by Cary Caffrey
Suko lifted up the elastic of her briefs and frowned. "And I got sand in my underpants."
The sudden low rumble of engines drew their attention and they both looked up in time to see another of the fast-moving Kingfishers crest the treetops on the hillside, zooming low to land in the clearing just downriver. All the girls stood up and craned their necks to see what was going on.
"I guess it's time to go," Suko said. She took Sigrid's hand as they walked down to find out what the fuss was about. As they got closer they could see the crew offloading supply cases from the transport.
"Is that food, sir?" the redheaded girl named Leta asked.
Rosa grinned. "In a manner of speaking, Ms. Halliday."
Sigrid had always thought Leta beautiful. She was tall for a girl, with large, deep-green eyes and a face framed by a thick mane of heavy red curls. She also seemed to be developing at an alarming rate—alarming to Sigrid, anyway, who could only dream of such curves.
Sigrid was close enough to see that the supply crates contained rope, saws, axes, some long-bladed machetes and shorter knives. Not exactly food, she thought.
Rosa began handing out the tools, studying the girls around him. "You all looked like you were enjoying yourselves so much, I thought you might like to stay for a while. We had considered leaving you here on your own without any of this. I had complete confidence that you'd all be just fine, but since this is your first outing we thought we'd cheat a little and give you some tools to make your stay here a little more comfortable."
"Stay, sir? Here?" Leta asked.
"You don't like this spot, Ms. Halliday?"
Leta didn't answer; she stood blinking at him, twirling a stray curl around her long fingers.
"We'll be back to see how you're all making out in a few days." His gazed hardened, focusing on some of the girls individually—Sara and Sigrid in particular—as he spoke. "I trust you'll all do well to take care of yourselves. Look to each other—and trust in your training." He stepped up into the transport. "I expect to find you all in good health when I return."
Like the other girls, Sigrid was too stunned to say anything; there were hundreds of questions in her head, but none made it to her lips. And then, the transports were gone, lifting off and speeding away over the hillside. Silence returned to the clearing, with only the sounds of the river behind them and the wind passing through the thick standing of trees.
"What do we eat?" one of the girls asked.
None of the girls answered. They all knew what Sigrid knew. This was a test. They'd all taken their survival courses, but that had been classroom training, just theory in books, but this—this was designed to test them for real in the wilderness.
Mei took charge. She was the oldest, by a month, and everyone liked her so there were no objections. She divided up the tools and sent the girls off in groups to begin searching for edible plants and berries, and firewood for cooking.
"What about shelter?" Suko asked. "If we're going to be here for a while…"
"Food first," Mei said. "Then we'll figure out some kind of shelter."
Mei put Sigrid in a group to find food—something a little more substantial than berries. She shooed Sigrid off, with the simple instruction: "Go kill something."
The river seemed like the simplest option. It was teeming with large fish. Sigrid knitted her brows in concentration as she fashioned a spear, using one of her leather bootlaces to lash her knife to the end of a strong, thin branch. With Suko splashing behind her, she set off to one of the shallower areas to spear some dinner. It turned out they did a much better job of frightening the fish, but once they stopped splashing about and managed to remain still for a few minutes Sigrid speared her first.
"I got one!" she exclaimed. She raised the silver fish on the makeshift spear to show everyone, but it promptly wriggled off the blade and splashed back into the water. Suko dived after it, only remembering after the fact that she couldn't swim. She splashed about frantically until Sigrid came to her rescue in the four-foot deep pool.
Realizing she could stand, Suko gave her a sheepish look. "You saved me!" She laughed, and kissed Sigrid hard on the cheek. "My hero."
Sigrid pushed her head under. Suko found this highly amusing and splashed back, but the other girls nearby berated them for losing the fish. Sigrid was more careful with the next one, making sure to grab it and give it a good whack on the rocks.
An hour later, despite the afternoon heat, their feet were so cold, and their teeth chattering so hard, that they were forced to give up the hunt.
"Well, we bagged seven," Suko said, counting their catch. "Hopefully the other girls are having better luck."
