was this whole part of the island. He was too close to the tribe and while he didn’t bear anyone ill will, he didn’t think he had it in him to endure a reunion. Even after almost two hundred (maybe a little less, he hadn’t kept track) years, Redleaf still thought of the tribe as suffocating.
Still, his wanderings had brought him this way and if he wanted to see the other islands then the best place to set off from would be the beach near the holt. He’d make a better raft this time, the other one had fallen apart quite a ways from shore and swimming in this part of the ocean was pretty dangerous. Hoisting his pack a little higher, Redleaf wiped the sweat from his brow and peered off in the distance, silently cursing the sun. He could feel his skin growing more sensitive and knew it was probably pink already. He hadn’t realized the island was this big; he’d been walking for more than an eight of days and he guessed the holt was still another two or three days away.
A little ways away, something was lying in the sand. Redleaf stopped and stared at it, arching his eyebrow. It was probably a human. They occasionally got lost and ended up on the island. Stupid creatures. He hoisted his pack up again and began making his way towards the figure.
It wasn’t a human. Slinging his pack off his back and throwing it to the ground, Redleaf quickened his pace and ran up the elf girl. She was lying face down in the mud, bits of sand and seaweed clinging to her hair. He lifted her up and was relieved to see she was still breathing. He slapped her face a few times to try and wake her up. Nothing.
**Hey. Wake up.** He forced the sending into her mind. There was no response. Scowling, Redleaf picked her up and moved her closer to the edge of the jungle. So far he’d avoided the unceasing woods, due to the panthers, sunbears and High One’s only knew what else that lived there, but he had no choice now. He very well couldn’t leave her in the mud and the tide would come in soon. He left her lying on his sleep fur, next to an open fire to scare off predators, and went hunting.
He came back with a boar that had wandered away from the herd. Cutting it open, he stuck some of the meat on a stick and began roasting it. Sitting on his haunches, he waited for the girl to open her eyes.
She opened her eyes to see a male creature like herself, red of hair, green of eye, and not all that pleasant seeming. His pants and vest dark and somber in colour. How she knew he was male and like her was beyond her understanding. She just accepted it for the moment, afraid that it was an illusion or dream anyway. She ached to her very soul. She was hungry and thirsty, and felt all grimey and icky. Something smelled good. May even been what finally woke her up.
He sat before a fire, High Ones was she cold, roasting a bit of meat over it. She scooted a bit closer to the fire, shivering a bit. She didn’t feel all that well. Furthermore, she realized she didn’t know this person. Her face takes on a horrified expression as she realizes she doesn’t know who she is. Where she came from. Or much of anything else for that matter.
"Uh… Excuse me, but who are you? More importantly, who am I, and do I know you? Where am I, are we?" Her voice came out scratchy. She attempted to swallow a few times and asked one more question. "Is there something to drink?"
Redleaf arched an eyebrow at the girl’s scratchy voice when she asked who he was. He hadn’t expected her to wake so soon. Ripping into a piece of boar meat, he used his other hand to throw her his water skin.
While she was gulping down the stale water, he took a moment to think. He wasn’t entirely comfortable being around a stranger, but he knew he couldn’t leave her alone. Finally, he speared another piece of meat and offered it to her. “My name is Redleaf. We’re on an…” He trailed off. The islands he’d been to were much smaller than this, but he didn’t know what else to call it. “We’re on an island.”
He sighed as he remembered her other question. Redleaf wasn’t much for games and if this child was asking who she was then she was either toying with him or he had a serious problem.
She drank the water like she expected it to be snatched from her at any moment. After much gulping, she actually starts to cough and sputter. She gasps a bit as her coughing comes to an end, but soon she’s back to breathing normally.
She mulls over his answers, sighs, and shakes her head. Seeing the meat handed to her, she quickly grabs it before he can take it back. She eats it slower then she’d drank the water. She eats in silence, her eyes distant and confused. Before she is finished with the piece of meat, tears had started falling. She doesn’t make a sound or carry on. The tears leaving clean tracks silently down her face as she finishes eating.
