“I suppose. It’s going to be a long night though. What time is it?”
“Just after three o’clock. Come, we will get our things in from the car then I will make us food, I am starving.”
“Yeah, me too.”
They retrieved their belongings and piled them up in one corner. Robyn took a couple of the jackets they had procured from the outdoors centre and pushed them up against the base of the door to block what seemed to be the only source of draughts. They ate soup and granola bars then played cards until all natural light had faded. The pair of them remained at the table. It was a dark, dark night. The clouds and continuing rainfall made sure there was no chance the moon would make an appearance, and despite the draught excluders, the temperature began to drop in the cabin.
Robyn shivered. “Jesus, it’s cold.”
“You got soaked today. I am worried you may get a chill again. I have paracetamol,” Mila said, reaching into her rucksack, “take some.”
Robyn did as she was instructed before shuddering again. “Aren’t you cold?”
“It is a little cold but not shivering weather.”
Robyn could not see Mila’s face in the dark, but she could hear the concern in her voice. “I was afraid you were going to say that.”
“We will share a sleeping bag.”
“Eh?”
“Trust me. Body heat is the best way to warm a person’s core temperature.”
“Err…”
“Robyn, this is no time to be coy. Back in the cottage, we had a fire, blankets, and hot drinks on demand. Here we have what we have. We will share a sleeping bag. Neither of us can afford for you to get ill again.”
Robyn shivered once more and realised that Mila was right. If she got sick, it could mean the end out here. “Okay.”
“Trust me, it will help.”
They took off their outer garments, and both climbed into the same bag. Mila pulled the second bag over them, and they used scrunched-up clothing as pillows. Robyn moved onto her left side, Mila onto her right and they remained there, back to back. Robyn was as stiff as a board for a few minutes but eventually began to relax as the heat from Mila’s body gradually started to warm her. “Hey, this really works.”
“I told you it would.” In the space of a few minutes, Robyn was not feeling as cold as she had. “Hopefully tomorrow morning you will feel as right as the rain.”
“Thanks, Mila. I’m really sorry about today.”
“Yes, yes, I am sorry too; now less talking and more sleeping.”
Robyn let out a silent chuckle as she sank a little deeper into the thick, warm sleeping bag. A few more minutes passed, and she could hear Mila breathing deeply as she entered the realms of dreams. Robyn’s eyes slowly started drifting and then she too fell into a deep, deep sleep.
chapter 18
Robyn was woken by a loud noise. Her eyes sprang open and her body tensed, but it relaxed again just as quickly, and a stifled laugh left her mouth. Both women had turned onto their opposite sides in the night, and now Mila’s face was just a matter of a few centimetres from Robyn’s. Mila’s eyes were closed, her mouth was open, and a sound, not too dissimilar to a pig oinking, was intermittently rising from the back of her throat.
It was light outside, but from what Robyn could see, the rain was still continuing to fall. Mila’s eyebrows rose as she let out another snoring oink and Robyn couldn’t control herself any longer, she burst out laughing. Mila blinked several times, desperately trying to understand what was happening. “What? What is going on?”
“I’m sorry,” Robyn said, still laughing.
Mila was completely disoriented. She leaned up a little. “What … I don’t understand. What is funny?”
“I’m sorry,” Robyn said again, trying to stop her giggles. “It’s just…”
“Just what?”
“You have like the loudest snore I’ve ever heard,” she replied and burst out laughing again.
“What? I don’t snore.”
“Err … yes, you do. You’re like a hippo with bad sinuses.”
Mila’s eyes widened. “I am not. You must have been dreaming.”
Robyn started laughing louder. “No, I’ve been awake for a while.”
“You’ve been awake just watching me sleep. Why?”
“At first I was scared, I thought some wild animal had got in, but then it turned to just being amazed that a human could make that noise.”
“Well, tonight I will stay awake after you go to sleep and see what noises you make.”
“I know I fart a lot, but at least I don’t do a rhino’s mating call.”
“In my country, it is considered bad manners to talk about such things.”
“Yeah, well, you’re in my country now, and if somebody’s oink wakes me up, they’re going to hear about it.”
Mila continued to look shocked for a moment then started giggling too. “My boyfriend, he said this also, but I never believed him.”
“Well, he was an idiot to do what he did to you, but he was right about that, I’m surprised he didn’t need ear protectors.”
“I will be self-conscious when I sleep now.”
“How can you be self-conscious in your sleep?”
“I am German; I will find a way.”
They both laughed again. “I suppose we’d better get up.”
Mila unzipped the sleeping bag and climbed to her feet. “The weather does not look much better than yesterday.”
“What do you want to do?”
“Eat. Things always become clearer after breakfast.”
“Can’t argue with that,” Robyn replied, reaching into her rucksack for some fresh socks and knickers.
“How do you feel this morning?”
Robyn stopped suddenly. She had forgotten that she had the beginnings of a chill the previous night, and she took a moment to do a health stocktake. “Err … I feel fine actually.”
