Campfire Beneath The Stars

*************************

Elizabeth Stroudwater

We camp for the night after traveling some more miles throughout the day. Leonard spotted a large rock in the distance, and we went for it for shelter throughout the night. It turned out to be a massive rock formation with a decent overhang. I try to distract Esther by having her help me cook from the campfire that Wyatt started. Earl scavenged some of the inner wood from the wagon that was still dry before we left, which was used for the firewood.

And while Esther and I cook, I watch Wyatt in the corner of my eyes climb up the rocks and use a vast sheet of canopy leftover from the wagon to cover our heads from potential nighttime rain. Leonard is trying to teach Earl how to make a bow and arrow. Without any feathers for an arrow, though. And very little wood. Bonedunes isn't known for its trees. Even the region just closely surrounding Bonedunes has few forests. The closest is the Andreis Forest.

It's pretty comical, but Earl is always eager to learn, and Leonard is always keen for attention. I've known them both for a long time, ever since my family moved to Luadner from Brightford a few years ago. I always thought that Leonard and Earl were an odd duo. Leonard is the lovable dunce that he is. And Earl, who was so clever and naturally gifted in academics, my father used to say he'd make a great doctor and go places, and because of that, I should woo him.

I hated that idea. I'm much more capable of doing something like that myself. I just don't know what it is yet. Maybe being a Hunter with Wyatt and Earl would be fun, though. From what I've heard between the discussion of Wyatt and Earl during our walks and downtime, you just need to kill something with a Sigil and take theirs. I wonder what mine would be. I certainly don't want Wyatt's, though.

The Philosopher. Sounds like a Sigil for thinking and learning. It most certainly is not. But with how much Wyatt gets hurt, it definitely gets him thinking. Thinking about pain and suffering. Especially when the most potent ability from his Sigil basically cripples him for a month. It's already been around two weeks since he was initially hurt by that ability. I wonder how much longer it will take until he fully recovers.

My thoughts end when I finish cooking dinner with Esther. A load of scorpions and small lizards that Wyatt found during the day roasted over the fire. We don't have any seasoning or anything to liven up the flavor, so we have to eat it as is. I section off the meals onto one large skewer for each person and three large ones for Wyatt. He's gotta eat a ludicrous amount of food to not starve because of that item he's got with him.

I offered to take it as I could always use it to be a bit skinnier, but he immediately refused.

And so, I gather everyone about, taking Wyatt out of his Ether practice, Earl his reading, and Leonard… Leonard from his stargazing. Together we eat around the fire with little conversations happening here and there. Mostly me, and Leonard trying to liven up the most while Earl asks questions like he always does.

Esther and Wyatt, though, stay pretty quiet. I try to engage Esther and get her to open up more, but it's still too soon because she remains just silent and ignores me. I hope what she says doesn't hurt Wyatt's feelings. She was just hurting, after all.

Wyatt, however, does answer but just with short responses. For the most part, while we eat, he just stares into the flickering flame of the campfire that he spawned. I leave him to it after a few times of trying to get him to tell me about his parents and his home life before the break. He just says they're dead and goes quiet.

Eventually, though, Earl and Leonard's back-and-forth strays to the recent attack. Earl goes on and on about what could have been done better and how we should improve in case another episode like that occurs.

"Next time we are attacked by spirits like that, you guys shouldn't interact or speak with them in any way if you do not understand them or are alone. This will help keep us safe and keep a repeat of what happened to Lonnie."

Frustration comes to mind as he's a hypocrite; he was also interacting with the Bakwas. He was taking notes while one stood next to him and offered a shell.

"Hey, Earl, you did that too. You were taking notes while a Bakwa was next to you. So you shouldn't just blame us."

He looks at me and then argues.

"I wasn't blaming anyone; I'm just saying we must be more careful. Especially you; how did you even fall off the wagon during our escape?"

My heartbeat rises. But then begins to fall back down. He doesn't know. He just thinks you're an idiot. Better that than a murderer. I strike back.

"I fell because Mister "I'll fix the wagon, no worries" did a shit job at keeping it up to date. How incompetent do you need to be to not see that a whole section of the seat is rotting off?"

Earl fumes. I can just imagine the steam coming from his ears. I know he hates nothing more than being called slow or incompetent. Leonard steps in, trying to defuse the situation.

"Guys, guys, calm down. We're all friends, just trying to figure out how to survive."

Earl ignores Leonard, his pride wounded. The words that leave his mouth make me flinch.