She clears her throat a bit. Then she speaks, her voice much smoother and softer then earlier. "Redleaf, thank you for the water and food. I am sorry to bother you further, but is there a place I can clean up?"
She looks quickly down, uncomfortable with Redleaf’s stare. He didn’t look happy to have come across her. She wished she could just scurry away, but she had no clue where to scurry to. The tears start again at that frightening thought. Did he maybe snatch her from her family? She shivers a bit.
He arched an eyebrow, unused to having people thank him. “Welcome.” He muttered. It was strange being around another person after being alone for so long. He stared at her for a few moments, noticing he seemed to make her nervous. She was quite jittery, looking around like a lost treewee. She ate like she hadn’t seen food in days.
He was beginning to wonder where she came from. The most obvious answer was that she came from Thunderwater Holt. But if that was true, what was she doing three days walk from the holt alone, with no weapons or food? Redleaf and Century might not have agreed on much, but the old tanner didn’t believe the chief would let some kit wander around on her own.
No, something was not right here and Redleaf was getting annoyed.
“If you want to wash you can always jump in the ocean.” He pointed to the beach. “I’d watch out for the many-teeth though.” He noticed she was shivering and sighed. “If you’re cold, don’t go jumping in the ocean. It’ll make it worse.” He snapped, ignoring the tears racing down the girl’s cheeks. Redleaf had little use for tears and he didn’t see how they helped the situation. "Where're you from anyway?"
For some reason Redleaf’s mentioning her jumping in the ocean terrified her. She started shaking like a leaf. She couldn’t understand why it frightened her so, but it did. Releived that he then turned around and said not to, she started to calm down some, but his gruff manner still made her nervous and edgy being around him.
She blinked at his question, and opened her mouth to reply, but no answer came forth. Her confusion grew and her tears came down faster. She hunched into as small a form as possible, she started rocking and shaking her head. In a barely heard whisper. "I…. don’t know."
Redleaf scoffed at her answer. “You don’t know where you’re from, do you at least know your own name?” He snapped. High Ones, he was beginning to regret picking her up out of the sand.
When she curled up in a ball and began rocking back and forth he decided he’d had enough. Grabbing her by the front of her shirt, he hauled her to her feet. **Quit crying. I didn’t drag your miserable hide away from that ocean just so you could cry yourself to death.** He snarled a bit, just for effect. **If you don’t shut up and act like an adult I’m going to feed you to the many teeth!**
She stared and him in wide-eyed shock as he hauled her up and snarled at her. As if she wasn't miserable and frightened enough already, and now he was snarling at her. Suddenly she got mad.
"Then let me leave you... you..." She was at a loss as to what to call him. She struggled against his grip, trying to get free. When she couldn't, she stopped. "Let me go. That way I can just leave you to your nasty self."
She realized that she really didn't like this elf, and that being on her own with all the unknowns was better then being stuck in his company for any longer. Then her expression took on a look of wonderment and shock as she realized also that he was an elf, she was an elf. Now if only she could understand what an elf was and what it meant.
Redleaf smirked, finally a show of strength! He had wondered if she could do anything except cry and whimper. Of course, now she was snapping at him after he’d carried her out of the ocean. Some gratitude.
“I’m not keeping you. You’re free to do whatever you want, so long as you don’t start crying again.” He let go of her suddenly. “Although I think I’ll point out that you have no food, no weapons and no idea of where you are.” He paused and decided to remind her of something else. “I’ll also point out that my ‘nasty self’ dragged your misbegotten carcass out of the ocean, laid you down on my sleep fur, and fed you.” He wasn't really mad that she'd tried to insult him. That was funny if it was anything. "I did all that and you still haven't answered my question. Do you at least know your name?" He asked again.
She was so caught up in the knowledge that she at least knew what she was, though she had no clue still what it meant, that she only partially heard what Redleaf was saying. She answered distractedly. "No."
