She didn’t know how long it would take to find a new home, let alone to build it. With a final glance at the intended land, she left behind thoughts of danger in place of hope.
All she could focus on was the present; one step at a time. Right now, they needed to set up camp, and then she needed sleep. In the morning, she needed to inform their group of her speculations about the scarred land.
Some might choose to turn back, but that was outside her control. Their future was yet unknown. Their travels would be dangerous. But a life free of the State would be worth it if they could survive their voyage through the mountains and their first winter.
Chapter 5
Freya
Their group had passed its first two outposts, working to close the distance between the second and third. The view from sleeping under the stars was awe-inspiring, but it also meant they used the earth as a bed with no shelter above. Just as they were adjusting to sleeping on the ground, the first rains came.
No one slept.
They huddled together for warmth, pulling their hides and cloaks overhead, but no one caught a moment of rest.
The gray skies stretched as far as she could see up their sloped trail. She knew they could handle one night of poor sleep, but what about two? What about a week? How long could they travel in this rain before they fell ill? With every break, she looked up to the sky, in the hope of seeing a beam of sunlight break free of the clouds.
Their pace slowed. They stopped for more breaks as the combination of sleep deprivation and their water-soaked gear reduced them to hardly more than a crawl. A heavy silence weighted every step. Despite the group’s meandering pace, Freya’s exhaustion dragged her to the back of their group.
One particular lone strangler caught Freya’s eye. She was more mature than most of the travelers, struggling under the weight of two oversized bags slung over each shoulder.
Freya moved toward her. “Can I take one of those for you?”
Her soft eyes instantly filled with tears. “That is very kind of you.”
She removed one bag, handing it over to Freya. It was difficult to determine through the rain, but Freya suspected the woman was crying.
Colin tried to take the bag from Freya, but she secured it over her shoulder. He was already burdened with both of their supplies, and probably some of Aakil’s.
“How about I take the second one?” Colin asked. “If you take some weight off, it might feel like a break.”
The woman hesitated only for a moment before she handed her second bag over. He propped it on his already burdensome sled and continued walking.
The woman’s shoulders hung limply, as though she still carried the bag’s weight. “I questioned if I should come on this trip. I was worried I’d slow everyone down. All the older people like me stayed behind. I don’t know if I’ll make it across these mountains. But I thought it was worth a try.”
“It is,” Freya answered. “And we all need a little help from time-to-time. We don’t mind.”
The corners of her lips tugged down, touched by their offerings. “You were always kind, even though you were never much of a people person.”
Since Freya woke up, she was used to everyone knowing who she was, that she was coupled with Colin and the former Head of State. As her mind processed this woman’s words, she realized she didn’t know of Freya by reputation, but she knew her.
Suddenly, the heavily salted hair and wilted skin dissolved in Freya’s mind and she could visualize a beautiful, young, flirtatious girl who was sterilized shortly after she was.
“Gita?”
She immediately let out a small laugh. “You have looked past me so many times, I never thought you’d remember me.” She bit down on her bottom lip, trying to contain her smile.
“Of course, I remember you. I just didn’t recognize you.” Freya looked over at Colin. “Gita was in my class.”
She looked down, nodding. “It’s because I’m so old, or at least older than you. Colonization messed up the timeline. Plus, we seem to age differently out here. We live longer, but our skin sags and creases from the elements.”
Freya agreed. It had surprised her how much older everyone looked than their actual age. It reminded her of how frail their bodies were, and how dangerous it was to live on the surface. “Once I knew I should know you,” she said, wanting to lighten the mood, “it came to me instantly.”
“Well, I’m honored you remember me.”
With flushed cheeks, she shrugged. “Well, I wasn’t exactly popular in my school days. I think that day I spent with you in the common room was the most personal conversation I had with anyone.”
Gita’s eyes widened. “Do you know how weird it was for me when I watched your first broadcast?”
Freya laughed. “I don’t know, probably as weird as it was for me to give it.”
Gita laughed in response. “I wasn’t surprised you became the Head of State. It was never that. What was so weird was that I knew your name. No one ever knew the Head of State’s name. I just sat there, and I kept saying Freya, over and over again in my mind. I thought about how I forced you to hang out while I babbled on and on about boys, and your hatred of them.”
“Oh, tell me more about that cuz I had to live through it.” Colin chimed in. “I think I could still use some therapy about how mean Freya was to me when we first met.”
“Oh, and then there is that,” Gita exclaimed. “The only thing weirder than you as the Head of State, was finding out about Colin. I assumed that you ended up in independent living which led to you becoming the Head of State. Then I get here, and you have this partner who refuses to let even colonization come between your relationship.”
