October 2016
His breath curled before his face, visible in the cold fall air as he sighed. He watched it with tired eyes, body laden with more than just the pack on his back and the winter cloths keeping him warm. The sky above was barely turning from night to day without a cloud in the sky. Even the last few stars that he could see beyond the branches and remaining leaves seemed to wink goodbye at him as he turned his attention from the sky above.
As the last of his breath dissipated, he turned enough to look back at his companions. Two were standing about, patiently waiting with packs fully packed. Two were near the fire pit adjusting something on the younger of two’s pack. Another stood up from where one of the tents had been, slinging their pack onto a shoulder as they stood. He met their gaze briefly before looking over the others once more.
“Ready?” he called out cautiously.
There was a collection of nodded affirmations but the one still working on the pack spoke up. “Two seconds.”
He nodded in turn as the others started to move towards him.
A wind rustled the changing leaves and bare branches above their head. He looked up, watching as leaves were gently pulled from their branches and sent dancing towards the trodden path below.
“Alright, let’s go.”
He looked down at the last duo to see them joining the others before he turned and started down the path. Silence hung around them, filled only with the sound of crunching leaves beneath their feet and the wind playing with the treetops. The silenced stayed for quite some time as the sun crept higher into the sky till, at last, sleep had released them completely and a few in the group found topics to expand upon. He stayed at the front of the group, not feeling the need to converse with any of them.
It seemed that others had a different idea, though.
“How long have we been out here?” a soft voice asked from his left. He glanced over, finding himself looking at the girl that had been packing near one of the tent sites.
“I lost count,” he confessed, looking ahead again. “A couple of months, probably.”
She fell silent beside him, the chatter behind them as soft as their conversation had been. They had learned not to be too loud.
“Think we’ll come across more supplies soon?”
The weight on his shoulders seemed to grow. “I hope so.”
She slipped her arm around his, resting her head against his shoulder briefly as she sidled up against his side. “Me too.” She raised her head off his shoulder. She glanced back at the others, specifically to the one that had being aided with their pack. “You should talk to him.”
He chuckled, looking down at her with a tired expression. “Why should I do that?” He glanced back. “He’s perfectly ok not knowing.”
Her grip around his arm tightened as she glared at him. “But you’re not.” Her expression fell. “Please, Warrick. It would be nice to see something happy before this all ends.”
He looked down at her but his own expression showed nothing more than exhaustion. “I can’t, Viera. Jaden does not need that.” He couldn’t help glancing back. “Not now.”
He watched as Jaden laughed softly at something the older man walking beside him had said. He felt Viera slip from his arm before he looked at her. She was looking at him with a strange expression. He frowned. “What?”
“Warrick, I–”
The snap of a twig shot through the trees like a crack of thunder. The entire group froze, eyes wide and instantly turning to the surrounding trees. He reached out, slowly pressing Viera back towards the group that was huddling together on the center of the trail on the leaves. At first, there was nothing, and they stood packed together in the cold fall air for a long time without speaking.
He was the first to see it.
There, at the edge of his vision, a shape appeared: a mass of fog that vanished when he looked directly at it. He gave an involuntary shudder as he watched out the peripheral of his vision the creature getting closer, blipping in and out of existence and changing location as it got closer. At least, he hoped there was only one.
They all jumped when the thing suddenly appeared before them, pressed up against the edge of the trail in the leaves. None of them made a sound as they all stared in horror at the mass pressing against an invisible barrier protecting them from the creature’s touch.
It was a grayish white, like fog at the edge of morning. It had a shape that was ever changing, wisping away like fog does only for the main mass of fog to never change density. The thing’s eyes were like shaped onyx, black and shiny without really seeming like eyes.
For what felt like an eternity it stared at them, reaching for them only to fail. Eventually, the thing moved on as if it had either grown bored or had gotten distracted. He wasn’t sure but he felt his companions relax around him.
He knew better, could see the faint wisps of the other creatures now forming around them. The other creatures kept their distance, waiting.
Viera tugged on his arm, gaining his attention. He looked away for only an instant but it was all that was needed.
He woke with frost coating the fur of his hood. His breath was visible before his face in the freezing night air as he carefully pushed himself upright. He rubbed at his head, shaking away the lingering feeling that he was forgetting something.
He was used to it.
Pulling out a leather bound book, he opened to the bookmarked page and stared down at the list. Fifty-three names were scrawled there, all but five crossed out. He looked around.
