The West Woods

Chapter 8 : Here Comes the Sun

Though the air still bit at them with a determination to snuff them out the snow had melted and mushroom caps could be seen, their little tops poking out of the ground. Carrots that had not gone bad, having been frozen through the winter poked their little green stems out as though to say 'all you can eat, over here, we're over here.' And Wes and Woodie scurried frantically digging up blue caps and collecting carrots.

Wes, though he moved clumsily and slowly for he was weak after the harshness of winter, seemed to be filled with a renewal of life. He shuffled like a young deer just learning how to walk, stumbling here and there but trying to keep up with Woodie. He would search only yards away from the man, gathering food for himself.

Once their pockets were full they sat down and started a fire, cooking the food they had found and eating till they were full. Both were contented and they rested against each other for the extra warmth, smiles evident on their faces. Things were going to start looking up.

Spring was here.

It was Wes who had discovered the ponds and within a week the frogs were coming out of hibernation and bounding about, and the catcoons were crawling out of their dens to hunt them for food. Woodie an Wes retrieved frog legs and large meats and ate in gracious amounts.

By the third week the air had warmed significantly and they were able to abandon their scraps of grass and rabbit fur. By the afternoon the ponds were warmed by the sun and the frogs gone to bed, and for the first time since autumn Wes and Woodie were able to bathe themselves.

Wes and Woodie stripped themselves and slipped into the ponds to wash away the dirt of the previous months. They scrubbed away the blood caked on their cracked fingers and lips and the dirt on their bodies. And they washed away the grime and much, and the smell of their bodies, and they felt clean.

And while Woodie focused on cleaning himself Wes would let his eyes stray to the other, looking him up and down. The sight of muscle and red fur all over the man a pleasant one to him, and he bit his lower lip and turned away before he could be caught.

After their bath they quickly scrubbed their clothes clean and then started a fire to dry themselves and the garments. They rested their rabbit furs across their laps to cover themselves and sat watching the fire and eating some frog legs.

Woodie was unsure why precisely, unsure of what exactly came over him to convince him to do such a thing, but his eyes drifted to Wes and he chanced a glance at him. Wes was very thin these days, his ribs visible, and his wrists barley larger than Lucy's handle. The tendons in his neck stuck out from lack of nutrients over the winter, and his collarbone poked sharply upward.

Woodie turned his sights to the fire, filled with some kind of inexplicable guilt.

As the night went on Wes' slumped sideways, his head falling to Woodie's lap. Reflexively the lumberjack checked the mimes pulse, feeling it stronger than it had been for a long time. And he brushed his hand through Wes' hair, surprisingly soft as ever. And after a while Woodie found himself drifting to sleep as well.

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"Are you sure it's him?"

"Certain it is small friend. Even all scrappy looking he does not fool Wolfgang."

"So this is Wes then? Hnn, I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this."

The sound of voices made Woodie stir. Was he dreaming? He had to be. There was no one here but he and Wes. But the moment his eyes opened he was greeted by two shadowed figures loomed over them.

"WES!"

Woodie pulled the mime up quickly, shoving him behind him and arming himself with Lucy. He gripped his rabbit pelts about his waist to keep himself covered while he stood on guard. Wes seemed to stumble about, tugging his rabbit furs closed and looking up in confusion, having been suddenly roused from his deep sleep.

"Ohoho! Small man with ax thinks he is match for Mighty Wolfgang. You make me laugh little red man."

Woodie sneered at the mockery and was ready to demand explanation, but his train of thought was interrupted when Wes pushed his arm down and rushed forward to throw himself into the large mans arms.

"Ahaha! It is good to see you too, small friend. You have not been eating well, Wolfgang can see and feel your bones. Forgive him for not hugging harder, but you would snap, like small twig."

The lumberjack only stared in confusion.

"Alright buddy, put the ax away, no need to get hotheaded. We're friendly," the woman said, dusting her skirt and stirring their fire with her own torch.

Woodie turned his attention away from her again to see Wes bouncing rather excitedly and hanging off the muscular man's arm. Wolfgang is what he called himself, right?

"Who are you people?" Woodie hissed through his teeth.

'Jealous,' he heard Lucy whisper.

"Well, I'm Willow," The woman started. "And this big guy here is Wolfgang. He hasn't stopped talking about your little friend Wes there since we met."

"Wolfgang and Wes once in circus together. Best friends the two of us."

Wes nodded his head in agreement.

Woodie was not sure what to think. Other than Wes these were the first two people he'd seen since his arrival. And Wes had said he had not seen anyone else since he came either. This meant of course that he must be very excited to see anyone else, much less a familiar face.

'Jealous.'

"So where did you all come from, anyway?"

"We got stuck out in the dark after some clockwork chased us a ways, that's when we found your fire."

"Wolfgang would have been left to the dark times if not for your flame and Willow's torch."

"Uh, right, but where did you COME from?"

"Wickerbottom's Hideaway isn't far from here, we came from that direction."

Woodie had no clue what that was, but he hand't any time to ask before 'Wolfguy' was speaking again.

"The sun will be in the sky soon. Wolfgang and Willow will show you back to sanctuary."

So it was a safe haven.

"Are there others?"

"Yeah, we'll introduce you to everyone once we get there. You are coming right?"

Woodie looked at Wes who nodded his head and then back at the other two and nodded his head as well.

In the morning they gathered what little they had and followed the their two new additions back to their encampment.