Abandoned with the Enemy

Chapter 03

I winced when I woke up. I had forgotten about getting shot when I had a great dream where I was enveloped in warm and soft fur. Wendy gave a soft whine and I scratched her head and body, assuring her I was okay by giving her her favourite shivers. I guess she was responsible for my comfortable dream.

'Good morning.' Tashee said as I sat up.

Right, there was also the deadly mother-daughter duo. 'Morning..' I said before yawning.

She came unto me with a leaf bowl and water. 'Let me wash your wound and change bandage. Then we can eat.'

I smelled the leftover rodents starting to roast and figured being nursed wasn't too bad sometimes. She pulled off the old bandage carefully and made the last bit wet to peel it off with less pain. She folded it to have a clean part to wash around my wound. After inspecting there was no weird colouring she bandaged me again.

'Thanks.' I said, feeling better from a little care.

'It is my duty now.'

'No, it's not.' I said. 'Forget about what happened.'

She looked down at the bowl and dirty bandage in her hands. 'My honour won't let me.'

'Screw honour. A little is fine, but too much has cost too many innocent lives.' I said and put one hand on hers. 'I don't want you owing me anything. Apart from a few meals and bandage changes. I can live with that. Okay?'

She smiled softly as she looked up at me. I liked that look. 'Okay.' she said softly.

'Good.' I said, feeling a little relieved. 'Now I need to attend to another woman's attention.'

Her eyes went wide. 'There's another one of you?'

'No, mother nature is calling me.' I grinned.

I saw her ears turn every way. 'I didn't hear her.' she said, feeling confused.

I laughed. 'No, it's an expression. I just need to, alone..?' I said and gestured at the bushes.

I saw her getting the idea and nod quickly, looking away. 'I understand.'

My thoughts went back to the roar we heard last night. I doubted we should go our separate ways before we knew what was going on here. I told the women about my concerns regarding being safe while some monster walked around at night. Tashee agreed to stay together, after which Naylee reluctantly agreed. She still hadn't said a word to me and I suspected there was more to it than me being the enemy.

I had told them about the discovery I had made and how I wanted to check this hilltop for more signs of who'd been here. Since we were nearby and they were curious too we agreed to check it out, then leave for the coast if there's nothing interesting and see if we could build a reinforced shelter. Exploring the island became a different challenge now.

***

When we reached the top we were greeted by a series of steps leading to a stone hallway covered by vegetation. Inside the hallway was a steel door. I looked back at Tashee and Naylee who shrugged. Wendy sniffed at the door and growled low. I tried the handle and the door came open with less force than I expected. It was well build. We pulled out our knives and sneaked inside, Wendy and I taking point despite Tashee's protests. I knew Wendy's reactions and could act faster on them. We came upon a junction and let our eyes adjust to the lack of light here. It seemed there were rooms left and right judging from the little light coming through doors and slits in the ceiling.

I pointed right because it made little difference. The women nodded and we followed the hallway peeking inside rooms with partially open doors. There wasn't much of anything in them apart from stray clumps of dark vegetation. More light came down around a corner and we found a large room with wide, low windows.