Shivering on the bank, they pulled their socks and boots on. Not wanting to dispense with the spear just yet, Sigrid split her other bootlace in half so that she could tie both boots up halfway. They flopped a bit, but not so much that she couldn't walk.
There was a fire going and one of the girls had caught a rabbit. Lei-Fei made a show of skinning the unfortunate creature, doing a good job of grossing out most of the girls. Only three other girls had caught any fish, but the woods were laden with leafy greens and berries, so they all managed to eat enough to feel pleasantly full.
Suko patted her stomach. "Too bad Rosa didn't leave us a pottle—we could've made some chips. That would've been choice."
"I have no idea what you just said," Sigrid said—she still struggled with Suko's kiwi-isms. They both laughed.
As she relaxed by the fire with Suko, her belly full of fish she'd caught herself, and with none of the earthly noises of traffic and people shouting, Sigrid couldn't remember ever having a better time.
Mei roused them all up. "We still need some shelter, people. Let's get to it."
Some of the girls were already off in the woods looking for branches and tree boughs to start building lean-tos. Sigrid and Suko headed off to join them. Suko had one of the axes and was just beginning to work on a small tree that looked good for a support beam when she heard a rustling and a scream a short-ways off. The two girls froze, listening, and then heard it again—a squeal, and then someone cursing.
"That sounds like Khepri," Suko said. "Come on."
The undergrowth was thick and the earth soft, forcing the girls to scramble and claw their way through the dense forest. They found the dark-haired Persian girl sitting with her back up against a tree. She was hurt and holding her leg. Sigrid saw the three long gashes down the side of her calf—she'd been clawed. Blood seeped through her fingers and down her leg.
She looked up at them, slightly dazed, as they approached. "Hi, guys." She sounded more embarrassed than distressed.
Sigrid knelt by her side and pried the girl's hand away from the wound. More blood oozed out. The cuts were long, but not deep. "I don't think you'll need stitches. I think it looks worse than it is. It's all the blood."
Sigrid took off her shirt and tore it into several strips to bandage Khepri's leg.
Khepri grimaced. "Blech…"
"What happened?" Suko asked.
Khepri pointed off into the woods. "Big! It was bigger than me. One of those deer-thingies."
Sigrid knew she meant the elk-like animals that roamed the forests here; smaller than elk on earth, but with an impressive array of razor sharp antlers.
Khepri laughed, embarrassed. "Silly, really. We just startled it—it charged—just kind of ran over me. I think it was more scared of us than we were of it."
Sigrid tied off her makeshift bandages. They'd have to figure something else out for her when they got her back to the camp, but the pressure was already slowing the bleeding.
"Sara ran off after it," Khepri said. "She got it with her spear."
Suko's face darkened in anger. "She left you here?"
Khepri shrugged. "Well, Sara…you know."
"Which way did she go?" Sigrid asked.
Khepri pointed deeper into the forest further up the hill.
"You'll be okay here for a bit?"
>
"Feel better already."
"You're going after her?" Suko asked, surprised.
Sigrid shrugged. "I want to see the animal. We'll be right back—just a few minutes."
"I'll be here," Khepri said and shooed them off.
It wasn't difficult to find Sara; they just followed the trail of broken branches, trampled undergrowth—and blood—until they found her, crouched behind a rotting, fallen tree trunk.
Sara waved them down, signaling for silence as they approached. Sigrid peered over the thick, green moss that covered the trunk. She caught a glimpse of the wounded, furry creature as it limped off ahead of them, disappearing into the thick underbrush with Sara's own makeshift spear sticking from its furry rump.
"I got it good," Sara said. "Let's go."
She led them out and the girls followed, moving with a swift, soundless grace. They tracked the wounded animal up a steep hill and along a narrow, muddy trail. Far below, they could hear the river rushing by, rumbling and growing in volume as the canyon they skirted narrowed and deepened.
The trail led out onto a rocky outcropping on the side of a cliff. Water rippled freely down the rock-face making the ledge slick and their footing precarious. Sigrid slipped, stumbling and teetering on the edge, but Suko caught her with a steadying hand, easing her back against the cliff wall.
"Thanks," Sigrid said. She gulped as she looked down. They could all see the steep pitch that ended in a sheer drop plunging deep into the canyon as the river roared its way over the swirling rapids—the sound was deafening.
