She had glanced up, feeling his eyes on her, turning to look at him directly. He stared back without an iota of self-consciousness or nervousness crossing his mind. Not sure why. He was usually somewhat uneasy when a pretty girl gazed upon him, unabashed, frank. Maybe he was just too distracted, his mind not all there.
She seemed to read something on his face that Anthony didn’t realize was there. She smiled, warmly, with a blink or two of her eyes. She looked tired, though she was trying to hide it.
He smiled back without thinking, quickly. A small, confused chuckle escaped him. The sudden galvanization of his will was too foreign. Still, he didn’t look away.
She stood, walking toward him.
He watched her move the few feet separating them, unable to stop himself from admiring the swing of her gait, her hips gliding to the left, then right with each light step she took. She was so beautiful, so feminine.
She sat down next to him and surprised him even more by leaning against him, wordlessly, as if she’d done it a thousand times.
“You should rest, Anthony, you look like crap,” she muttered from his side, her eyes facing forward, making him grin and sigh at the same time. “I mean that in a caring sort of way. I don’t want you to think I’m being rude or anything.”
“I know,” he had managed after a second or two, already having understood the context of her appraisal. “Maybe we both should,” he said. “You look as tired as I feel and I’ve already slept for a bit.”
She shook with a small laugh, “That bad, eh?”
“I didn’t say you looked bad or anything… I mean, you still look awesome to me. You just look like you are ready to fall asleep any second now.”
“You’re just being a nice guy…”
“Yeah, well, I’m a nice guy who doesn’t lie – you still look very pretty, Sophie,” he said it looking outward into the cavern, so she wouldn’t have to see him blushing. He instantly wondered why he had been so willing to compliment her.
“Thanks, you’re sweet,” she replied. Slowly, she leaned back toward the surface of the furniture pads, taking Anthony with her, until they both were lying side by side, gazing up at the ceiling of the cave. Its’ many stalactites pointing back down at them. They laid there for a while not moving, not speaking, merely looking upward, touching along the entire length of their bodies, close, and warming.
“How did we get here?” asked Anthony out of the blue, surprising himself. Why had he said it aloud? He kept thinking of the attack at his grandmother’s house. He continued to see the melting of his former life right before his eyes, how it had made him sick, made him pass out. He kept playing it over and over in his head, trying to grasp the totality of their situation. Only it kept slipping away, his mind was too full, his brain too tired from the over-exertion. Like his sisters, he needed to recharge, to rest, let go of some of the stress even for a short while. Maybe then, he could think more clearly. Maybe then, he could figure out what to do.
Why did it feel like everything had happened weeks ago not less than the twenty-four hours it had actually been? How could it be possible that so much could change in so little time? It was bewildering.
“I don’t know,” answered Sophie, her voice thickening with sleep.
“What are we going to do now?” he asked a few moments later, more to himself than to Sophie, still lost in thought. He’d been unfulfilled by any answer he could conjure up in his beleaguered and weary condition.
“I don’t know that either… rest, Anthony,” was all Sophie said.
He nodded in agreement, his thoughts still racing, until he fell asleep, again.
*****
He jerked awake abruptly, feeling the comfortable pile of makeshift bedding beneath him, his eyes darting this way and that. Having awakened so abruptly, he had momentarily forgotten where he was for the second time that day. He glanced next to him and saw his sisters still slumbering to one side of him. While on the other, lay Sophie, staring back at him with a languorous smile etched on her face.
It melted. “You woke me up,” she said, playing at being petulant.
“Sorry,” Anthony breathed in a low voice, feeling his face flush at having slept next to the girl and then lacking the panache to awaken slowly and not wake her in the process.
Sophie grinned anew at his discomfort, but stayed silent, just watching. Her eyes darted over his face as she lay on her side facing him, making him even more timorous.
He was instantly shy, not able to stand up to her gaze, his former bravado deserting him. He sat up and quickly rubbed the sleep from his face for the second time in the past few hours and ran a hand through his hair, which still pulled back in a half-pony tail. He quickly re-made it.
