5

At daybreak Jim was in a hurry to move on.

Lou didn’t mention the dreams from the night before. She mused silently, listening to the sounds of the forest as they walked; the chattering, calling, singing and chirping of the wildlife.

They walked for three hours without a rest.

The pain in her leg grew with every step, but she gritted her teeth and carried on. Often she would stumble, the jolt sending another stab of pain through her.

The sun blazed and there wasn’t a breath of a breeze.

Last night, there was something else from her dream. She couldn’t remember what, but it was important to get as far away from the village as possible.

After what seemed like an eternity, Jim finally paused. “OK, we’ll stop here by the river.”

Lou sighed with relief and sat down. “I could really do with some painkillers,” she muttered.

Ailsa overheard her and came across. “I could make you an herbal painkiller. It’ll take a couple of hours.”

“That’d be wonderful. Thanks,” Lou said. She shifted backwards until her back rested against a tree trunk and closed her eyes. A pillow would be nice, but right now she’d take whatever was available.

“Jim, I’ll be right back.” Ailsa said. “I’ll find some herbs for Lou.”

Lou opened her eyes, ready for the coming argument.

“Not on your own,” Jim said, standing up. “Let me come with you.”

Ailsa shook her head. “Jim, I’ve been on my own for years. We are not yet a full day’s journey from the village. I know where I am and what I’m looking for. I won’t be long.”

“Take Deefer, then.”

“The dog? Why?”

“There is no point arguing with Jim.” Lou murmured. “He’s a stubborn thing, at times.”

Deefer sat by Lou’s feet, almost asleep.

“He’s tired Jim. I’ll go by myself.”

“But...”

Ailsa stuck her hands on her hips and held Jim’s gaze. “I said, I’ll go on my own. I’m a big girl now. I can take care of myself.”

Lou grinned. “And Ailsa’s even more stubborn than you. Fifteen-all.”

Jim held up his hands. “OK, OK, I give in. You go and I’ll stay here.”

Ailsa disappeared into the forest.

Jim sat down.

Staci looked at him. “Jim and Ailsa sitting in a tree,” she began.

Jim blushed. He picked up the logbook and began writing.

Lou nudged her. “Don’t tease him, Stace. Jim, I’ve remembered who two of those statues were. The bird is Oneki. He is the giver and preserver of life. He’s also the lawgiver. The statue that looks like you is Xantic. He’s the grim reaper, the giver of death.”

“And he looks like me? Thanks a lot.”

“You’re welcome.”

The earth moved slightly under them. “What’s that?” Staci asked.

“Tremor,” Jim said. “The whole area is seismically active. I imagine they get small earthquakes all the time. It’s nothing to worry about.”

“OK. Back in a sec,” Staci jumped up and went into the trees.

Jim smiled awkwardly. “Thanks for shutting Staci up just now.”

“That’s OK. You really like Ailsa, don’t you?”

“Yeah,” Jim admitted. “Yeah, I do. I know I’ve only just met her, but…”

Lou tilted her head. “Love at first sight is cute. That’s how Mum and Dad did it.”

Jim tossed the pen at her. “I’ll give you cute.”

She picked up the pen and looked at it, before tossing it back. “Nope, this isn’t a cute. It’s a pen.”

Ailsa came back carrying a whole bunch of leaves. “I’ll need a pan,” she said.

“Here,” Jim said, handing her one. “Do you want a fire lit?”

“Please.” Ailsa half-filled the pan with river water and then tore the leaves into small pieces. She put them into the pan and then placed it on top of the fire.

Lou watched with interest. “How long do you heat it for, Ailsa?”

“About an hour or so.”

Staci came back. “What’s cooking?” she asked.

“Painkillers of some description,” Lou told her. “Why?”

“I thought it was lunch.”

“You don’t want to eat again already, surely?” Ailsa said.

“That’s our Staci—permanently hungry,” Lou grinned. “She takes after her brother.”

Jim tossed the pen at her again. “It takes one to know one. Once Ailsa has finished with the fire, kiddo, I’ll do you lunch.”

