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Lina
The forest was loud. Even within the confines of the tent Edrich had pitched, the bugs and trees and animals echoed all around us, continuing their melody from earlier in the day at a higher volume.
Or maybe it was the fact that we’d been sitting silently next to the small fire he had made.Small for him, but easily a bonfire to me.
Edrich plucked the last few savory mushrooms off of the stick he’d used to roast them, placing them on a thick green leaf and sprinkling them with a small vial of salt from his satchel.
I applauded the feast he set out for us; berries, roasted mushrooms, and a few dried figs.
“It’s perfect!” I squealed, diving in and devouring the small pieces he’d cut up for me.
“Hardly. But it will do, I suppose.” Edrich ate his portion before lying down on his bedroll with a sigh.
I ate my fill and made sure to share with Maggie to supplement the mealworms she’d dug up. As I savored the last morsel, a thought struck me.
“Oh no! Shouldn’t we have saved some for Pepper?” I darted a glance outside of the tent, but Edrich laughed.
“Pepper likes her food… a bit more rare than we do.”
I gulped, my skin alternating between shades of pale green and pearl.
“Right. How silly of me. But, will she be all right out there on her own?” We hadn’t heard her caw in hours and I was beginning to worry. “Will she know where to find us?”
“She knows. She’s used to this sort of thing. Usually when I’m out with Atesh or the other hunts—soldiers,she scouts ahead and comes back when she’s ready.”
Just as I was about to respond, Edrich yawned and declared that he was tired.
The statement felt abrupt, but then again, it was rather late and he had to do all of the walking for us. So, I nodded and laid out my own bedroll next to the small fire.
Maggie curled up next to me in a small pile of leaves, snuggling the scrap of blanket I’d brought for her, and it wasn’t long before the gentle rhythm of her snores began.
I tried to make myself comfortable on the thin bedding, but my back was still tight, and my blankets smelled like the farmhouse, like home… somehow, that made me both happy and sad at the same time.
Will I ever go back?
The thought came crashing in, just as another spasm decided to rack my spine.
Tears pricked at my eyes, but I squeezed them tight against the pain, doing my best to breathe through it.
I crawled to Maggie’s saddle and fumbled around the bag for my ointment, nearly falling over in the process. I was striving so hard for silence. If Edrich was sleeping, I didn’t want to wake him, not for this. A nearly silent gasp escaped my lips from the ache of twisting my arm behind me. I stretched as much as I could to apply what little was left of the ointment to whatever area I could reach.
Another deep breath and slow exhale.
Magnolia stirred beside me, sneezing as soon as the bitter scent of the medicine reached her. Her eyes shot open, and she inched closer, nuzzling my arm, providing whatever comfort she could. She was used to seeing the spasms. Especially as they’d increased their frequency since Mama…
I trailed off at the thought. One kind of intense pain was all I could manage at a time.
Another slow, ragged breath, and I was through the worst of it.
“You, uh, all right?” Edrich’s voice sounded, and I stiffened. “You know, with your… cramps?”
He could barely form the word, and his awkwardness was nearly laughable.
His inability to stomach talk of “female woes” had not gotten better with age.
Maybe I was wrong for lying to him, but he had enough to worry about with his constant fretting over whether I’d be eaten by a beetle, let alone if he knew I was in pain. He’d never take me through the Enchanted Forest if he thought I was sick or having flare-ups again.
He’d seen them a few times when we were younger, but as far as he knew, I’d outgrown them. Sadly, I hadn’t. The excruciating pain was just a part of my life and I had grown tired of being the poor, small, suffering girl who was completely helpless. I wanted to help others, not be constantly pitied for everything about myself…
