Remember Me: A Nutcracker Story | ✔

IV. Night Falls

"Mary went to the mountains by herself?!"

Tinker and Gielgud flinched. The Sugar Plum Fairy wasn't yelling, but the tightness of her tone and her deep purple face told them that she was very disappointed indeed. Gielgud raised a shaky finger and dared say,

"Sticks went with her, Your Majesty."

Tinker was quick to support the monkey. "As you can see, Your Majesty, Gielgud and I are not fit for any long walking and trekking in the mountains, so we sent Sticks to protect and watch over her."

The Sugar Plum Fairy sank down into her seat, the weight of responsibility pressing down on her delicate shoulders. "Sticks is young as well, Gielgud. He's also a child. What can he do for a fellow young one like himself?"

Gielgud cleared his throat. "Sticks may look young, Your Majesty, but he is years older than Mary. Not anywhere near my age, of course, but he's an adult. He's strong too, due to his youth, and I'm very sure he would do whatever it takes to protect Miss Mary."

The Sugar Plum Fairy sighed deeply and she put her head against her palm. "If only she waited until this morning. I was preparing a squad of soldiers to go in her place."

Tinker and Gielgud shared a look. "Your Majesty," said Tinker hesitantly, "I feel that, even with the squad of soldiers, Miss Mary would have opted to go with them instead of remaining here."

"Why is that?" asked the Fairy with an inquisitive frown.

Gielgud smiled softly and a distant look came on his face. "Nothing can stop a young lady from risking her life to save her beloved. Same goes for a young lad."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"I'm tired, Miss Mary. Can't we stop for a moment, or maybe an hour? A good long hour of rest would be very much appreciated."

Mary looked back at her companion with a hostile, accusatory face. Sticks' shirt was sticking to his chest, and patches of it were darkened due to his sweat. His bare arms and face were glistening with sweat. His dreadlocks looked limp. The jacket he had worn during the first few hours of the journey lay useless over his shoulder. He made a gesture for her to wait and sank down on the ground.

"Why are you sweating like that, Sticks? Aren't you cold? I'm freezing," said Mary with a shiver as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Sticks looked up and openly glared. "I'm a toy, Miss Mary. I don't get cold the way you do; at least, not as much. But I do get tired, and weirdly enough, I sweat too. It's just how I was made." 

Mary crouched down beside him and stared. When Sticks met her eyes, he coughed and looked away. 

"Why are you staring at me, Miss Mary?"

"Oh stop it with the 'Miss Mary' thing," said Mary impatiently. "It's flattering when Gielgud or Tinker do it, but from you it sounds just sarcastic."

Sticks looked sincerely offended. "I'm just saying it the way they say it, Miss Mary."

Mary shook her hands at Sticks' face. "Well stop it. Just 'Mary' is fine. Now if you're rested enough I say we go on."

As Mary got up and started walking again, Sticks watched her carefully. Then he smiled to himself as he shook his head and got up to follow her.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Night had fallen when they arrived at the cave. Something about the dark cavern pulled at Mary to go inside. There was magic at work in there, she was almost sure of it. The only thing that stopped her was Sticks keeping a firm hold on her arm.

"I'll be quick, I promise. I'll just take a quick look," said Mary, trying to pull free from Sticks' grasp. 

But Sticks wouldn't let go of her.

"No," he said sternly. "The magic there is not good. It rattles my bones and I don't like it. It won't do us any good to lose each other in the dark. We will go into it in the morning."

Mary took one more look toward the cave before letting Sticks drag her away. In the darkness of the night, the cave looked like an enormous yawning animal, ready to gulp down anyone who passed by. A shiver went up Mary's spine and she turned her face away from it.

Mary and Sticks settled down in a clump of trees a few meters away from the cave where they could keep an eye on it. They were well obscured in the thicket and should anyone pass by while they rested, they will not be easily spotted. Sticks clambered up a low branch and sat comfortably, while Mary looked at him expectantly. When he caught her look, he gestured to the ground.

"Feel at home, Miss — I mean, just Mary," he said, quickly covering up his mistake. Not that he meant to avoid it.

Mary resisted rolling her eyes and arched an eyebrow instead. "Surely you don't expect a lady sleeping on the hard ground, Sticks."

Sticks just shrugged. "It's safer down there than up here. You might fall off in your sleep. Don't worry: the ground is soft as heather, and it's clean too." Then he paused as if he was considering something, then he shrugged his jacket off. "Here, use this as a pillow."

He tossed the jacket down and Mary caught it. "What about you?"

Sticks leaned back against the tree and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll be alright, thank you. As I've told you: I don't get cold the way you do. Now, get some sleep. I'll take first watch."

Mary folded the jacket and lay down, placing her head on it. Before she closed her eyes, she said softly, "Thank you, Sticks."

Sticks leaned over to look at her. Soon she was sleeping peacefully, huddled inside her own jacket. He got off the tree branch and sat beside her. He noticed the changes age has brought upon her face, and while she was pretty as a child, she was beautiful as a young lady. He smiled as he removed a lock of her curly hair off her face.

"Sleep well, Mary."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-