Pirate By Blood

Chapter 11: Camp

CHAPTER 11

Camp

Maleen woke a few hours later.

Simon had managed to find a suitable spot to rest for the night. It wasn’t much, but then again, there wasn’t a lot he could do to make it a comfortable place to sleep. There wasn’t much else other than plants and bushes in the forest – and, as Simon wasn’t the creative type, he couldn’t make a comfortable surrounding for Maleen in her unconscious state. He figured she would just have to make do with the solid ground beneath her – and she didn’t complain when she woke up.

She didn’t do much, really.

When Maleen finally opened her eyes it was dark. She took in her surroundings before moving an inch.

Her eyes flicked about, catching glimpses of the now-familiar undergrowth around her. There were no significant things that Maleen could recognise though. She could have been there before; but there was no way of her telling.

She looked over to the flame that lit the area – casting an orange glow over the leaves and petals that surround it – and slightly beyond it to see Fido; asleep and breathing heavily – and Simon.

He was sitting cross-legged and staring into the small camp fire he had made. Maleen could see the flames reflecting in his eyes; it would have caused a slightly sinister effect, if Simon hadn’t looked so tired.

He didn’t realise that Maleen had woken up. He seemed so transfixed with the flames that he was oblivious to anything around him.

Maleen watched him for a few moments; still not moving anything but her eyes. Simon looked deep in thought, and Maleen couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in his mind. He looked...stern, maybe anxious.

And he was anxious – unknown to Maleen. Only slightly, because he knew that Maleen wasn’t going to drop dead on him. Part of the colour had come back into her cheeks and – thanks to the tin that Simon kept on his person at all times – her wounds were healing faster than they normally would without treatment. Simon knew that she would still have scars though, some of the cuts had been quite deep, and the pain would linger for a while; deep cuts meant that the lizard’s poisonous teeth had managed to damage her system badly. The venom that they produced had managed to bury itself in her veins; causing sharp, stabbing pains now and again. But, other than the occasional numbness and feeling of discomfort, Maleen should be fine.

Maleen lay still for a few more moments, wondering what had happened earlier that day. Everything had been so chaotic. She remembered Simon being attacked; and everything ending very quickly and then...

Then there had been something else. Something important...

They had finally made it to the top of the waterfall – she remembered that – and her feet had hurt. And then...

Maleen sat up, wincing at the pain that appeared from nowhere. She was stiff and found a few of her joints were sore. She stretched her arms out in front of her; then realised it was a bad idea.

“Finally woken up, have you?” Simon smiled at her, bringing his gaze away from the orange and red flames, “what do you remember?”

Maleen thought for a moment.

“Not much, really,” She answered, honestly, thinking hard, “it’s all a blur...”

“Well, that’s normal, I think,” He answered.

“Pain...” Maleen answered, unaware that Simon had even spoke. She was staring at the fire before her; seeming to be talking to herself – trying to make herself believe that what she remembered was real, “there was so much pain...and...yelling – someone was calling my name...and then...then there was numbness. I couldn’t control it. It was so powerful...”