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A/N: The second chapter, part one is finally up after months of writers block. I hope you enjoy the paranoia.
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April 26, 2035. Area surrounding US Military HQ. Threat Level: High.
The area surrounding HQ is a dangerous terrain of swamp, forest, and marsh. Wild animals roam, adding to the list of what to look out for. The land returned to its’ natural state after DC was destroyed, and it is now used as advanced training for sergeants and their commanding officers. Once a month, the officers have Advanced Survival Training. They take one of their sergeants and find their way to the set goal, with nothing but emergency rations, a book of matches, their weapons, a First Aid kit, and two flares. The rations are enough for only one meal, so the team has to catch their own food. The flares are for emergencies only. There are small springs throughout the area, but most are not safe to drink from without boiling the water. The team is to wear their field uniform so they will be able to use their surroundings as camouflage. All formalities are dropped, so the officer isn’t called ‘sir.’
The large number of venomous snakes and insects is the major concern. There is no antidote out there, so the team either has to signal and fail, or tough it out and possibly die. Thankfully there have been no deaths caused by insect and snake bites. The only confirmed death was that of Natalie Grants, who drowned while her commanding officer was collecting food. She was the officers’ only sergeant, for his division was one very few enlisted trained in. The officer was Captain Dalin Malstron.
That said officer was now to go on his first advanced survival training expedition since that tragic one with his new sergeant, seventeen year-old Falcon Elridge. They are both dreading this training for the same reason.
Falcon looked at the paper with horror. The rules clearly stated no outside materials. Those three days would be unbearable. Frosty couldn’t have any coffee. Coffee-less hell, for three days. It would be like working under the big bad wolf. God, she’d been reading too many of Grimms Fairy Tales. I-i-it wouldn’t be that bad. There'll always be the adrenaline factor. She sighed heavily. Who was she kidding? It would be terrible. He was bad by himself, never doing his work, with her having to pick up his slack. But without coffee, he would be useless in the morning.
She sighed again, and grabbed her casual uniform jacket. Her still damp hair from her shower dangled down her back as she walked down the halls to get her breakfast and her officers’ last cup of coffee. Kelli and Edward were already eating, so she grabbed her breakfast and sat with them.
Kelli took one look at her and asked, “Spill it. What’s wrong?”
Falcon smiled softly. “Take a look at this,” she said, holding out the notice she had received.
Kelli and Edward read it, and then said together, “Oh, that.”
“It’s nothing to worry about,” Edward reassured, or at least tried to.
“Yeah,” Kelli finished, “We have to do one too.”
Falcon looked at them with disbelief. “What you don’t realize is Captain Malstron will not have any coffee.”
Edward winced as Kelli offered her bit of advice. “Just shove him into some water. That’ll wake him up.”
Falcon sighed, ate her food, and said, “Well, I’d better report in.” She left the table and made her way to Dalin’s office, black coffee in hand. When she entered, Dalin was sitting there, fuming. She could quite literally see the smoke coming out of his ears. She saluted, and he saluted back swiftly, hand a blur. Yeah, he was pissed.
He waited until she placed the coffee on his desk before speaking. “We have until twelve-hundred before we have to leave,” he said, taking a sip of coffee. “I take it you will be ready by then?”
Falcon nodded, “Yes sir.” Sitting down at the table, she studied her usual stack of paperwork. Nothing notable, just the usual files. She picked up the medical folder, which for once had something inside. There was Jones, William’s file. She smiled as she remembered the doctors warning. So far, five guys asked her out on dates, but she politely declined. Signing the paper, she sighed as she realized she would have to deliver the paper to the infirmary herself.
Rising, she informed Dalin of what she was doing, and headed out. The halls were empty because everyone was at work. She made her way down to the infirmary and entered without knocking. She looked up, and saw Dr. Coultin and some nurse making out. Stammering an apology, she backed out the door quickly.
