Dust

Choice

WARNING: Music in sidebar gets loud!

4. CHOICE

"How are you able to speak so well?"

Sky looked up from his meal of squirrel and mashed roots he'd assembled earlier that evening. He made good use of the bow strapped to his back. But just because I accepted his food didn't mean I was about to trust him. No matter how delicious it tasted.

"You think my people can't speak?" He asked in a mixture of offense and amusement. I looked down to the lap sized piece of bark I'd chipped off a tree to substitute a plate.

"I don't know. I don't know anything about how you people act. Other than violently," memories of my father boiled inside me.

"Because I've been so very violent to you thus far. More squirrel?" I rejected the offered rodent leg with a wave of my hand. "Well," Sky began, studying a bone in his hands. "We're not much different than you. We're all from the same people, right?"

I regarded him closely then. Begrudgingly, a small part of me saw the logic in his statement. The majority of my brain, however, squished any sympathy with a firm and dominating hand.

"Just because we share anatomy doesn't mean I'm anything like you." Sky shrugged at what I'd hoped to be a stinging retort and stuffed some meat in his mouth. Grease dribbled down his chin.

"Do..." I hesitated, my curiosity warring with my stubbornness. Sky looked at me expectantly. His eyes were kind and patient, like a parent or teacher. They were understanding. But I didn't want him to be kind or helpful or human in any sort of way. "Nevermind."

I set my plate aside and stood. His eyes fallowed me as I stomped off to the fallen tree we'd stashed our bags by. Mine sat in a nook of two gnarled roots.

I dug through the contents of my pack until I felt the familiar material of my sweater. I pulled it free and burrowed my face into the rough wool, breathing deeply. It smelled like my mom. Like home.

"We should probably get a move on if we want to make any ground by nightfall." Sky was standing behind me, looking off into the surrounding woods. Gritting my teeth, I stuffed the sweater deep into my bag and stood, blinking away the sting of tears. I hadn't really let myself mourn, but I wasn't about to do it then. Not in front of Sky with his damn understanding face.

"If you want to head out, go on." I breezed past him and took a seat by the fire again, watched the orange flames dance.

"I can't let you stay by yourself." Sky sighed. Snow crunched as he came to stand next to me, and I shifted uncomfortably. I didn't like him being so close.

"And why is that?" The sneering note in my voice went unnoticed.

"You'll die."

"Why do you even care?" Sky flinched at my yell and took a step back when I stood to face him. "Why is it any concern of yours whether or not I live?"

We stared at each other, nose to nose. I felt the anger roll off me like heat off a fire and I embraced it. Anger I could use to my advantage. I could use it to mask the empathy I felt for this wild man.

Sky opened and closed his mouth a few times, eyes flickering between mine as if searching for a response. Before he could say a word, however, we were interrupted.

The screech seemed to come from the forest itself. It reverberated through the trees, it shook our bones.

Sky and I turned to look towards the fallen tree and I subconsciously took a step towards him. No matter how much I hated Sky, I knew he was safer than whatever had just made that noise. He raised a hand and placed it gingery on my back, searching the woods carefully.