This Is A Time For Running (TC fanfic)

Jerome

The ash fight was fun, like a snowball fight but without the snow. But soon, night fell and we all were more tired than anticipated.

"I'll stay up and watch." I say, stifling a yawn. The others nod and creep into temporary beds, while I grab my axe and lean on a wall.
The night is quiet and there are almost no mobs, except for a stumbling zombie that I decapitate in one swing. I find it odd, but not too odd. As I wait for midnight so I can wake Mitch up, I find myself subconsciously massaging my wrist.
I inspect the burn, which is healing, and think about the symbol. What could a little x mean? Are we meant to be like, terminated? I'm lost in my thoughts so when Mitch coughs behind me I nearly jump out of my skin.

"Woah, biggums, you ok?" He asks, and I nod with a shuddery laugh.

"Yea, a bit spooked that's all." He glances down.

"Is your wrist ok? I saw you rubbing it, and Sky never wrapped it." He asks.

"I'm fine!" I blurt, maybe a little too eagerly and impatiently, because Mitch gives me a look.

"You sure? You don't have to hide anything, you know." I look down, playing with the axe handle, until guilt overrides me.

"Fine. Take a peek." I thrust my wrist out with the brand exposed and Mitch sighs.

"Notch, I thought it was something serious." He takes my wrist in his hand and looks it over.

"It's almost healed. You'll be fine." I look at him in surprise.

"You- you're not mad?" He shakes his head, putting my wrist down.

"Naw, man. I mean, a little annoyed you would keep this a secret but no, not mad." I let out a tiny sigh of relief.

"Go get some sleep. I'll tell the others in the morning you got it tonight." I nod, my brain realizing how tired it actually is.

"Night." Mitch says with a chuckle as I lie down.

"G'night..." And I'm off into dreamland.

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The next morning I'm woken up by a splash of water in my face. Sputtering, I sit up and yell,

"HEY!" Mitch laughs as Ty grins, standing over me with a bucket of water. I give him a glare, then stand up and shake.
Ty yells too as the water flies all over him, and we both end up covered in an ash-water mix that's gloppy and sticky. Surprisingly, no one comments on the brand, though I notice Sky and Ty looking at my wrist once or twice.

"Oh, gross." He wipes at his clothes, and I smile.

"That's what you get." I retort, even though as the mix starts to dry it becomes crusty in my fur.

"We should go." Sky says, making us focus for a minute. Ty replies,

"Yea. It'll take us about three days to get to Honam on the main road." I pick up the temporary beds and take up a few packs.

"Ready?" Sky asks, and we nod. We head into the empty streets and find the main road, then out of the village. I notice Sky giving a brief sad look behind him, then he sets his eyes on the road ahead.
I do the same.

---------

It's been two days since we left the village, three the cave. Ty says only a little more walking, but I am done.

"I'm so tiredddd!" I complain, nudging Mitch's shoulder.

"My fur is all icky and I'm hot!" I continue, and he gives me a look.

"Miiiiitch." I'm just aiming to be annoying now. He glares at me and gives me a shove, and I stumble.

"Woah! W-" I feel my feet slipping, and then I'm falling. For a split second the terror of falling again and flashes of the cliff come back to me. Then, my body hits the ground with a thud, and I'm rolling, rolling down a hill into the grass.

"Ow..." I mutter, rubbing my head as I sit up. The world whirls as I stand.

"Biggums! Jerome! Are you ok!" I hear shouts from the others, who are standing above me on the road still.

"I'm fine!" I shout back up, and look around for my packs, which I must have dropped when I fell. I hear clattering of stones and Mitch jumps down, landing a few feet away, followed by Ty and Sky.

"Dude! I'm sorry! I didn't know it wou-" I cut him off.

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine, just a bit bruised up. I was being annoying." They all look worried still, and I roll my eyes.

"Jeez, a little fall can't hurt a man of the Bac." Mitch grins a bit, and picks up my previously unnoticed packs.

"Here." He hands them to me.
Ty looks around.

"Hey, look!" He points to a spot on the horizon, and we all look.

"It's the road. Maybe we can use this as a shortcut!" I see the road, and how it could be a shortcut, but,

"It's a swamp." Sky speaks for me.

"Swamps are gross." I add, and Ty glares.

"It could cut time off. We would get there sooner." He retorts. Sky and I sigh in unison.

"Fine." Sky says, and Ty grins.

"Yay! Let's go!" I swing my pack into my shoulder and set off with a groan.