Redleaf growled at her answer. Didn't know who she was, didn't know where she was, didn't appear to know anything. He rolled his eyes and squatted down beside the fire.
He couldn't very well leave her by herself, however much he was tempted. He rubbed his temples, trying to stop the headache that threatened to take over his brain. The only thing he could think of doing was taking her back to Thunderwater, where she most likely came from. That meant seeing people and putting up with their questions. That meant explaining why he left and where he'd been. That meant working with others and following rules he had no use for. The thought of it left a sour taste in his mouth.
Against his better judgement he made his offer. "Look, the fact remains that you're helpless, alone, and you have no idea where you are. I have an idea of where you most likely belong and I'll take you there. It's a few days walk from here, that's not too far." He folded his arms and waited for her to respond.
Finally drug out of her musings, she looks over at the elf and blinks a couple of times. Then his offer sunk in. A sour look fitted across her face for the barest of seconds and was quickly replaced with excitement. She nods while thinking to herself. Someone there ought to know who I am and help me. And there's gotta be someone there more patient and kind than this elf. Ugh, but to travel with him for a few days. *sigh* No helping it if I want to get home though. Least I hope it's home.
She looks down and spots her disheaveled state that was forgotten in all the going ons. She makes a face. She really needed to find a way to get clean. She looks towards where she can hear the surf and sees the water there. Oh, that must be the ocean he spoke of earlier. She starts to take a couple of steps toward it and pauses, turning back to Redleaf. "Um, I'm going to try to clean up some."
She turns back and heads to the water. She hated being so dirty. Then she stops in her tracks and stands ther with her jaw dropped when it hit her that she didn't like being so dirty.
When the girl nodded Redleaf turned his attention back to the fire. She had no idea how much it took for him to offer to take her back and he had no intention of telling her. When she spoke of her intent to bathe in the ocean he made a face. Fool didn't even remember my warning about the many teeth. Fine then! Let her get ripped to pieces! Less trouble for him.
It briefly crossed his mind that an elf from Thunderwater Holt should know to be careful in the ocean. Storing that piece of information in his brain for later, he leaned back and propped himself up on his elbows. **When the manyteeth start crunching on your bones, try not to scream too loudly.**
She had started up again to the water when this voice similar to Redleaf's came into her mind. To say she was startled was putting it mildly. "Eep!" Turning around, she looked back at him over the distance. Her eyes were wide. She hollers at him, her voice a bit shaky. "H-how did you do that?"
A bit miffed she hadn't taken in what he actually sent, Redleaf's scowl deepend. **You mean send? I use this thing up in my head called a 'brain'. Most people have one.** He sat up and crossed his arms, not knowing what to think about an elf that didn't know how to send.
Siwftflow stood there a moment mulling things over. She was about fed up with the cartankerous Elf. How dense was he to not understand she didn't remember anything. He said he used his brain, huh? Hmmm
She tries to send back just what she was starting to think of this sourberry when suddenly, a piercing pain shot through her head. She screams in agony, clutching her head and sinking into the sand where she stood. Curled up in a ball, she's in too much pain to make another sound after her initial scream.
When the girl started screaming and fell to her knees while grabbing her head, Redleaf jumped up. Running into the water, he grabbed her and half-dragged, half-carried her to shore. As gently as he could he placed her on his sleep fur.
Enough was enough. He wasn’t prepared to care for someone in her condition, whatever condition it was. Tomorrow morning they would head for Thunderwater Holt.
He’d never admit it, but part of his resolve to take her home was because she was scaring him and he didn’t know what to do. Growling under his breath, he flipped part of the sleep fur over so it covered her and went to sit by the fire to keep watch. The last thing he needed was for a panther or a sunbear to attack them in the night.
Swiftflow was unconcious. The pain in her head was too much for her to take. Not a sound came out of her the whole night.
