Dragomir - The Swamp of Maledictus | Wattys2024

Beware the Mutiny

Winston didn't leave Avery's side, and with him, so did Noe. None of them talked; both of them were frightened, and Avery understood them well. She herself was sunken in thoughts, and even though she attempted to forget it, as there was nothing she herself could do, she couldn't help but wonder what might've killed all of them.

Even though at first the Lieutenants had considered it to be an illness, Dr. Gladwin soon assured them, altogether publicly, that it hadn't been any form of illness of such kind and certainly none, which was a bacterium or a virus. Dr. Gladwin hadn't talked further, yet Avery knew; he must've had some sort of presumption, yet she assumed it was none for the ears of all.

Avery felt a slight tug on her shoulder. It was Winston who looked at her.

»What's up? «, she asked him.

»Do you still have some? «, he asked her.

»What do you mean?«

»Some felfet cigarettes. Mine are gone. «, he said. Avery bit her tongue. Yet she sighed and dug in her pocket, pulling one herb out and laying it carefully on his outstretched hand. Yet Avery didn't let go, looked at him, and whispered only for his ears: »But don't let it grow into a habit.«

»You do it too. «, he replied.

»And it's bad enough. «, she said.

»I just need it now. Just this time. «, Winston replied. »And I'll pay it back, if that's what you fear. «

Avery shook her head and said, »You mustn't pay me anything. But keep in mind what I said, will you?«, and she handed him the herb. Winston nodded in a thankful manner.

As Winston sat down not far from her on a log—the patriots had left the ominous enemy camp—she walked over to Noe, who sat on a rock, hands in the pocket. He looked up at her, yet neither she nor he said anything.

Her eyes wandered over to troop leader Farnham, walking next to RS Pearson. Did the troop leader not look at her yet again? He had a menacing expression on his face, even though his eyes had already left Avery. All his demeanour, the way he walked, the sunken shoulders, and the dark rings under his eyes—were they not a mirror of his deeply disturbed soul?

Avery bit the inside of her lip. She simply knew it was him. He had been the very reason for the whisperings of the curse—the one Dr. Rutherford had told her back in Adreliron. And he was spreading it slowly, yet surely. But what was he saying? Avery sighed. She needed to know. Yet whom could she ask without causing someone to notice her snooping around? I could attempt Edwin, she thought.

Avery told Noe she'd return soon and hurried to find Edwin, yet came not to find him in time, before it was decided, the soldiers had to have lunch, whether they had an appetite or not.

Avery only nibbled on a piece of bread, her eyes always on the surrounding men. How many of these soldiers had already fallen for the story that Farnham told? The story, which turned out to be something Avery was rather curious about. What tale had he spun?

After lunch, it was decided: The troops had to continue their march. Here, in this camp of death, where the ravens were the symbol in the sky, there was nothing more to be done. Answers hadn't been found—or at least not made publicly—so why stay any longer in such a place when work was to be done? They still had to search many valleys to find potential enemies.

I

Winston and Noe had fallen into a silent conversation, yet one with the bare minimum of words spoken. Avery was walking ahead of them, busy controlling herself to not scratch the throbbing, tickly wound on her face. She chewed on a gum she had found at the bottom of her pocket—most certainly the one she had ever since she left Fedonia—and, eyes to the floor, attempting not to trip over what seemed to be tufts of grass under the snow. Yet her main focus lay on what her head had to say. Oh, so many thoughts and voices were conversing in her mind, while everyone had different opinions. They were all referring to that, what had happened back in the camp of the enemies—the camp of ravens, how some patriots had started to refer to it.