Chained - Everything you know is a lie... by Susanne Valenti

Chapter Sixteen

  The green swallowed us. I blinked furiously, unable to adjust to the new colour after a life spent in tones of grey, white and brown. The air was moist and everything dripped with dampness that created a constant changing melody and movement amongst the foliage.

  It was so alive. There were sounds of scampering and scurrying as all manner of things moved about unseen. A movement above us caught my attention as a chipmunk, no bigger than my hand, darted up the rough bark of a giant tree, chattering away as it went. I couldn't tear my eyes away from its progress, I'd never seen any animals in the flesh before.

  My feet squelched on a layer of springy moss that carpeted the forest floor. Trailing vines brushed my hair and shoulders, hanging from outstretched branches and connecting all of the trees.

  The chipmunk was joined by another and I watched as they used the vines like a pathway, zipping along them as they chased each other in circles and ran out of sight.

  Coal was just visible ahead of us between the trees, with Taylor still slung across his shoulders. Laurie pushed her way through the resisting vegetation towards me. She hadn't moved for several moments after entering the tree line and looked as though she would still rather turn back.

  Coal stopped and lay Taylor down on the soft moss amongst the roots of a monstrous tree which reached up high above our heads. I had to crane my neck to see where it disappeared into the canopy.

  "I can't carry him the whole way and he doesn't seem keen on waking up any time soon," Coal said. He moved away and took a lethal looking dagger from a sheath at his hip. "We'll need to make a litter to transport him the rest of the way." He started climbing the tree with the knife between his teeth and was soon high above our heads.

  "Where are we going?" Laurie asked me in a low voice.

  "I have no idea."

  Coal was hacking at the stem of a gigantic leaf. He was straddling a large branch above it and sawing at the resisting stem. His muscles flexed through his shirt as he worked and I felt a faint blush reach my cheeks as I tried not to stare.

  It finally gave way and the leaf sailed down towards us, catching on an updraft and floating lazily before coming to rest at my feet. I stepped forward and ran my fingers along it, the leaf was firm and waxy to the touch. It was nearly as big as a bed and set in a domed shape which didn't flex under pressure but was soft enough to feel like a firm cushion.

  Coal had moved to an outer branch of the tree and was cutting away some of the long, trailing vines which snaked down to the ground next to the leaf. He moved around the tree with such ease that it almost looked like fun.

  I crouched down next to Taylor and pushed his hair away from his eyes. He mumbled something but didn't wake up.

  Coal caught hold of an uncut vine and swung back down to the ground in a move that made me feel self conscious about my general clumsiness. He landed in a crouch on his feet and set to work, putting holes along the outer edge of the leaf and threading the vines through them to create a litter.

  Finally, he picked Taylor up and dumped him unceremoniously inside it. I scrambled forward to rearrange him more comfortably and felt Coal watching me as I worked. I turned to look up at him and he folded his arms.

  "Are you injured?" he asked me as I stood.

  I could feel the sting of several bruises and cuts but nothing serious.

  "No," I replied.

  "You're covered in blood," he said, looking unconvinced.

  He stepped towards me and reached out slowly to run a hand over my cheek which was still smeared with Evan's blood. His touch left a burning line across my skin.

  "It's not mine." I looked into his eyes for a moment before brushing his hand away.

  "Oh." He stepped back and dropped his gaze. "We need to get back to my camp." He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly, twice.

  "Where is your camp?" Laurie asked. "I need to report in." She fingered the walkie talkie in her back pocket.

  "Can't let you do that." Coal had somehow drawn a gun and levelled it at Laurie's forehead in the space of a blink. "Hand it over with your weapons."

  "I thought you were helping us?" Laurie protested but she handed over her weapons and radio all the same.

  "I am, but helping and trusting can't always keep the same company and you were a Warden after all."

  "I still am." She frowned.

  "If you think you'll still be welcome with them after running off into the contamination zone with a convict, then by all means head back. I get the feeling you may end up seeing SubWar from the inside if you do."

  "I didn't have a choice, those convicts were going to kill me," Laurie protested.

  "Taylor and me are here because my helmet malfunctioned on a scouting mission outside The Wall and rather than let me choke to death, he took it off of me," I interjected. "I don't think the Guardians care much for explanations."

  There was a pause, during which Coal stowed his gun and all of Laurie's. He then dropped the radio to the ground and crushed it under his boot.

  "There, much better." He smiled.

  "Fine, I'm coming with you. But do you really think I'd shoot you in the back after you saved our lives?" Laurie snapped.

  "I haven't decided. When I do, you may get your guns back." He smiled again and turned towards the far side of the clearing just as a soft padding sound reached my ears.

  A pair of blue eyes loomed between two tree trunks, the greenish light of the forest reflected within them. They were soon joined by a long snout covered with white fur and two huge, pointed, grey ears.

