kids in the dark | liva

Akemi looked back as they walked. It was no wonder why, and she wanted to know what they’d seen, but she held off. She was listening for anything dangerous in all directions, but she felt it best to focus ahead of them for now. There were more broken bits of tree scattered around, as well as the occasional rock or root. Any of this could easily be tripped on. Or there could be a decent food source she should take advantage of.

That, and danger could just as easily be hidden ahead of them. With Akemi checking their rears, an attack from the front seemed more likely. Or the side, but she could check their sides quickly and easily without having to turn around.

Then Akemi’s gaze was on her, and narrowed. She stared right back at them with her own narrowed eyes, wondering what they were up to. That was not a trusting expression, not that she expected – or gave – much. But they didn’t say a word, and she made a mental note and filed it away for now.

She was distracted from this line of thought when she noticed the change in landscape. Namely, there were a lot more plants surrounding them now. She bent down as they walked to eat a couple beakfulls. If she wanted to keep her strength up, she needed to make sure her body had the fuel it needed, after all.

Then Akemi asked about animals in the wastelands. “It’s…possible. I was lucky enough not to encounter any during my stay, but I can’t say I’ve seen every inch of that landscape. I stayed only long enough to learn it didn’t suit me, and then I left.”

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Maybe it hadn’t been a satisfactory answer, but it was what she had. Having never encountered an animal before, it hadn’t occurred to her that they could exist to go seeking them, except for the vague instincts telling her that danger was real and present. As for plants, though…

“There are these odd…” She struggled to think of the word. “They’re not caves, exactly, but there’s places where the ground dips a bit, and snow doesn’t quite cover the bottom. There’s plants there, but I struggled to find a reliable water source that was close enough to one of these spots. Perhaps if you’re willing to journey out far enough, you’ll find what eluded me. The rest of the land is inhospitable, at least for our kind.” And as for anything notable… “You’ll find quite a lot of ice spiking up out of the ground. That’s all I remember.”

The world around them was more hospitable now. There were even relatively easy places to shelter, and more places that could be made suitable with some work. Liva looked around, appraising the spot. Akemi was also studying the place, so they must be considering it as well. She still didn’t like being this close to the tree – and really, anywhere she could even see the canopy was too close – but this was a temporary situation to allow her to build up her strength and skill, so she could put up with the land itself. She’d already decided that, anyhow.

“If you need a rest, this is probably as good a place as any. I don’t like the lack of water, but if we refuse to stop before finding something perfect, we’ll exhaust ourselves before we manage it.” She studied the boulders specifically, wondering if she had the strength to jump or pull herself to the top for a better view. She wasn’t going to attempt it now. Maybe in the daylight, when she could search for foot or beak holds or maybe a slope that could be scrambled up without too much difficulty.

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Akemi decided to rest. Liva wasn’t about to complain, since this was long past when she usually stopped for the day, and she was starting to feel that tiredness. Akemi took the boulders, so she went to the hill. She dig into the ground at the bottom of the dip to deepen a bit and provide a little more of a windbreak. She could further add to her comfort by throwing in some leaves or grasses or whatever she cared to seek out, but she was tired enough that she doubted she’d actually need the comfort to help her sleep, so she decided to do without. Maybe tomorrow, if she was still here.

Yeah, that’d be tomorrow’s problem. Today’s were pretty much over. She hopped out of her “nest” and settled near some grass, eating her fill as fast as she could without choking to allow as much time for sleep as possible. Every so often she’d stop to glance around, just to make sure they were still safe from the other creatures that inhabited the land. Then, her meal complete, she settled in the dip for the night, closing her eyes but staying awake a few moments longer, just to listen to her surroundings. Everything seemed safe and clear.

So far.

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The extra walking hours of the previous day equated to a much deeper sleep than Liva would have liked. Normally, she woke up at least a few times in the night – from the cold, from a noise in the distance, the start of bad weather when she hadn’t been able to find a proper shelter… It was annoying, but it gave her comfort to know that she wouldn’t sleep through danger.

