Broderick's tone is judgemental. "Why not take the truck? It'll get us back here with the medicine faster."
Norten explains. "They're more likely to follow us if we take their truck."
"But they have plenty." Hana and Ailie have the same questioning look as Broderick.
"Doesn't matter," Rayne's says. "The truck is more valuable than us, and unlike the vials of medicine, they'll notice quickly if it's gone."
Euodia brings the conversation back around. "If we do it right, they won't know anything for at least twelve hours after we leave, and that's only if the workers with the truck decide to talk."
There are nods of agreement. They look around the table at each other, but no one speaks. Everything has been said. Lorna, who has been quiet during planning, understanding her own limitations when it comes to the city, brings the group to a close. "I'll get packs together for you with the food and water you'll need. Auston, if I remember correctly, you'll need to walk for a day and a half?" He nods. "I suggest leaving as early as you can tomorrow morning, so that you have time to rest before you get there. I'll expect you back in four days."
TWENTY-FOUR
Euodia skips dinner. It's probably not a great idea, considering how much energy she'll use up over the next few days, but she needs some time to herself. In a tight-knit community, time alone is rare, but come dinner time everyone else is eating, so she goes to the cabin and opens the rarely used closet. Most people have one or two outfits that they wash and switch. They don't need the storage space for the stuff they wear, so the closet cupboard has become a storage space for things they don't use. She reaches under a broken screen and the skirt of a party dress. These are from city center, and she wonders who they belonged to. It only takes her a minute to find what she's looking for. The suit is simple, all black. It's form fitting, so there's not even that much material there. It feels small and light in her hands, like it couldn't possibly encompass all of the discomfort she ascribes to it. She lays it on the bed and pulls out the boots. They are the suit's opposite, far bulkier than they need to be.
She sits next to the suit on the bed and pulls off the comfortable shoes she's been wearing around the community. She doesn't know who else has worn them or who brought them from the city, but she is thankful for them. Then she slides her feet into the boots one at a time and closes them up. She keeps her feet still for a minute, remembering what this walk will feel like, dreading it.
Eventually she stands. There's a sense of height with these boots that she doesn't have in her other shoes. It's only a few inches, but it does change the way she views things. She looks around at the mattress Rayne sleeps on and the lower bunk that Ailie uses. Ailie's pillow isn't there. In its place there's a blanket she's never seen. She looks up and sees Ailie's things are in the top bunk, the one assigned to Euodia. Whoever is using the extra bed is most likely older, displaced by the quarantine. Of course Ailie would give them the lower bunk to save them the climb. Euodia smiles and turns away from the beds.
She lifts her foot slowly, not wanting to pull it up too fast or too slow, but her muscle memory is strong, and her legs remember exactly how much force is needed to lift the weighted boots properly. She would rather have fallen. She would rather have had to struggle to make it around the room than to see how easily her body slips back into this rhythm.
She sits back down, and as she's taking the boots off, she hears the door open behind her. She takes a deep breath and blinks rapidly to clear the moisture gathering in her eyes, ready to put on a smile for whatever friend is coming in, but when she turns around, it's Ailie. She does smile, but she can't hide her emotions from this woman. Ailie looks at the shoes as she walks around the corner of the bed. She sits next to Euodia and leans into her.
The weight on her arm feels supportive, familiar. Ailie moves to sit on the floor in front of Euodia and starts undoing the boots. The buckles are tight, so it takes work, but she perseveres and pulls them off when they're loose enough. Then she moves back up to the bed and lays down behind Euodia, pulling her to the mattress in an embrace.
After a few minutes, Ailie pokes her head over Euodia's shoulder. She's not quite whispering into her ear, but she's speaking quietly. "Do you know what I learned today?" It feels like a secret.
Euodia takes hold of Ailie's hand and pulls it in front of her chest, intertwining their fingers and holding her closer. "What is that?" She's not thinking about the answer. She's not even thinking about the question. She's just enjoying the comfort of this moment, of this woman, of this love.