Standing in the hallway, she closed her eyes, trying to delete that image from her head. The door opened, and the nurse walked out. She gave Falcon a knowing smile, and then headed down the hallway, heels clicking on the linoleum floor. Falcon walked back into the infirmary, eyebrow raised. Alexander said, “What? You military personnel get all the fun, so I decided to have some myself. But I must’ve forgotten to lock the door.” He sat in his computer chair. “What did you come here for, anyways? Back hurting already? Or is it paper cuts?” The last part was said with a little laugh.
Falcon handed him the paperwork. “You need to sign this, I believe.” She saw Alexander quickly sign it. When he handed it back to her, she said, “Thanks, I’ll let you get back to your fun now.”
He looked ready to protest, but she hurried out the door and back to Dalins office.
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Captain Dalin Malstron and Sergeant Falcon Elridge stood at the entrance of the Advanced Survival Training course. Both wore their field uniforms, and both had a bag on their backs. Dalin was the first to speak, “Well, might as well get going.”
He started walking west into the wilderness, and Falcon followed his footsteps. She was trying to follow his example by making as little noise as possible, but was failing. He was walking like a deer, or a ghost, or a—
—wolf—
—she really needed to stop reading those tales. She was getting paranoid. And the werewolf movie she just watched didn’t help any. After all, Dalin had eyes that no one else had. She caught him in the hallway once in the middle of the night. He must’ve heard her shoes, because he turned quickly to look at her. For a moment, his eyes reflected the light, just like an animals. She hadn’t thought much of it, but now it was really starting to freak her out. Her senses spiked, and the hair rose on the back of her neck. The more she thought of it, the more she-
“Are you afraid of the woods?” Dalin asked.
Falcon jumped, and Dalin gave her a strange look. “No,” she said. It wasn’t the woods she was afraid of. All she knew was that it was the full moon tonight. She will know the truth soon.
She kept following him, making note of every inhuman thing he did. His footsteps were silent, very hard to do in boots, nearly impossible. They kept walking, resting every time Falcon was beginning to get tired. But Dalin never seemed out of breath, even when they trekked up that steep hill. Dalin not human, 2, human, 0.
They walked a little further, when Dalin said, “There is a river about a mile ahead. We’ll stop there for the night.” They walked the mile, and he was right, there was a river. “Wait here, I’ll search for shelter.” Dalin walked away, and was quickly lost among the trees. Falcon watched the sunset. It was red and orange, her favorite kind.
It wasn’t until the sun had completely set and moon just began to rise that Dalin came back. He didn’t appear to be having any kind of shift into a wolf, but the moon hadn’t risen fully yet. “Did you find any shelter?” she asked.
“Yes. Come on, it’s not that far.” He waited for her to get up, and when she did, he started walking, Falcon following. When he said ‘not far,’ he meant it. It was about two minutes away. What he had found was an old, covered hunting stand, high up in the tree. The ladder was still useable, even after all the years of weather.
Falcon stared up at it. If they were both to fit, they would have to be pretty close. In fact, they would be touching, which was the last thing she wanted to do. She simply sighed, accepted the fact, and started the climb up. It wasn’t until she arrived at the top that she realized that Dalin was no longer there. His bag was in the stand, probably from when he first found it.
Now where could he be? The moon was finally up, so that supported her theory. However, he came back after thirty minutes, during which she tried to think of other legends.
“I set some snares for the morning,” he said, causing Falcon to startle out of her thoughts. He emerged from the darkness, head rising to her level. He was fully human in appearance, to her relief.
“I see. So we are going to eat the MRE now?”
Dalin completely climbed into the stand. It was cramped, as was to be expected. He reached into his bag and took out the single MRE. “That is the plan. Then we need some sleep so we can get an early start. We have to make it to the other side as quickly as possible.”
They both ate their rations in silence. The food wasn’t that bad, but she couldn’t imagine living off them. It started to rain, and Falcon was glad the stand was covered. She hated rain. It’s cold, it’s wet, and it made her sleepy, the constant noise of it. Flipping up her hood, she laid down, resting her head on her arm. It was still chilly for April, and she shivered slightly.
Dalin laid down beside her, and put his arm over her. She stopped breathing, and he whispered to her, “Don’t interpret this wrong. It’s cold, and two are warmer than one.”