Freya looked over at Colin, remembering all too well where they had started, and how far they’d come.
“I’m sure—”
A shout came from ahead of the group. Freya instantly stopped talking, straining to hear.
Is it break time again already?
But the shout didn’t seem to be instructional, as multiple yelps, cries, and screams all erupted at once.
Freya looked around frantically, trying to identify the source of the commotion. Colin instantly unhooked the straps to the sled, dropping it to the ground. He gripped his bow and readied an arrow.
Freya unhooked Gita’s bag from her shoulder, knowing she may need to run or hide. With trembling hands, she unsheathed the sword from her side. It was far too heavy for her, offering little protection.
The screaming grew louder. More desperate. Closer. Her eyes darted around, trying to make sense of the chaos. Just then, a great, black beast came over the ridge. It stood on hind legs; they watched, frozen, as a bloodcurdling roar bellowed from the fierce creature.
Arrows soared through the air, piercing its sides, its neck, its legs, yet none seemed to have an impact on the beast’s attack. The creature fell forward, landing hard on all fours. Its mouth opened, displaying a horrifying set of sharp teeth.
A man came running at it from the side, sword elevated. He swung down hard with a cry as he slashed toward the creature’s neck. Blood instantly spouted out in spurts. The man lifted his sword to take a second swing, but the beast lifted a massive paw and batted him to the side.
Freya gasped, wanting instantly to run to the man’s side, but there was no time for her, nor anyone else to come to his aid. The man’s limbs jostled as the great creature pounced on his body. Its sharp claws repeatedly shredded into his limp body, blood pooling all around.
Freya’s eyes misted with tears as she stood frozen, watching the carnage. More arrows collided with the creature’s dark fir. More shouts. More blood.
The creature roared again, but this time, its eyes seemed to land on Freya, locking in place. It ran down the hill toward her at an alarming rate. She stepped backward, trying to flee from its path. The arrows kept flying toward the beast, and now toward her. It was closing in on her. Too close. She darted to the side but miss-stepped, toppling over. The imp
act jolted her bones and scraped her stinging skin. Her sword slipped from her grip, landing a few feet from her.
There was nowhere left to run. She rolled onto her side and reached for her sword. The hilt was just out of reach. Suddenly, Gita darted forward and kicked the blade toward her. Freya grasped the hilt with her stinging, bloodied skin and turned onto her back, the blade pointing upward. Her eyelids sealed shut, unable to face her looming death. As the creature closed in on her, she felt the ground quake from its pounding footfalls.
Time stopped. She could visualize herself laying helpless, unable to fight, to scream, or to even open her eyes. She knew she had to be stronger than this. She had endured too much to die here, like this.
I must fight.
Before she could open her eyes, she felt an insatiable pressure. The hilt of her sword dug into her stomach, followed by a crushing weight. Hot, foul breath heaved into her skin. White stars ignited behind her eyes as pain exploded throughout her body until she felt nothing at all.
Chapter 6
Freya
Through the dark haze, she could feel pressure gripping her hand. Her thumb stroked the familiar calloused skin. She sucked in a deep breath. One simple movement was enough to reconnect her mind and body; pain radiated everywhere. She choked, the sensation exploded white stars behind her eyes.
Colin shifted, leaning into her. “Try not to move. You’re safe. Everyone is safe.”
Her mind worked just to sort through her memories. The beast’s hot, foul blood gushed over her. The man the creature mauled before it charged toward her.
“Everyone?”
Colin hesitated. “Everyone who is still here.”
Her eyes welled with tears. Their journey had only just begun, yet there were already casualties. What if not enough people survived this migration to set up a new home?
“How many did we lose?”
“Just one.” He wiped away the tears that spilled down her cheeks. “Our medic says you were really lucky. You’ve broken a couple ribs, but other than that, you’re fine.”
She mentally connected with the discomfort in her middle, her chest, her back, comprehending her pain. “That’s why it hurts to breathe.”
Colin traced his fingertips down her face. “Yes, I’m sorry, but there’s nothing we can do for the pain. It’s going to cause you a lot of discomfort.”
“Yeah. I can tell that already.”
“I thought you were dead.” His voice cracked. “When I saw that bear come down on you, I thought it was over.” He wiped his eyes. “When we pulled it off of you, the medic expected you to be crushed. She thinks it’s a miracle that you will walk again, which you will once you can catch your breath.”
Freya intentionally took a deep breath, focusing on the pain. A groan escaped her lips from her efforts. The discomfort aligned with Colin’s report, focused in her core near her lungs. She wiggled her extremities to see if any further strain registered. Her limbs seemed fine, except for the fire burning in her core that ignited from her movement.
“How long?”