"My pleasure," Suko said, relaxing her grip once she saw Sigrid was safe.
The trail they were on came to an abrupt end, revealing a gap in the rocks that led into a cave. The three girls looked at one another, not sure what to do.
"Do we go in?" Suko asked.
As an answer, Sara immediately made her way inside. She'd taken two steps when they all heard a low, bawling moan—then the elk thrust its head out of its hiding place. Sara was completely startled and jumped back, her foot slipping on the rock. She teetered briefly on the cliff edge, her arms flailing. Suko grabbed for her, catching her hand, but Sara's momentum was already carrying her over and she only ended-up pulling Suko with her as the two girls tumbled backward down the steep slope.
Sigrid had a brief glimpse of the animal tearing away down the path, but her eyes were glued in horror as she watched Suko tumble helplessly down over the loose mud and rock. Suko lost her grip on Sara. She managed to slow herself, spreading her arms and legs out as she descended face first. Sara fell backwards, doing several spectacular somersaults.
For a terrifying instant, Sigrid thought they'd both go careening over the precipice ahead of them, but Suko came to a skidding halt a few meters from the edge. Sara was saved as well, but only because she slammed into a tree—Sigrid heard the smack as Sara's head hit the trunk.
Without a thought for her own safety, Sigrid scrambled down the slope as fast as she could, skidding, sliding, grabbing onto the branches that lashed at her legs and face. Gripping a tree-branch with one hand, she reached out and grabbed Suko's ankle.
"I got you!" Sigrid hauled her away from the edge, grabbing onto her belt and hefting her back to her feet. Suko's shirt was torn and she had several scrapes on her nose and face.
"Thanks." Suko said; she had to shout over the din of the thundering river below.
Getting to Sara proved more difficult. Sara sat with her back to the tree at the very edge of the cliff. She looked dazed. Sigrid could see the blood trickling from both of her ears.
Grasping hands with Sigrid, Suko reached out to Sara, but she was too far away. "I can't reach her!"
Inching very carefully, Sigrid crouched as low as she could, grabbing onto one of the many roots that stuck out of the loose earth. It seemed secure enough, and she eased her weight onto it, but when Suko leaned forward, it gave way, uprooting itself a good two feet, sending both of them skidding closer to the edge. It held though, if just barely. Sigrid caught her breath.
Suko turned back to her, her eyes wide.
"Sorry," Sigrid said—Suko gulped and nodded.
Suko reached down again, stretching out—her fingers still inches away from Sara. "You need to reach up!"
Sara looked up at her, struggling to focus. "I hurt my head." She laughed, then, looking at Sigrid, her eyes narrowed. "I don't like you very much."
Sigrid rolled her eyes. "Really? Now?"
"Take my hand!" Suko ordered.
Still groggy, Sara looked down and saw the drop and the rocky riverbed below. Suddenly panicked, she flailed, reaching for Suko's outstretched arm, pulling hard, and scrambling to her feet, but the loose earth gave way and her feet slid out from under her, dangling over the cliff's edge.
Sara clung desperately to Suko's hand. "Don't let me fall…"
For a sickening moment, Sigrid felt Sara's weight pull all three of them downwards, threatening to drag them all over the edge; the river now loomed fully in Sigrid's view, some thirty meters below. Sara looked at her, desperation in her eyes, fighting to keep her grip as much as she fought to stay conscious. She scrambled madly for footing, but found none.
Sara's thrashing wasn't helping any and the tree root Sigrid clung to tore free. Suko stared in horror, helpless. "Sigrid!" she called out, but there was nothing she could do.
Sigrid dug her heels into the earth, but Sara's weight pulled them forward. Gravity reared its ugly head, and Sigrid's vision filled with the sharp rocks of the riverbed. They were going over.
In an act of desperation, Sigrid surged forward, grabbing Suko around the waist, pushing with all her strength and leaping as far as she could out over the cliff. Suko screamed, and Sigrid thought she might have screamed along with her, as the two girls fell headlong into the canyon below.
