CHAPTER 11: WATER
Fate jerked upright, "You were hiding from creatures!" He yelled and at the same time realized he was sitting. He didn't know who was more shocked, him or his body.
His outburst of energy didn't last and he fell back coughing. He hit the ground hard and could barely scream out in pain as his throat was occupied with the spasm that was erupting out of it.
She rushed towards him, "Don't push yourself. Yes, I was hiding from creatures. I don't know what they were, I couldn't really see but I think the guards knew that's why they didn't follow after me."
She suddenly jumped to her feet and started walking out the way they had just come. "I will be right back," she said, and when he protested she added, "There is no sign of them yet, there will be no other safer time to step out."
He wanted to ask more questions but she was already gone. He sighed and raised his arm to his forehead. He felt deflated and mentally exhausted. Was he really out of the prison he had been stuck in for almost half a decade? Was he kind of free?
It was a dream he would soon awaken from. Everything was happening so fast, it was hard to believe it was actually happening and he wasn't unconscious on the table in the cell.
His eyes caught something as he stared at the cave's ceiling. He almost thought his eyes were deceiving him and he blinked. He strained his eyes as he tried to see what was up but his vision blurred out a little.
"I am back!" V's voice called out and he looked at her.
She dropped a few items to the ground. A couple of them rolled towards him. He could recognize about two, they were fruits.
"Food," he mumbled.
"Yeah," she responded and flipped her waistband. Berries fell out of it. Fate's eyes widened. "I could have gotten more fruits but I ran out of where to hold it."
As she spoke, a berry popped out of her bosom. Fate's eyes nearly popped in his sockets.
"Oh," she said nonchalantly. "I had forgotten that I had put some berries here when the band couldn't hold everything.
As she spoke, she dug her fingers right in the middle and pulled out a handful of berries. "Hope you don't mind the sweat, I just didn't have anywhere else to hold it. It also didn't fit everything so I had to put some around my waist. I think I crushed some."
Fate was certain his jaw dropped to the ground. He was so stunned he didn't know what to say or think for that matter.
She placed the berries on the ground and gathered them closer to him. She sat down and picked one fruit. "Here," she said. Slicing the top of the fruit with a knife. She had pulled the knife out of her boot.
"This is an aqua fruit. It took a while to and since there are no freshwater bodies around. I was afraid I might not find it." She explained as she stretched out the aqua fruit towards him.
Fate had never seen the fruit before. It was shaped like a gourd, the body of the fruit was green and the part she had cut off showed there was a hole. He couldn't see the content.
He stretched out his hand and was able to grab it before his hand slipped off. She sighed and knelt while slowly lifting her head so she could pour the contents into his mouth. She poured it a little too fast and he coughed.
"Sorry," she hurriedly said.
"More," he mumbled.
She brought the fruit to his mouth again and Fate drank as though his life depended on it. "More?" She asked when he finished the water in the fruit.
He nodded rapidly. The water tasted somewhere between salty and sweet. Fate didn't care, the water had been magnificent. He didn't think he had ever tasted anything better. If he had, his tongue had no memory of it.
She placed his head on her legs and she stretched to pick another aqua fruit. She cut off the tip and brought it to his lips. Fate drank the contents in a go.
She did not even bother asking him before picking another aqua fruit. Fate drank the third one with the same rush. He was gulping the water faster than his throat could handle it but he did not care.
"Another," he asked when V was taking her time to bring it.
"That's all. I could go get some more while you eat."
"Thank you but I think I should be fine for now," he murmured and rolled off her legs. He sat upright and rested his back against the cave for support, he didn't think he was strong enough to sit up on his own yet. He could talk better now but he was starving that much he knew.
It was funny how he didn't have any health problems before she showed up and now he was weaker than ever. She already rescued him, he was not a baby, and he hated being treated like one.
He picked an apple, dug his teeth into it and the juice poured into his mouth. Fate paused in that position as he swallowed. The sweetness of the apple warmed his throat and he felt his eyes water.
"Is something wrong?" She asked, still in the kneeling position.
He shook his head, bit the part out, and slowly chewed. The last thing he had eaten was so poison-filled that all he had tasted was the poison. Compared to that, this might as well be the best thing he had ever tasted.
"Are you sure you don't want the water?"
He would like some but he could not bring himself to ask. He grinned, "I don't."
"Fine, I will be right back."
"Where are you going? Won't you eat something?"
"I ate while getting food for you." She responded and Rose to her feet.
"I see. Where are you going?"
"Nowhere important."
"Are there no guards roaming around looking for us? Is it safe for you to be out there?"
She shrugged.
"Will you be back?"
She glared at him. "Yes," with that she was out of the cave.
It was annoying how she did not give much information. He scoffed and chewed some more. He was starving, he should worry more about the state of his body. However, for some reason, he could not help but feel that something was different.
He was probably reading too much into her vibe, he had only been with her for just a couple of hours. There was no way that was long enough to know her. He would need years for that.
He sighed and ate more hurriedly, he knew the food was not going anywhere but he could not help it.
He ate every single thing, even the berries. He thought they were sweeter, a part of him wondered if it was because of where they had been. He shook the thought away. It felt wrong to think of his savior in that manner.
He rolled onto his side, he couldn't wait to be stronger. Sure, he would not be able to kick some guards asses anytime soon but at least he would be able to use his legs again. He needed to literally carry his own weight.