  The creature's face was covered in fur and lined with razor sharp teeth in a gaping jaw that hung open, ready to bite. A moment later, a colossal, hulking body shrouded in long grey and white fur stepped out into the clearing. The animal regarded us with curiosity, or possibly it was evaluating which one of us would taste the nicest.

  My first instinct was to scream but I remembered my shotgun and snatched it from my back instead. I swung the gun up to point at the snarling face and placed my finger on the trigger. I pulled. At the same moment, Coal threw out an arm knocking the barrel of my gun skyward, sending my bullets into the treetops.

  "What the hell are you doing?" he shouted.

  His fingers locked around my wrists and dug in so that I released the grip on my gun. It fell to the ground and hit my leg. I gaped at him in disbelief. We stared at each other for several moments before I remembered the fanged monster which had now closed the distance between us. I took a step back and stumbled on a tree root. He held me on my feet.

  "Let me go," I gasped and he did so instantly.

  The animal sat down and tilted its head as it regarded us. I staggered back again while Coal narrowed his eyes at me and then his gaze softened.

  "I'm sorry, I should have warned you," Coal said. "There's no need to be afraid." He reached out a hand and ran it through the shaggy fur on the animal's head. It stood and licked his fingers.

  "What is it?" Laurie asked, she had moved away from it too, right to the other side of the clearing.

  "She is a dog... or a wolf, we never could be sure. I found Kaloo as a puppy years ago and she seemed to want to stay with me, so she did."

  "It's a beast," I gasped, eyeing the long fangs and feet as big as my hands. She stood on four legs with her back higher than Coal's hip and her head level with his chest.

  "She is that, but she's my beast. You'll have to get used to her if you want your friend to make it to our camp because I don't plan on dragging him the whole way there."

  "Will she hurt us?" I asked, watching her warily as she stalked about the clearing, sniffing amongst the foliage on the ground.

  "Of course not. Come here." He offered me his hand. I didn't move. Laurie took another step back.

  Coal rolled his eyes and made a motion with his hand. Kaloo lay down and rolled onto her back, with her paws in the air. I couldn't help but laugh, though whether out of amusement or fear I wasn't entirely s
ure. Coal took my hand.

  "Seriously, she won't hurt you." He lead me over to her and I tried very hard not to drag my feet.

  "I've never met an animal before," I said, resisting a little as he pulled on my arm.

  "Just run your hand over her fur." He guided my hand along the fluff on her tummy and her tail started to thump the ground vigorously.

  "Hello, Kaloo," I smiled. The fur was silky soft between my fingers. "Laurie come here," I called but Laurie had moved further back still, some of the leaves at the edge of the clearing blocked her from view.

  "I can see she's perfectly friendly from over here, thank you," she called back.

  "We should get going." Coal took the ends of the vines that bound Taylor's litter and tied them around Kaloo's powerful shoulders. She gave his face a big lick and he cuffed her affectionately around the ears. At another sharp whistle from Coal, Kaloo took off through the dense greenery, dragging Taylor behind her.

  We followed in her wake, taking advantage of the smooth trail the litter left along the ground.

  We had been walking for several hours. During that time the sunlight, which had been filtering through the tree tops creating a green haze filled with spiralling golden dust motes, had slowly disappeared.

  The sounds of the forest had changed subtly too. Bird songs and the chitter chatter of small mammals had slowly given way to the call of crickets and other insects that inhabited every inch of the undergrowth. I'd spent hours pestering Coal for information about every small detail of the surroundings until my voice had grown horse and I finally fell silent.

  "We aren't going to make it the whole way tonight. The forest isn't safe when it gets too dark," Coal said as we paused in a clearing. "There's a place to stop beyond this ridge."

  "Why isn't it safe at night?" I called after him as he turned aside and clambered up the small hill.

  "You don't really want to know," he replied as he reached the summit and dropped out of sight.

  "Yes I do!" I shouted after him but he didn't reply, leaving me to scramble up the thorny incline with Laurie.

  At the top we realised the hill, which had been running along the side of our path for some time, had been hiding a small lake from view.

  The water stretched out before us, its surface clear and silvery with a perfect reflection of the moon and first stars of the night's sky. Coal was standing next to Kaloo at the water's edge. She leaned forward to take a drink and ripples spread away from her.

  A huge waterfall splashed in the distance on the far side of the lake, creating a gurgling sound that reached out and filled the silence.

  "Any chance you can swim?" Coal looked doubtfully between Laurie and me.

  "No," Laurie replied as I shook my head.

  "Do you possess any useful talents?" He grinned as he started to pull off his boots, followed by his shirt.

  I tried to think of something snide to say in response but the power of speech seemed to have abandoned me again as he undressed and I dropped my gaze to scrutinise my boots.

  "Wait here while I unload sleeping beauty. Come on Kaloo."

  We watched as he tossed his clothes in with Taylor and waded out into the lake. Kaloo ran headlong into the water too, dragging Taylor on his oversized leaf which bobbed along behind her. They swam out towards the waterfall.

  "You can close your mouth now," Laurie said, smirking.

