Polaris Skies

Chapter 8

They packed their bags and collapsed the tent. Sleep had done the pack good. They were in a relatively jovial mood as they walked farther and farther from Portland and the sights of war. The highways had been destroyed to an extent, but there were still fragments of road leading them into potato country. They followed route eighty-four until they got into Ioda.

"Ioda potatoes, food for that matter," Yeller mumbled.

"Please don't talk about food." Deck rubbed at his stomach.

"Careful, you might start drooling." Zola shifted her pack for the third time in the last ten minutes.

"I already am." Deck paused her to help adjust the straps to the hiking bag.

Flutter. A caw overhead startled their mutual commiseration. A murder of crows cast shadows on the ground, sending a shiver down Nat's back. The creature beneath his skin urged him to follow them. He pushed the beast down, not keen on feeding on carrion.

"How long have all of you been friends?" Hana asked the group at large. Nat shrugged his shoulders as his wolf continued watching the flock.

"I've been in Jenton since the suburb was built so, since kindergarten, but I lived in the area all my life," Deck supplied.

"Middle school?" Yeller asked Deck.

"Yeah, at least, I know we started hanging out in sixth grade, so at least middle school," Deck confirmed Yeller's question.

"He was into sports even then. Tried to pull me into football and realised how much of a klutz I am," Yeller whispered conspiratorially.

"We got to Jenton in the middle of the summer before fifth grade," Sun Hee spoke up, motioning to Benj.

"I moved to my cousin's mid-way through seventh grade," Zola said. Yeller patted her on her shoulder, gently reassuring her.

"What about you, Nat?" Hana turned to the brooding walking ball of angst.

"Homeschooled by a pair of Roman Catholics until mom got a job at the university. Joined up with the rest of the pack in middle school." Nat looked up at the sky, praying the impending clouds would still the roaring in his head. With no reprieve, he put his back to the wind-swept plains and hills, willing his mind to calm, for his wolf to settle. The whip of grasses along the road bobbed, calling to him to run.

Sven?

Yes, dječak?

If I stay near this woman any longer, you're gonna force me into meltdown.

Hold out, dječak. There's still many a puzzle here that must be understood.

Hey, what was that about the other night, Sven, when you mentioned that Hana was hiding something?

I'm not sure yet, dječak, but we'll find out, won't we?

The dirt road, more a game trail than land fit for vehicles, they found themselves on, ran parallel with a bombed-out highway. A field of rotting grain lay between the highway and the dirt road. Smoke drifted from the destroyed skyscrapers far off in the distance. Hazy in the mid-afternoon air floated at the edge of the skyline. A pack of vultures took wing, sending eddies and whirls into the settling particulate.

"Do you know how to get to your parents' lab?" Zola asked.

"Not really, no. It's in Neo York, in one of the burrows, that's about as much as I know. I know I've been there, but without GPS, I couldn't get from the bridge to Broadway." She studied the circling vultures, a look of longing passing through her eyes.