He was alone.
As the last of his breath dissipated, he turned enough to look back at his companions. Two were standing about, patiently waiting with packs fully packed. Two were near the fire pit adjusting something on the younger of two’s pack. Another stood up from where one of the tents had been, slinging their pack onto a shoulder as they stood. He met their gaze briefly before looking over the others once more.
“Ready?” he called out cautiously.
There was a collection of nodded affirmations but the one still working on the pack spoke up. “Two seconds.”
He nodded in turn as the others started to move towards him.
A wind rustled the changing leaves and bare branches above their head. He looked up, watching as leaves were gently pulled from their branches and sent dancing towards the trodden path below.
“Alright, let’s go.”
He looked down at the last duo to see them joining the others before he turned and started down the path. Silence hung around them, filled only with the sound of crunching leaves beneath their feet and the wind playing with the treetops. The silenced stayed for quite some time as the sun crept higher into the sky till, at last, sleep had released them completely and a few in the group found topics to expand upon. He stayed at the front of the group, not feeling the need to converse with any of them.
It seemed that others had a different idea, though.
“How long have we been out here?” a soft voice asked from his left. He glanced over, finding himself looking at the girl that had been packing near one of the tent sites.
“I lost count,” he confessed, looking ahead again. “A couple of months, probably.”
She fell silent beside him, the chatter behind them as soft as their conversation had been. They had learned not to be too loud.
“Think we’ll come across more supplies soon?”
The weight on his shoulders seemed to grow. “I hope so.”
She slipped her arm around his, resting her head against his shoulder briefly as she sidled up against his side. “Me too.” She raised her head off his shoulder. She glanced back at the others, specifically to the one that had being aided with their pack. “You should talk to him.”
He chuckled, looking down at her with a tired expression. “Why should I do that?” He glanced back. “He’s perfectly ok not knowing.”
Her grip around his arm tightened as she glared at him. “But you’re not.” Her expression fell. “Please, Warrick. It would be nice to see something happy before this all ends.”
He looked down at her but his own expression showed nothing more than exhaustion. “I can’t, Viera. Jaden does not need that.” He couldn’t help glancing back. “Not now.”
He watched as Jaden laughed softly at something the older man walking beside him had said. He felt Viera slip from his arm before he looked at her. She was looking at him with a strange expression. He frowned. “What?”
“Warrick, I–”
The snap of a twig shot through the trees like a crack of thunder. The entire group froze, eyes wide and instantly turning to the surrounding trees. He reached out, slowly pressing Viera back towards the group that was huddling together on the center of the trail on the leaves. At first, there was nothing, and they stood packed together in the cold fall air for a long time without speaking.
He was the first to see it.
There, at the edge of his vision, a shape appeared: a mass of fog that vanished when he looked directly at it. He gave an involuntary shudder as he watched out the peripheral of his vision the creature getting closer, blipping in and out of existence and changing location as it got closer. At least, he hoped there was only one.
They all jumped when the thing suddenly appeared before them, pressed up against the edge of the trail in the leaves. None of them made a sound as they all stared in horror at the mass pressing against an invisible barrier protecting them from the creature’s touch.
It was a grayish white, like fog at the edge of morning. It had a shape that was ever changing, wisping away like fog does only for the main mass of fog to never change density. The thing’s eyes were like shaped onyx, black and shiny without really seeming like eyes.
For what felt like an eternity it stared at them, reaching for them only to fail. Eventually, the thing moved on as if it had either grown bored or had gotten distracted. He wasn’t sure but he felt his companions relax around him.
He knew better, could see the faint wisps of the other creatures now forming around them. The other creatures kept their distance, waiting.
Viera tugged on his arm, gaining his attention. He looked away for only an instant but it was all that was needed.
He woke with frost coating the fur of his hood. His breath was visible before his face in the freezing night air as he carefully pushed himself upright. He rubbed at his head, shaking away the lingering feeling that he was forgetting something.
He was used to it.
Pulling out a leather bound book, he opened to the bookmarked page and stared down at the list. Fifty-three names were scrawled there, all but five crossed out. He looked around.
He was alone.
“Trick or treat!”
He glanced towards the front of the house they were passing, seeing the small chorus of children before the front door all dressed in a different costume. Only one of the parents was on the porch with the kids, the others hanging back on the walk chatting. A fond smile pulled at his lips as he looked forward again.
