Chapter Five

Kendra groaned as she uncurled her body from the fetal position that she’d lain in on the damp ground for the better part of the night.  She’d made sure that her horse was close by so that she could watch over its safety in the event of a zombie or cyborg invasion.  What she hadn’t expected was that the horse would lie down so close to her that their bodies were actually touching. It was as if the gelding knew the benefit of staying close.

She lay with her back against the horse’s back.  The combination of their body heat was fantastic for her torso, but it also emphasized the cold dampness of the ground beneath her.  She’d gathered a few pine branches to act as a barrier between her body and the ground, but they proved ineffective over the long haul. Her pants were so damp as to be considered wet. They clung, uncomfortably, to her slender legs.  Her muscles had tightened from a night of damp cold and were struggling to function normally.

As she stretched her body in a cat-like manner, she surveyed her surroundings for signs of danger.  Fortunately, all was quiet.

She was miserable.  Not only was she hungry, but she’d been away from her son much longer than intended and her breasts felt full and cumbersome.  Although he was slowing down with his need of her, she still fed him a few times a day.  There were some things about motherhood that she thoroughly enjoyed and others that she could easily do without.  The hindrance of breast feeding was one of the things that she would be happy to be freed from in the near future. 

The growling of her stomach took her away from her misery over her milk deluged breasts and reminded her that she hadn’t eaten since before they set out on their hunting trip the morning before.  She frowned as she observed her gelding munching away at a patch of thick, lush grass.  If only she could have food at the ready like that…

After hastily saddling her mount, she hoisted her stiff body into the saddle. She took a little time to adjust her seating and get comfortable in the saddle before cautiously heading in the direction that she believed the meeting place to be. 

With the threat of the cyborgs in the background and no encounters with zombies, she was able to focus on finding the trail that would take her to Rex. Once on it, she reached the rock that was their designated meeting point within twenty minutes. 

Expecting to see her husband impatiently waiting for her, she was surprised to discover that he wasn’t even there.  Having just been there the day before, she knew that the remnants of the small camp fire behind the boulder were from a fire in the night.  It was clear that Rex had spent the night waiting for her.  So, why wasn’t he still there?  Looking at the position of the sun, he couldn’t have arisen more than a few hours ago.  Surely he would have given her time to get to the camp before taking off and going… who knew where?

She climbed out of the saddle and groaned as her feet hit the ground.  Her bones ached from the torture of the night spent.  She longed to soak in a hot bath that was infused with some of Olga’s herbs for muscle stress.

Signs of the fact that Rex had eaten caused her stomach to remind her that she’d had nothing in over twenty-four hours.  Reaching for her water jug, she shook it to judge how much was left.  She would have liked to have filled her stomach with water to help stave the hunger, but she had to consider the fact that her horse would need a little water to continue on as well and she had precious little left with no idea how long it would be before she’d be able to refill her jug.

She cupped her hand so that it acted as a vessel to hold the water that she poured into it and offered it to her horse.  His muzzle felt soft and warm as he quickly emptied her palm.  She would have liked to have offered him more, but she didn’t dare.  She appeased her guilt by determining that the gelding had received some fluid through the grass he’d been munching on.  In fact, all things considered, the horse was actually in better shape than she was when it came to sustenance for the body.

Heaving a sigh, she secured the jug crossbody over her torso and climbed back up into the saddle that was secured onto her mount’s back. The sound of leather straining beneath her seemed loud and invasive in the silent surroundings.

Wincing as she settled her sore body into a more comfortable position, she patted her gelding on his neck and urged him forward.  With her water supply dangerously low and no food in sight, she had no choice other than to head back home.  Hoping that was where Rex went, she kept an eye out for signs to prove that she was right.

It took the better part of the day before she found her way back to the compound. 

****

Besides the fact that he saw no signs of Rex, seeing Kendra sitting slummed in the saddle and noting how slow the horse moved was an instant indication to Felix that something was amiss. 

He rushed to her aid and grabbed the gelding’s bridle. “Where’s Rex?  What happened? Are you alone?  You look like shit.  What happened?”

“How’s Eugene?” she asked as she slid from the saddle onto legs that felt like they were made of rubber.

He stopped for a moment, as if taken aback by the question. “Why, he’s perfect, of course.”

Kendra gave a tired smile. “Good.”

“Are you going to tell me what happened?  Where’s Rex?” Felix asked with urgency.

Kendra frowned. “I was hoping that he was here already.  We got separated.”

“Zombies?” he worriedly asked.

“I encountered some, but…”  she began. “I’m very thirsty and I haven’t eaten since yesterday morning. Is there anything to eat?”

“I just made a pot of gruel,” he offered. “It’s fresh.”