Groggily she woke the next morning. Sqwabble birds were making a fuss over by the water and she wasn't happy about being woke because of them. Then it came flooding back. Redleaf, not knowing who she was, trying to send and a blinding pain as a result of it.
She groaned and sat up, and promptly went back down and curled up as a sharp pain throbbed through her skull. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. and just squeezesd her eyes shut tight. She hoped it'd go away soon, she was starting to get sick to her stomach.
Redleaf’s eyes snapped open when he heard the girl groan. He hadn’t been sleeping but his eyes were starting to feel heavy. Thankfully, the sun peeking over the ocean would help him fool his body into pretending it wasn’t tired. Shaking his head a little, he turned to the girl and made a sound of disgust at her position.
“Don’t curl up.” He ordered sharply. “It’ll just make you sore and sick. Stretch out a bit and put your head back down.” He stood up and threw some nearby driftwood onto the fire, causing it to blaze up again. He poked some leftover boar meat closer to the flames to heat it up. “Don’t try to send.” He added as an afterthought. “I need you to be strong enough to walk. I can’t carry you for three days and we’re leaving in a little while.”
Well, to give him credit, he was right it seemed, about the sick part. Slowly she uncurled, but she wasn't ready to tempt sitting up just yet. He is such a sourberry, and I am going to have to put up with him for three more days? She groaned again at the thought.
Suddenly her bladder spoke up and she sighed in disgust. Of all times for it to become persistent. Slowly, and with much care she managed to get herself upright and sitting. As she paused to let her head orient itself she closed her eyes. Then with another sigh she managed to get to her feet and stagger a bit to a nearby bush to do her business.
She was half tempted to just disappear, but she had a feeling, not only would Redleaf easily find her, but he'd probably beat her to within an inch of being able to function. Only reason he wouldn't beat her to a pulp would be because he wouldn't want to carry her anywhere. Course he could just beat her and leave her for dead.
She sighed and staggered back towards the fire. Plopping down, she just sat there and stared at the flames. Her thoughts chased themselves around going no where. But one thing she was certain of, she'd try to converse with the sourberry as little as possible.
*****
At last, they were coming up on the place Redleaf called Thunderwater, when he bothered to talk. She couldn't be happier. She was getting really tired of his sour disposition and unpleasantness. She laid down to sleep her last night of travel with Redleaf.
A thought caused her to shudder. She sure hoped she didn't end up finding out she was related to Redleaf somehow. That would be the utmost worse thing on top of everything else. She'd end up snapping the rest of the way. She was dangerously close to that point already. It had been exhausting trying to constantly try to remember the past couple of days. Coming up with nothing, crying herself to sleep at night. Quietly, so Redleaf wouldn't say something nasty and make her feel even more worse about herself then she already did.
She gave a quiet sigh. Part of her was excited to be coming up on Thunderwater. Soon she might have answers. But a part of her was terrified. They may have no answers either. Or worse, they could all be like Redleaf. She drifted off to sleep, she didn't even feel hungry right now. She just wanted this to all be over was her last thought as sleep took her.
Redleaf leaned against the tree and sighed quietly. He couldn’t wait for all this to be over so he could be rid of the girl tomorrow. He’d taken the route to the holt through the jungle. It was quicker, but it was also more dangerous than walking along the beach. He’d stayed up to keep watch for panthers, sun bears and whatever else was lurking in the jungle and the lack of sleep was getting to him.
No, he couldn’t wait to be rid of her. Between the constant crying that she thought he didn’t notice and the irritation he felt over her ignorance about herself and her surroundings he was quite ready to give her back to who she belonged and be on his way. Redleaf had no patience for kits, and this girl was giving him a headache.
He wasn’t going to stay at the holt for very long, he was certain of that. He’d lost track of what season it was but it had to be some time before monsoon season. If he hurried, he could construct a raft and be on his way to the next island before the rains came.
Glancing over at her sleeping form, Redleaf allowed himself the comfort of thinking that he’d be done with her by tomorrow.