At the end of the block, someone was waving. His fond smile broke into a grin and he waved back, easily recognizing his best friend and the rest of the gang.
She tackled him when he was close enough, her fake faerie wing smacking him in the face and covering it in glitter. “You made it!” she exclaimed, slipping away from him. She took one look at his face and broke out into giggles.
He gave her a playful glare as he wiped what glitter he could off his face.
“Here,” spoke a calm, stern voice. He jerked slightly at the sudden feel of bristles on his face but he held still and waited as the brush took the glitter from his face more efficiently than his hand. He smiled to the girl dressed as a witch, offering, “Thank you.”
She tucked the brush back into her bag, the rest of the gang settling around them.
“Ready for this chaos to begin?” teased the young man dressed in actual full armor.
“Where’s your sister?” asked the other young man of the group who was dressed as an elf from Lord of the Rings.
“Bringing the twins,” he easily supplied, sticking his hands into his pockets. “She was helping them fix one of the wings.”
“Who crunched their wing this time?” teased the faerie.
“Dynasty.”
The witch scoffed. “Again?”
He shrugged. Not like he had anything to say towards it. The knight looked over his shoulder and perked up. “Hey, there they are.”
The group looked down the sidewalk he had walked up to see a young adult walking with what appeared to be two young teens. The young adult was almost the spitting image of him, excluding a few details in the costume. They were both wearing black suits but his had a white vest, black shirt, and white tie versus the black vest, white shirt, and black tie of the other. They both had the same black fedora and same freaky mask, though he wasn’t currently wearing his like his twin was. He flicked his fingers at her and she signed right back, their white gloved hands easy to see in the dim light of night.
The two young teens bounded over, their feather wings bouncing behind them and their halos bobbing over their heads. They were dressed in the same white toga, a golden medallion on opposite hips depicting the same symbol. The knight grinned at the pair. “I hear you broke a wing, Dynasty.”
The male of the two teens made a face, snapping, “I didn’t break it. I rumpled it.”
“Oh, is that all?” the witch challenged. The elf placed a hand on her shoulder, a silent warning that the entire crew noticed but didn’t comment on. There was no need to.
He turned his attention from his twin to the male angel. “Dynasty,” his gaze moved to the female angel, “Destiny, you two sure you want to wear that? You guys look like you’re 13. 14 at best.”
“Yep!” came the unison chime. The faerie giggled.
“Can’t blame them,” she replied, beaming at him when she met his gaze. “They are just downright adorable.”
He chuckled, shaking his head as his own twin stepped up to his side. “Alright. Let’s head out before we’re even more late than we already are.”
“Not gonna be late,” the female angel chimed, bounding to the lead with her twin following suit. He chuckled, glancing at his twin. She dipped her head in acknowledgement, a sign of reassurance with her face obscured by the mask. He moved his own mask from around his neck and placed it over his face.
The group of eight wandered the streets, the angels leading the way. There were many comments from those that passed them about the costumes and how cool some were or how impressive others were or, in his and his twin’s case, how creepy they were. Most of the talk was in whispers behind their backs but some actually stepped up and offered the compliments to them directly. It was a good sign for the evening.
By the time they reached their destination, it was clear the party was already in full swing. With a chuckle and a shake of his head, he followed the others up the steps, his hand reaching back for his twin. Her hand slid into his and gave it a squeeze. He took comfort in the fact that she didn’t pull her hand away after that.
The place was loud and packed but the energy was high and the music was pulsing. There were many types of costumes from professionally made to thrift store throw togethers. Some of the thrift store ones were rather impressive and there were a number he could see just in the first room that were handmade and had been done with skill.
The angels kept going, passing through the first room into the kitchen. The gang followed, none of them lingering. They found their other cohorts chilling in the much calmer space of the kitchen.
“You guys made it! Sweet!” said a dude dressed as a surfer. He had gone for the wetsuit look rather than just the swim trunks, which was probably wise. The surf board was leaning up against a wall but he knew that the surfer would leave it behind for where they were heading.
“Of course we made it,” chastised the faerie playfully, hugging the Catwoman that had stood up the greet them. “We are so excited.”
“Who’s first haunted house is this?” asked Catwoman, looking to the rest of the group.
He watched as the faerie, witch, elf, and angels raised their hand, along with the surfer and the doctor tucked into the corner beside the surfer. Catwoman’s gaze swept over the raised hands quickly, eyeing the Batman and Superman behind her as if not believing them.
