Traitor to the Crown

Chapter 9

Vaskin opened his eyes to the sun rising high over the trees. Realizing he had slept in a lot longer than he had expected, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked at Manx who was sleeping seven feet away from him. He shivered in the chill of the morning and reluctantly crawled out of his sleeping bag, letting out a soft yawn. Vaskin recoiled at the smell of his own breath, and decided that getting to the stream to rinse his mouth out was a good idea. After rinsing his mouth out, he walked back to the spot where he and Manx had set their supplies in the grass and rolled up his sleeping bag. He then secured his sleeping bag to his pack with some rope.

Vaskin looked over at Manx and wondered if she was still truly sleeping. Her back was turned to him, and as he looked at her he thought about the argument they had had the night before.

"Manx?" He asked, apprehensive of what mood she might be in. She didn't respond.

"Manx, are you awake?" he asked, still receiving no response.  He walked a few steps closer and sat down in the grass next to her, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. He cautiously shook her a little, knowing he'd either get her attention if she was faking, or wake her up if she was sleeping.

Her catlike ear twitched in response as she softly let out a muffled "Mhmm?"

"We should probably get going soon. The sun is already high in the sky." Vaskin said, shaking her again.

"Hmm." was her response, and he could tell by then that she was still half asleep.

Vaskin sighed and said, "You're just going to ignore me, aren't you?"

"Five more minutes." she mumbled back, pulling the extra blankets over her head.

"Manx, please!" Vaskin said, pulling the covers off of her head.

"Don't!" she moaned, grabbing the blankets and yanking them back.

"Come on, Manx. We should get going now." Vaskin said, shaking her again.

"Don't want to." she mumbled, her eyes still closed.

"Fine then. I'll carry you." Vaskin joked, putting his arms under her sleepy frame and lifting her slightly in all her blankets.

Manx pulled her arm out from under the blankets, pushing his face away and groaning, "Stop!"

"You're coming one way or the other whether you like it or not." Vaskin replied, struggling to his feet as she pushed him backwards.

"Manx, there's tons of cool stuff to see in the mountains! I'm sure you'll love it. Can you please just wake up!" Vaskin said as he noticed her slowly opening one eye to glare at him.

"I don't want to love it. I want to sleep. Put me down." She said, slurring her words.

"No. I'm going to go through those mountains and you're coming with." He replied, hoisting her over his shoulder like a sack of flour.

Manx groaned and landed a few half hearted punches on his back. "Put me down!" She protested again.

Vaskin chuckled and said, "Nope." as he gathered up his pack and her pack and put them over his other shoulder.

Manx moaned with frustration and disappeared in a wisp of shadows, leaving Vaskin with his arms full of her sleeping bag and blankets.

"Manx!" Vaskin groaned in exasperation, looking all around and trying to figure out where she had gone. He felt a playful shove from behind, and he spun around in surprise to look into her tired face, her eyes half closed and blinking in the bright daylight.

"I'm right behind you." She snapped, looking at him in annoyance.

"Don't do that! You could have made my tail slip!" He said in surprise and concern.