Staci smiled. “Thank you.”

Lou tossed the pen back. “Throw that again and I’m keeping it. So is this an ointment I rub in?”

Ailsa shook her head. “No, you drink it.”

Drink it? Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

As soon as Ailsa took the pan off the fire, Jim opened a couple of tins and put them in the remaining pan. He whistled as he heated them.

Ailsa strained the now green liquid through a T-shirt into a bowl. She then poured the liquid into an empty water bottle. “Done,” she said. “It might taste a little strange at first, but it works. You don’t need much. One mouthful usually does it.”

“Looks pretty.” Lou took the bottle and sniffed. “Smells interesting. Tastes…” She took a mouthful and retched trying to swallow it. “It’s horrid.” She spluttered, and then gulped it, trying not to let the liquid touch her tongue again.

“Give it a few minutes. I think you’ll find it worth it. It lasts a good six hours before it wears off. “

Jim dished up.

Staci looked at hers. “Is that all?”

“It’s better than nothing, kiddo.” He gave bowls to Ailsa and Lou, before continuing to speak. “The only chance we have of being rescued is to get to the other side of Agrihan. I looked at the map and chart last night. There is an abandoned air force base on the far side of the island. There might be a radio or something there we could use to call for help.”

Lou snorted. “Jim. Ailsa’s been here for six years. Surely she’d have found it?”

Ailsa shook her head. “First I’ve heard of it, but it‘s a big island. As I said earlier, the tribe never goes more than one day’s journey from the village. All the crops are grown locally. The hunters go out in search of meat occasionally, but the women never accompany them.”

“What sort of animals?” Staci asked, looking nervously over her shoulder.

“Wild boar, rabbits mainly. They set traps for them. Nasty metal ones, which they hide. We lost six villagers to them last year, but they still keep using them.”

Lou suddenly realized that her leg no longer hurt. It ached, but it didn’t hurt anymore. “You were right about that green stuff, Ailsa.”

“It is working?”

“Fantastic. Heaps better than pain reliever. I can’t feel a thing. Does it work for migraine?”

“I don’t know. I don’t get headaches at all.”

“Lucky you.” Lou tucked the bottle into her bag. Hopefully it’d ward off any migraines she might get. She hadn’t had one in a while, which wasn’t a good sign. She would go weeks, and then have several cluster headaches which always left her drained.

They spent the afternoon swimming in the river, as Staci said they could wash their clothes at the same time if they wore them in the water.

Lou watched enviously from the bank as Deefer and the others splashed in the river.

Ailsa glanced over at Lou. “Want a hand into the water? You shouldn’t have to miss out.”

Lou looked across at Jim and then back at Ailsa. “What about my leg? If it’s infected shouldn’t I keep it dry?”

“There are ways around that problem.” Jim mimed sawing his leg just above the knee.

Lou poked her tongue out at him. “It’d be nice if it were possible, preferably without doing that. I don’t want to be a pirate…” She laughed. “Hey, I just thought, Captain Kirk could also be “Arrrr, Jim Lad” and find himself a parrot and an eye patch and then he’d be right at home on our desert island in the sun.”

The others squealed with laughter.

Jim stuck his hands on his hips and looked daggers at her.

Ailsa elbowed him. “Jim, can you give me a hand?”

Together they headed back over to Lou.

Staci took Lou’s crutches.

Jim lifted her in his arms. “You weigh a ton,” he joked. He waded into the river.

Ailsa held Lou’s injured leg above the water.

Jim gently lowered Lou below the surface.

The water was wonderfully cool. Lou didn’t want to get out.

But Jim carried her out of the water and into the sunlight to dry.

“Thank you,” she said.

Jim grinned. “You’re welcome. At least you won’t smell now.”

Lou rolled her eyes. “And I thought you were my friend.”

“Oh, I am,” he said seriously. “That’s why I hadn’t told you before.” He set her down on the river bank. “Now if you don’t mind, I have a sister I need to drown.”