Superman offered a smile, replying, “We went to one last week.”
Even from under the mask it was clear Catwoman had arched an eyebrow at the Batman. The man shrugged. “My sister got us in for free.”
“So how far is this haunted house of yours?” the witch asked, her arms crossed.
“20 minute walk, if that,” the surfer supplied, getting up. “We’d best get going before we get blocked in by the party.”
“We coming back?” he asked, shifting to the side with his twin as the surfer moved to lead the way, the other three that had been sitting near the surfer standing.
The surfer gave him a wicked grin, one promising mayhem and fright. Or, at least attempted to. He didn’t take the look seriously. He knew the surfer too well to take it seriously. “If we survive.”
He rolled his eyes in good humor, moving his head to convey the motion that was hidden by his mask. The witch slapped at the surfer’s arm, gaining a giggly laugh from the surfer in turn. The large group filed out of the house and back onto the street, heading beyond the house and the neighborhood.
Sure enough, not even 20 minutes later, the group was coming upon a haunted house that was massive and oh so enticing. He squeezed his twin’s hand still tucked into his own and she squeezed back. He was excited and he could tell she was too. They both were excited to see just how scary this house could be. It had been a long time since they had had a good scare, let alone so many friends to share it with.
He glanced towards the front of the house they were passing, seeing the small chorus of children before the front door all dressed in a different costume. Only one of the parents was on the porch with the kids, the others hanging back on the walk chatting. A fond smile pulled at his lips as he looked forward again.
At the end of the block, someone was waving. His fond smile broke into a grin and he waved back, easily recognizing his best friend and the rest of the gang.
She tackled him when he was close enough, her fake faerie wing smacking him in the face and covering it in glitter. “You made it!” she exclaimed, slipping away from him. She took one look at his face and broke out into giggles.
He gave her a playful glare as he wiped what glitter he could off his face.
“Here,” spoke a calm, stern voice. He jerked slightly at the sudden feel of bristles on his face but he held still and waited as the brush took the glitter from his face more efficiently than his hand. He smiled to the girl dressed as a witch, offering, “Thank you.”
She tucked the brush back into her bag, the rest of the gang settling around them.
“Ready for this chaos to begin?” teased the young man dressed in actual full armor.
“Where’s your sister?” asked the other young man of the group who was dressed as an elf from Lord of the Rings.
“Bringing the twins,” he easily supplied, sticking his hands into his pockets. “She was helping them fix one of the wings.”
“Who crunched their wing this time?” teased the faerie.
“Dynasty.”
The witch scoffed. “Again?”
He shrugged. Not like he had anything to say towards it. The knight looked over his shoulder and perked up. “Hey, there they are.”
The group looked down the sidewalk he had walked up to see a young adult walking with what appeared to be two young teens. The young adult was almost the spitting image of him, excluding a few details in the costume. They were both wearing black suits but his had a white vest, black shirt, and white tie versus the black vest, white shirt, and black tie of the other. They both had the same black fedora and same freaky mask, though he wasn’t currently wearing his like his twin was. He flicked his fingers at her and she signed right back, their white gloved hands easy to see in the dim light of night.
The two young teens bounded over, their feather wings bouncing behind them and their halos bobbing over their heads. They were dressed in the same white toga, a golden medallion on opposite hips depicting the same symbol. The knight grinned at the pair. “I hear you broke a wing, Dynasty.”
The male of the two teens made a face, snapping, “I didn’t break it. I rumpled it.”
“Oh, is that all?” the witch challenged. The elf placed a hand on her shoulder, a silent warning that the entire crew noticed but didn’t comment on. There was no need to.
He turned his attention from his twin to the male angel. “Dynasty,” his gaze moved to the female angel, “Destiny, you two sure you want to wear that? You guys look like you’re 13. 14 at best.”
“Yep!” came the unison chime. The faerie giggled.
“Can’t blame them,” she replied, beaming at him when she met his gaze. “They are just downright adorable.”
He chuckled, shaking his head as his own twin stepped up to his side. “Alright. Let’s head out before we’re even more late than we already are.”
“Not gonna be late,” the female angel chimed, bounding to the lead with her twin following suit. He chuckled, glancing at his twin. She dipped her head in acknowledgement, a sign of reassurance with her face obscured by the mask. He moved his own mask from around his neck and placed it over his face.
