I also think about the three murders I’ve committed. I don’t know how I feel about that. I certainly don’t regret killing Gabriel, but what about those two guards? I didn’t even know who they were. Did they truly deserve to die for being in my way? Something bothers me. How really different am I from Gabriel and Samuel? Am I the same type of violent killer? Well, maybe. I can’t be certain about anything right now. But what I do understand is that I won’t hesitate to kill again should anybody threaten us.
In the evening, we gather some dry wood and build a small campfire. Our dinner consists of crackers, a chocolate bar and bottle of water. Tanya aims the gun into the darkness, pretending to shoot. I smirk.
“Am I so funny?” Tanya asks sheepishly, lowering her eyes. “Dimitri showed me how to use a gun. I can really shoot.”
“I believe you,” I say. “I’m just glad that at least one of us can use a gun.”
Tanya smiles. “You’re very good with a knife.”
“Thanks,” I laugh, wondering how I can still smile and laugh after everything that just happened.
I volunteer for first watch, letting Tanya sleep. She replaces me after a few hours and I rest till morning. Being completely alone out here in the dark woods, we must always remain alert.
We almost run directly into a group of travelers on the third day of our journey. Upon hearing the approaching voices, I grab Tanya’s arm and we dive into some nearby brush. We barely manage to conceal ourselves before the strangers come into sight, three young men and a woman. I watch them carefully, signaling Tanya to remain quiet. She raises her gun and I place a hand on my knife. The travelers appear harmless, laughing and talking amongst themselves. But we know better than to trust anybody.
A few days later we run out of food and are forced to search for alternative sources. We manage to find some wild berries to pick. And after a few attempts, Tanya shoots a duck. We become ecstatic. While she gathers wood for the fire, I ferociously pluck feathers before opening its stomach to remove the guts. I’ve never before had to clean a duck. The whole procedure is gross, but a half hour later we have duck roasting on the fire. Not too shabby for our first attempt.
“I’d like to become a hunter,” Tanya confesses as we’re waiting.
“You’re already one,” I say.
“You think we’ll ever find Jingfay?” she asks suddenly.
“I don’t know. I think we should at least try.”
“Do you really believe she’d let us join her group?”
“Why not? She’s an Amazon. And she’s an escaped servant just like us.”
“I don’t know.” Tanya turns away. “I’m ugly. Maybe the Amazons wouldn’t like me to be amongst them.”
“Well,” I shrug. “I doubt they care about such things. And I’m not exactly a beauty queen either.”
We both smile. Honestly, Tanya’s scars are hardly noticeable to me now. She has large expressive eyes and thick brown hair. I enjoy her company more with each passing day.
“What are we going to do in Bastion?” she asks. “Will we join their army? I wouldn’t mind becoming a soldier. But I suppose I’d have to be a cleaner for a few more years until I grow up.”
“We’ll see.” I frown, feeling troubled. Lady Augusta warned me how Bastion’s residents don’t tolerate escaped servants. They fear that accepting them may lead to conflict with Central Settlement.
“We’ll have to get rid of our branding marks,” Tanya says after I share my concern with her. “We could use acid to pour over the marks. What do you think?”
I hesitate, remembering the intense pain from only a few drops of acid on my skin. My hand still hurts a little even days later. Would I be willing to pour acid on my arm, waiting for my skin to dissolve? Am I strong and brave enough to suffer through such a procedure? I decide that I am.
One night Tanya shakes my shoulder, whispering, “Kora! Wake up! I saw something moving!”
I sit up, looking around in a panic. Tanya holds her gun, her face pale from fear. I hear a low menacing growl. Shadows move in the darkness. I jump to my feet, knife in hand. Tanya stands beside me, shivering, and I protectively put an arm around her.
The pack of wolves slowly approach. We stand unmoving, our backs pressed against a tree. I hold the knife out in front, trying not to breathe, recalling our running from the dogs back at the training facility. A long moment passes before a few wolves charge at us. Tanya fires her gun several times. I brandish my knife, stabbing at a big gray head, but the wolf pulls back. Startled by the gunfire, the remaining animals saunter off. Two wolves remain lying motionless on the ground, wounded and dying. I smile at Tanya. She’s much braver than I had previously thought.
The same pack of wolves stalk us over the next several nights. After running out of ammo, we have to keep our campfire burning higher to keep the animals off of us. We can no longer hunt, so