Sophie stretched beside him, pointing her toes in the boots she’d forgotten to take off. She arched her back, rolling over slowly and sitting up. She faced Anthony as she shook out her incredibly pale hair, poking at the corners of her eyes.
Anthony peered at her from the corner of his vision, not sure if he wanted her to catch on he was looking at her far too much. Despite the notion, he was unable to take his eyes from her one way or another.
She pulled her athletic form in a taut stretch. Her small belly button peaked out from underneath her sweater and shirt. Both had ridden up while she had slept. He was suddenly confused by what he was feeling, not sure what to make of it. Her skin looks so smooth there.
“Should we go back to the fire and see what the others are up too?” suggested Sophie, pulling a Scrunchie from one of the front pockets of her jeans. Deftly, she pulled her hair back in a ponytail, squinting at him as she did so.
Anthony shook himself. God, she is beautiful, he thought and gulped down a quick breath of air.
“Yeah, I think we should,” began Anthony, trying to think of anything else but the magnetic force he felt from the girl. “I think we have to sort out what we’re going to do next. I mean, we can stay here for a while, but eventually we’re going to have to find out why all of this happened. And, we’re going to have to find the rest of the Guardians.”
“You think there are more kids like us out there?” she asserted, a troubled look on her face.
He knew she was thinking of the cold and the snow, wondering how long someone could survive out there, exposed to the elements.
Not for very long, we will have to do something and fast!
“I know for certain there are more,” declared Anthony. “When we were being held by Fenris and his minions, he mentioned to them - we overheard - that are twelve of us.”
Sophie’s brow furled at his answer. “Is this Fenris one of the ‘monsters’ Jason was talking to me about?”
Anthony stared at her for a few heartbeats, blinking, realizing she might know considerably less him and the rest of his companions, excepting Louis. He got up from the makeshift bed and extended his hand toward the girl, offering his assistance. “Come on, I think it is time for everything to be explained and understood. It just hit me upside the head, not all of us are on the same page. We’ll have to remedy that, because we need to figure out what to do. And, we cannot do that, if our combined brain-power isn’t working on the same issue, coherently, pointed toward a common goal. We need to be on the same page.” His tone was urgent now.
She took his hand and let him help her to stand. She was delicate in his grip. Anthony’s hand seemed to engulf hers. Moreso, now she was no longer wearing gloves.
Such small hands…
“You’re telling me there are four more kids out there, right now, in the snow without shelter, possibly freezing to death as we speak?” Sophie’s voice was almost cracking with anguish at the thought of being alone in this inhospitable world.
Anthony’s lips formed a sorrowful cast, down turned at his forthcoming bleak, but honest assessment of the situation. “Yes.” It was all he said. It was all he could say for the moment. He turned toward the fire pit.
Sophie gripped his hand harder, determined to not let it g
o. Together, they made their way toward the center of the cave, holding hands.
He found, he didn’t mind it in the least.
Jason and Kodiak were standing over the sitting form of Joaquin, who had his head resting upon his knees. His legs were folded up before him, his hands clasped together and resting on top of his head. It was easy to see something was agitating them.
Jason gave them a brief acknowledgement as they approached. His gaze fell briefly to the clasped hands of Anthony and Sophie. An infinitesimal smirk rippled across his lips, but it was gone the moment he looked back at his friend, replaced by unadulterated anxiety.
“What’s wrong?” inquired Anthony as Kodiak moved slightly to the side to give them room as they neared the fire.
“Joaquin is not himself,” replied Kodiak in her rumbling basso profundo-like voice, “for some time now he has been plagued with a severely aching skull.”
“He has a headache?” ventured Sophie at Anthony’s side.
“That is correct.”
“Did you get him some aspirin from one of the first-aid kits?” queried Anthony. “I think we even brought a whole grip of Tylenol and Advil from the store. Jason, didn’t we get some Vicodin or Naproxen from the pharmacy as well.”
Jason nodded. “Yeah, we brought Naproxen, but we just gave him some of the Acetaminophen for now. Hopefully that will help soon.”
