There’s a stream
nearby, and I wanted to locate it and wash up while you were still asleep. It’s
been a really long time since I was clean.” I noted that his face was, indeed,
clean. He was still holding my elbows, as if to help me stay upright.
I yanked away from him. “You could have
waited till I woke up – I would have given you some privacy.”
“Why are you angry about it? I thought
you’d be happy to hear I’d found water when you woke up; you were very deeply
asleep when I left.”
I huffed, looking away. “I thought you’d
left,” I muttered.
A few seconds lapsed.
“Well, I hadn’t. Do you want to come see
the stream?”
I paused, not wanting to gratify him
after embarrassing myself with my panic. However, I did want to see the stream. “Yes,” I admitted.
His mouth twitched. “Good. Do you need
help walking?”
He was mocking me. I probably deserved
it, too, for jumping to such rash conclusions.
“I think I can manage,” I replied.
He turned, and I followed him.
As we neared the stream, I could hear the
babble of water against rocks. Then, I could see the sunlight glinting on the
water. We hadn’t been desperate for water since we’d left our last stream
behind, thanks to the rainwater we had managed to collect regularly, but the
fresh, flowing water now before me looked very inviting.
I maneuvered past Gideon, since his limp
made him slow, and went straight to the water’s edge, using my hands to scoop
the liquid into my mouth.
“Thirsty, aren’t we?” Gideon commented,
smirking as he came to sit down beside me.
After a few more gulps, I sat back and
looked at him. “How can you smell water?”
“You know how we practice focusing on our
environment in order to find peace?”
“Yes.”
“After you do that for a while, you start
to notice more than the smells and sounds closest to you; you begin picking up
on others that aren’t quite as close. This stream really isn’t that far from
where we camped.”
“Huh.”
“You know, it’s going to start getting
cold soon.”
“Yeah. I know.”
“Considering the state of our clothes - ”
He indicated our torn shirts, the sleeves having been used as bandages. “- I’d
say we have two options. One, travel south, and, two, go shopping.”
“Are you asking me which sounds better?”
“Well, the first option’s a little more
complicated. We’re pretty far north right now, and it’ll take us at least a
month to walk anywhere significantly warmer – warmer to the point where we
don’t need more clothing. I’m not going to manage walking very fast, either.
“So option two isn’t really an option –
we’ll have to do it either way, at least while we’re walking to our
significantly warmer destination. What I’m really asking you is if you want to
stay here this winter, or go somewhere else. I personally hate sleeping outside in the snow, and, as you might have already
realized, I don’t like joining groups of people, so I try to avoid sleeping
indoors; when you do, it’s very likely you’ll get others wanting to share the
same roof as you.”
“You want to go south.”
“Yes.”
“But you’re asking me what I want?”
“Yes.”
“Does it matter? You could go south
either way.”
Gideon rolled his eyes. “Candace, we both
know you’re a little more reliant on my presence than is strictly healthy,
considering your history of constantly savoring the thought of killing me.”
I stiffened, not really wanting to admit
the obvious.
“Look, I’m not going anywhere you don’t
want to go. That’s all I’m saying.”
I chewed on my lip.
“Are you attached to Oregon at all?”
“No. I guess not. I’m originally from
Virginia, but I have liked it here.”
“Well, I’m originally from Wisconsin, and
I hate the cold. I’ve traveled south every year since I went off on my own, and
I quite like it.”
“Okay, then. Let’s go south.”
He smiled at me. “Great. What do you want
to do
nearby, and I wanted to locate it and wash up while you were still asleep. It’s
been a really long time since I was clean.” I noted that his face was, indeed,
clean. He was still holding my elbows, as if to help me stay upright.
I yanked away from him. “You could have
waited till I woke up – I would have given you some privacy.”
“Why are you angry about it? I thought
you’d be happy to hear I’d found water when you woke up; you were very deeply
asleep when I left.”
I huffed, looking away. “I thought you’d
left,” I muttered.
A few seconds lapsed.
“Well, I hadn’t. Do you want to come see
the stream?”
I paused, not wanting to gratify him
after embarrassing myself with my panic. However, I did want to see the stream. “Yes,” I admitted.
His mouth twitched. “Good. Do you need
help walking?”
He was mocking me. I probably deserved
it, too, for jumping to such rash conclusions.
“I think I can manage,” I replied.
He turned, and I followed him.
As we neared the stream, I could hear the
babble of water against rocks. Then, I could see the sunlight glinting on the
water. We hadn’t been desperate for water since we’d left our last stream
behind, thanks to the rainwater we had managed to collect regularly, but the
fresh, flowing water now before me looked very inviting.
I maneuvered past Gideon, since his limp
made him slow, and went straight to the water’s edge, using my hands to scoop
the liquid into my mouth.
“Thirsty, aren’t we?” Gideon commented,
smirking as he came to sit down beside me.
After a few more gulps, I sat back and
looked at him. “How can you smell water?”
“You know how we practice focusing on our
environment in order to find peace?”
“Yes.”
“After you do that for a while, you start
to notice more than the smells and sounds closest to you; you begin picking up
on others that aren’t quite as close. This stream really isn’t that far from
where we camped.”
“Huh.”
“You know, it’s going to start getting
cold soon.”
“Yeah. I know.”
“Considering the state of our clothes - ”
He indicated our torn shirts, the sleeves having been used as bandages. “- I’d
say we have two options. One, travel south, and, two, go shopping.”
“Are you asking me which sounds better?”
“Well, the first option’s a little more
complicated. We’re pretty far north right now, and it’ll take us at least a
month to walk anywhere significantly warmer – warmer to the point where we
don’t need more clothing. I’m not going to manage walking very fast, either.
“So option two isn’t really an option –
we’ll have to do it either way, at least while we’re walking to our
significantly warmer destination. What I’m really asking you is if you want to
stay here this winter, or go somewhere else. I personally hate sleeping outside in the snow, and, as you might have already
realized, I don’t like joining groups of people, so I try to avoid sleeping
indoors; when you do, it’s very likely you’ll get others wanting to share the
same roof as you.”
“You want to go south.”
“Yes.”
“But you’re asking me what I want?”
“Yes.”
“Does it matter? You could go south
either way.”
Gideon rolled his eyes. “Candace, we both
know you’re a little more reliant on my presence than is strictly healthy,
considering your history of constantly savoring the thought of killing me.”
I stiffened, not really wanting to admit
the obvious.
“Look, I’m not going anywhere you don’t
want to go. That’s all I’m saying.”
I chewed on my lip.
“Are you attached to Oregon at all?”
“No. I guess not. I’m originally from
Virginia, but I have liked it here.”
“Well, I’m originally from Wisconsin, and
I hate the cold. I’ve traveled south every year since I went off on my own, and
I quite like it.”
“Okay, then. Let’s go south.”
He smiled at me. “Great. What do you want
to do
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