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He had to lead them, take care of them, even if he didn’t want to.
Chapter Forty-Eight
And then there was hope
The day was an especially hot one, and as they trudged through the forest, sweat beading on Sasha’s brow, her feet aching, and exhaustion settling in, she kept telling herself to keep moving. That’s all they could do at this point.
Millie had grown quiet over the last hour, and it was clear she felt the weight of their trip as well. For days, they’d been on the move, heading up north, farther from the camp and the dangers that followed them. And hope was thick in Sasha.
With no issues for days now, no one following, no threat of an attack, the prospect of getting closer to a safe place they could call home became a heavier presence in her. In them all.
And then Malachi stopped, raising his hand for them to do the same. According to the map, they should’ve been coming up to the edge of the lake. Sasha knew nothing about wildlife or mountains, or anything like that. She didn’t even know how all of this would work. But what she did know was that she trusted Malachi with her life. With Lucy’s.
Although going in a straight shot would’ve been a lot faster, even with the dangers of the camp, she was glad Malachi had taken the lead and that they’d taken the long way. Sasha would rather be tired and sore than dead.
Malachi started walking again and they all followed. She took Lucy’s hand and squeezed it in comfort.
Malachi turned and everyone stopped again. “We’ve reached the lake’s edge. I’d say another day’s trek without stopping and we should reach the safe zone, or the area where it should be.”
Instant relief filled Sasha, but she didn’t let that consume her. She didn’t want to be fully happy, as they weren’t there yet. Because anything could happen.
“We can camp for the night, and start again early in the morning. It’s a straight shot until we get there.” He looked at each of them. “Everyone think they can handle one more full day of walking?” There was a collective murmur of agreement.
They started moving again, the time seeming to mesh together as Tree Man told one of his stories. It didn’t make any sense, but it was entertaining, and that’s all that mattered.
Lucy chuckled at the change of Tree Man’s voice during certain parts of the story, how he’d make it sound exciting and dangerous, scary and lighthearted. That was the thing about Tree Man. He might’ve been insane, but he helped to keep Lucy’s mind off other things, and that’s all that mattered to Sasha.
She was starting to trust him, not like she trusted Malachi, of course, but in the way that she knew he wouldn’t hurt them, that he’d even protect them if need be.
They walked for a while more, then stopped for the night to set up camp, the sun starting to set. She helped Malachi pitch the tents they had while Tree Man and Millie started a fire. Lucy sat off to the side on a fallen log, a couple of twigs in her hand and some twine she’d found on their long trip. She was making little sculptures out of them, little people. She hummed while she did it and Sasha was glad she’d found something to occupy her time.
Once the camp was set up and everyone sat around the fire, they started passing around the food they had. Millie shared beef jerky. Tree Man shared two cans of mixed fruit he had. Malachi and Sasha had a can of baked beans, two small cans of tuna, and a family-sized can of French style green beans.
Hell, it was like a feast tonight, but everyone was in a good mood, spirits were high given the fact they only had one more day of walking and then they’d be in the general vicinity of the safe spot. They didn’t know its exact location, but they’d be in the area where it should be, so hopefully they would be welcomed with open arms.
After an hour of talking, Lucy was falling asleep beside Sasha, and Malachi was beside her, his arm around her shoulder, keeping Sasha close. Once everyone was done, they all headed toward their tents, but Tree Man and Millie were on first lookout, Malachi on the next, and Sasha on the third. Although to be honest whenever it was her time to do lookout, Malachi always stayed up with her, telling her he was too protective and afraid to let her be out here alone, that he wouldn’t be able to sleep anyway.
Sasha tucked Lucy in and went on one side of the tent, and then made herself comfortable. Malachi was on the other side of her a moment later, her back to his chest. He had his arm slung over her waist, his hand resting over hers. She was tired but she couldn’t sleep, couldn’t close her eyes as she thought about everything.