For a terrible moment, all Sigrid saw were the rocks rushing up to meet them, but her desperate push had been just enough, and the two girls landed, not on the rocks, but in a deep, swirling pool at the side of the river. They hit the water hard and plunged deep below the surface. Sigrid felt the strong current swirling them about, pulling them even deeper until her feet found rock, and the river swept them both along on the bottom.
Sigrid's grip on Suko never faltered. She pushed off the bottom, kicking and swimming as hard as she could. The pull of the river tugged at them, trying to drag them back down, but Sigrid fought it, finally breaking the surface.
The sound was deafening, and the surge of the whitewater completely disorienting. Suko thrashed in her arms and they both fought for air, swallowing large gulps of the water that crashed over their faces. Sigrid lost her hold of Suko as they both went over a huge, sweeping rapid, and for a terrifying, heartbreaking moment, she feared Suko had gone under. But Suko emerged a few meters away downstream, reaching out to her, kicking hard with her feet to stay above the water.
Sigrid swam to her and got an arm back around her. The river widened here, still strong and fast, but Sigrid was able to float along, holding Suko up and keeping her head well above the spray. They drifted along, letting the current carry them. The walls of the canyon were steep, stretching high up above them on all sides. Sigrid scanned the banks for a safe spot, finally kicking toward a flat mossy rock to the side. Exhausted and dazed, they dragged themselves out.
Suko coughed up a considerable amount of water and collapsed on her stomach, panting. "You're one crazy girl, Seeg. But you saved my life." Suko rolled over and took in their surroundings, deep in the river canyon. "I think."
Even Sigrid had to chuckle. They were safe, they were alive, but where were they?
Suko sat up, suddenly. "Where's Sara?"
Sigrid shook her head. "I don't know. I didn't see her."
Both girls were shivering and they huddled together, holding each other. "You're bleeding!" Suko said.
Sigrid hadn't even realized; she'd lost her boots and socks, and somewhere along the way she'd cut her foot. The gash ran from the ball of he
r foot to her heel, bleeding bright crimson and leaving a widening trail that spread out over the wet rock on which they sat. "Uhgch…" she said, sickened by the sight.
Suko took the knife from her belt clip and cut a long strip off the bottom of her shirt. She wrapped Sigrid's foot as best she could, tying the wet bandage tight.
"Can you walk?" Suko asked.
Sigrid looked at the vertical cliffs of the canyon that surrounded them. "I don't think that's an issue here." Across the river, about fifty meters away, was the other bank. The cliffs seemed to drop much lower on that side.
Suko followed her gaze. "We're not going back into that."
Sigrid saw the fear on her face, but she couldn't see any other way out. "The camp's on that side. We've got to get across." Sigrid waded into the shallows, wincing as her injured foot touched the freezing water. She turned back to Suko and held out her hand. "Come on. It'll be okay."
Suko took a step away from the river.
Sigrid's voice softened. "Do you trust me?"
Suko's eyes were fixed fearfully on the water, but when she took Sigrid's hand, she nodded. "Yes."
"All right." Sigrid guided Suko slowly into the water until it was swirling around their hips. "Just relax and think floaty thoughts." She turned Suko so her back was half-facing her and wrapped her left arm around Suko's waist. "Okay, now just lean onto my hip—like you're sitting—lift your feet."
"Oh—kay…" Suko lifted her feet, and immediately began to thrash her arms in the water to steady herself.
Sigrid tightened her grip. "Just sit back—don't try to swim—relax your arms."
Suko forced herself to relax, and found that she was indeed floating—well, sitting on Sigrid's hip. Sigrid pushed off and began side-stroking across the river.
Sigrid could feel Suko tense up as they moved deeper into the river, but she didn't fight her. Sigrid tried not to think of the sound of more rapids and falls further ahead, and concentrated instead on the shoreline in front of her, still so far away. The current was dragging them downstream, faster than she'd expected.
The cliffs dropped lower and lower—the rush of the rapids ahead became ever deafening. Sigrid snagged a rocky outcropping, but the swim had left her too weak to climb up. Suko had to hoist her up onto the edge of the bank. Cold and exhausted, they lay panting on the muddy ground, shivering and clinging to each other.
