Survival

Skyrah

He cried for an hour after he woke up. I tried to comfort him but I couldn't and I feel horrible. It's my fault his little brother was kidnapped, I wasn't strong enough. His face is covered with bruises, like mine. He is sitting on the bed staring hopelessly at the wall. Hanna is so worried, she sits there watching him watch the wall, I need to do something if we are going to get Caleb back.

"Hanna can I have a moment alone with Alaric?" I ask gently touching her frail arms. She's so thin and bony it looks like you could break her as easily as you could break a twig. She nods and walks out.

"Alaric, I'm gonna be harsh, okay?" I say, he just looks through me.

"You need to wake the hell up, we are never going to get Caleb back if you just sit here moping at a wall, I know this is hard for you but you need to stop being a dick" I say and he looks up at me, hurt fills his eyes.

"Skyrah" he says looking completely crushed.

"No Alaric, don't you 'Skyrah' me, it's about time you got up off your ass and acted, I don't care if you think I'm mean, it's the truth, now I'm prepared to help you, if you are willing to help yourself, sitting on that bed all day looking at a wall stroking the sheets isn't going to get him back, is it now?" I say placing my hand on my hip.

"You're right" he says shaking his head, I smile as he stands up.

"I think I have a plan" I say looking down at the blood stain I tried to scrub out of the floorboards, I dragged the bodies into the woods to get eaten by whatever lurks in the shadows.

"What is it?" he says looking right into my eyes.

"Try and follow footprints, ask people we see, that's our best option at this point, Hanna can't come" I say, Hanna is too fragile, she wouldn't last in a fight.

"I know but where else is she meant to go?" he says clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Didn't your parents have any friends they could rely on, neighbours, anyone?" I ask looking at him sympathetically.

"My mom had this one friend a few houses up, she's never really been there for us, how can I trust her?" he says pacing back and forth.

"You trusted me" I state.

"That's different" he replies still pacing the room.

"No, it's not, I'm from a different world, I was a complete stranger, but you trust me, right?" I say looking into his eyes. He nods and puts his forehead against mine and I close my eyes.

"I hope you're right" he says and breathes out. I grab his backpack from the wall, I put in a few loaves of bread, a large bottle of water as well as our water sheaths. I also pack a container for any meat we get on the way, I add some spare clothes and wire for snares, I place a few knives into the slots in the side of the bag and a blanket for each of us.

"I think that's everything" I say and hand the bag to Alaric, he takes it and throws it over his back along with his quiver and bow. I do the same with my bow and quiver. We take one last look at the house and step out into the heat. All three of us walk past two houses until we get to the third one.

"Why can't I come?" Hanna whines.

"Because it's dangerous Han" Alaric says and pulls her into a tight hug. I knock on the door and an elderly woman with frizzed curly grey hair opens it.

"Can I help you?" she says looking at all three of us.

"You knew my mom Andrea Emmerson?" he asks hopefully.

"That's a name I haven't heard in a while, yes, I did know her, is she ok?" she asks smiling at us.

"She passed away along with my father" he says painfully.