Simone rubbed her eyes, looking around as the red setting sun threw ominous shadows through the thin branches of the dead forest. Like spindly fingers they reached up into the gloom, and she shuddered.
It was so similar to the dream she'd just had that she took a moment to realize she'd woken up.
"Where are we?" She asked as Judah came to a stop and sniffed the air.
"Somewhere South." Shayn's voice was so close behind her that it sent shivers up the back of her neck. She'd been leaning against him this whole time without even being aware!
The realization made her stiffen, and he relaxed an arm that had been around her waist. Her face burned.
"I think Judah's determined we'll stay here for the night," Shayn said as he slid from the animal's back. He put their pack on the ground and turned to lift his hands for her. Normally Judah knelt so that she could get down more easily, but he seemed distracted by a scent in the air.
Seeing no other option, she reached down to put her hands on Shayn's shoulders as he took her by the waist and lowered her to the ground. He paused a moment before letting her go, probably just to make sure she was stable on her feet so soon after waking up.
Her hands slid from his shoulders and to her sides, but she didn't step away since Judah was still close behind her. Shayn didn't immediately step away either.
"What was your dream about?" He asked.
"Oh..." She shook her head to clear her thoughts and closed her eyes to recall the images. "It was… death, reaching out with decrepit hands. Grasping at me. I turned away to run, and the flowers on the tree wilted. I tripped and dropped my rock, and was trying to pick it back up as the fingers came closer. That's when I woke up."
"Your rock?" He asked, a bit confused.
She reached into the pocket of her skirt and withdrew the small bit of quartz she'd once used to prank Victoria. Holding it in her palm, she showed it to Shayn.
"I think I remember this," He took it from her hand to examine it. "Victoria threw it at you, didn't she?"
"Yes," Simone confirmed, omitting the last part of the story where Shayn had retrieved it and given it back to her. She'd kept it because it was pretty, not because he'd taken the trouble to find it for her.
"Do you often have such… interesting dreams?" He asked lightly.
"No, not often," She said. "I rarely, if ever, remember them."
"I wonder if you'll have any tonight," He glanced at the setting sun. "You slept most of the day, you may not be able to sleep at all."
"You're probably right," Simone looked around. "This place is creepy. My imagination will probably run away with me and keep me from sleeping much at all. Do you think this is…?" she paused.
"The area affected by the contaminated rain, yes." He nodded. "Thankfully, it looks clear tonight. I don't expect rain, and I imagine Judah will get us out of here first thing in the morning, won't you?" He asked he large beast who still seemed frozen in place, sniffing the air.
Judah turned his large head, and chirped a single time, then took off running.
"Suppertime, I imagine," Simone said quietly. The cat occasionally disappeared like that and came back licking his chops. She didn't ever want to know what he'd found, but at least he didn't eat things whole and screaming like the giants did.
Shayn's stomach rumbled, and Simone suppressed a giggle.
"For us too, I hope," He grinned at her. "I'll get a fire going."
He still made no move to step away, and she held her breath. His eyes cut in the direction that Judah had just left, and she realized that their 'chaperone', such as he was, had left them utterly, truly alone for the first time.
A chill wind blew from the South, and she shivered. As if on cue, Shayn shed his coat and wrapped it around her shoulders. A loose lock of hair strayed across her face and he lifted a hand to tuck it behind her ear.
She swallowed, not sure what to say. Or do. Judah was intelligent, but he was an animal nonetheless. He couldn't talk, or interrupt, and his presence or absence shouldn't make much of a difference in how they interacted, and yet…
Shayn's hand lingered by her face. It wasn't as cool as she was, and she leaned her cheek into his palm, closing her eyes.
"You're warm," She breathed. His coat still held his body heat as well, and she reveled in it, surrounded by the scent of him. It was like being wrapped tightly in a hug.
"I think," He whispered, and she opened her eyes to look into his green ones, so close to hers. His eyes flickered to her lips. "I think I should work on that fire I promised you."
He stepped away abruptly, and her face flushed.
"I'll… make some food." She stuttered.
They both went about their assigned task. Simone tried not to sneak glances at Shayn, but it was a difficult endeavor. Had she imagined the tension between them? Perhaps it was simply a product of having been in close proximity for so long. It didn't necessarily mean anything, did it?
Then again, they weren't really arguing with each other anymore. The once-vicious barbs were now far softer, and often delivered with a smile. He hadn't directly insulted her or said anything hurtful at all recently.
She made some quick fry bread and paired it with preserved meat and carrots. She had hoped to hunt some summer berries or root vegetables in the forest, but it was barren here. The naked trees and their damaged limbs looked worse by firelight as the last of the sun's rays disappeared. The moon tonight was a peculiar greenish color.
Shayn was watching her cook, dropping his eyes into the fire whenever she glanced at him. There was no conversation, and she didn't know whether to lighten the mood or press in by asking what was on his mind. He'd built the fire near a large fallen log which he sat on, and she moved to sit beside him when the food was done.
"The forest looks different here," She finally said as she handed him a plate. "Sad, and creepy."
"With proper water, it should grow back… I think," He replied. "Though it may take a long time, and who knows what will happen before then."
"We'll find Kyler, I'm sure," She assured him. "We'll bring him home."
He nodded without smiling, and she sighed.
"This is good," Shayn said after a moment.
"You don't have to sound that surprised," Simone teased.
He paused his chewing. "I mean it. It's not just edible or ok, it's good."
She blushed, not entirely sure whether he was in earnest or merely trying to distract from talk of Kyler. Either way, she supposed a polite response was due.
"Well, thank you. I still haven't tasted your fry bread, you know. Is yours better?" She tilted her head.
Shayn swallowed. "I don't think I'm an entirely impartial judge of that," He hedged.
"Of course you're not, but I'd like to hear your answer anyway," Simone grinned. There was a time not so long ago when he would have gone out of his way to insult her, but now it seemed like he was bending over backwards to be kind. What a change! Could she trust that it was permanent?
He fixed her with a longsuffering, forlorn gaze which almost made her laugh out loud. With a dramatic sigh he looked down at his plate and mumbled so that she could barely hear.
"Yoursisbetter."
"Pardon?" She cupped her hand to her ear and leaned closer. "I didn't quite catch that."
"Yours. Is. Better. Than. Mine." He punctuated the last word with a large bite of the meal, and she snickered.
"Not the words I expected to hear from you," She admitted. "It is rather gratifying to hear such a sincerely reluctant compliment."
He smirked as he chewed, and the wind stoked the fire. Simone realized she was still wearing Shayn's coat.
"I'm sorry! I should have given this back to you as soon as you had the fire ready," She put down her plate to slide her arms out of the sleeves, but he held his hand up.
"You keep it. You seem to need it far more than I do," He said. "Besides, if this wind keeps up, your bedroll might not be enough to keep you from catching a chill."
Simone blinked at him, "What about you?"
"I'm a hot-headed moron," He winked. "I never get cold."