What he really hated though, was this whole part of the island. He was too close to the tribe and while he didn’t bear anyone ill will, he didn’t think he had it in him to endure a reunion. Even after almost two hundred (maybe a little less, he hadn’t kept track) years, Redleaf still thought of the tribe as suffocating.
Still, his wanderings had brought him this way and if he wanted to see the other islands then the best place to set off from would be the beach near the holt. He’d make a better raft this time, the other one had fallen apart quite a ways from shore and swimming in this part of the ocean was pretty dangerous. Hoisting his pack a little higher, Redleaf wiped the sweat from his brow and peered off in the distance, silently cursing the sun. He could feel his skin growing more sensitive and knew it was probably pink already. He hadn’t realized the island was this big; he’d been walking for more than an eight of days and he guessed the holt was still another two or three days away.
A little ways away, something was lying in the sand. Redleaf stopped and stared at it, arching his eyebrow. It was probably a human. They occasionally got lost and ended up on the island. Stupid creatures. He hoisted his pack up again and began making his way towards the figure.
It wasn’t a human. Slinging his pack off his back and throwing it to the ground, Redleaf quickened his pace and ran up the elf girl. She was lying face down in the mud, bits of sand and seaweed clinging to her hair. He lifted her up and was relieved to see she was still breathing. He slapped her face a few times to try and wake her up. Nothing.
**Hey. Wake up.** He forced the sending into her mind. There was no response. Scowling, Redleaf picked her up and moved her closer to the edge of the jungle. So far he’d avoided the unceasing woods, due to the panthers, sunbears and High One’s only knew what else that lived there, but he had no choice now. He very well couldn’t leave her in the mud and the tide would come in soon. He left her lying on his sleep fur, next to an open fire to scare off predators, and went hunting.
He came back with a boar that had wandered away from the herd. Cutting it open, he stuck some of the meat on a stick and began roasting it. Sitting on his haunches, he waited for the girl to open her eyes.
She opened her eyes to see a male creature like herself, red of hair, green of eye, and not all that pleasant seeming. His pants and vest dark and somber in colour. How she knew he was male and like her was beyond her understanding. She just accepted it for the moment, afraid that it was an illusion or dream anyway. She ached to her very soul. She was hungry and thirsty, and felt all grimey and icky. Something smelled good. May even been what finally woke her up.
He sat before a fire, High Ones was she cold, roasting a bit of meat over it. She scooted a bit closer to the fire, shivering a bit. She didn’t feel all that well. Furthermore, she realized she didn’t know this person. Her face takes on a horrified expression as she realizes she doesn’t know who she is. Where she came from. Or much of anything else for that matter.
"Uh… Excuse me, but who are you? More importantly, who am I, and do I know you? Where am I, are we?" Her voice came out scratchy. She attempted to swallow a few times and asked one more question. "Is there something to drink?"
Redleaf arched an eyebrow at the girl’s scratchy voice when she asked who he was. He hadn’t expected her to wake so soon. Ripping into a piece of boar meat, he used his other hand to throw her his water skin.
While she was gulping down the stale water, he took a moment to think. He wasn’t entirely comfortable being around a stranger, but he knew he couldn’t leave her alone. Finally, he speared another piece of meat and offered it to her. “My name is Redleaf. We’re on an…” He trailed off. The islands he’d been to were much smaller than this, but he didn’t know what else to call it. “We’re on an island.”
He sighed as he remembered her other question. Redleaf wasn’t much for games and if this child was asking who she was then she was either toying with him or he had a serious problem.
She drank the water like she expected it to be snatched from her at any moment. After much gulping, she actually starts to cough and sputter. She gasps a bit as her coughing comes to an end, but soon she’s back to breathing normally.
She mulls over his answers, sighs, and shakes her head. Seeing the meat handed to her, she quickly grabs it before he can take it back. She eats it slower then she’d drank the water. She eats in silence, her eyes distant and confused. Before she is finished with the piece of meat, tears had started falling. She doesn’t make a sound or carry on. The tears leaving clean tracks silently down her face as she finishes eating.
