Angelsson

Chapter: XI

As I dragged Penelope to the campsite I found, I asked her something.

"Penelope, are you going to bring me to the Netherworld when we get to Lanvestt?" I asked.

"No. you are too..." She trailed off.

"Too what?" I asked.

"...Nothing." She said.

I looked at her, and I raised an eyebrow. She looked back at me expressionlessly. I shook my head, and I looked back to what I was doing. The campsite was just around this bend, which meant that I could start making the fire soon.

The campsite was next to a tree that had dread branches all around it, which meant making a fire was going to be easy. It also has a birds nest in it, which meant that I won't have to look all over the place to find tinder. The tree looked like I could climb it, so getting the birds nest was going to be easy.

I dropped the rope when Penelope was right next to the tree. I then untied the knots that kept Penelope wrapped inside the buckskin. When those were done, I went around and I gathered firewood. When that was done, I climbed the tree for the birds nest.

"Be careful! You might fall!" Penelope yelled up to me.

"I won't! I know if a tree is good for climbing! And this one is!" I yelled back to her.

"Unlike you." I muttered to Penelope, hoping she didn't hear me.

I got the birds nest, and I then climbed down, slowly because I had only one hand to use. When I got to the bottom, I began to pull the birds nest apart so that I have some extra tinder if the fire didn't start that well. And it didn't.

When the fire did start up, I went out to hunt.

"Where are you going?" asked Penelope.

"To hunt." I said, pulling out my bow.

"Don't you have food?" asked Penelope.

"I finished it two nights ago."

"Oh."

I nodded, then I set out to hunt. When I got back, I had two mice that I found nibbling on some grass. I made a makeshift spit, and I pit the mice on it. I slowly turned them, making sure that they were cooked all the way through. When I finished them, I served them each on a stick.

"Looks appetizing." said Penelope, pretend gagging.

"You'll get used to it." I said, digging in.

The mice tasted like chicken, and they were just the slightest bit burnt. After I finished, I put my stick in the fire. Penelope seemed to like the mouse, ignoring the fact that it was burnt. When she finished, she threw her stick into the fire.

"Is there anymore?" she asked.

I laughed, saying, "What happened to you not liking it?"

She frowned, then said, "I was just joking then."

I smiled, and I shook my head. I then sighed, and I leaned back.

"There won't be, but if you want, I could hunt for mice tomorrow night." I said.

Penelope brightened up then, and she said, "Sure!"

I grinned, then I took out what was left of the antler that I didn't carve. I then took out my dagger, and I began to slowly make the arrows form. Penelope watched me, not saying a word. When I finished off the rest of the antler, I took the arrows, and I dropped them into my quiver.

I sighed, and I looked around. "Nothing much to do." I said.

"Except sleep." I said to myself.

I got up, stomped out the fire, and I laid myself down to sleep, using a part of the trees roots as a pillow. Soon, I was fast asleep.

***

I woke up to the feel of something around my neck. I shot open my eyes, to see Penelope right in front of me, with her arms around me. She was sleeping, though. I felt like I should yank her arms off, but they still needed to heal, so I just let them be.

I looked up at the sky, not moving my head. It was maybe a little after midnight, so I closed my eyes, trying to go to sleep. But I couldn't. I needed to do something. I knew I did. But what? I finally knew what I had to do.

"James, you are not going to do that." I whispered to myself.

"But I'm not going to fall asleep if I don't." I whispered back to myself.

I sighed, then slowly moved my body so that my arms were available for use. I then slowly wrapped my arms around Penelope. I closed my eyes, and I fell asleep.