“Gut. Nipping it in the buds. That’s always the best way. You will take more paracetamol after breakfast, just to be sure.”
“I don’t need—”
“You will take some.”
“Okay, okay. Bossy cow.”
“So, this morning I have been a hippo, a rhino and now I am a cow. At least I am getting smaller. This is good.”
Robyn laughed. “Okay. No more animal references today, I promise.”
“Are you sure? My confidence is sky high, especially after finding out my arsehole of a boyfriend wasn’t just trying to upset me.”
“Sorry.”
“I am only joking you.” Mila rifled through her rucksack and pulled out two tins. The pan was already on the small camping stove from the previous day.
“What are we having?”
“Beans and sausages. Breakfast of the champion.”
“Wicked.”
They got dressed, made breakfast and ate in silence at the picnic table as they watched the rain continue to pour outside. After breakfast, Robyn took the pan and the two mess tins outside to rinse them before turning them upside down on the picnic table to drip dry while she and Mila decided what they were going to do.
“The wind has eased a little, but it will still be hard going. The river level will most certainly have risen, and it would not surprise me if other parts of the road are blocked as well.”
“So what are you saying?”
“I am saying that I think we would be better waiting for the rain to stop and the wind to die down before we set off.”
“Okay,” Robyn replied.
Mila took out the pack of cards, and they sat at the picnic table, playing pinochle, hearts and poker. They bet with scraps of paper denoting banknotes that Mila hastily created from a discarded advertising leaflet. The morning dragged into the afternoon. They ate lunch and continued their games, all the time the sky was getting darker, the rain was still cascading, and the wind continued to howl.
“I suppose this means we’re spending another night here,” Robyn said as Mi
la began to make preparations for dinner.
“I think this weather may stick with us for a little while. There is no point in taking
✽ ✽ ✽
They spent another three nights in the small information cabin. Robyn was the first to wake again the next morning, and her heart lifted when she saw the sun’s beams. “Mila, it’s stopped raining.”
Mila’s eyes shot open. Each morning it was as though she had to remind herself where she was. When she finally came around, she climbed out of the sleeping bag and looked out of the window. “Gut. Excellent. Not a cloud in the sky,” she said, looking out from their elevated position.
They quickly got ready, ate a hasty breakfast and packed their rucksacks. They knew they would be abandoning the car at some stage, so they ensured everything they needed would be with them. “Bloody hell, this thing weighs a ton,” Robyn said, testing the weight of the backpack on her shoulders.
“Do you really need those?” Mila asked, pointing to the two quivers of arrows.
“Hey, this is slimmed down for me, I used to have three quivers.”
“Yes, but you also had a bow to fire them with.”
“Yeah, well, I haven’t given up hope on finding one.”
“Suit yourself.”
When they were sure they couldn’t fit any more supplies in, they placed their rucksacks in the back of the car, cast one grateful look back to the cabin, and they were on their way. Mila put her foot down, it felt good to be moving again. They had made the best of the last few days together, but there were only so many card games one could play before getting bored.
Waterlogged fields in the distance warned them of what they could expect further up the road. “It’s like when you used to see it on the telly,” Robyn said.
“Yes, only now it is all at nature’s whim. There will be no one to divert the water, to pump it away. We will see lots more of this. The landscape will probably change quite a lot over the next few years.”
“I suppose.”
Mila slowed as they approached a dip in the road. The area had flooded, and she wasn’t too sure just how deep it was. She brought the car to a stop and climbed out. Robyn joined her. “What do you think?”
“Don’t ask me, you’re the driver.”
“I think maybe we should risk it. We know we will be abandoning the car soon anyway. Let us get as far as we can. If the car stalls and we get wet feet, so be it.”
“You’re the boss.”
They climbed back in and set off once more. Mila kept her foot on the gas, making sure the car did not stall. She looked out of the side windows as the water gradually got deeper and deeper. “I think it is going to be too deep. I think we are going to get stuck.”
They both held their breath, and the Audi continued, even slower now. It gradually started to climb up the other side and a few seconds later they let out audible sighs of relief.
“That was a close thing. Well done. Nice driving.”
“We were lucky. We should make the most of it. It won’t last.”
To their surprise, it did last. They carried on until they reached the bridge that had washed away. The river had risen higher since the last time they had seen it, and they knew the first part of their journey had come to an end.
They got out of the car, strapped on their swords, and pulled the hefty rucksacks onto their shoulders. “Which way?” Robyn asked.
“We hike along the river until we find a narrow point that will allow us to cross. There has to be one somewhere.”
“Isn’t that going to be a bit of a long shot, considering how much rain we’ve had in the last few days?”
“It will not be easy.”
They made their way to the river. It had washed away big swathes of the bank, and the water was brown with silt. “How far do you think we’ll have to go?”
“I do not know, Robyn. I am new to this place, just like you. We walk until we stop walking.”
“I was only asking.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just … I don’t have all the answers. You keep asking me as if I know this and know that, but I know very little. This is as scary for me as it is for you.”
