Red Gold - 17. Chapter 17 - Moving On

“Hey you two. If you are finished with the male bonding stuff Lee says we need to leave.”

Leelany had disappeared but there were sounds from within the cave of beds being dismantled. Cai slid off his rock and crawled to the fire scooping handfuls of sand to douse the flames. Playfully he flicked some towards Gabrielle and it showered over her bent head.

“Hey, be careful with that” turning she saw the laughter in his eyes. “You did it on purpose. You beast.” She was scraping up the remains of breakfast and she pelted him with squashed berries. He raised his hand to ward then off, laughing.

“Will you…. children, please stop your games? I had thought that I could have trusted you with simple tasks and did not have to supervise constantly.”

“Blah, blah, blah. This is not going to be an easy day Lee, give us a break.”

“If you want to reach the village before dark, and before you are attacked again then I suggest you apply yourself to the tasks…quickly.”

Cai immediately sobered. “I had forgotten.”

“Then you should not forget.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“Then finish your work so we can leave this place.”

In silence Cai finished dousing the fire by which time Leelany and Ben had dragged all of the bed material from the cave and dispersed it in the undergrowth all around. As he was doing so Ben noticed signs that other had done the same before him.

When the last of the embers were extinguished Cai got to his feet and carefully collapsed the fire with his foot. Clouds of smoke rose and Cai began to cough. Reeling back from the fire seeking cleaner air he bent double gasping. Ben was at his side in an instant and steered him to the rock where he had been sitting earlier.

“Sit down for a minute. Lean back not forwards. Try to take deep breaths.”

“Are you alright?” Gabrielle hovered anxiously.

“He’s fine Gabrielle, just give him some space.”

“Oh…. alright. I’ll finish the fire.”

“Stay downwind of the smoke.”

Cai was still struggling, grunting on every exhale but the spasm passed quickly.

“Did that hurt?”

Cai nodded, not trusting himself to speak without sparking the cough again.

“Do think it was just the smoke?” Raising his eyes to Ben’s Cai held them for a long moment before he shook his head. “You really shouldn’t travel. Exerting yourself will only spread the infection more quickly especially now.”

“Lee reminded me of another reason I have to. I’m not safe here.”

“What do you mean not safe?”

“The reason we left here was to escape someone who….. wishes us harm, well Gabrielle. She was sent to your world to protect her, Lee and I went with her for the same reason… I mean to protect her. Now that we are back he will know and we are vulnerable. He has already attacked me…. twice and if he attacks here I will not survive.”

Ben’s eyes went wide, catching on quickly to his meaning. “But……”

“Trust me on this Ben, the rules of the game are different here.”

Ben nodded. “I saw what was in your room. I saw what attacked us when we first came here. I trust you.”

Cai nodded. “We should go. I’m alright now.”

“For now.”

“That’s all there ever is… In this place it is all you can ever be sure of….. for now.” For the first time he looked uncertain, vulnerable.

“Don’t get introspective on me. You need to be clear headed and strong.”

“I will be.”

“When you two are quite ready.” Leelany’s voice was cold and Ben turned with a reprimand on his lips. Cai was faster and even as the words were forming had interpolated himself between Ben and Leelany.

“Sorry Sis, got caught in the backdraft from the fire. Healer man was just making sure I hadn’t done myself any damage.”

“I have taught you better than that so you have no sympathy and you had better not slow us down with your carelessness.”

“Yes, Lee. I’m sorry.”

Ben put a hand on Cai’s arm and spoke very softly in his ear. “Surely now…. you have to.” Cai shook his head slightly and walked away from Ben, across the clearing through the place where the fire used to be which was now just a mound of sand. His face was grim and his shoulders set. Ben sighed. It was going to be a long day.

Leelany struck out into the trees calling over her shoulder. “Stay close, there is no way of knowing what might be lurking in the undergrowth. We have to stay together so if anyone can’t keep up shout.” Gabrielle looked anxiously at Cai and he smiled at her but it was an uncertain smile. She ducked under his arm and put hers around his waist.

“Lean on me.”

“I’m not that hopeless, not just yet.” he nudged her gently away holding on to her hand.