Last night, though…she may as well have not existed until daybreak. Even dreams seemed to have eluded her. And she still felt groggy. Ugh. She’d think a complete night’s rest would at least make her feel energetic…maybe her rest cycle just couldn’t make up for the energy she’d used? Either way, it was annoying.

Groggy or not, though, it was time to be awake. Maybe a bit of food and exercise would help her shake off the last bits of sleep. She stood, stretched, and moved to where she’d eaten the night before to feed. Once she’d had her fill, groomed, and otherwise taken care of herself, she returned to the boulders where she’d last seen Akemi. Would they be awake at this time? But whether they were or not, she intended to figure out a way to the top to have a look at the territory. With any luck there’d be water not too far off – she was thirsty enough now for it to start to be uncomfortable.

She hesitated upon nearing the rocks, unsure of what to do first. Should she call out to let Akemi know she was there, or keep quiet? Should she check on them first – even if just to see if they were still around – or climb the boulders? If they didn’t know it was her beforehand, sudden noises could be…alarming, she supposed. Better to announce her presence, then.

“It’s Liva.”

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They were still there. Whether awake or asleep until this moment, Liva couldn’t tell, but that didn’t matter. The important thing was that they were up now, and the day could progress.

Akemi nodded toward the boulders and suggested climbing them. They were of the same mind about that, at least, and Liva circled the boulders until she found a slope she was sure she could manage. She made her way up as carefully as she could, mindful of her balance as she crested one boulder and then the next. She was aiming for the tallest, as it would hopefully give her the greatest view.

Eventually, she reached the top, and she spent some time studying the landscape in all directions to the best of her ability. Some places were too obscured by bushes, trees, or rocks for her vantage point to be at all useful, but others seemed to give her vision a near endless reach. Unfortunately, these led to the more barren places, and they weren’t interested in those. There was plenty of middle ground, though, and these were what she focused on most.

Hmm…maybe there. Ahead and just to the right, there was an odd glimmer streaking across the ground. A stream, maybe? It was a bit of a walk, but it could be a possibility, if she couldn’t find anything better.

Maybe there? That was definitely a pond she was seeing, and it was quite a bit closer. There were bushes clustered around it too, so food would be easily available if they got hungry during the walk. It was too far to see details, but there was some definite movement over there, which meant they wouldn’t be alone. Hmm…that could be a problem…

Hmm…where else? She continued looking until Akemi returned and asked where they should go, but she couldn’t see any other obvious signs of water. “There’s a stream or something like it, some distance that way.” She gestured with a nod of her head. “And a pond in that direction that’s closer.” Another nod. “But there are creatures of some kind there already. If neither possibility appeals, there are areas too crowded by plants or rocks to see clearly from here, and we could search those.” The last option meant relying on luck, but all options had their disadvantages. The key was finding out which disadvantage mattered the least.

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Akemi grimaced. Yeah, she wasn’t happy either, but at least they could get to water. That was an improvement over some of the areas she’d been in. Her views on the world and its creators remained conflicted, but now was not the time to dwell. Instead, and worked her way down the boulders carefully. An injury would be bad, given the amount of walking that was sure to be ahead of them today.

Akemi had been silent. Liva assumed they were considering their options. When they finally spoke, though…was that an insult? She narrowed her eyes at them. “I’ll be happy to make decisions without your input from now on, if that’s what you want.” She’d rather not, though. It was annoying to keep track of the conditions of two feathers instead of one, but it was important work. She had to make sure they were both up to whatever they needed to do.

Given what Akemi said next, they seemed to be thinking along the same lines. Having a companion was something neither of them were really used to, she supposed. Maybe something they weren’t entirely suited for, though they’d survived so far.

“The stream it is,” she agreed. “I’ll be fine.” She was still sleepy, but the food and the climb had woken her up a bit, and she was confident the walk would get her the rest of the way there. She at least felt more-or-less alert, so keeping watch for dangers shouldn’t be a problem.

With that in mind, she started forward, heading toward the stream.

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