She clears her throat a bit. Then she speaks, her voice much smoother and softer then earlier. "Redleaf, thank you for the water and food. I am sorry to bother you further, but is there a place I can clean up?"
She looks quickly down, uncomfortable with Redleaf’s stare. He didn’t look happy to have come across her. She wished she could just scurry away, but she had no clue where to scurry to. The tears start again at that frightening thought. Did he maybe snatch her from her family? She shivers a bit.
He arched an eyebrow, unused to having people thank him. “Welcome.” He muttered. It was strange being around another person after being alone for so long. He stared at her for a few moments, noticing he seemed to make her nervous. She was quite jittery, looking around like a lost treewee. She ate like she hadn’t seen food in days.
He was beginning to wonder where she came from. The most obvious answer was that she came from Thunderwater Holt. But if that was true, what was she doing three days walk from the holt alone, with no weapons or food? Redleaf and Century might not have agreed on much, but the old tanner didn’t believe the chief would let some kit wander around on her own.
No, something was not right here and Redleaf was getting annoyed.
“If you want to wash you can always jump in the ocean.” He pointed to the beach. “I’d watch out for the many-teeth though.” He noticed she was shivering and sighed. “If you’re cold, don’t go jumping in the ocean. It’ll make it worse.” He snapped, ignoring the tears racing down the girl’s cheeks. Redleaf had little use for tears and he didn’t see how they helped the situation. "Where're you from anyway?"
For some reason Redleaf’s mentioning her jumping in the ocean terrified her. She started shaking like a leaf. She couldn’t understand why it frightened her so, but it did. Releived that he then turned around and said not to, she started to calm down some, but his gruff manner still made her nervous and edgy being around him.
She blinked at his question, and opened her mouth to reply, but no answer came forth. Her confusion grew and her tears came down faster. She hunched into as small a form as possible, she started rocking and shaking her head. In a barely heard whisper. "I…. don’t know."
Redleaf scoffed at her answer. “You don’t know where you’re from, do you at least know your own name?” He snapped. High Ones, he was beginning to regret picking her up out of the sand.
When she curled up in a ball and began rocking back and forth he decided he’d had enough. Grabbing her by the front of her shirt, he hauled her to her feet. **Quit crying. I didn’t drag your miserable hide away from that ocean just so you could cry yourself to death.** He snarled a bit, just for effect. **If you don’t shut up and act like an adult I’m going to feed you to the many teeth!**
She stared and him in wide-eyed shock as he hauled her up and snarled at her. As if she wasn't miserable and frightened enough already, and now he was snarling at her. Suddenly she got mad.
"Then let me leave you... you..." She was at a loss as to what to call him. She struggled against his grip, trying to get free. When she couldn't, she stopped. "Let me go. That way I can just leave you to your nasty self."
She realized that she really didn't like this elf, and that being on her own with all the unknowns was better then being stuck in his company for any longer. Then her expression took on a look of wonderment and shock as she realized also that he was an elf, she was an elf. Now if only she could understand what an elf was and what it meant.
Redleaf smirked, finally a show of strength! He had wondered if she could do anything except cry and whimper. Of course, now she was snapping at him after he’d carried her out of the ocean. Some gratitude.
“I’m not keeping you. You’re free to do whatever you want, so long as you don’t start crying again.” He let go of her suddenly. “Although I think I’ll point out that you have no food, no weapons and no idea of where you are.” He paused and decided to remind her of something else. “I’ll also point out that my ‘nasty self’ dragged your misbegotten carcass out of the ocean, laid you down on my sleep fur, and fed you.” He wasn't really mad that she'd tried to insult him. That was funny if it was anything. "I did all that and you still haven't answered my question. Do you at least know your name?" He asked again.
She was so caught up in the knowledge that she at least knew what she was, though she had no clue still what it meant, that she only partially heard what Redleaf was saying. She answered distractedly. "No."
