To Be Wild (wattys2017)

Chapter Three

"Em. Up you come, Em. Em. Wake up!" A strong hand grips my shoulder and I jerk awake, rolling away from my accoster.

"What — I don —" My clothes are suddenly soaking wet, and I don't know where I am. What's going on?

I raise my head, swiping the blankets back from my face and trying not to shiver as everything from yesterday comes flooding back.

"You gonna come out of that grass and eat?" Mum asks from by the fire's remains, her eyes twinkling.

Dad winks. "I'll have it, if you won't."

I ignore him and groggily force myself to stand, shivering as the cool morning breeze stirs my dew-drenched clothing.

"D-did you bring ex-xtra cl-othing?" I force out from chattering teeth.

"No." Dad shakes his head firmly. "We're not home anymore, Em. We can't stop for the sake of damp clothes. Look," he points upward and I gaze at the sky, hunching over myself to stop the shudders as I accept a strip of food from Mum. "There's not a cloud in the sky. Once the sun comes out you'll wish you could drench yourself again."

He smiles slightly as I plop down next to Mum, trying not to glare at him. I'm freezing, how am I supposed to last 'til noon in this state? Maybe walking will warm me.

"Right, can we go now?" I ask, flicking bread-crumbs from my legs, and Mum looks at me like I'm crazy.

"I haven't eaten, you haven't even rolled your blanket up, and Izak's going to need feeding. No." The end of her last word rises, posing it as a question.

I rub my eyes tiredly, wanting to fall back asleep. Dumb world. We're trapped out here now and it sucks.

"Where are we even going?" I ask, watching Dad bury the remains of the fire, and he straightens with a small sigh.

"Get the map from your mother's bag," he says, "and I'll show you."

With a small nod, I rise to my feet and make my way over to the sack. Luckily for me, it's quite near the top, so I don't have to go rummaging through her belongings.

"Found it," I remark, waving the paper over my damp shoulder, and Dad nods.

"I'll be there in a minute."

I can't help staring at the map as I unfold it. All those exotic place-names and unexplored regions never cease to make shivers of excitement run down my spine.

"Okay," Dad says while reaching over my shoulder and I jump in surprise. "We're about [however many] [whatevers] from town, so about..." His work-worn finger hovers for a moment above the paper before touching down a few centimetres North-West of [town]. "Here. We need to leave the country for Izak's sake, and your mother and I have decided that Sanctum Abbey is the best place for him. Here."

Countless tracts of land stretch between his fingers, blank and desolate. Small letters highlight strange places and deeds, inspiring images of lost treasures revealed and dark forms concealed. A chill crawls down my spine.

"But that — that's ages away," I murmur quietly. "Why not stay somewhere closer?"

"Simeon's arm stretches far, and is still powerful beyond his domain. Sanctum Abbey is the closest place we know of where he will definitely be safe."

I can't help eyeing the paper with interest. Sanctum Abbey. Two magical words that will cling in my mind. Sanctum Abbey. An image of kindly-faced soldiers, standing tall and proud before the abbey gates flashes through my mind.

"Let's go!" I say, rolling the map up in a sloppy bundle. "What can I do to help?"

Dad chuckles softly, gently taking the paper from my hands and carefully rerolling it. "Hold your horses, Em. Quality work over quantity, eh." He whacks my head with the map and strides toward his bag with a parting, "Ask your mother."

I glance across the gutted fire, watching as Mum croons a soft lullaby to sleepy baby Izak, and a smile creeps across my face.

"What can I do to help, Mum?" I call, leaving 'I want to get out of here!' unspoken. Butterflies beat a swirling dance in my stomach and I can't resist the urge to hop from foot to foot.

She smiles, seeming slightly amused, then tilts sideways and raises an eyebrow at something beyond me.

"For a start, you can roll your blanket up like I told you before."