The group of eight wandered the streets, the angels leading the way. There were many comments from those that passed them about the costumes and how cool some were or how impressive others were or, in his and his twin’s case, how creepy they were. Most of the talk was in whispers behind their backs but some actually stepped up and offered the compliments to them directly. It was a good sign for the evening.
By the time they reached their destination, it was clear the party was already in full swing. With a chuckle and a shake of his head, he followed the others up the steps, his hand reaching back for his twin. Her hand slid into his and gave it a squeeze. He took comfort in the fact that she didn’t pull her hand away after that.
The place was loud and packed but the energy was high and the music was pulsing. There were many types of costumes from professionally made to thrift store throw togethers. Some of the thrift store ones were rather impressive and there were a number he could see just in the first room that were handmade and had been done with skill.
The angels kept going, passing through the first room into the kitchen. The gang followed, none of them lingering. They found their other cohorts chilling in the much calmer space of the kitchen.
“You guys made it! Sweet!” said a dude dressed as a surfer. He had gone for the wetsuit look rather than just the swim trunks, which was probably wise. The surf board was leaning up against a wall but he knew that the surfer would leave it behind for where they were heading.
“Of course we made it,” chastised the faerie playfully, hugging the Catwoman that had stood up the greet them. “We are so excited.”
“Who’s first haunted house is this?” asked Catwoman, looking to the rest of the group.
He watched as the faerie, witch, elf, and angels raised their hand, along with the surfer and the doctor tucked into the corner beside the surfer. Catwoman’s gaze swept over the raised hands quickly, eyeing the Batman and Superman behind her as if not believing them.
Superman offered a smile, replying, “We went to one last week.”
Even from under the mask it was clear Catwoman had arched an eyebrow at the Batman. The man shrugged. “My sister got us in for free.”
“So how far is this haunted house of yours?” the witch asked, her arms crossed.
“20 minute walk, if that,” the surfer supplied, getting up. “We’d best get going before we get blocked in by the party.”
“We coming back?” he asked, shifting to the side with his twin as the surfer moved to lead the way, the other three that had been sitting near the surfer standing.
The surfer gave him a wicked grin, one promising mayhem and fright. Or, at least attempted to. He didn’t take the look seriously. He knew the surfer too well to take it seriously. “If we survive.”
He rolled his eyes in good humor, moving his head to convey the motion that was hidden by his mask. The witch slapped at the surfer’s arm, gaining a giggly laugh from the surfer in turn. The large group filed out of the house and back onto the street, heading beyond the house and the neighborhood.
Sure enough, not even 20 minutes later, the group was coming upon a haunted house that was massive and oh so enticing. He squeezed his twin’s hand still tucked into his own and she squeezed back. He was excited and he could tell she was too. They both were excited to see just how scary this house could be. It had been a long time since they had had a good scare, let alone so many friends to share it with.
He pushed the branch aside; he looked around as the sound of the others approaching grew louder. He took a step back, looking to the others as he kept the branch out of the way. “We should be good here.”
He gained a grateful nod from the man aiding the very pregnant woman into the crude shelter. The last member of the company moved slowly, his gaze on the trail and woods they had just passed through, as if expecting an attack.
“Come on, Balthazar,” he urged gently. “There’s nothing out there yet.”
“Until it rains,” the man grumbled, slipping under his arm into the shelter. He followed suit, finding that the man had aided the very pregnant woman to the floor leaning against what he could now depict as an old stone wall. He looked around, now able to see the remnants of an ancient home. He looked up. The majority of the roof was still intact over the area where the pregnant woman had settled and it appeared that the vines, shrubbery, and trees had filled in the gaps. It was a miracle that there wasn’t an animal nesting in here yet.
“There is no rain…yet,” the man helping the woman stated. “And when it does come, we’ll be fine in here.” The man looked at him. “Right, Dasan?”
He looked towards the entrance, thoughtful. “We should be fine from both that and the weather. The original structure here isn’t completely compromised and the plant life has filled in what was compromised.”
“Good,” the woman commented with a sigh. She tensed, her hands going to her swollen abdomen with a hiss. The man that had been helping the woman knelt beside her quickly, a hand covering hers.
“Lady Hilma?” he asked concern written all over his face.
“I’m fine, Derek.” She offered him a soft smile, covering his hand. “Just a contraction.”
“Wait, isn’t that a bad thing?” Balthazar demanded.