"That you are more different than I've yet realized."
No one else makes Euodia feel this special. "I'm hoping this is a positive realization."
"Yes." Her voice is slightly louder, emphatic, and she follows it up by kissing Euodia's earlobe and moving down to her neck.
Euodia turns her head up to Ailie's and kisses her. It doesn't take more than a minute for Ailie to roll Euodia onto her back and straddle her, tanned thighs pinning her down. Ailie's mouth is hungry, seeking, and Euodia wants her, but as much as she wants to believe that this sense of urgency is for her, she knows Ailie is just excited for adventure and Euodia is the outlet. She tries not to let it throw her, but Ailie stops, pulling back and looking down. "What is it?"
"What if I'm not?" Euodia may have returned to their conversation, but Ailie isn't on the same page yet. She scrunches her eyebrows together. Her lips are slightly parted, and her breathing is heavy, but she seems like she's trying to focus on what Euodia's saying. "What if I'm not different enough? What if I can't do this?"
Ailie nods, not agreeing but understanding. She pushes herself up to sitting and takes Euodia's hand again. "When I first met you, you said you knew it. What did you know?"
Euodia had been expecting Ailie to console her, not question her. She thinks back to that day on the edge of the creek when she had opened her eyes to see this beautiful strong woman waiting there. "I was just so glad to be right, that there were communities. The moment we were dumped I started to doubt myself."
"This is the same thing." When she doesn't respond, Ailie continues. "You were sure and strong when you said you would return for the medicine. You did it to protect Callie, to protect all of us. Now that things are in motion, you're losing that confidence, but you'll pull through. You'll end up right again. I know it."
Euodia thinks there can be nothing more beautiful in the world than this, those blue eyes looking into hers, so close that she can see the strands of iris making shapes. There are threads of gold that she's never noticed before. The first time she noticed Ailie's eyes pops into her head. "When we were walking to Manny's to see Norten and Vaness the day after I got here, you asked me something that I missed. What was it?"
Ailie thinks for a moment and then blushes in the closest thing to embarrassment that Euodia has ever seen her show. "I asked if you had a girlfriend." They both smile widely, happy to be together in this moment, and their lips are on each other's before they can start laughing. The kiss is soft, comforting. This kiss is about them, not the circumstances, not about Solace or the trip. This kiss says is love, support, and commitment.
Things are just starting to transition from the warmth of whole-heart understanding to the heat of impulse and desire when there's a knock at the door. They've both gotten carried away, forgetting that this is a communal space. They're pulling clothes back into place when Thackery opens the door. He plays it cool as if he has no idea what's been going on. "I wanted to bring you this. You need to eat." He hands Euodia a plate he's made up for her. "And Callie wanted me to tell you that she expects to see you when you get back."
"She couldn't tell me that herself?" Euodia's head is still hazy.
"Quarantine." That's all he says, but it's enough to bring both women back to reality. Thackery has looked so ragged the last few days, but he smiles at them, a smile that looks strange on him. It's sad, like it's trying to be happy but there's just too much in the way.
&nbs
p; Just then several young men enter the building, Ilford among them. "Euodia, why are you so red?" Euodia's eyes go wide as she remembers how her face and chest blush when she's with Ailie and how long it takes to fade away. Ailie is looking at the floor, biting her lip, trying not to giggle, and now that someone has mentioned it out loud, Thackery blushes and heads towards the door, saying goodbye over his shoulder. Ilford looks genuinely confused. "What?" One of his buddies leans over and whispers. "Oh. Sorry."
Ailie raises an eyebrow admonishingly. She doesn't believe his apology for a minute, especially with the trickster smile he's now wearing. "Yeah." He may not have said it on purpose, but he isn't sorry for saying it. He's got the same nerves of excitement as Ailie, and like every other emotion he feels, they're falling out of his mouth.