He clenched his jaw. “It’s tough to say. She said that the first month will be hard, but you’ll be fine, as long as you don’t get sick.”
Freya gave her head a slight shake. “I mean, how long can I lie here before we need to leave?”
Colin looked away. “We’re repacking everything right now. We’re planning to put you on one sled and the bear on another.”
“We’re taking the bear?”
Colin nodded. “It’s a lot of meat and we could really use that bear skin. Even the teeth and claws could come in handy. But we want to get to the next outpost before we butcher it.”
Freya took a deep breath and grimaced through the pain. “Then help me up.”
“No. Just lay back and wait for everyone to finish reloading our supplies.”
Freya gripped his hand tightly. “Colin, my legs still work. I’m not going to let anyone drag me.”
“No, Freya. The medic says it’s best that you don’t walk so you can take shallow breaths. Your lungs could fill with fluid.”
She turned her head toward him, baring her teeth through the pain. “Colin, it will be less painful to walk. And if I have to walk at a snail’s pace, then that’s what I’ll do. Now, help me up.”
Wordlessly, he rose to his feet and stood in front of her. White stars danced across her vision as she struggled to sit upright. She breathed through the pain, fighting to stay conscious.
“On three.”
She grasped securely onto his wrists.
“One, two, three,” Colin counted.
It felt as though her side tore open, exposing her lungs and intestines to the elements. She lost any sense of herself, her surroundings, even Colin as the pain consumed her. Her consciousness flickered, coming to in Colin’s arms.
“And, you’re back.” He let out a sigh of relief. “Now let’s see if you can walk.”
He kept a stabilizing arm secured around her waist. She took a few experimental steps, feeling pain throb in her side with every forward motion. It would be dreadful, but it wasn’t more painful than breathing.
“Colin, take my hand. I think it will be easier that way.”
After a few more experimental steps, she felt stable enough to continue.
“How long until everyone is ready to leave?”
He shrugged. “Not sure. We needed to bury that man’s body, and most wanted to have some sort of funeral.” He hesitated. “I don’t care if you want to walk, I’ll have a sled ready for you in case you change your mind, or faint.”
Freya gave his hand a little squeeze. “I’m okay. Why don’t I start walking then?”
“You’re not going by yourself.”
“Colin, I’m going to take baby steps and probably have to stop every couple of minutes. You’ll catch up in no time.”
Colin pushed her hair away from her face. “Let me tell everyone that we’re heading out. I’ll catch up to you shortly. We could make it to the next outpost today.”
Freya let go of his hand. “Then we can’t waste another moment. We need to get there tonight.”
Colin leaned in, placing the gentle, chaste kiss on her lips. “I’ll be right behind you.” He dashed away from her.
She peered up the incline in front of her.
You can do this. Just place one foot in front of the other, and then do it again, and again.
She started her climb, determined to reach the first crest before Colin caught up with her.
***
Each step felt like her feet were shackled. An invisible weight bound her legs. Her sides. Her soul. It wasn’t long before people in her troupe started to pass her, having made only a small dent in the uphill terrain. She took short steps and paused often, grateful she had a head start. It was already clear she would delay their travels.
The first group to pass were the scouts. Their job was to walk ahead of the rest of the group with their weapons drawn. The next group were those pulling the sleds, while everyone else followed behind. Soon, she would be at the end of the line, forcing the others to slow to match her pace.
Colin appeared at her side with an empty supply sled secured around his waist. “Your ride is here.”
Freya’s eyes widened. “I know I’m slow, but you can’t be serious.”
“Freya, you’ve already been on your feet for too long. I’m strapping you to this sled and I’ll drag you like a bundle of supplies.”
She looked at him sideways. His tone communicated that this was nonnegotiable. She questioned if every bump on this uneven terrain would do more harm than good, yet she was too weary to argue. He was right; she shouldn’t be on her feet.
Slowly, he helped her to the ground. Panic immediately gripped her core as she questioned if she could get up again. Regardless, she laid back and let Colin secure her to the sled without further protest.
Despite the bumpy terrain, she drifted in and out of consciousness until they closed in on
their next outpost. Upon arrival, Colin unlatched her and helped her to her feet before he ran off to set up camp.
“I must say, I’m a bit jealous of you getting a ride up that hill,” Gita said.
“Don’t be. I felt every bump.”
Gita wrinkled her nose. “Yeah, and I don’t know anyone well enough to ask them to drag my old, lumpy body up these hills.”
Freya focused on keeping her breath steady while taking each small step. “I’m worried he’ll hurt himself. I don’t know how he’ll do it again tomorrow, or the next day.”
Delivered: A Young Adult Dystopian Romance (The State Series Book 7) Page 4