Her breathing returned. The sudden bodily contact surprised her, so of course she stopped breathing. That was the only reason. Is it? She pushed that thought away. He’s her commanding officer. It would be impossible for a relationship to form. And she didn’t even like the guy. Or do I? She shoved that one away too. This was no time to argue with herself. The sound of the rain washed over her body. Letting out a final sigh, she let herself fall asleep.
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Falcon was the first awake in the morning. Staying where she was, she realized that she was in Dalins arms, and he seemed to be squeezing her slightly, as if in a hug. Knowing the slightest movement would wake him; she remained still and collected her thoughts on what Dalin was. He could be a werewolf. Some legends spoke of them turning on the night they were created, or on will, or only on the harvest moon. So maybe it wasn’t his time to shift.
Dalins eyes opened, and he moaned. “…Coffee…”
Falcon sighed. He would be useless. Unless…no, that would be too mean. She was thinking about dumping cold water on him. But that would be evil. And he would most likely get her back by throwing her in the river. “Sorry, Malstron, no coffee out here. But there is a cold river below us.”
Releasing his grip on her, he sat up. He looked exhausted, even though they had a full nights sleep. He climbed down the ladder slowly. About a minute later, Falcon heard a loud splash. She looked down, and saw Dalin had fallen into the current of the river. “Great,” she mumbled as she practically jumped out of the stand. Running along the river, she tried to think of a way to get him. With her arm, she couldn’t swim to him. She would sink, or that was what she was told.
Deciding to throw caution to the wind, she tore off her outer clothes down to her under things. Then running along the bank, she executed a graceful dive into the water. Forcing her way to the surface, she saw Dalins head sticking up. Grabbing him by his collar, she struggled with his weight and the weight of her arm pulling her down. For a second, her head slipped underwater, and she took in a mouthful of it, but she broke free of the current, and dragged herself and her officer to shore.
Shivering, she pulled him away from the bank. Then she listened for breathing. There was none. Sitting him up, she got behind him and started the Heimlich maneuver to clear his lungs of water. After a few times, it started to flow out of his mouth, so she laid him down and started chest compressions. He didn’t start breathing again. Brilliant. Just brilliant, she thought as she mentally prepared herself to give mouth to mouth. Leaning over him, she opened his mouth, and started the approach. With a huge gasp, Dalin opened his eyes and started breathing.
With wide eyes, he looked at her and said, “So a little…rescue is...enough to get…you to undress.”
Falcon glared at him. “I could get you sent to sensitivity training for that,” she warned.
Dalin sat up slowly. “Everything done here is off the records.”
“What are you suggesting, Malstron?” Falcon stood up.
“Nothing but an alternative to sitting here, shivering. Personally, I want a quick way to get warm,” he answered smoothly.
“In your dreams,” she growled, and went off to get her clothes and firewood. “And I suggest taking off those wet clothes. You don’t want to freeze right after I rescued you, right?”
Falcon returned to her clothes, and much to her dismay, realized something. She would have to go natural and commando. Outstanding, she thought as she dressed. Putting her wet items in her coat pocket, she went off in search for firewood. They would rest until Dalins clothes dried, then be on their way again. There was no way she would put her bra and underwear in front of the fire with her commanding officer in sight. It would be much too embarrassing.
Gathering deadfall, she went back to where she left Malstron. He was sitting dejectedly in front of the fire in only his boxers, which were also soaked. He looked up quickly. She hadn’t made a single noise, so how did he know she was there? Not human, 3. Human, 0, she thought as she walked up.
She quickly made a fire using the matches from her bag. Then she grabbed two sticks with forks in them, inserted them in the ground near the fire, and placed a straight branch on them, creating a sort of clothes line. “Put your clothes on this so they can dry,” she told him. “I’m going to check the traps.”
He looked at her. “You don’t know where they are,” he said.
“I’ll follow your tracks. I can do that much,” she said, as she went off. Starting at the base of the tree, she followed his tracks, which were confusing. How on earth did he jump that ten-foot wide stream? And not get cut on the brambles he so obviously went through, for there wasn’t a hint of blood, only some black fur, probably from a—
—wolf—
—stray dog. Paranoia was never a good thing. It clouded the mind.
