Chapter 5: Ciri

I woke up to something knocking into my side. I groaned and opened my eyes to see it was little out. I had been confused the first day I woke up in the forest, but it had been a week and I was almost relieved to be out of the city. I would almost smile as the birds chirped then I would hear the gunshot and see Umber’s eyes go blank. I sat up and Ryan groaned putting his hand over my chest pushing me back down. “There’s another hour before wake up call,” he opened one green eye.

“I am not going to sleep,” I looked up at the clouds, “By the way, I felt you searching for the gun last night and it was really a waste of time.”

“I know where it is now and I will not search there,” he rolled over, “Can you just tell me one thing Talia said? I am not asking for a lot, Ciri.”

“She said she missed her old life,” I got up to my feet.

“I know something about that now,” Jasper sat up, “Where do you think you’re going exactly?”

 

“You’re not my master anymore, so I don’t have to tell you that,” I grabbed his jacket and tossed it back at him, “We should get moving.”

“I am sleeping for another hour, Ciri17,” he warned me.

“Don’t think so,” I pulled out the gun, “I don’t have time for your twelve hours of rest; there are probably people after me right now; you will get moving now.”

“You know I could disarm and pin you down in seven seconds,” he crossed his arms.

“I could shoot in six seconds,” I retorted.

“But you won’t,” he said, “Your hands shake every time you touch that thing, why don’t you give it to someone who is trained to fire it?”

“I don’t trust you,” I replied.

 

“Well, how am I supposed to trust that you won’t kill me in my sleep at night?” he demanded.

“How could I trust an Elite with my gun?” I asked, “I am not taking the chance, I don’t like you and I know you aren’t a fan of me.”

“Yet I am the only one you have out here,” he caught up with me as I started down the dirt path.

“Not my first choice,” I said, “If my mistrust bothers you that much, turn around and go home, Elite.”

“You couldn’t last out here on your own,” he countered.

“I am surviving more successfully than you,” I reminded him, “You take more than your share of the water bottle every time I fill it and eat the fruits and plants I’ve found in seconds; you have never savoured food in your life.”

“I am bulking up as much as I can; it was part of my training,” he argued, “What do you know about survival out here?”

“I’ve survived over fifteen years in that hellhole known as Graceling; you think servants know nothing about starvation,” I snapped.

“Your temper was well hidden inside the city walls,” he muttered.

 

“I am sorry if it offends you, ‘sir’,” I took out one of my apples and threw it at him. He caught it.

“Thanks, sweetheart,” he said taking a bite.

“Don’t call me that,” I warned him.

“Why not, sweetheart?” he took another bite, “You don’t fear me here so why should I fear you?”

“Because I am the one with the gun, Elite,” I informed him, “I am not someone you want to mess with right now.”

“I wouldn’t even be here if you had minded your own business and brought my letter back to me like you were supposed to,” he argued, “You caused your own problems.”

“Umber needed me; I promised her weeks before that I’d be there when she talked to her father,” I crossed my arms.

“You skipped this part before; you were planning on running away for weeks,” he said, “Did you even consider the consequences?”

“Of course I did, but I still had to help my friend,” I answered, “Wouldn’t you do that for Talia?”

 

“Talia was never this reckless,” he commented.

“Well I could use her right now,” I stopped, “Do you have idea where we are genius navigator? I swear I’ve seen that rock before.”

“I am not the expert, your record says you’ve been outside of town, why aren’t you leading the way maestro?” he said irritated then muttered, “Instead of being a brat.”

“Well that is because you are smarter than me,” I reminded him.

“I say one comment on my improved training,” he groaned.

“I quote your words; I am a superior navigator and you were taught how to follow my lead,” I cited.

“If you want to lead; just lead please we are almost out of water,” he insisted.

“Weren’t you taught to not complain?” I said absentmindedly.

“I could say the same about you,” he snapped, “Why did this temper develop; it is not your place.”

“Why are you still following me then?” I asked moodily.

“Like I said yesterday I want to help,” he said seriously.

“Like I said immediately afterwards if you want to help then go tell people what I told you,” I replied.

 

“We need proof and you have to be the one to tell them so I repeated my offer to take you back and let you explain things,” he said and I gave him a look.

“No one will believe me, I can’t even believe you did,” I told him, “I’ll try if my method doesn’t work.”

“You are just being impossible, how do you even know Eddison is still alive or that he’ll help for that matter?” he said quickly.