Derek glared at the older man but it was Dasan that spoke up. “Easy, Balthazar,” he stated, stepping forward to gain his attention. “We knew that she was due at any time. Children do not wait for the most opportune time to be born.”
Derek turned his attention to the soon to be mother. “What do you need, Lady Hilma?”
“For one, for you to stop calling me Lady Hilma,” she chided, though her look was fond. “It’s just Hilma. And two, nothing for right now. I will let you know if I need anything.”
Dasan tipped his head to the side. “Has your water broke then?”
Hilma nodded. “About an hour ago.”
Derek gave her a look as Dasan nodded. “Lady,” he chastised, “you were suppose to tell me.”
Hilma waved him off. “I was not experiencing contractions so I was not worried about it. Now that I am, I’ve told you.” Derek gave her a flat look. She shrugged. “Fine. You discovered it. But still, the baby should be hours away. We’ll be fine.”
There was a low rumble and Dasan looked towards the entrance.
“I don’t know about that,” Balthazar grumbled. Dasan looked at him, curious. The older man was glaring at the entrance. “The rain’s coming in. If we don’t move soon, we’re stuck here till the storm passes over.”
The low howl rolled through the forest around them and they all tensed. All but Dasan. He looked towards the entrance again, curious, and not at all worried. Balthazar hissed in displeasure. “They’re out.”
“Guess we’re here for the night, then,” Hilma stated plainly, as if that settled the matter. Dasan watched Balthazar grumbled as he sat down in a far corner. That was plain enough for him to know that it had been. Dasan slipped his pack off, offering, “If you would like, I could go gather fire material.”
“I wouldn’t go out there if I were you, boy,” Balthazar ground out. Dasan looked to him but there was nothing more than curiosity on the young man’s face. Dasan watched as Balthazar squirmed under the look, which confused Dasan. “Those things are out now.”
Dasan looked to Hilma and Derek. “We’ll need a fire if we’re going to stay here long enough.”
Derek looked as if he was going to argue, but Hilma’s voice overrode him. “Be quick and be safe, Dasan.” She gave him a soft smile. “We’ll see you shortly.”
Dasan nodded and ducked out.
The rain came an hour later in a torrent. By the time the rain started, Dasan had a fire going, a decent pile of wood and kindling behind him and a small opening somewhere in the roof to let out the smoke without letting the rain in. Or the beasts currently releasing low howls beyond their makeshift shelter.
“The rain is nice,” Hilma commented into the silence, her eyes closed. “Peaceful.”
“With the beasts howling out there?” Balthazar asked in disbelief. “It’s more haunting than peaceful.”
“Balthazar,” Derek warned but Hilma placed a hand on Derek’s shoulder, silencing him.
She looked to the older man, Dasan watching all of it with open curiosity. “You have not had good experiences in the rain, then, I take it?”
Balthazar gave a huff of a laugh, his gaze over at the entrance. It seemed answer enough for Hilma, at least, as Dasan returned his gaze to her. She settled and closed her eyes again. Derek met his gaze, his expression something Dasan could not make out. “Get some rest, Dasan.” Derek turned his gaze onto Balthazar, his gaze hardening. “You as well, Balthazar.”
Balthazar grumbled but settled in to sleep. Dasan looked to Hilma, a question on his face. She smiled. “It’ll be a good few hours before the baby arrives. I’ll have Derek wake you.” Dasan’s face became worried and her smile grew. “I promise. Don’t worry.”
Dasan nodded and gave in, settling. He closed his eyes and listened to the rain outside and the low howls that accompanied it. Before he knew it, he was dreaming. It wasn’t something overly coherent. He could feel earth beneath his feet as he ran. But he wasn’t running out of fear, he was running out of joy. The rain around him felt fantastic and he couldn’t help the cheer that went up. Others cheered around him and he found himself in a group, all running just to run in the rain.
He woke with a start, this itch to run strong as he looked up at Balthazar. The older man’s expression was taught. “Kid’s coming.”
Dasan rubbed at his eyes as he got up, looking to Hilma. She was sweaty, breathing hard, and holding tight to Derek’s hand as pain rippled through her. Dasan walked over, Balthazar keeping his distance. He looked to Derek.
“Can you deliver the baby?” Derek asked.
Dasan nodded, touching Hilma’s knee as he knelt before her. He looked to Hilma. “Are you alright with that?”
Hilma nodded, her soft smile pained but encouraging. “I trust you.”