“Ok, good,” was all Anthony could say, since it was a wait and see sort of situation. He glanced around the immediate area and saw the rest of the animals had stayed near the fire, although Garfield was absent again. Most likely, he was out scouting the surrounding area for signs of danger. Andrew was at the opposite end of the fire pit, leaning against one of the logs, his head stretched back against it, his eyes closed as if he slept. Only the young ones remained asleep on the stopgap bedding they were using to rest.
“So,” prompted Anthony, wanting to do more than just wait for Joaquin’s headache to dissipate, “what do you all think we should do next?”
Joaquin looked up from his knees. His eyes were bloodshot, made droopy by the pressure inside his head.
It was Sophie who spoke first. “I think we should talk some things over. It seems like you guys have experienced a little more of the reality of this place than either Louis or myself.”
All eyes shifted to the girl on Anthony’s arm.
The animals perked up, shifting into more erect positions, so they could see the others better.
Jason and Joaquin exchanged a quick glance between one another, and then back to the couple before them.
Andrew lifted his head upright, staring at all of them through the fire. Even from afar, Anthony could see that his eyes were nearly as bleary Joaquin’s, as if he’d been crying. It shocked him, but on second thought, the idea of crying after all that had happened to them, seemed a more than plausible act. It was fitting.
“She’s right,” said Joaquin, though it seemed to hurt him to talk.
“Yeah,” acknowledged Jason, while Kenai sauntered up to the group.
“I concur,” she said, almost at the same time.
Mr. Patas and Mugzy moved closer to the kids as Anthony and Sophie took a seat on the nearest log.
Sophie was still clutching Anthony’s hand as if it were some sort of lifeline to sanity for her. Her tiny grip was strong in his palm. Anthony chanced a look at her, wondering if she was scared, because she wouldn’t let him go. There was only an expectant cast about her face, not much else, which bewildered him. Why would she keep holding onto me?
Joaquin stayed put. Jason remained standing, crossing his arms across his chest, apparently casual, but was more apprehensive than anything else.
They sat there taking quick glimpses of one another, saying nothing as if unsure who should be the first to talk.
Andrew came then and sat on the opposite side of Sophie from Anthony, wiping his face and eyes. His face curled into one of his goofy grins etched when he saw Anthony and the girl holding hands.
Typical, Drew, thought Anthony before he cleared his throat. “Ok, well, I’ll tell you all I know, since it seems things began to get strange for my sisters and I about a week ago.”
All of the kids seemed surprised at the statement. For most of them, strange things had been occurring for no more than a few days.
Anthony went on, “It started with what is called a Nixy –.”
“A Snow Baby, a Flesher,” interrupted Joaquin, so suddenly even he appeared dumbfounded he’d spoken aloud.
“A what?” exclaimed Anthony.
“I don’t know,” answered the hulking boy, shrugging his shoulders. “The words just popped into my head the moment you said that word… They came out of nowhere like they weren’t my thoughts at all.”
His answer sent chills up Anthony’s spine, because he’d experienced that once before as well. He recalled he hadn’t liked the feeling at all.
Sophie interrupted. “What is a Nixy?” implored the girl, breaking Anthony’s train of thought and bringing him back to the present.
He cleared his throat again, nervous when he really had no reason to be. “A Nixy is… Well I guess, Joaquin, said it right. It’s a Snow Baby, a creature that looks very much like a little girl smaller than either one of my sisters -.”
“That wears the same clothes, all the time - a white dress with a blue ribbon tied around the waist and another one in its hair. They also don’t make very good friends,” said a small, groggy voice behind them.
They all turned with a start only to see Mikalah, standing there rubbing at her eyes with the two other children in tow just as wobbly and thick-headed with sleep as she.
Anthony smiled and nodded at his sister as Mugzy came up quickly. He picked up Elena and took her back to where he was sitting, placing her in his lap and scratching her back as delicately as he could manage.
Mikalah, seeing her brother and Sophie holding hands, came up before the teenage girl and squirmed her way onto her lap for some reason. This made Sophie smile broadly, as she let go of Anthony’s hand to hug the little girl with both arms.