Euodia and Ailie kiss goodbye as Ailie heads off to talk to Hana. Euodia sits in the hammock with a book. She reads the same paragraph four times before closing her eyes to listen to the sounds of the community bedding down for the night. The world has gone quiet, and she's fading gently in and out of sleep when there's a set of soft steps and a voice she can't help but smile at. "Euodia, can I sleep here with you?"
She scoots over the best she can without falling. Ailie pulls the netting out and settles into it with grace. Euodia is tensed, waiting for the balance to shift and throw them to the floor, but when all is still and Ailie drags a blanket over them, she relaxes, wrapping herself around Ailie and feeling her breathe. Nothing else passes through her mind until morning.
TWENTY-FIVE
The sun is bright on Euodia's face when she wakes. She feels Ailie before she's opened her eyes and decides that seeing the world can wait. She fights the urge to snuggle in tighter because she's afraid it will wake Ailie up. She doesn't want this moment to give way to the next, but time does move forward, and a few minutes later, Ailie wakes on her own and wraps her arms around Euodia. "Good morning."
"Good morning. Did you sleep okay?"
"Yeah, it's nice out here." They both know that what she means is, 'it's nice with you.'
As the sun rises and others start to come out of the cabin, they know it's time. They get up, put on their shoes and head to Lorna's. Most of the group is there, but they're still waiting for Hana and Ilford. When they arrive there's a tension between them that makes it obvious that they've been fighting. Everyone loads up with their packs, and they head out without ceremony. Lorna walks with them to the edge of the village circle, talking with Broderick and Auston.
Some of the older community members who used to be scouts are taking over watch shifts while the younger group is gone. Lorna hangs back with one of these men and the rest of the group move forward through the forest. These woods are thick, so they move in single file, and Euodia notices that Auston and Broderick quickly separate once Lorna is out of sight.
They walk through the forest in silence. Single file makes prolonged conversation difficult. When the trees open up, they group together pretty quickly. Hana and Ilford pick up where they left off, discussing their feelings about today's trip passionately but quietly and far enough apart from the group that the others can't hear exactly what is being said.
Vaness and Norten are walking together comfortably, holding hands. Euodia noticed that Vaness put some of the heavier items from Norten's pack, his water and food, into her own, which was already weighed down with her boots. She's chosen to wait until they got to Dracon to put them on. Norten hadn't argued about it. He knows his limitations.
Euodia walks with Ailie and Auston. Auston kindly tries to include her in the conversation a few times, but her mind is preoccupied. Rayne is walking alone, as is Broderick. Where Rayne is happy and content with his own space, Broderick is uncomfortable. He looks around frequently, and when his eyes meet Euodia's, they seem to darken.
They walk throughout the day. They take a couple of short breaks to eat bread and apples, and to let Norten rest, but then they keep going. There are a few spots that involve a little climbing, but most of the day they keep a light, easy pace. The distance is what's important. If they push too hard, the speed won't matter because they'll collapse before they can make it to their destination. There are conversations here and there, but it's just light chatter to keep nerves at bay.
They finally settle down with the sun. Euodia and Auston set up a fire in an open field while Rayne, Broderick, Ilford, and Ailie head out to scrounge up some protein. Norten is asleep as soon as he hits the ground. Vaness is fussing over him, taking off his shoes and situating the soft side of his pack to serve as a pillow.
Hana takes a minute to herself, sitting a little way off from the group. She looks worried, but Euodia doesn't think it has anything to do with the mission. She's pretty sure this is the first big fight Hana and Ilford have had.
Auston sits back next to Euodia once they've got the fire going. "You know we all care a lot about Ailie." His tone doesn't have the threat in it that Broderick's did.
"I know." She looks him right in the eye, but it isn't defiance. She'll listen to as many speeches as she needs to prove her loyalty.
He shakes his head. "I'm not saying this right." He looks into the fresh fire for a minute as it starts to grow, eating the kindling. Before he speaks, he looks up to Euodia. "I'm not worried about you hurting her as such. I'm worried about you getting hurt and that hurting her." He reaches a hand out to her shoulder. "We all care about you, too, so be careful."