Dasan dipped is head and settled in to work.
Four hours later, a child was born. And as the child fell free of his mother, a howl went up, so loud it sounded as if it was nearly outside the entrance. A chorus joined it, just as close. The child’s cries joined them.
Cleaned as best they could manage and swaddled in a spare shirt, the baby was placed against Hilma’s chest and Dasan settled back where he had been sleeping.
He watched as Hilma and Derek cooed over the babe, and, surprisingly, Balthazar as well. It was like the birth had temporarily removed their attention from the howls outside. But Dasan was completely aware of them, hyperaware of them. And the itch to go outside and run was becoming unbearable. He found himself jerking to awareness staring at the entrance to the shelter. He looked up at Derek, wide eyed. Derek offered him a tight smile. “Join them,” he offered softly.
Dasan bristled, looking towards Hilma and Balthazar. The pair was preoccupied but Dasan could tell that it was all Hilma’s doing. He looked back up at Derek, not understanding. Derek pushed at his shoulder again. “Go.”
Dasan glanced one last time at the other before ducking out. He shuddered, the feeling of the rain on his skin feeling fantastic. He took off at a run.
There were others that joined him and he found himself letting out a cheer that sounded more like a howl to his ears. The others around him weaved with him in and out of the trees and, in no time, he found himself on the edge of a cliff, panting hard but feeling invigorated. He looked at the others and felt, for once, in a place that he belong.
He turned, kicking off the rock he was standing on and landed on all fours at a run.
He gained a grateful nod from the man aiding the very pregnant woman into the crude shelter. The last member of the company moved slowly, his gaze on the trail and woods they had just passed through, as if expecting an attack.
“Come on, Balthazar,” he urged gently. “There’s nothing out there yet.”
“Until it rains,” the man grumbled, slipping under his arm into the shelter. He followed suit, finding that the man had aided the very pregnant woman to the floor leaning against what he could now depict as an old stone wall. He looked around, now able to see the remnants of an ancient home. He looked up. The majority of the roof was still intact over the area where the pregnant woman had settled and it appeared that the vines, shrubbery, and trees had filled in the gaps. It was a miracle that there wasn’t an animal nesting in here yet.
“There is no rain…yet,” the man helping the woman stated. “And when it does come, we’ll be fine in here.” The man looked at him. “Right, Dasan?”
He looked towards the entrance, thoughtful. “We should be fine from both that and the weather. The original structure here isn’t completely compromised and the plant life has filled in what was compromised.”
“Good,” the woman commented with a sigh. She tensed, her hands going to her swollen abdomen with a hiss. The man that had been helping the woman knelt beside her quickly, a hand covering hers.
“Lady Hilma?” he asked concern written all over his face.
“I’m fine, Derek.” She offered him a soft smile, covering his hand. “Just a contraction.”
“Wait, isn’t that a bad thing?” Balthazar demanded.
Derek glared at the older man but it was Dasan that spoke up. “Easy, Balthazar,” he stated, stepping forward to gain his attention. “We knew that she was due at any time. Children do not wait for the most opportune time to be born.”
Derek turned his attention to the soon to be mother. “What do you need, Lady Hilma?”
“For one, for you to stop calling me Lady Hilma,” she chided, though her look was fond. “It’s just Hilma. And two, nothing for right now. I will let you know if I need anything.”
Dasan tipped his head to the side. “Has your water broke then?”
Hilma nodded. “About an hour ago.”
Derek gave her a look as Dasan nodded. “Lady,” he chastised, “you were suppose to tell me.”
Hilma waved him off. “I was not experiencing contractions so I was not worried about it. Now that I am, I’ve told you.” Derek gave her a flat look. She shrugged. “Fine. You discovered it. But still, the baby should be hours away. We’ll be fine.”
There was a low rumble and Dasan looked towards the entrance.
“I don’t know about that,” Balthazar grumbled. Dasan looked at him, curious. The older man was glaring at the entrance. “The rain’s coming in. If we don’t move soon, we’re stuck here till the storm passes over.”
The low howl rolled through the forest around them and they all tensed. All but Dasan. He looked towards the entrance again, curious, and not at all worried. Balthazar hissed in displeasure. “They’re out.”
“Guess we’re here for the night, then,” Hilma stated plainly, as if that settled the matter. Dasan watched Balthazar grumbled as he sat down in a far corner. That was plain enough for him to know that it had been. Dasan slipped his pack off, offering, “If you would like, I could go gather fire material.”