  "What?" I asked innocently.

  "You know what," she said and sat down on the bank. After a moment, I joined her.

  "Do you think we would know if we were contaminated?" Laurie asked, a note of fear creeping into her voice, while we waited on the lakeshore.

  "I'd like to think so. What are the symptoms?" I picked up a twig and used it to trace patterns in the damp, sandy bank.

  "I don't know."

  "I'm sure we would have noticed them by now if we were," I reasoned. We looked at each other uncomfortably for a while.

  "What are we doing out here?" Laurie asked. She was clutching the back of her neck nervously.

  "Sitting in the sand and waiting to cross a lake," I smiled.

  "You know what I meant." She tossed a pebble into the water and it splashed loudly into the silence.

  "It's about the best answer I've got." I shrugged.

  Laurie scuffed her boots in the dirt. Coal and Kaloo reached the waterfall and disappeared beneath it.

  Something rustled in the bushes behind us and we jumped to our feet. I pulled my pistol out and Laurie took a knife from my belt. The leaves trembled and I felt my finger itch for the trigger. A second later a bird burst through the foliage and headed for the treetops, squawking its protest at our presence.

  I let out a shaky breath and we slowly sat back down on the sand.

  "What's taking him so long?" Laurie hissed.

  "Maybe he's not coming back."

  "Thanks. That makes me feel much better." She scowled.

  "Why would he drag us half way through the forest just to ditch us?" I reasoned with her.

  Laurie opened her mouth to respond but a soft splashing announced Coal and Kaloo returning.

  "See?" I smiled at her.

  I tried not to stare as Coal climbed out of the lake, water running down his bare chest and accentuating his muscles.

  "Okay, I think if you're careful you can both sit in the leaf together. I don't want to leave one of you out here alone, it's too dark now." He eyed the trees suspiciously.

  "What are you so worried about?" I asked, following his gaze. The trees looked much the same as they had all day, though the shadows held more secrets now.

  As if in answer to my question, a burst of snarling broke the silence from somewhere in the treetops.

  "Probably best to find out some other time," he said as he helped Laurie and I to clamber into the leaf.

  It bobbed precariously but didn't sink. Kaloo seemed eager to move and we were soon skimming across the water, a light breeze tugging at my hair.

  I reached out carefully and let my fingers trail in the cool water. Coal swam along next to us, having no trouble keeping pace with our leaf-boat. I found myself wanting to learn how to swim too, it looked like a kind of freedom. Laurie had shut her eyes, waiting for the crossing to be over. She was muttering something under her breath which sounded like 'I'm not going to drown' over and over again.

  It took a good ten minutes for us to cross the lake and the temperature dropped quickly around us, making me shiver.

  Another snarl went up as we reached the waterfall. It sounded closer to us this time, even with the added distance the water provided. Looking back, I could make out something prowling on the bank we had just vacated. Coal raised a finger to his lips. The animal's shape was just a dark blur on the edge of the water. I couldn't make out any details but it was huge.

  The splashing of the waterfall turned into a dull roar as we approached. Spray speckled my clothes and I flinched in anticipation as we headed straight towards the rushing water.

  Kaloo pulled us under the downpour without hesitation. I gasped as the cold water soaked me and created a puddle in the base of the leaf. We continued through to a cave hidden on the other side.

  Coal climbed up onto a rocky shelf and helped us up after him. The water created a strange roaring noise that echoed around the confined space. We moved a short distance into the cave which twisted slightly, hiding the cascading water from view and deadening some of the noise.

  Taylor was spread out on a layer of dried grass. The cave was clearly well used, there was a stash of supplies and firewood which had been there long enough to dry out. It was lit by a small fire, which illuminated the walls. They were patterned with sparkling silver lines.

  "What are they?" I asked, fascinated.

  "We think it's some kind of mineral deposit," Coal replied.

  "It's beautiful," I said stepping closer to the wall and running my fingers along the grooves.

  I felt Coal move to stand nex
t to me.

  "Are you okay? It's a lot to take in, leaving everything you know behind," he said in a low voice.

  "Being in the city always felt wrong to me somehow. I feel like... I don't know..." I shrugged. "I was sleeping or something but now, I'm finally awake." I looked up at him, the light of the silver lines were reflected in his eyes. He was standing a lot closer to me than I'd realised.

  "Maybe I did you a favour then." He held my gaze for a few seconds. It was like something was trying to pull me towards him and I couldn't resist it. His gaze slid sideways towards where Taylor was sleeping. He stepped back.

  "We should get some sleep," he said, turning towards the fire.

  I took a deep breath and looked at my boots, a small puddle had formed beneath my feet.

  Sighing, I moved to Taylor's side and checked that he was positioned comfortably before curling up next to him and closing my eyes. I tried to ignore the fact that I was soaking wet, covered in blood and mud and wearing yesterday's clothes to sleep in.

  As I drifted off, I listened to the sounds of running water and thought of how, strangely, it felt like I was home at last.