"Your fall from the wagon looked quite like when Wyatt was attacked by the Nain Rouge. The unexpected misfortune… I always wondered why your parents seemed to look at you weird, you're-"

Wyatt looks up from the fire at his name being said. My heart beats a thousand times per minute. No. NO. I need to stop him. I interrupt him before he finishes by flicking some flakes of ash toward him with my boots and yelling.

"SHUT UP!"

Earl flinches back from the fiery ash, but Wyatt catches it out of the air for him, the reflexive and protective man he is. But he'll hate me if he knows. Knows if I'm a killer. Earl screams back at me, obviously hurt.

"You psycho! Why would you throw ash at me?"

Wyatt now stands and puts himself between us. Leonard grabs Esther, who looks even more traumatized watching her only friends fight. Seeing the hurt in both Earl's and Esther's eyes and the confusion and anger from Wyatt's, I begin to cry. Something I haven't done in a long, long time.

"You–you were gonna–ssay…"

Earl looks at me positively incredulous. Then raises his voice back at me.

"Say what!? That you used to have a twin and killed them before birth? How is that worth throwing smoldering ash into my eyes?!"

He didn't even know the truth… Damn, the guy is too intelligent for his own good. He never even thought for a moment I killed someone. Instead, he came up with some roundabout, out-of-the-box explanation that only he could. Wyatt looks me in the eyes and calmly asks me as he puts his bony hands on my shoulders.

"What's wrong? What did you think he would say?"

"I–I.."

I pause. For a moment, I hesitated in telling him. Unwilling to see how he'll treat me afterward. If he and the others will shun me for what I did, like my family and friends from Brightford. But I look at him again. And I look to Earl. Earl no longer looks angry after I started crying; now he just looks confused as he widens his eyes and raises his eyebrows at Leonard. Leonard just shrugs his shoulders.

I see the care in Wyatt's eyes and spill.

"I… I'm a murderer. Not a protector like Wyatt, who has killed bad people to protect himself and others-"

I see Wyatt flinch as I say those words. My heart drops because of his possible reaction afterward, but I continue anyway, rushing and misspeaking words the whole way out of anxiety.

"-My parents, three years ago before we moved to Luadner, set me up with a marriage to a man. An older man who was not a Hunter or scientist but a banker. They did it for more money to send my younger brothers to get trained. H-h-he assaulted me on the first date that we had together. I tried to fight him off, but I was barely fourteen and not nearly as powerful as the man. That night, I picked up the gas lamp beside us while we slept and beat him with hit until he stopped breathing-"

I pause for a moment to take a gasp of air. I look, and Wyatt is looking at me with worry evident on his face. Earl and Leonard appear to be taken aback and surprised by the revelation after knowing me for years. I try to finish.

"Then, in fear of what would happen to our family, my father made us move to Tornridge Territory, away from any bankers, Hunters, or Outlaws that could be paid off by the man's family to hurt us. My parents despised me from then on, unable to get rid of me. I'm sorry if you guys hate me like them for being a killer, for being tainted."

Silence grows after I finish speaking. Tears still roll down my eyes even after I finish speaking. Earl breaks the silence, always asking his questions.

"So that's why you always refused Frank when he tried to court you? Because you were afraid, he'd see you as tainted or a murderer?"

I nod at him. Then Leonard speaks next with heartfelt concern in his voice.

"Why would we hate you for that? You're the bravest girl I ever met. Beat a guy to death who raped you? I'd honestly expect you to beat him before he made it even close. I never asked you out just because I figured you'd do that to me."

That one gets a small chuckle from me. But then, I see that Wyatt begins to speak up. Slowly but deliberately, and for the first time, he opens up a little bit.

"I'd never hate you for any of that. The man sounds like he deserved it. If I had known this, I would have done it myself. It just sounds like you didn't want to be alone and didn't want us to leave you in case we were upset with what you had done. Why you are always next to one of us at the very least. I know what it's like to be alone; I spent most of my life with just my Ma. And when she passed, I clung onto the lifeline she left me. To be a Hunter. A lot has happened since then, but I don't know what I'd have left if I quit that goal. I'd be alone in this dark world."

Silence returns for a moment. I didn't know Wyatt felt so alone. That the only thing he really has left is being a Hunter. He always acts gloomy, but I thought that was his defense for grief. My mood instantly increases due to the caring atmosphere as I wipe the tears from my eyes and face. One that I did not expect from how my family treated me. I look at Wyatt and try to comfort him in return.

"Hey Wyatt, you're not alone. You got us. If you ever quit being a Hunter, we'd still be your friends."

