On The Run

Chapter 8: Fall of a King

Thenext morning, Alice wakes with a dry, itchy throat. Drinking soothesit a bit but only for a while. She's rubbing the fur along herneck, causing a prickly sensation in her esophagus, when Lyca joinsher by the shrinking pool.

"That'show it starts," says the wolf girl, getting a drink herself.

It'sstill very early and only a few of the forest dwellers are up, thoughthe fire has been tended to all night. Keeping her voice low, Aliceasks, "What?"

"Thesickness, that tingling in the back o' your throat that won't goaway. That's how it started for everyone."

"Butwe drank the tea," Alice reasons, her worry growing.

Lycashrugs, "Who knows if it'll work."

"Maybewe just need more," Alice suggests, getting another drink of water.

Thetwo take over looking after the fire so the last two attendees cansleep. They break branches into long sticks, setting the smallerpieces into the flames, as the duo before them did. A few of thetougher roots and tubers from yesterday are in the iron pot slowlyboiling with a few greens and much of what's left of the snake.Alice feels a little hungry, but the group agreed this would be leftfor those unable to walk. True, she had a some food stored in herpack, but feels it would be smarter to keep it for more desperatetimes. After all, they were hunting today.

Asmore of the group wake, they have a small breakfast of leftoverswhile going over the plans from last night. Twelve, including Alice,Twinkaleni, and Danahlia, plan to head out into the forest. They haveseveral goals. The first is to test an idea Twinkaleni had fordealing with the floating puffballs. If successful, they will forageand hunt, all the while trying to clear a path back to the forestdweller's abandoned camp. Reclaiming the camp will give Alice andher companions a good staging point to resume their journey throughthe thick forest while also greatly aiding Lyca and Philip's group.They all know it will be a risky trip, but the forest dwellers areespecially eager to get on with it. Success will mean healing theirfriends and getting back their home.

Thetwelve prepare, Alice, Twinkaleni, and Danahlia, taking all theirbelongings, while Lyca, Philip, and the older brother of theLagomorph girl, place the ends of the long sticks into the fire. Oncethey're lit, the forest dwellers carry a bundle of them, keepingthe tips close together so their collective heat keeps them burning.Others carry sacks and simple wooden spears. Once the party is ready,they set out.

Asthey walk, Alice sharpens a few of the group's spears, giving themfiner points. She has managed a few when they spot their firstfloating puffball. Philip steps up to take this one and hands hisbundle of burning sticks to another, keeping one for the task. Thepuffball is drifting slowly by, three feet off the ground. Philipblows on the burning end of the stick, the embers there glowingbrighter until a small flame appears. He then slowly and carefullyextends the stick below the puffball.

"Rememberto let only the flame touch it, not the stick," Twinkaleni remindsanxiously, her tiny arms squeezing her book.

Focusedon the effort, Philip manages to keep the stick's flame lit whilereaching out as far as he can to avoid any spores. He needn'tworry. One of the long hairs hanging off the puffball drifts nearenough to catch and, like the fuse to a bomb, quickly carries theflame to its host causing it to erupt in a bright ball of fire. It'snoisy but by now the group knows what to expect and only cheers theirsuccess. Finally, they had a way to fight back.