“It sounds wonderful,” she said as she massaged her empty stomach.  “I’ll tell you everything while I eat. Okay?”

Felix hesitated before saying, “Ari is inside.”

“Aunt Olga?” she asked with newfound energy and a hint of enthusiasm.

He shook his head.  “Just Ari.  She was in pretty bad shape when she got here.  Some zombies got her horse and she had to walk here.”

“That’s awful,” Kendra said with genuine sympathy as she patted the neck of the gelding that she’d only recently bonded with.  Knowing how deeply that she’d connected to him during their time of crisis, she could only imagine the loss that Ari felt over a mare that she’d had for years and that Kendra knew she considered more of a friend than a mount.

“Worse than that,” Felix added. “They ate the thing while it was still alive right in front of her.” The cousins simultaneously shuddered and then Felix added, “I’ll take care of the horse.  The gruel’s in the pot. I’ll be in after I’ve tended to him.”

“I can’t imagine life without you,” Kendra said as she kissed his cheek.

Never completely comfortable with shows of affection toward him by Kendra, his face reddened. “Sure.  Sure.  Now, go on before I change my mind and make you do it yourself.”

She smiled and headed into the house.

Even though it was bland, she was so hungry that she was able to detect a slight aroma coming from the pot as she forced herself to move past the kitchen and check on her son. Seeing that he was snuggled up for his afternoon nap, she scurried back to the kitchen.  After drawing herself a tall glass of water, she greedily put the glass to her lips and didn’t stop drinking until she’d drank every last drop.  It tasted as if the filter was in need of cleaning.  She made a mental note to tend to it as soon as she’d eaten.  Although the water was potable, there was still the concern of contaminants that needed to be filtered in order to keep it at its healthiest grade.  Since her son also drank the water, they were all very careful to monitor and clean the filter that they’d fashioned over the opening of the main water pipe.

With her thirst satiated, she went to the pot of gruel and scooped a healthy portion into a bowl that had been set out as if in preparation for her. 

She was so eager to eat that she never even spotted Ari standing near the back window of the room with her peripheral vision.  Nor did she remember that Felix had only just told her that she was there.

“Hello, Kendra,” Ari said in a soft and almost timid tone.

Startled, Kendra’s body gave a slight jolt as she turned in the direction of Ari’s voice.  “I didn’t see you there.”

“Your son is adorable,” Ari said with a warm smile.

“My son,” Kendra said with a raised brow, “and your nephew.”

“Yes, yes. My nephew,” she replied in an off-handed manner.

“You don’t allow yourself to get attached to babies.  Do you?” Kendra observed.

“Would you if you lived where I live?” Ari asked and then she gasped when she realized what she said.

Kendra closed her eyes and pursed her lips together.  “Why are you here?”

“Olga sent me to fetch you,” Ari replied.

“I understand that you ran into some trouble coming here,” Kendra said as she, once again, focused on tending to her hunger.  “How long were you traveling?”

“Almost a full week,” Ari said as she went to the kitchen counter and seated herself in a stool opposite Kendra.  “I’ve never experienced anything like it.  The zombies seemed almost… intelligent.”

“There are intelligent zombies out there,” Kendra said as she stuffed an overly full spoonful of gruel into her mouth.

“This was my first encounter with them,” Ari said with regret.  “They killed my mare.”

Kendra’s voice was genuine when she offered her condolences.

They  chatted a bit more about the intelligent zombies and what made them semi-resistant to the virus for a while longer before Ari swung the conversation back around to the reason that she came.

“Do you seriously want me to believe that my aunt sent you to fetch her great nephew and take him to a place that will rip him from us and put him in a program to prepare him for war?” Kendra practically hissed.  “I think that, when you’ve properly rested, it would be a good idea for you to return to Center Land… Without us, of course.”

“But… Olga…” Ari began.

“Is crazy to have gone there with you,” Kendra interrupted, “but is not crazy enough to ask me to take my son to a place that separates children from their parents.  You lie, Ari, and I shouldn’t be surprised.  In fact, I’m not surprised.  I’m just disappointed.  Now, I’m tired and hungry. So, if you don’t mind, I’d like to eat my food in peace and then take a short nap before I sit down with Felix to discuss what to do about the fact that my husband is missing.”

Ari’s mouth opened and closed several times, but nothing came out of it.  She was at a loss at what to say to convince the young woman before her that she was telling the truth.

She couldn’t blame them for not trusting her.  Had the situation been reversed, she doubted that she’d trust anything that came out of Kendra’s mouth either. But, the fact of the matter was that she was charged by the elders of her village to fetch Olga’s family.  They had assured her that it was at Olga’s request and she had no reason not to believe that they spoke the truth.