Louis just walked around the log and sat near Sophie’s feet, yawning so hugely Anthony thought his head would crack in half.
When everyone had situated themselves, Anthony continued, not at all bothered by the second interruption. “So… yes, Mikalah is right on with her description of the creature. This particular one posed as a third grader and joined my sister’s class exactly one week ago.” Sophie stared down at Mikalah, who nodded back, indicating Anthony was correct. “As I think back on it, it seems to me she was there to keep watch on them, possibly all of us. We really don’t know. What we do know is that her name is Inghëldir and she is commanded, or controlled, by a nasty, wrinkled little dude in a black robe named, Vallüm. I’m not sure what he is, though. I was never able to eavesdrop his description of his kind during the brief time I was in his presence.
“Anyhow, I did overhear that this Vallüm must feed his Nixy on a consistent basis or he will somehow lose control of her. Only god knows what’ll happen if he does lose control of her, because it seems to me he barely has control of her even when she is fed. What she eats or how she eats, we don’t know, and I am speaking for the four of us who have seen her,” explained Anthony as he pointed out his sisters, Andrew and himself.
“I’ve seen her too,” added Joaquin, clutching his head. “I just didn’t know what I was looking at, at the time.”
“You have?” asked Anthony.
Joaquin nodded, but waved for him to continue instead of divulging any additional information.
“I saw a tiny, squishy guy in my backyard,” said Louis of a sudden, his eyes alight with newfound realization. “Is he a bad guy?”
Anthony smiled with a nod. He liked Louis. He was so forthcoming and genuine. “Yeah, he’s a bad guy alright. His name is Vallüm. You stay away from him, ok?”
“Ok,” agreed Louis, subdued for a second, before he perked up again just as abr
uptly as before. “He smelled funny too!”
The girls giggled.
Everyone else merely grinned at the boy. His enthusiasm was a refreshing.
“Now, this Inghëldir has a pet,” he began, but was unable to finish.
“Yeah, some pet alright,” piped in Andrew, shaking his head, peering down at his feet.
Anthony sighed, took a breath and went on. “This creature is about the size of Kenai, though not as long in the body. It is covered entirely in white fur and has the most terrible eyes you could ever imagine. It follows Inghëldir orders. She calls it, Jätung.” He paused to stare at those who had yet to lay eyes upon the fell beast for emphasis. “If any of you hear that name, you better run to one of our pets - our Familiars, as Kodiak names them - because you will have little chance of escaping Jätung alive.”
“It is an Isighünd, right?” asked Joaquin, rubbing at his head, still in obvious pain.
“Yes,” answered Anthony simply, beginning to wonder what was really going on inside the other boy’s brain. “Now, there is another creature that only the four of us and the Fist have seen,” he again pointed out the four of them, he had specified earlier and the animals, “and there are others that Jason and Joaquin have seen as well,” he added as an afterthought, searching his memory. “There is a huge ape-like thing called a Jötun that stands at least two feet taller than any basketball player I have ever seen. They are slow, but they are super-strong. Once they get a hold of you, there is no chance you will get away. They are just too muscled and gigantic. They have white hair too, only theirs is kinda splotchy, patched here and there. They have black, leathery skin that looks much like the skin of an elephant or a rhino.”
“There is also a man-like creature, the sort Jason and Joaquin have seen, as well as us. These ones are called Swüreg. Jason you told me you thought Sophie might’ve seen one of them at a distance when she first awoke in this world. You guys were talking about it at Vons, right?” Both of the teenagers nodded in assent as Anthony went on. “They aren’t human, so don’t mistake them for one. They have gray skin that, to me, appears like wet cement. They also have some really freaky looking ears. Every time I have seen them, they wearing armor and have a bunch of medieval kind of weapons – swords, daggers, bows and arrows, crossbow, etc. I think they are soldiers from the army commanded by the leader of all of these creatures I have just mentioned.
The Unwanted Winter - Volume One of the Saga of the Twelves Page 46