Redleaf growled at her answer. Didn't know who she was, didn't know where she was, didn't appear to know anything. He rolled his eyes and squatted down beside the fire.
He couldn't very well leave her by herself, however much he was tempted. He rubbed his temples, trying to stop the headache that threatened to take over his brain. The only thing he could think of doing was taking her back to Thunderwater, where she most likely came from. That meant seeing people and putting up with their questions. That meant explaining why he left and where he'd been. That meant working with others and following rules he had no use for. The thought of it left a sour taste in his mouth.
Against his better judgement he made his offer. "Look, the fact remains that you're helpless, alone, and you have no idea where you are. I have an idea of where you most likely belong and I'll take you there. It's a few days walk from here, that's not too far." He folded his arms and waited for her to respond.
Finally drug out of her musings, she looks over at the elf and blinks a couple of times. Then his offer sunk in. A sour look fitted across her face for the barest of seconds and was quickly replaced with excitement. She nods while thinking to herself. Someone there ought to know who I am and help me. And there's gotta be someone there more patient and kind than this elf. Ugh, but to travel with him for a few days. *sigh* No helping it if I want to get home though. Least I hope it's home.
She looks down and spots her disheaveled state that was forgotten in all the going ons. She makes a face. She really needed to find a way to get clean. She looks towards where she can hear the surf and sees the water there. Oh, that must be the ocean he spoke of earlier. She starts to take a couple of steps toward it and pauses, turning back to Redleaf. "Um, I'm going to try to clean up some."
She turns back and heads to the water. She hated being so dirty. Then she stops in her tracks and stands ther with her jaw dropped when it hit her that she didn't like being so dirty.
When the girl nodded Redleaf turned his attention back to the fire. She had no idea how much it took for him to offer to take her back and he had no intention of telling her. When she spoke of her intent to bathe in the ocean he made a face. Fool didn't even remember my warning about the many teeth. Fine then! Let her get ripped to pieces! Less trouble for him.
It briefly crossed his mind that an elf from Thunderwater Holt should know to be careful in the ocean. Storing that piece of information in his brain for later, he leaned back and propped himself up on his elbows. **When the manyteeth start crunching on your bones, try not to scream too loudly.**
She had started up again to the water when this voice similar to Redleaf's came into her mind. To say she was startled was putting it mildly. "Eep!" Turning around, she looked back at him over the distance. Her eyes were wide. She hollers at him, her voice a bit shaky. "H-how did you do that?"
A bit miffed she hadn't taken in what he actually sent, Redleaf's scowl deepend. **You mean send? I use this thing up in my head called a 'brain'. Most people have one.** He sat up and crossed his arms, not knowing what to think about an elf that didn't know how to send.
Siwftflow stood there a moment mulling things over. She was about fed up with the cartankerous Elf. How dense was he to not understand she didn't remember anything. He said he used his brain, huh? Hmmm
She tries to send back just what she was starting to think of this sourberry when suddenly, a piercing pain shot through her head. She screams in agony, clutching her head and sinking into the sand where she stood. Curled up in a ball, she's in too much pain to make another sound after her initial scream.
When the girl started screaming and fell to her knees while grabbing her head, Redleaf jumped up. Running into the water, he grabbed her and half-dragged, half-carried her to shore. As gently as he could he placed her on his sleep fur.
Enough was enough. He wasn’t prepared to care for someone in her condition, whatever condition it was. Tomorrow morning they would head for Thunderwater Holt.
He’d never admit it, but part of his resolve to take her home was because she was scaring him and he didn’t know what to do. Growling under his breath, he flipped part of the sleep fur over so it covered her and went to sit by the fire to keep watch. The last thing he needed was for a panther or a sunbear to attack them in the night.
Swiftflow was unconcious. The pain in her head was too much for her to take. Not a sound came out of her the whole night.
