A Forest of Secrets

Chapter 5

They managed to escape into the woods, making sure to stay away from the main road: the Niveans were probably waiting for them there. They were beyond exhausted and thirsty when Gerard decided he'd found a good spot by a small stream to rest for the night. Jo took off her boots and socks, then put her feet in the cool water. She had blisters, thanks to her not-very-comfortable shoes-- she longed for her favorite leather boots. On top of it all, her hands were still a bit itchy from falling onto rash vines and, of course, she didn't have an ointment on her. Maybe grandmother put some inside the packs that now conveniently laid abandoned in Lake Silverstone.

Alaric and Gerard made a small fire using fire rocks, then caught a wild pheasant for dinner, which she had to gut because Alaric happened to be doing it wrong: he was making a mess, and she was too tired and grumpy to have to eat bad meat. All things considered, they weren't doing so badly without her grandmother's survival kit. She worried about spending a few more days in the same dirty outfit, though, since she was already starting to smell a little thanks to all the walking. She'd take a bath on the stream before leaving, she decided, even if it was cold. She hated being dirty, more than being hungry or having blistered feet.

The sun went down as they started to eat. She was ravenous and didn't notice she'd been eating like a feral wolf until Alaric looked at her. She could tell he was amused, by the look on his face. She opened her mouth and showed him her chewed meal: that would teach him to stare at someone who's eating.  After that little antic, they all laughed at Alaric's reaction, him included. She nearly choked, but Gerard was quick to help her. He then excused himself and retired to sleep in a makeshift tent consisting of leaves and branches. He made one for Jo as well,  Alaric would take over Gerard's after his watch. 

Jo finished her meal, then proceeded to gnaw on Gerard's leftovers. Alaric sniggered, avoiding her gaze as he nibbled on a leg. She threw a wishbone at the man, hitting him square on the nose. He laughed, then threw the bone into the fire. Jo smirked at him, then turned around and got ready to go to the stream to take her bath-- but not before threatening Alaric with feeding him his own eyeballs if he dared spy on her while she bathed. He blushed intensely, then started to stutter: exactly the reaction she was hoping for. 

Jo grinned, then turned around, she was happy with herself: making him blush was now her favorite pastime. She couldn't get over how bashful he was for a knight-- well, almost knight-- weren't knights supposed to be tough? The cold water made her lose her train of thought and erased the smug grin off her face.  The stream was so cold it started to burn her skin, but she endured in the name of freshness. 

Halfway through her bath, she felt like she was being watched- she looked in Alaric's direction, but he was busy carving a piece of wood by the fire. Gerard was sound asleep, judging by his loud snoring. She heard leaves ruffling at the other side of the stream. She knew she wasn't imagining it: someone or something was there. Maybe one of the Niveans was following them, could that be? It could've been a fox or an owl, maybe a rabbit. She covered herself with her undershirt, just in case, and got out of the water. The shirt got wet, she was colder by the minute, but she wasn't about to go back to the fire naked for Alaric to see and probably faint from it.

"How was the bath? Warm?" Alaric said, smiling, still carving and not looking up. Maybe afraid to do so, for his eyeballs' sake.

"I think I'll lose a toe, and I can't feel my hands anymore.  It was delightful, truly," she said, getting nearer to the fire, still dripping wet. She sat closer to him, then whispered, "don't look, but I think someone or something is following us, I heard a noise back there. I'll get properly dressed, and then we'll go check."