Coming upon the first trap, she found a rabbit, struggling to get free from the snare. “Sorry little guy,” she said as she freed it and snapped its’ neck. She went through all the snares, but there was only one more rabbit. Slightly relieved, she followed the tracks back to where Dalin was.
On her way back, she thought on the different tales of werewolves. There were so many out there that it was plausible. After all, Gryphons made their appearance shortly after the World Governor took over the Himalayas. And Dragons had been seen every once-in-a-while.
When she reached the makeshift camp, Dalin looked up with an innocent ‘I’m a perfectly normal human’ look. Rolling her eyes, she placed the rabbits on the ground. “Could you prepare them, please?” she asked him. He just silently picked them up, and was about to start to skin them. She leapt up, saying a little louder and higher pitched, “Not in front of me!”
He looked up and smirked. “This is something my whole family learns at the age of five,” he said, using that I’m-better-than-you tone of voice. “It’s so easy; I could do it with my eyes closed.”
Falcon, slightly queasy, said, “Not being a human sure helps.”
In a flash, Dalin dropped the rabbits and grabbed her left arm in a firm grip. “What do you know about not being human?” he growled. He started twisting her arm.
“Ow ow ow ow! I just know a human can’t jump a ten foot stream with a walking start!” she cried. With an audible ‘CRACK!’ she felt her arm twist in an unusual way, before the pain hit and she screamed. Dalin swiftly released her arm, and Falcon, with tears running down her face, ran.
Running away from camp, she tried to stop the tears that were freely flowing and hindering her vision. She couldn’t see where she was going, and she didn’t want to trip. Which she did anyways. Falling, she unconsciously rolled in the air so she would land on her right side. Lying stunned for a minute, she tried not to cry again. A hiss escaped as she looked at her right knee. It was cut open, and most likely would need stitches. Slowly getting up using her right arm, she continued, but at a walk. Her arm hurt, and not your average hurt. It hurt. She also realized that she needed to make a splint for it so it would set right.
Looking for two straight sticks, she didn’t realize she wasn’t alone until she walked into someone. She stumbled, and strong hands caught her before she fell. Looking up, she saw Dalin. Her fear spiked, and he winced. “I won’t hurt you,” he said.
Wrenching herself away, she said, “Yeah right. You broke my arm, and you’re saying I’m not hurt,” she accused.
“Look, I’m sorry about that. At least let me set your arm and put a proper splint on it,” he said.
Falcon reluctantly sat down on a large rock and watched as he took out the first aid kit. He found the splint, and he removed it, along with some Aspirin. He gave her the pills, and she swallowed them dry. He gently took her arm, a far cry from the last time he held it, and said, “I’ll have to set the bones. It’ll hurt, but only for a second.” He quickly pulled and twisted with one hand, he held her shoulder with the other.
Falcon gritted her teeth, tears leaking from her eyes again. But as he said, it only hurt for a second. The pain lessened to a dull throbbing. He put the splint on gently, making sure it was tight. She pulled her arm away and looked at him. “Thanks,” she mumbled.
Dalin stood, and she saw he had her bag, too, along with his. Good, she thought, let him carry it. She started walking west, the direction of where they should end up. Dalin once again took the lead, helping her whenever there were difficult parts. She could just use her right arm, but he didn’t need to know that.
Deciding to speak, she said, “You just confirmed you weren’t human by losing your temper, you know.”
He replied, “I am aware of that.”
She waited for a minute, seeing if he would tell her what he was. “So what are you?” she asked after he didn’t tell.
“What do you think I am?” he asked in reply.
Damn. He answered my question with a question. I hate that. “A werewolf,” she said honestly.
He laughed. “Close enough,” he said. Turning, he smiled. He actually smiled at her. “You might see one day.”
They spent that night under a fallen log just large enough to fit both of them. Like the night before, they slept in each others arms, but refused to acknowledge the fact that they were. After all, it was warmer that way.
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When Falcon awoke in the morning, she realized that there was something cooking. It smelled like fish, one of her favorite breakfast choices. Unfortunately, the cafeteria at HQ didn’t serve it in the morning. Crawling out from under the log, she saw about five large bass impaled over the fire. Looking at Dalin, she asked, “How did you catch them? By hand?”