Leelany set a punishing pace which had Gabrielle and Ben struggling very quickly. Cai seemed to be coping much better even in his weakened condition. It wasn’t until almost half way through the day that he started to cough. At first it was just short, sharp episodes that passed quickly and he brushed aside any suggestion of concern from Gabrielle or Ben.

But it slowed him down and eventually he had to increase the pace to catch up. Leelany didn’t let up and they all knew she was getting further and further ahead. Ben began to get really angry with her, even Cai was disappointed in her. The increased pace took its toll quickly and Cai began to get breathless and eventually was gripped by a fit of coughing so severe that he had to stop and eventually fell to his knees gasping, his chest heaving.

“Gabrielle, do you think you can find Lee and make her stop?”

“I don’t know. It’s pretty scary in those woods all alone.”

“Well, I have a feeling that if we wait for her to come back we will be alone for longer.”

“It’s alright. I can go on.”

“But you have no hope of catching her.”

Cai coughed again looking angry with himself for the weakness. “The sun is high, it is about mid day so she will be stopping soon to eat. She will have struck a camp and gone hunting. We don’t need to catch her, just make it to the camp.”

“Can you make it?”

Cai looked up and nodded. He struggled to his feet, still breathless. A fine sheen of perspiration covered his face. Ben reached out and touched his face and he jerked away but too late.

“How long have you been feeling feverish again?”

“Not long.”

“How long?”

Cai shrugged. “Half and hour, maybe more.”

“You should have said.”

“There wasn’t any point.”

“Of course there was a point. I could have given you more medicine.”

“No you couldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“Because you gave it to Lee to carry in her bag.”

“Shit. SHIT. I swear I am going to KILL that sister of yours when we catch up to her.”

“I wish you luck with that one. I know the healers are powerful but they would have their work cut out putting you back together again.”

They both laughed and Cai coughed again. It was a short sharp attack which obviously hurt him but passed quickly.

“Come on, lets find the camp and hopefully she will have left her bag there.”

Gabrielle clung to Cai as the walked, looking up at him with anxious eyes. He avoided looking at her, concentrating on the ground. They had come to the main track a long time ago and he knew that Lee would have struck off it to make camp. It would be a test, as so many things were with her. If he missed the signs he would walk straight past it and she would know and taunt him about it later. Suddenly it was very important that he passed the test.

The signs were fairly clear in the end. In fact, to Cai they were so clear that Leelany might as well have drawn an arrow in the road.

“Here, we leave the road here. The camp will be just… just in the trees.”

“Are you okay?”

“Mm. Struggling a bit. Be okay.”

By the time they reached the camp Cai was stumbling and feverish. He threw himself down and leaned back against a tree, coughing.

“Damn!” Ben cursed after a search of the camp site revealed no bag and, therefore no medicine. “How far will she have gone? How long will she be?”

“Who knows? Not long….. no time.”

In fact, it was less than ten minutes before Leelany appeared like a ghost out of the shadows small dead furry animals dangling from her hand. When she saw that they were resting and the fire was unlit she was, initially, incandescent with anger.

“What the hell…? Could you not at least have set the fire?”

Cai looked up at her, shivering, too breathless to speak. Ben launched himself at her, knocking the animals from her hand in his attempt to pull the bag from her shoulder.

“I don’t know what the hell you think you are doing. The pace you set is one thing… I understand you feel the urge to get to the village is pressing, but you could have come back, you could have checked up on him now and again. And the fact that you ran off with this.” he held up the fruit shell which he had wrested from the bag, “THAT was unforgivable.”

At first Leelany looked outraged and seemed about to unleash a tirade, then she looked at Cai and Gabrielle saw her face change from angry to shocked and then lost.

“But I wasn’t that fast. I did hold back. It wasn’t…… he seemed…….”

“Yes, he did…seem. Because he wouldn’t let me tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“That’s not for me.”