“Umber was the only one who would listen to me in the city,” I said chewing on the apple I found, “It is my best chance, face it we haven’t got a lot of options”.

“Your best chance is to travel across the entire country to find some crazy old man,” he shook his head, “You need professional help, sweetheart.”

 

“What is with the sweetheart thing that is so sexist?” I said annoyed.

“You have a heart in the literal sense,” he said and I rolled my eyes, “though right now its sweetness could be questioned.”

“Why don’t you go back to your kingdom and leave me alone?” I said annoyed.

“Because you know what foods to eat and I am hungry,” he said under his breath.

 

“I thought you did survival training,” I frowned.

“I did, but that was two years ago,” he explained, “Can we please calm down and be rational about this.”

“I’ll try if you will,” I sighed, “I just need to get out of this forest; it reminds me.”

“It reminds you of your friend,” he ran a hand through his hair, “Damn it, everything is so complicated.”

“I wish I’d known where Umber was; I could have gotten her out of there instead of overhearing that conversation,” I muttered.

“You can’t always take things back,” Jasper said watching me carefully, “You haven’t cried yet, Ciri; that is part of the reason for your mood swings.”

“Really so it has nothing to do with the fact that I’m a girl,” I countered.

“Forget it,” he quickened his pace to walk in front of me. Was he trying to be nice for a second there? I thought then the guilt came back. I had gotten him in trouble too; this wasn’t all about me.

“Damn it,” I hissed.

“What?” he peered over his shoulder.

 

“I ruined your life too, didn’t I?” I guessed.

“You don’t know what my life was back there, Ciri; besides you didn’t do this on purpose,” he answered, “I know that because you would have planned better if you were expecting this to happen.”

“Still doesn’t erase the mistake,” I commented.

“I would have done the same thing for Talia,” he slowed down his pace, “But maybe I would have gotten some food first.”

“You know how much trouble I’d be in if I talked to you like this in the city,” I said.

“You didn’t talk in the city,” he said thoughtfully, “Don’t know which version of you I prefer now that I think of it.”

“Funny,” I rolled my eyes, “There is no use in mannerisms out here.”

“I know that’s true.”

 

“Let’s keep moving,” I said seeing the way he was looking at me. It confused me and I didn’t need something else to worry about.

“You like shutting people out, don’t you?” he said then I heard a distant sound coming from the East.

“I am good at it,” I said then I heard it again only it was closer.

 

“What is that?”

“Wild dogs,” I recognized their howling.

“Why are you so tense?” he asked as I picked up my pace.

“They are carnivores; we’re meat,” I looked back to see one jumping onto the path, “Run.”

“We’re bigger than they are,” he followed me as I took off dodging off the path and through the trees, “Why are you leaving the path?”

“Never run in a straight line,” I shouted then I tripped over a root. I hit the ground hard and the bark scrapped my cheek.

“Ciri,” Jasper pulled me to my feet, “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” I winced when I put pressure on my leg. The dogs were still coming though. “Come on, Jasper,” I grabbed Jasper’s hand and kept him moving. The dogs were getting closer; these ones were fast. I ran as fast as I could, but Jasper was already passing me and I was struggling to keep up.

 

“Come on, we can’t be too far off of the Emerald River,” Jasper said and I could feel the pain in my leg. Suddenly Jasper fell down with a dog pinning him down.

“Off,” I grabbed a branch and hit it.

“Use the gun,” Jasper shouted and I took out the gun, but it just made my hands start to shake again as the dogs surrounded us. “Shoot,” he said and I saw Umber fall to the ground again. I pocketed the gun then kicked the dog off him and helped Jasper up.

“Make a path,” I ordered and Jasper moved with the speed of a lion getting the dogs out of the way. I could just imagine him with the gun and I was glad I had it, even if I couldn’t use it. He was dangerous. Once there was clearance, I pulled Jasper along with me and we kept going with dogs snapping at our feet.

 

“Why didn’t you shoot?” Jasper demanded.

“I couldn’t do it,” I argued.

“We should have reached the river by now,” he looked around wildly.

“Why don’t we focus on outrunning the dogs? The river is another problem, not a solution,” I answered.

“What do you mean?” Jasper questioned.

“I mean-,” my foot went forward, but there was nothing to land on. I had been right about the river being a problem; it was at the bottom of a ravine.

“Ciri,” he said then I heard him slip. I fell on and on then hit the water. This couldn’t be how it ended, right.

Author's Note

do you see grammar problems?