Hope is a Waking Dream

Chapter 4

Morning came too soon. Sheppard was surprised at how tired he had been, sleeping straight through what was left of the night until the birds woke him in the morning. The air was chilly, and he knew that besides finding water, he was going to have to find a better shelter or source of warmth. He wasn't sure if the cool air meant that the planet had just come out of winter or if they were heading into autumn. It was hard to tell by the state of the trees as they all seemed to be relations to pine trees.

He sat still for a long while, watching the sun rise behind the treetops and listening to the birds. His senses were on full alert, listening for sounds of pursuit. He knew that a forest that sounded natural didn't mean that an enemy lay in wait somewhere. He himself had been trained to stay absolutely still for long periods of time, training as a sharpshooter in the Black Ops before finding his niche as a pilot. As much as Rodney liked to make fun of him for not staying still, he knew when it was appropriate. Running for your life seemed to fit the bill.

The birds continued on, singing freely as the sun climbed higher. Sheppard still was not sure if Jenar had followed his word. If so, there was a good chance he was wasting time here.

He listened and watched the ground below for another half hour before finally deciding to make his move.

Climbing swiftly and silently down from the tree, he leapt lightly to the ground and began moving, making sure he left no trail. The movement jarred his head and the headache returned in full force. He continued eastwards, moving towards the sun and hoping that he would find water soon. His head hurt worse than before, and he was starting to believe it wasn't just the concussion affecting him. Dehydration was starting to set in as well.

All the while, he kept his senses attuned to the sounds around him. He moved naturally enough that the birds didn't seem disturbed, continuing their morning-song above him. That worried him. If Jenar's men were capable of moving as well as he, that meant the birds would be of no help to him. He had to listen more carefully.

It was another two hours before the trees started thinning and he heard the sound of rushing water. His mouth had gone dry ages ago, and the cotton feeling was making him feel desperate for water. The headache had constricted his world to pain and it was hard not to think of anything else after a while.

He forced himself to move more slowly and cautiously as he approached the sound of water, knowing that here his chances were higher of being ambushed. After a few moments, he could finally see beyond the trees a rushing stream littered with large boulders and rocks that would make excellent cover.

After spending several minutes surveying the area around the stream from the trees, he flitted cautiously over to a large boulder at the edge of the water, using it for cover as he knelt and looked at the clear water of the stream. He could not see anything wrong with the water and when he dipped his hand in it, he found it to be ice cold, probably running straight from a mountain's ice cap. That discovery led him to believe that most likely the planet was moving from spring to summer. There were various animal tracks in the mud near the shore, which also meant the water was most likely safe to drink.

After a moment's hesitation, he cupped his hands and drank, wishing he had a canteen. If Jenar's men ever caught up with him, he knew what he would be looking for if he had to confront them. A weapon, a coat and a canteen.

At that moment, the birds went silent in the forest and strange calls began echoing through the trees. Calls of alarm from the animals.

Without hesitating, Sheppard plunged into the icy stream, sucking in a breath at the coldness of the water and staying behind the boulder as he peered beyond it towards the trees. Anyone looking for him would have trouble spotting him where he was. He glanced downstream, realizing the stream was deep enough that if he had to, he could easily swim down it, using the boulders for cover.