I see Leonard and Earl nod, but Earl speaks up before I can hit him for ruining the moment.

"I hope you don't quit though, 'cause otherwise, how am I gonna get a Sigil or be a Hunter without a guide? Those notes aren't enough."

****************************

Wyatt "Wendigo" Graves

Internally I recoil and get hurt on the inside when Elizabeth mentions me quitting being a Hunter. I want to tell them that's not the issue. The problem is that I'm genuinely being hunted down, or likely to be so. That I'm branded for execution on the gallows. That I'm an Outlaw. I wouldn't know what to do.

These people would surely leave if they knew I had killed Edmund. It's nothing like Elizabeth's situation. One of the most potent Hunters in the whole area. Widely renowned. Even if it was an accident. I don't think it'd matter. Without breaking a sweat, I killed someone who could have saved all of these people, including Lonnie. I just need to keep this going. Everything will be fine if I can get these guys to Rustbank. They won't have to associate with me, and hopefully, I can get Earl his Sigil on the way or after. I feel like he is the most likely to understand what happened and not hate me for it.

I do get a laugh out of how Earl asks for his Sigil by ruining the moment. Always so expectant of others. And himself, I suppose.

"I promise I won't quit being a Hunter. I just…. I just worry what might happen if something prevents me from being one."

Earl looks at me and makes a face as if he understands the true meaning of my words.

"Ah, I see. You're troubled about being crippled. You got pretty close before, so it's a reasonable worry. I wouldn't worry too much about that. Retired Hunters are treated nicely just about anywhere in the Territories."

I show that I understand by nodding. After that, though, the conversation shifts into a much lighter tone. The increased light comes from Elizabeth, who seems to glow without the weight of what is pressing down on her. But the weight I feel only grows. So much to prepare for. So little time. I need to be ready to escape from any Bounty Hunters, those who specifically hunt Outlaws, just in case I'm actually one.

And from what Earl told me from the retired Hunter that used to live in his town, those are some of the most brutal, cruel, and brawny men alive. So I stand up from the campfire when I'm done eating, and the discussion is no longer interesting. I walk a decent bit away before sitting down and attempting to treat my Ether again.

It's become a nightly occurrence to torture myself with pain from deep within my veins. But it's slowly getting better. The stiffness, joint pain, headaches, heat, cold, and all the other symptoms gradually fade or are just being relocated to where I have not yet reached for treatment. This seemed to be much easier to treat than the manual entailed. Is it because Philosopher has increased Ether capacity and made it easier for me to adapt?

Not just that, but I figure that the Striving Philosopher Sigil made it even easier. Because Absolutions increase resonance, affecting how much Ether one can safely use.

And so, for the next few hours into the night, I sit and bombard my arms with little pieces of Ether, trying not to fall unconscious from the actions. Progress is much more rapid now that I've cleared probably a quarter of the total Ether in my body. All I need to do is raise the threshold my body can hold in each place to expel the extra to return to normal. Eventually, I lose control of the pain and give up, breaking into a fever while sprawled out in the dirt.

Slowly, I pull myself back to camp, where most of the others are asleep. Then, I pull out my blanket and barely pull it over me before completely collapsing. My lack of sleep, tied with two bouts of pain induced by Ether saturation, is too much for my still recovering system to handle. I quickly fall asleep without even trying.

In the morning, though, I awake to my little kit sleeping underneath my blanket with me. I turn and look around because I don't remember that happening, and I see Elizabeth smile to the side of me. I whisper, trying to not wake up the sleeping fox.

"Did you put him under the blanket with me?"

She quietly shushes me and nods while pointing at the rest of the camp. Leonard is asleep with his head resting on a rod. Earl fell asleep rereading the manuals, so he's in a weird position too. Not quite sitting but not entirely lying down. Esther is the most normal, but she's absolutely just wrapped in blankets. At least three. I chuckle low enough just for me to hear. They're too funny.

Then, Elizabeth and I just sit together, a few feet apart, and wait for the rising sun. It's a beautiful moment where we both just watch the iris of fire come into our eyes and bless the land with its pure light. The scene is so perfect that we are no longer speechless due to not wanting to wake up the others; now, we are speechless due to its perfection. The warmth feels great on my skin in the chilly air.

We watch the perfect flame of radiant petals rise for nearly half an hour together. Elizabeth slowly moves closer to me as time pass.

Sadly, the moment when our silhouettes join is ruined by Leonard. He sits up from slumber and abruptly sneezes before looking over at us.