“I wouldn’t go out there if I were you, boy,” Balthazar ground out. Dasan looked to him but there was nothing more than curiosity on the young man’s face. Dasan watched as Balthazar squirmed under the look, which confused Dasan. “Those things are out now.”
Dasan looked to Hilma and Derek. “We’ll need a fire if we’re going to stay here long enough.”
Derek looked as if he was going to argue, but Hilma’s voice overrode him. “Be quick and be safe, Dasan.” She gave him a soft smile. “We’ll see you shortly.”
Dasan nodded and ducked out.
The rain came an hour later in a torrent. By the time the rain started, Dasan had a fire going, a decent pile of wood and kindling behind him and a small opening somewhere in the roof to let out the smoke without letting the rain in. Or the beasts currently releasing low howls beyond their makeshift shelter.
“The rain is nice,” Hilma commented into the silence, her eyes closed. “Peaceful.”
“With the beasts howling out there?” Balthazar asked in disbelief. “It’s more haunting than peaceful.”
“Balthazar,” Derek warned but Hilma placed a hand on Derek’s shoulder, silencing him.
She looked to the older man, Dasan watching all of it with open curiosity. “You have not had good experiences in the rain, then, I take it?”
Balthazar gave a huff of a laugh, his gaze over at the entrance. It seemed answer enough for Hilma, at least, as Dasan returned his gaze to her. She settled and closed her eyes again. Derek met his gaze, his expression something Dasan could not make out. “Get some rest, Dasan.” Derek turned his gaze onto Balthazar, his gaze hardening. “You as well, Balthazar.”
Balthazar grumbled but settled in to sleep. Dasan looked to Hilma, a question on his face. She smiled. “It’ll be a good few hours before the baby arrives. I’ll have Derek wake you.” Dasan’s face became worried and her smile grew. “I promise. Don’t worry.”
Dasan nodded and gave in, settling. He closed his eyes and listened to the rain outside and the low howls that accompanied it. Before he knew it, he was dreaming. It wasn’t something overly coherent. He could feel earth beneath his feet as he ran. But he wasn’t running out of fear, he was running out of joy. The rain around him felt fantastic and he couldn’t help the cheer that went up. Others cheered around him and he found himself in a group, all running just to run in the rain.
He woke with a start, this itch to run strong as he looked up at Balthazar. The older man’s expression was taught. “Kid’s coming.”
Dasan rubbed at his eyes as he got up, looking to Hilma. She was sweaty, breathing hard, and holding tight to Derek’s hand as pain rippled through her. Dasan walked over, Balthazar keeping his distance. He looked to Derek.
“Can you deliver the baby?” Derek asked.
Dasan nodded, touching Hilma’s knee as he knelt before her. He looked to Hilma. “Are you alright with that?”
Hilma nodded, her soft smile pained but encouraging. “I trust you.”
Dasan dipped is head and settled in to work.
Four hours later, a child was born. And as the child fell free of his mother, a howl went up, so loud it sounded as if it was nearly outside the entrance. A chorus joined it, just as close. The child’s cries joined them.
Cleaned as best they could manage and swaddled in a spare shirt, the baby was placed against Hilma’s chest and Dasan settled back where he had been sleeping.
He watched as Hilma and Derek cooed over the babe, and, surprisingly, Balthazar as well. It was like the birth had temporarily removed their attention from the howls outside. But Dasan was completely aware of them, hyperaware of them. And the itch to go outside and run was becoming unbearable. He found himself jerking to awareness staring at the entrance to the shelter. He looked up at Derek, wide eyed. Derek offered him a tight smile. “Join them,” he offered softly.
Dasan bristled, looking towards Hilma and Balthazar. The pair was preoccupied but Dasan could tell that it was all Hilma’s doing. He looked back up at Derek, not understanding. Derek pushed at his shoulder again. “Go.”
Dasan glanced one last time at the other before ducking out. He shuddered, the feeling of the rain on his skin feeling fantastic. He took off at a run.
There were others that joined him and he found himself letting out a cheer that sounded more like a howl to his ears. The others around him weaved with him in and out of the trees and, in no time, he found himself on the edge of a cliff, panting hard but feeling invigorated. He looked at the others and felt, for once, in a place that he belong.
He turned, kicking off the rock he was standing on and landed on all fours at a run.