Again, he smiled. He held up a handmade fish hook. “One of my dad’s favorite ways of getting food,” he said, supplying another rare glimpse into his family. He removed one of the fish and handed it to her. “This one should be done,” he said.
Falcon took the fish by the base of the stick in her right hand. Her hand brushed Dalins, and even though she couldn’t feel it, she still felt the electric shock of the contact. She didn’t jump back, but he did let go swiftly. She thanked him and started eating. It was cooked perfectly, nice and tender. The only thing missing was the lemon.
Completely devouring the fish, she sighed. It reminded her of the times she and her dad would go fishing overnight. He would cook fish the way Dalin had. Then he died, and her mom, too. There were no more fishing trips after that.
She mentally shook her head. She shouldn’t be thinking of those kinds of things right now. It may have happened a few years ago, but it was still a tender subject. It was her fault… This time she actually shook her head, causing Dalin to look up in confusion.
“What’s wrong, Elridge?” he asked.
She started when she heard him speak. Until then, they had been sitting in silence, and his voice seemed to come out of nowhere. “Nothing,” she said. It was, after all, none of his business.
He just sighed, and went on eating. Falcon stood and walked to the river, being careful not to fall in. One swimming lesson was enough for her, and she didn’t feel like being dragged underwater by her arm. Picking up a flat stone with her right hand, she flung it across the water. The river was moving too fast for it to skip, but it did create a large splash, scaring the fish.
“It’s not nice to do that,” a voice said behind her. Falcon squeaked and whirled around to look at the speaker.
“It’s not nice to creep up on people,” she replied, heart still beating fast. Dalin had scared the crap out of her.
His mouth twitched, and he looked like he was hiding a smile. “I do not ‘creep.’ Nor do I slink, skulk or sneak. I just came to let you know we’re almost out of here. By about noon, we should arrive.”
The last statement of his made him sound like Yoda, and she wanted to tell him that, but decided against it. She didn’t know how he would respond. “We should get moving then,” she said.
They made their way back to the temporary camp and cleaned up, erasing all signs that they were there. Then taking their packs, they continued along their way to the goal. Dalin was impatient, for all Falcon could tell, it was because he wanted coffee ASAP. Falcon just wanted a shower, a trip to the clinic, and some good pain meds.
Lunch was a pair of rabbits Dalin snuck up on and killed. While he was dressing them, she searched for firewood. She came back with a large amount in her right arm, just as Dalin had finished skinning and gutting the rabbits. She hurried to build the fire. She was starving, but had a sudden, nauseous idea that Dalin had the hearts and livers as an appetizer. Trying not to be sick, she built the fire up so the rabbits could cook.
“You look a little pale,” Dalin said, sounding worried. “If your arm is hurting, I really am sorry. Sometimes I misjudge my on strength”
Falcon shook her head. “It doesn’t hurt. But I don’t want to know what you had as an appetizer.”
He laughed and said, “Don’t worry. I had no intentions of telling you.” She got even paler as he confirmed her thoughts, and he laughed even harder. “I’m sorry. It’s just so fun to mess with your head. I had no appetizers, I swear.” He raised his hands as if to prove his innocence. Then he stood to check on the rabbits. They weren’t quite done, so he sat back down.
Falcon sat the whole time, trying not to get sick. When she finally got her nausea under control, the rabbits were done. They let them cool down, and then devoured them, leaving nothing but bones. She helped him clean up the area, then waited for him to shoulder both bags.
He started out, making sure she could keep up. She had to hurry a little, but she didn’t let him slow down. She wouldn’t show any more weaknesses. They kept going until the sun was high in the sky, signifying that it was noon. They had obviously eaten lunch early.
The trees started to thin out, and the cover of the leaves thinned. He stopped, and a grin spread across his face. “They just made coffee.”
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So thats it for chapter two. I was thinking about adding more, but decided to end it where it was. It's long enough already.
 love-sesshy · Sat May 03, 2008 @ 09:38pm · 1 Comments |
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