Ben scraped away the wax with his finger, clearing the hole. Cai was gripped with another fit of coughing and Ben had to wait for it to pass before he could hold the shell to his lips to help him drink. As he did so he noticed flecks of blood and his stomach turned to ice. Cai took the shell from his numb fingers with one hand and wiped his mouth with the other. Ben looked up and their eyes met. Cai held him for a long time and he could not look away. He did not release him until another fit of coughing broke the contact. This time Cai made sure that his hand was in front of his mouth when he coughed even though he would have preferred to press it to his side which felt as though his ribs were breaking with the force of the hacking.

When he had drunk the potion Cai leaned back against the tree, exhausted.

“Make the fire Lee, we might be here for a while.”

“No. I’ll be alright when the medicine works. We can’t stay here.”

“You are not going anywhere.”

“We can’t stay here.”

“Cai, are you sure? The village is still four or five hours walk. I don’t think you can make it”

“I know but we can’t stay here.”

“Why? Why can’t we stay here?”

“There’s a…ugh…. demon lair. Somewhere.. ugh… close.” His words were punctuated by spasms which erupted into another fit of coughing.

This time no one asked how he knew about the demons.

“Okay, forget the fire. How long, healer man, before your medicine works and Cai can walk?”

“At least half an hour.”

“Can’t wait. They stir. Help me.”

“Cai, you can’t.”

“Have to. Walk now or….ungh… fight later.” Leelany and Ben between them hauled him to his feet. He was very unsteady and they each slung and arm over their shoulders and half guided half dragged him back to the road.

“We’ll stay on the road, it’s easier and safer. If we can get a half mile it will be safe to stop. I will make a fire at the roadside. You and Gabrielle can stay with him there. It should be safe. I can run to the village in two hours and get help back before the end of the day.”

By the time they got to a point that Leelany deemed far enough away the medicine was working and Cai was able to support himself and walk unaided. It was slow going though as any attempt to exert himself brought on another coughing fit. When they reached a spot that Leelany professed herself satisfied with Cai refused to stop.

“We can’t just sit at the side of the road. It isn’t safe. You run on to the village and bring help back but we have to keep moving in the meantime.”

“Cai……”

“I know what I’m doing. Go Lee.”

She put a hand on his shoulder and gazed into his eyes for a long moment and then she was gone. Gabrielle had not taken her eyes of her but she did not see her go. One minute she was there, the next she had gone. Cai swayed, righted himself and drew himself up.

“Come on.”

“You shouldn’t walk Cai. You know you shouldn’t.”

“Yes, I know but I will not sit and wait to be prey. If something comes I will face it as I have always faced it…. on my feet and fighting.” There was a fierce determination in him that Ben knew he could not contend with.

“Then take it slow and easy because you will not be facing anything if you fall face first in the dirt.”

“If that happens, healer man, tie me to a tree with my knives in my hands and run down that road as fast as you can because if my energy is gone from you they will come.”

“What will come?”

“It is best you don’t know.”

They managed well enough for over an hour. The sun was relentless and none of them had eaten since breakfast. Leelany’s dinner had fallen in the grass and was forgotten and even Ben was beginning to feel light headed in the eye of the sun. Quite suddenly and without warning Cai stopped walking and folded gently to the ground.

Ben was at his side in an instant, even before Gabrielle. Cai was not unconscious, simply exhausted and weak, unable to force his battered body to take another step.

“The tree healer man.”

“Not a chance. I have no intention of leaving you here.”

“You will die.”

“Maybe. Maybe we all will, but if we do we die together.”

“Absolutely. No one is leaving you Cai, so you had better make sure that energy is shining.”

Cai coughed and was to weak to hide the blood that flecked his lips. Gabrielle looked at Ben, her eyes wide with horror. He simply shrugged and looked away.

“Cai..?”

“Don’t worry Gabrielle. I’ll be alright. When I get to the village, I’ll be alright.”

With strength that would have been surprising in anyone else he reached out and pulled her to him in a fierce embrace then, hauling himself to his knees he crawled to the side of the road and set his back against a tree, drawing himself up defiantly.

“Let them come.”

But nothing came. Time stretched out like a road before them and they dragged with heavy steps. Cai drifted in and out of consciousness, often woken by a fit of coughing only to slip away again as soon as the fit passed.

On one such occasion he raised his head, his eyes shining.

“They come.”

“What comes?”

“No…no they come.”