Robyn paused for a few seconds. “No, it should be me who’s sorry. I’ve always depended on other people. It used to be my mum and dad. Then it was Wren, and now I’m doing the same with you. Someone else always reads the map, checks the compass, drives the car.”
“It is easy to fall into the trap of relying on other people. If you like, I will teach you.”
“Teach me what?”
“Teach you how to read a map, use a compass, drive a car.”
“I’m no good at those things.”
“Have you tried? I mean properly.”
Robyn thought for a moment. “It all seems so confusing.”
“Stop a minute,” Mila said, pulling out the compass and the map and sitting down on a rock. Robyn sat beside her. “We are roughly here,” she said, pointing to a position on the map. “Right up here is our eventual goal, Inverness.”
“Okay.”
“So, this is a compass.”
“Duh!”
Mila smiled. “The needle always points north. Always.” She handed it to Robyn.
Robyn moved the compass until the needle was pointing to N. “So that’s north?” she said, looking across the river in the direction of the needle.
“Yes. Now, on the map, if we are here which direction is Inverness in?”
“Well, north.”
“Yes and no. It is certainly north of us.” Mila put the compass down on the map where her finger was. “Now tell me.”
“It’s kind of in between. It’s in between the north and west.”
“So what direction is Inverness?”
Robyn looked long and hard and thought about the answer before she spoke. She detested making a fool of herself. She hated it at school when the teachers used to mock her. That was when she stopped trying. That was when she realised she’d never be good at the academic stuff and she just gave up. “Northwest?”
“Yes!” Mila said with a beaming smile. “You have just taken your first compass reading.”
“That’s it? That’s all there is to it?”
“Yes, Robyn.”
Robyn threw her arms around Mila and squeezed her tightly. “I always just assumed it was one of those things that other people would get but never me.”
“Well, that is why assume makes an ass of you.”
“And me.”
“Exactly,” Mila said, still smiling. “We have a decision to make.”
“Okay.”
“This is Aviemore,” Mila said, pointing to a small circle. “Now we are on foot it, it would take us a very long time to get to the end of this road and then head down this one.” She slowly traced the line with her forefinger. “So, this is what I think we should do. There is a small village, here, Braemar.” She pointed to another tiny circle on the road they were on. “I believe we should head there. The chances are the Loch Uig men have raided it, and there will be no usable vehicles, but it is at least worth a look, don’t you think?”
“Definitely.”
“If we can’t find a vehicle, we should cut across the forest,” Mila said, tracing a long line through the vast green area. “It will be a tougher trek but more direct, and the chances of us running into anyone living or dead will be very, very slim.”
Robyn looked at the map for a minute. Suddenly everything was starting to make sense. All this time, she had been afraid to learn, all the offers she had turned down from Wren to show her, and now she finally understood. It was all so simple. “Yeah. That’s what we should do.”
Mila nodded. She packed away the map and the compass and they continued along the riverbank. “I think it is going to be some time before we find a suitable place to cross.”
They carried on walking for another twenty-five minutes before they found a narrow, rickety bridge that had once been part of some long-forgotten highlan
d nature trail but was now just several pieces of slowly rotting timber. “Do you think it can take our weight?” Robyn shouted over the sound of the rapidly flowing water below.
“There is only one way to find out, yes?”
“Oh well, we’ve all got to die some time.” They both stood looking at it for more than a minute. On one side the railing had dissolved completely. On the other it looked like one good gust of wind would make it fall into the rushing river.
“Do you want to toss a coin?”
“Nah! I’ll go,” Robyn said, and before Mila had the chance to say anything else, she had taken her first step onto the fragile construction.
“Be careful, Robyn.”
“Yeah, like I’m going to be anything else.” She moved slowly, and the horizontal planks creaked beneath her feet. She extended her left hand, not leaning on the railing but brushing the top of it. Halfway across she paused. “Be careful, there are two bits of wood missing here,” she called back.
Robyn cautiously extended her foot over the gap and cringed as she placed it on the other side, fully expecting the wood to give way. To her amazement, it didn’t. She held her breath for the last few steps and then she was there, on solid ground.
“Yes!” Mila shouted, clapping her hands loudly. “Yeah! Go Robyn! Woohoo!”
Robyn laughed and bowed. “Okay, now you. Remember, just watch that bit in the middle.”
Mila took a deep breath and started to walk across. She looked down at the fast-flowing water and felt a little queasy. “How deep do you think it is?”
“Never mind that. Just watch where you’re walking and focus on me,” Robyn called across to her. She could sense her friend’s nerves. “As long as you take it steady, you’ll be—”
Mila stopped and looked towards Robyn whose eyes were now firmly fixed on something behind her. “What? What is it?”
“Mila. Don’t look. Just get across here. Get across here now!”
chapter 19
Robyn’s words had the opposite effect to what she had hoped. Mila stopped and swivelled around to see three creatures tearing through the trees towards them. “Where the hell did they come from?” Mila screamed, frozen in a second of indecision.
The End of Everything (Book 7): The End of Everything Page 13
