Follow the River

[NDak 0]

Erei’Riov Destorie N’Dak

CSEC | RES Talon

SD 0408.18

 

>Begin<

 

tr’Psichore had left N’Dak and Laehval alone. The blobs were gone, they hoped. And the large gapping wound in N’Dak’s chest had been sealed by tr’Psichore.

 

Destorie could only smile as the hunter ran off into the brush. But the smile soon faded as he came back into reality. Winning this little mission was no longer N’Dak’s top priority—simply surviving now dominated his thoughts.

 

As much as he wanted to believe that the blobs were of t’Rexan’s doing, he knew better. She would na introduce such an unstable and dangerous element into the game. Nor would the hunter have intervened saving Laehval, Ditsy, and his own life.

 

Na there was something else going on here, he did na know what, but he certainly did na like it io bit.

 

Then there was another problem. Somehow he and Laehval had managed to read the ISD’s wrong. They were traveling almost in a circle route to lead them back to the collection point. Luckily they hadn’t gone so far as not to be able to take a different route, but that meant backtracking, and lost time.

 

N’Dak sighed to himself. He and Laehval would have a long journey if they wished to make up for lost time, and it would certainly be hard on both of them, but him most of all.

 

For the moment N’Dak was alone. Laehval was busy plotting their new course on the ISD’s. Now they could use them all they wanted, the hunter was, after all, well aware of where the two of them were.

 

N’Dak rested against the trunk of a massive tree while Laehval worked. He would need ever ounce of strength he could muster to survive. And for the first time in probably in his entire life, he was almost completely dependent upon some ie else for his survival—something he did na enjoy.

 

Laehval and N’Dak had agreed that they should rest for no less than io hour, giving them both a chance to catch their breath, although Laehval only agreed to the rest because she did na want N’Dak collapsing on her mid-hike.

 

Weakness was not something N’Dak had ever been willing to admit to, let alone show, but now he had little choice. While tr’Psichore had been able to patch the bite marks on his chest, that did little to help his broken ribs, injured shoulder, aching back, the rash on his arm, or the extreme exhaustion he was suffering from.

 

He was caked in green blood mixed with sweat; the humidity of the jungle area kept the blood from drying. The first thing N’Dak decided to do when and if he returned to the Talon would be to take a nice long sonic shower washing away the filfth of this wretched planet.

 

Initially he relished the opportunity to prove himself to t’Rexan, but the longer he stayed on this blasted planet, the more wanted to get the heck off it.

 

He sighed deeply, but was cut off mid exhale by a deep cough. He regained his composure a few moments latter. He leaned back against the tree once more and let himself slip into a few minutes of sleep.

 

Soon he and Laehval would start on a marathon journey, a race to the collection point. They had to move quickly. They would be racing the clock, the hunter, and now this new obstacle—the blobs.

 

Elements protect them.

 

---

 

Little under an hour latter, Laehval woke the resting N’Dak. He batted his eyes open slowly, then groaned as he quickly realized he was still on the godforsaken planet.

 

“We must go,” Laehval said deadpan. “There will be na more time for rest today.”

 

Destorie pulled himself to his feet, he was all too aware of that fact. He groaned as he slipped his pack over his shoulder, more because of the pain than actually whining.

 

Laehval didn’t acknowledge the groan and went about shouldering her on own pack, as well as the now gone t’Ditsy’s. They both holstered their weapons and set off.

 

The two of them hiked for several hours, until they arrived once more at the deep ravine. The place still made both of them feel a bit uneasy.

 

---

 

Neither spoke most of the way there, in fact the only discussion that ever happened was Laehval occasionally asking N’Dak if he needed water. It seemed that the two had agreed that talking would only make both of them feel uncomfortable and distract their attention, at a time when they could na afford to let their guard down.

 

The pace the duo took was indeed swift. Laehval led the way as they approached the three way split at the mouth of the gorge, ‘Dak trailed a few meters behind her, keeping an eye out for the blobs, and the hunter.

 

Much to N’Dak’s delight, Laehval halted the advance when they reached the mouth.

 

“Rest quickly.”

 

N’Dak did not argue with her. He unshouldered his pack and sat it down on the ground. Then, he himself sat down leaning against a small tree to catch his breath, while Laehval studied the ISD intently.

 

The look on her face was not exactly io of happiness as she turned to N’Dak. “We are going to have to cross a large body of water; it will require us to create a boat. Ideas?”

 

“A make shift raft?”

 

Laehval nodded. “Only what are we going to tie it together with?”

 

The question seemed to have them both perplexed. Then at the same moment they looked at each other, then at the snaking green vines that covered the canyon walls, then at each other again.

 

“I think we solved the problem,” N’Dak grinned at Laehval.

 

“Perhaps. You rest while I gather them.”

 

The added rest time was welcome and N’Dak wasn’t going to argue the point—he needed to rest.

 

Sometime later Laehval returned with t’Ditsy’s pack full with vines. “When we get closer we will have to look for suitable wood to make the raft.”

 

“Agreed.”

 

“Now, time to rest if over,” Laehval’s voice was calm and emotionless as she started back on the path.

 

N’Dak quickly shouldered his pack and followed her. Their path was now simple—follow the river.

 

---

 

For N’Dak times passed quickly, either from loss of blood or focus of concentration, the trail seemed quick for him, although his feet and sides told him otherwise.

 

Laehval, remained steadfast as always. Her demeanor didn’t change as they grew closer to the large body of water that would have to be crossed before they could reach the final collection point.

 

The duo remained silent, and moved as quickly as Laehval thought N’Dak was capable of doing. She knew that she could move as fast as she wanted, and that N’Dak would follow, but she also knew that he would die before he admitted weakness.

 

As the sun fell into the horizon and the moons of the planet rose, the duo continued marching. They did not have time to stop and rest, nor could they afford being stationary for too long, not with all the dangers around them.

 

By the time they reached the shore of the open water they were to cross, it was late in the night and the moons had started their decent from their apex in the sky.

 

The two sighed deeply, looking out on the large lake. As far as the eye could see there was nothing but water.

 

Both of them, as much as they both did na like to admit it, were exhausted.

 

“We will rest till morning,” Laehval said as she laid her pack on the soft sand. “Then we will gather the wood necessary and construct the raft. For now we rest.”

 

 

They didn’t bother to set a fire, luckily for them it was a warm evening, and they would not get cold.

 

N’Dak did not want to sleep, but his body had other ideas and soon after they had stopped he drifted away into sleep. Laehval, however, did na have that luxury and knew that she could only take quick naps, as she knew that she would be the io on the alert until morning.

 

>End<