Groggily she woke the next morning. Sqwabble birds were making a fuss over by the water and she wasn't happy about being woke because of them. Then it came flooding back. Redleaf, not knowing who she was, trying to send and a blinding pain as a result of it.
She groaned and sat up, and promptly went back down and curled up as a sharp pain throbbed through her skull. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. and just squeezesd her eyes shut tight. She hoped it'd go away soon, she was starting to get sick to her stomach.
Redleaf’s eyes snapped open when he heard the girl groan. He hadn’t been sleeping but his eyes were starting to feel heavy. Thankfully, the sun peeking over the ocean would help him fool his body into pretending it wasn’t tired. Shaking his head a little, he turned to the girl and made a sound of disgust at her position.
“Don’t curl up.” He ordered sharply. “It’ll just make you sore and sick. Stretch out a bit and put your head back down.” He stood up and threw some nearby driftwood onto the fire, causing it to blaze up again. He poked some leftover boar meat closer to the flames to heat it up. “Don’t try to send.” He added as an afterthought. “I need you to be strong enough to walk. I can’t carry you for three days and we’re leaving in a little while.”
Well, to give him credit, he was right it seemed, about the sick part. Slowly she uncurled, but she wasn't ready to tempt sitting up just yet. He is such a sourberry, and I am going to have to put up with him for three more days? She groaned again at the thought.
Suddenly her bladder spoke up and she sighed in disgust. Of all times for it to become persistent. Slowly, and with much care she managed to get herself upright and sitting. As she paused to let her head orient itself she closed her eyes. Then with another sigh she managed to get to her feet and stagger a bit to a nearby bush to do her business.
She was half tempted to just disappear, but she had a feeling, not only would Redleaf easily find her, but he'd probably beat her to within an inch of being able to function. Only reason he wouldn't beat her to a pulp would be because he wouldn't want to carry her anywhere. Course he could just beat her and leave her for dead.
She sighed and staggered back towards the fire. Plopping down, she just sat there and stared at the flames. Her thoughts chased themselves around going no where. But one thing she was certain of, she'd try to converse with the sourberry as little as possible.
*****
At last, they were coming up on the place Redleaf called Thunderwater, when he bothered to talk. She couldn't be happier. She was getting really tired of his sour disposition and unpleasantness. She laid down to sleep her last night of travel with Redleaf.
A thought caused her to shudder. She sure hoped she didn't end up finding out she was related to Redleaf somehow. That would be the utmost worse thing on top of everything else. She'd end up snapping the rest of the way. She was dangerously close to that point already. It had been exhausting trying to constantly try to remember the past couple of days. Coming up with nothing, crying herself to sleep at night. Quietly, so Redleaf wouldn't say something nasty and make her feel even more worse about herself then she already did.
She gave a quiet sigh. Part of her was excited to be coming up on Thunderwater. Soon she might have answers. But a part of her was terrified. They may have no answers either. Or worse, they could all be like Redleaf. She drifted off to sleep, she didn't even feel hungry right now. She just wanted this to all be over was her last thought as sleep took her.
Redleaf leaned against the tree and sighed quietly. He couldn’t wait for all this to be over so he could be rid of the girl tomorrow. He’d taken the route to the holt through the jungle. It was quicker, but it was also more dangerous than walking along the beach. He’d stayed up to keep watch for panthers, sun bears and whatever else was lurking in the jungle and the lack of sleep was getting to him.
No, he couldn’t wait to be rid of her. Between the constant crying that she thought he didn’t notice and the irritation he felt over her ignorance about herself and her surroundings he was quite ready to give her back to who she belonged and be on his way. Redleaf had no patience for kits, and this girl was giving him a headache.
He wasn’t going to stay at the holt for very long, he was certain of that. He’d lost track of what season it was but it had to be some time before monsoon season. If he hurried, he could construct a raft and be on his way to the next island before the rains came.
Glancing over at her sleeping form, Redleaf allowed himself the comfort of thinking that he’d be done with her by tomorrow.