Calm and Calamity

Chapter 21

Day: 374

Days Left: 5106

Lives Saved: 2

"Please, Ms Ivette," pleaded a voice. "We just need a few packets, just a few."

"I'm sorry, my dears," replied Ivette. "But this isn't enough. I told you I would be stricter from now on. This isn't enough for even one packet."

"We've scoured the whole Land of the Lost and we couldn't find any more."

Corinna Warren peered behind a shelf and saw Ivette at the front desk with Dex and Kai on the other side.

"Is there anything else we can do?" continued the man with the mohawk. "We'll do anything. We just need a few packets."

"It's not for us," added Kai the goblin. "It's for another prisoner. She needs food."

"She's not going to last until the next drop-off."

Ivette sighed. "I'm sorry but can't afford to give you any more food packets unless it's an equal exchange."

Dex and Kai continued to plead for one last attempt before they gave up and thanked Ivette as they left the trading post.

Corinna emerged from her hiding spot, opened up her backpack and looked at the two food packets inside.

"I know what you are thinking, my dear," said Ivette, not even looking up as she flipped through the pages of her trading logbook.

"Do you think I shouldn't help?" asked Corinna.

The old trader paused in her reading and glanced back at the young woman. "I am not sure, my dear."

"If I help them, then perhaps they will be persuaded to accept the peace treaty."

"Perhaps." Ivette paused. "But remember, you have been starving these people. They might not want your charity. It might hurt their pride, especially as they have refused so far. They may try to hurt you."

Corinna looked down at the floor.

"I know I cannot dissuade you, my dear. But at the very least, please take someone along with you." Ivette returned to her trading logbook. "Take Sumit, he's doing nothing useful as usual, and he's talked to Mister Dex and Mister Kai the most."

*

Though Corinna filled him in, Sumit was still confused as all of the information gone in one ear and out the other. Or perhaps it was due to Corinna spewing out an incomprehensible ramble of words then dragging him outside of the trading post. When he asked again what was going on, Corinna then explained to him slower and clearer than before.

"Oh, I've got a couple of packets I could spare," said Sumit. "They're back in my bag at the trading post. I'll just go and get them-"

"No time!" Corinna huffed as she ran over the marshland, dragging Sumit behind her. She paused for a moment, scanning the horizon then gasped as she saw two figures in the distance. "There they are!"

"Yay!" Sumit wheezed, failing to keep up with the young woman.

"Dex! Kai!" Corinna called out.

The two silhouettes at first kept on walking but after a while of Corinna shouting, they eventually stopped and turned to see a young blonde woman waving her hands in the air along with a young curly-haired man exhausted and out of breath.

As Corinna approached them, Dex and Kai retreated a step. The goblin Kai adjusted his red woollen hat then drew out a steak knife whilst Dex's hand hovered over his headless horseman mask.