Euodia doesn't know what to say. She nods and tries to smile as she swallows the lump forming in her throat.
They hear Ailie, Rayne, Ilford and Broderick approaching before they see them. Ailie's voice is light. "Are we interrupting something?"
Euodia just looks up to her and grins, but Auston leans in and pulls Euodia towards him, propping an arm around her shoulders. "Maybe you are."
Ailie puts down the bow and arrow that Broderick was carrying when they left and squeezes herself into the middle. "Well, don't stop on my account."
Rayne laughs quietly with them as he pulls a knife from his pack and heads away from the fire a little way to skin the squirrels they brought back. Broderick goes off to collect more firewood, but there's plenty already set up for tonight and tomorrow. His foot falls are much heavier than they need to be. Norten stirs as he passes by, and Vaness glares.
Euodia turns to Ailie. They're not cuddling, but they're sitting close enough together that their arms and legs touch. "How were things?"
Euodia looks towards Broderick's back, and Ailie understands what she means. "I think he's just mad that you threw him off his high horse, and that you got his mother to agree with you instead of him."
"Well she agreed with him enough to send him on the trip."
"She's his mother." Ailie may not respect Broderick, but Lorna has a special place in her heart.
Euodia looks over and kisses Ailie on the cheek. "I didn't mean anything by it. Of course she wants to help her son." She lays her head on Ailie's shoulder.
The squirrels cook fast, and they supplement with some raw veggies from their packs. Ailie passes Euodia some nuts as a substitute for the meat. They're hoping they'll be able to find a little better hunting on the trip back and that they can take some food from the fields outside Dracon.
Vaness wakes Norten up to eat, and when they lay back down, she snuggles under his arm. She's small in comparison. He almost wraps around her, warm and protective, and a total reversal of their relationship in the waking hours. Hana and Ilford find a comfy spot, lay face to face, foreheads touching, and try to calm each other without words.
Broderick lays out his blanket and lies on his back, hands under his head, looking up at the stars. Rayne lays down shortly after him, and Euodia can't help but notice that he puts himself between Broderick and the rest of the group. Auston positions himself similarly. She and Ailie clearly aren't the only ones feeling uncomfortable.
Euodia wraps her arms around Ailie as they curl up. They have one blanket under them and one blanket on t
op. No matter the heat, Ailie needs a sheet of something on top of her to sleep. She once told Euodia that the weight of it makes her feel safe.
Euodia wakes up with her legs thrown out from under the blanket, though her body and arms are still cuddled up to Ailie, and her back twinges as she stands up to stretch. Ilford and Auston are the only two that have to be woken up. They both have the capacity to sleep through anything. Euodia notices that Auston's hand is stretched out away from his blanket, as if he'd been holding something a few feet away.
It seems like noon within an hour, though it's been longer than that. They eat at their own pace as they walk, and there's not a lot of talk. Those who came from Dracon are absorbed in thoughts of what it means to go back. Those who have never been are thinking about what they might encounter and how to be prepared for it, and then there's Ailie and Ilford, who have gravitated to walk next to each other and are practically bouncing with excitement.
They crest a hill, and the early afternoon sunlight hits them full force. As their eyes adjust to the sun, they see the city rise up before them. The buildings are tall and gleaming, reflecting the sun like diamonds. The wall around the edges is higher than she remembers, threateningly high, and the buildings just go up from there. The buildings are tallest in city center, and Euodia is trying to figure out which one is the tower when she feels Ailie grab her arm.
She turns and sees that Ailie's attention is devoted to the sight before her. Her eyes are wide, and her mouth hangs open, just slightly, just enough for Euodia to see the edges of her teeth. Euodia watches her watching the city. She is still the most beautiful thing that Euodia has ever seen.
TWENTY-SIX
Rayne takes over leadership from Auston. "We'll need to stay in the hills to travel around to the other side of the city. It shouldn't take too long, and then we'll need to find a place to wait until we can stop the truck as it comes in for the night."
Her of the Wood Page 14
