Never let me go

25: Tick tock

She had been watching him all day, the woman who had made a traitor out of him at a time in his life when he had thought he could sink to no greater depths. He'd caught her glancing his way as he unenthusiastically gnawed on a strip of dried meat. Her eyes had found him again as she helped tend to Colt's blistered, bleeding feet before lacing his shoes back up. And even now as they marched he felt her watching eyes on him.

The ground lay dry and cracked underneath their feet, and their treading stirred up a massive cloud of dirt that trailed behind them for miles. Above his head, the sky cast its blinding light down upon them, making the air vibrate before his eyes. He knew he had to ration his water, but his throat felt dry and parched. In the last hour he had found himself in the middle of daydreaming about ponds, creeks and the splashing sound of water running down streams. His thoughts moved slowly, much slower than his feet did as the miles dragged on. Up ahead he saw Iris slow her pace until the warrior unit had caught up with her. Effortlessly she fell in beside him, keeping her eyes nonchalantly aimed ahead as she spoke quietly to him.

"Vice captain Braun, did you know the human body dehydrates quicker if you deprive it of nutrition?" she drawled, and detached her water skin from her belt, holding it out to him. She must have been frugal with her intake, because it was still almost full. He made no move to accept it, so she raised it up to his face, giving it a little shake. "I insist."

He did not want to admit to the surge he felt in his stomach at the thought of water, but he accepted the skin. He drank, taking care not to seem too eager, and lowered the skin after a few swallows though his insides screamed for more water. He could almost feel Porco's mocking gaze on him.

"Thank you, Corporal Holt."

"Not the talkative type, are you? Honestly I'd hate for you to grow weak, slowing us down. I'd have to hand you over to Jun, and boy would he like breaking you" her tone of voice was casual as if discussing the weather instead of threatening him. "I'd miss having such a pretty face around" she added almost as an afterthought, and gave him a sly, crooked little smile. He could not help but wonder if there was rage hidden underneath it. Would she find peace in causing him pain? Would she find justice?

"You're making fun of me" he stated dryly, experiencing a quiet simmering anger spreading within. Did she think to come here and humiliate him in front of the warriors? If she thought there was anything she could teach him about shame that he did not already know, she was sorely mistaken.

"Oh I wouldn't dare."

The captain came pushing back through the mass of bodies to their position with the silent man trailing behind him.

"Holt, I need you to translate for me. I asked him if we're moving fast enough" Lindner was visibly frustrated.

She turned her face to her companion. "Jun?" They looked at each other in silence for a few moments, as if they were having a conversation that only the two of them could hear, and then the man raised a hand, made some movements with his fingers in the air. To Reiner it looked like he might as well have been swatting flies.

"We're moving too slowly, at this pace we won't reach the pass until midday. And we're being watched. A small group of men, perhaps only four or five of them."

"How did you get all of that? I don't think that was even proper sign language... Corporal" Vinther, who'd been up ahead of them had turned around, now looking at Jun with open disdain. He added the last 'corporal' reluctantly as if he resented having a woman as his superior officer, bound to show her the same respect that he would a man. Iris only smiled, offering no explanation.

"We'll have to keep going after dark then. Just what I need, someone breaking a foot in the black of night." The captain muttered peevishly.

"It'll be alright Alfred" Iris offered cheerfully. The captain gave her rather glum look. They must be close, Reiner thought. He must know that she was not who she presented herself to be, which meant that he was not to be trusted. Perhaps he was in on whatever her plan was, or she had information about him that he would do anything to keep hidden.