The Darkest Dawn

Chapitre 5

Lucien jolted awake, sitting up. He wasn't dreaming of anything, but he assumed he had a nightmare although he did not remember. His senses tingling, nerves bouncing around. It must have been an exciting dream indeed. Lucien gazed upon Darius' sleeping figure. The Englishman's hair was spread out, like a white gold halo. His brow was furrowed, even as he slept. It was so like Darius to scowl in his slumber. Lucien looked out beyond the branch, and stifled the urge to holler. A fire very nearby blazed across the forest. They're trying to burn us out, the thought fleeted past Lucien's mind.

"Darius! Wake up!" Lucien leaned over as far as the ropes let him and smacked Darius in the side. Darius shot up, almost punching Lucien.

"Lucien! Dear God, you could've had a shiner!" Darius chided. Lucien fumbled uselessly at his ropes, whining. "What's happened?"

"The forest!" Lucien cried. "It's on fire!" Darius turned, seeing the flames rapidly spreading. He sprang to Lucien's aid, expertly untying the unholy knots he had tied the night before. Freed, Lucien climbed to Audie's branch. Audie had woken to the yelling.

"What's going on?" The younger slave yawned lethargically.

"Audie, we must escape, the forest burns by the second!" Lucien huffed, panicked. Audie followed Lucien down the tree where Darius already packed their things. The Englishman pointed at a circle of stones with ashes in the middle.

"Someone lit a fire while we slept." He announced bitterly. "This blaze is probably alerting every Seivohn in the province. We must leave."

And leave they did. Darius gripping Lucien's wrist and Lucien hanging on to Audie's as they dashed from the scene. Lucien could feel the heat licking at their necks. Suddenly, he was beginning to notice how much dead brush was laying around. It was no wonder how the fire was spreading so fast.

They ran on, delving deeper into the woods where trees began to multiply and grow taller. Eventually, it became apparent that this was an ancient part of the forest. The tree Lucien thought to be massive was minuscule compared to these monsters. Then again, these seemed to be a different tree species altogether. They were as tall as the sky, with no branches to climb except for at the very top, which was well over 30 meters. The tree was wider than a manor. Lucien found himself gaping.

"Darius, what are these?" He asked, baffled.

"Giant Sequoia. These things have been around for over two thousand and five hundred years." Darius sighed. "Too tall to climb, branches are too unstable and too high, basically useless." Darius grumbled. "Unless... an animal hollowed out the ground underneath for a home." He muttered searching around. Finding nothing, he said "Nope. Totally useless."

Lucien sighed and sat against one such tree, These must've been here since before the Seivohn surfaced. His feet ached and his chest hurt. Running was not his strong suit. "Darius, please let us rest. We're not as athletically inclined." Lucien wheezed, trying to catch his breath. Audie kneeled next to Lucien and patted his shoulder. Darius kicked a rock and cursed.

"We have to keep moving soon. We have to get to the ocean. I don't know which way it is though...." Darius grunted, sitting on a boulder.

Audie stood. "I know where it is." He pointed north west. "This way."

Lucien squinted through the trees. He knew maps of France just as well as Audie, and northwest was a way to get to the ocean, but it was the longest route and went straight through France's capital city, Paris, which was filled to the brim with Seivohn.

"Actually, the quickest way is..." Lucien pointed clear west. "that way. The way you pointed goes to Paris." Audie stared at Lucien.

"Sorry, I must be tired." Audie said, ripping his eyes from Lucien. Whatever secret understanding that Lucien was supposed to catch was obviously missed.

The group continued west until the sun reached it's peak. They had discovered a river where the forest began to thin again. There was a small plateau of flat stone next to the river where they could make camp. Lucien felt relieved, he hadn't had a bath in a couple days now. Darius gathered some dry wood and started a small fire.

"Didn't you just tell us to not start campfires? And didn't we just escape from a blazing fire?" Lucien worried. Darius pointed behind him where great billowing clouds of dark smoke erupted from the forest.

"The smoke will cover ours. Besides, don't you want to be warm when you get out of the water?" Darius pointed out. Lucien shut his mouth, and turned to the water. Darius stayed by the weak fire, prodding it with a long stick. Lucien removed most of his rags, keeping his smalls on. He dipped a foot in the calm currents. It was indeed very cold. He used his ratty shirt as a wash cloth, soaking it and running it over his arms and legs. He took extra care to clean the cut on his eyebrow, which seemed to be healing. Lucien's skin goosebumps as the micro hairs prickle. Audie wades into the water, also in his smalls. He sits in the water and groans. Lucien stands straight and turns to Darius. Darius didn't seem to be preparing to dip in the water. Instead, he fiddled with a knife.

Lucien waded back out of the water and sat on a rock near the fire. The rock soon grew wet from the water seeping from his smalls. Lucien began to wait, drying. Darius picked up a piece of dry wood from beside the fire and started chipping and carving parts of it with his knife. "Aren't you going to wash?" Lucien wondered.

"No. Maybe. Maybe when Audie is finished." Darius grunted. "Someone lit that fire. I don't know who, but all I know is that there are three of us and one lit a fire. It sure wasn't you, I tied you down with knots that demons could not undo."

"So what does that make you?" Lucien smiled. Darius looked up at him, sunlight hitting those blue hellfire irises.

"A soldier with deft hands. A damned good one." Darius replied. He turned serious again. "I certainly didn't, I would know if I did. Besides, I've noticed you're a light sleeper. Wouldn't you have woken if I moved?" Darius tilted his head, blonde hair shifting.

"What are you suggesting?" Lucien muttered, although he already suspected.

"I think you know. Audie is the only one who we didn't have tabs on." Darius hissed, jerking his head in the still bathing young man's direction.

"I've known Audie for a very long time, since he was a small child in fact. I doubt he would do anything to hurt me." Lucien pointed out, uncomfortable at the idea that sweet Audie would betray them like this.

"Maybe not you, but what about me?" Darius seethed.

"Might I remind you who helped you kidnap me and escape in the first place?" Lucien huffed. Darius flinched. There was a moment of silence. Darius sighed.

"Yes, you are right. I am ashamed of myself for blaming Audie when he has been so kind." Darius muttered, even though he has gone back to woodcarving, averting his eyes from Lucien. There was the sound of water sloshing and then Audie approached the camp, his feet making wet tapping upon the stone plateau.

"Are we going to sleep here too?" Audie asked with a blank expression. Darius turned his head.

"No. The sun is still high in the sky. Do you expect us to sit here all day?" Darius scoffed, sliding a knowing look to Lucien. Audie's face burned red.

"Oh well, no- I mean yes but...." Audie sighed. "Nevermind." Darius stood.

"I'm going to clean up the fire once you guys are done drying." He stated, obviously deciding not to wash in the river. He jumped off the plateau and headed downstream.

"Did I do something wrong?" Audie asked no one in particular. Lucien studied his face. Finding nothing different, he sighed.

"No." He replied, staring into the fire.