Advanced Clockwork: Young Writers Prize 2014

Chapter 22

"We have a long road ahead of us, ladies and dogs." Gig said, rolling up her trench coat sleeve to show the robotic leech that clung to her right arm as it started to glow a light blue that contrasted with the light of the fire. "I can show you the way on this treasure hunt only if I get to keep whatever I find and take Eevee with me."

Sparrow arched an eyebrow as she put down the bowl of broth she was drinking, a disgusted look on her face. "You can not be serious. Why would we give you our leverage in this war?"

"And please," Trev said in a rather amused tone. "don't call me a dog. I will hurt you if you do."

"Barks aren't as bad as bites." Gig said, a sly smile on her face. "And you only made the king miffed you took away something he rather wanted to keep. So, yeah, no war yet sweet cheeks."

Sparrow growled, her fists clenched as she readied to grasp a spoon to carve the cyborg's smile off her face in the most painful manner she could possibly go through with. But the laughing coming from Trev was making her just as annoyed, the way they got along so well irking her to no end. And the putrid smell of his medication wasn't helping.

"Fine." Sparrow growled. "Whatever you find, you keep. Eve will go with you. Just show us the way to this damned city before I decide to just kill you know."

"Ah ah ah!" Gig said teasingly, hooking a thumb behind her to the wagon. "Have to wait for the two in there so that I don't have to repeat myself."

"Oh for crying out loud!" Sparrow growled, putting the bowl back to her lips and drinking the rest of the warm liquid.

"Can you tell Sparrow is the impatient one out of us?" Trev asked in an amused tone, leaning back so that he was propped up on his elbows looking up at the slightly lit sky. "Or are you still thick, Gianna?"

"I told you, stop calling me that!" Gig snapped, throwing her spoon and hitting the blunt right out of his mouth. "Warning shot. Next one is a bullet and you won't be walking away at all from it."

"Sheesh." Trev sighed, rolling his eyes. "Can't take a joke, can you."

"I can take a joke." Gig said in a sassy fashion. "And I can make a joke. But I won't let anyone use my real name in a joke and live." She smiled a mock sweetness that even Sparrow found funny. "Okay?"

"Whatever you say, mutt." He said, mocking her sweetness with his own "Don't call me a dog and I wont call you by your given name. Fair?"

"Fair." Gig said with that smile plastered on her face, rubbing the metal gently as if it was hurting her to have it on. "Now what are Eve and that little boy even doing?"

"It's a little girl, one." Sparrow said, making Trev fall on his back in surprise. "And two, she is giving Eve a new set of cloths. She can't keep wearing those men's cloths she got from Trev the first few days she was here."

"Oh, the ice woman has a heart!" Gig shouted, jumping to her feet. "I got to tell everyone in camp! Oh wait, I don't know people!"

Sparrow glared up at her, letting the white haired woman know exactly what was coming her way if she didn't stop being so sarcastic. But Gig didn't really care much for it really. She was more focused on the door that opened in the back of the wagon where two people were coming out of.

"You put on a dress?" Gig asked, looking over Eve as she walked bare foot through the sand over to them, Ivin skipping beside her in a simple red and black skirt and long sleeve shirt outfit. "I don't like the white and I don't like the bellowing sleeves."

"Sit down, you silly goose." Eve said jokingly, a smile on her face as she sat at Gig's feet. "I like the white dress with the black corset. And the sleeves are fine too."