Abigail Fredrickson

Rowan

I wake up with a yelp, coughing on the water that gets in my mouth.  The first thing I see is an amused smirk on the visible half of Tigress’s face, “Took you long enough, lazy person.”

I sputter, wiping the water off my face, “Rowan.  And I am not lazy.”

“It took pouring cold water on your face to wake you.”

“I’m a heavy sleeper, okay?!” I wipe my eyes again, blinking.

“You can take that bandage off now, you know,” she looks me over once before picking up her sack and taking out a piece of dried meat.  She bites a bit off and chews it.

I sigh and sit up properly, reaching for the bandage to start unwrapping it.   It’s a bit harder than expected since it keeps tearing (thank you, Tigress, for getting it wet-).  In the meantime, I think about yesterday.  Overall it was kind of boring.  Though Tigress seemed to prefer it that way or something.  Or at any rate, when I tried to have a conversation with her, she blew up at me.  And I couldn’t really ask why because she made it clear that questions weren’t welcome.  Especially ones to do with her home or Contra.  Though I can see why those would be sensitive topics.  Honestly, she’s not as bad as I’d expected at first.  She’s not…she’s not exactly dangerously insane or bent on killing.  She’s definitely not a monster.  She’s just a dangerous fighter who really likes her personal space.  A lot.

Once I peel the last bit of bandage off my head I suddenly realize, I never thanked her for saving me.  Well that’s gotta change.  A dried strawberry hits my head.  I blink and look down at it lying where it fell in my hand, then huff a laugh and look over at Tigress.

She’s looking out the hollow intensely.  Or at least I imagine it’s intensely, since, y’know, I can’t exactly see the part of her face that’s covered by hair, and that’s the part that is on my side.

“Hey…” I start carefully, watching to see if she reacts negatively.  After yesterday, I learned that no reaction is the best sign I’m gonna get.

She doesn’t respond except for the smallest tilt of her head that might not even have been a signal that she was listening.

“I just wanted to say thanks.  You didn’t have to help me and it probably made escaping harder for you, but you saved my life anyway,” I tell her honestly.

She turns her head then.  For a second it stays neutral (How does she even keep the same expression for hours on end-), but then there’s a tiny change behind the amber eye.  A spark, or maybe it softened, but then she gives me a small nod.

I smile at her, and for just a fraction of a second I think she was about to smile back, but then she unfolds her arms and straightens, “We should get moving.  We’ll just walk, you’re still recovering from that concussion, even if you feel better.”

I nod as she slings the knapsack over her shoulder and slips outside.  I crawl out and stand up, almost slipping on the mud, but then managing to mostly get my balance.  Holding my hands out, I ask, “Where to now?  I don’t know which way is what.”

“Contra is back that way,” Tigress waved a bit to the side, not completely away from the river, but not down it either.  “We want to go that way,” she pointed in the opposite direction, “So we’ll have to cross.  You good with that?”

“I’ll do anything to get back home,” I reply honestly.

She simply nods, but something about her air gives me the vague impression that she understands.  It makes me wonder about her home and why she was at Contra again.  She mentioned she’d been kidnapped.  I wonder how long ago that was.

“Boy, come on, we can’t stand here all day,” Tigress’s voice interrupts my thoughts, making me realize she’s already halfway across the river.  Considering it only goes partially up her lower legs, it’s not very deep, which is a relief.  I can swim if I need to, but it’s not my favorite thing to do.

I start to wade across, stepping carefully so I don’t slip and hit my head on a rock.  I don’t need that.  Ahead of me, Tigress springs up the bank, then turns and waits.  I follow, slipping on the mud a couple times, but I get up next to her easily enough.  She turns away and starts walking away from the river, jerking her head to indicate I should follow.

I let out a breath, straighten, and start walking.

=

“Are you usually early or late?”

“What-?  Ugh, boy, please, stop asking me questions for two minutes-“

“What’s your favorite drink?”

“Why would I…Just- I-  OH I DON’T HAVE ONE!!”

“What do you hope never changes?”

“Blessed silence.”

“What are you absolutely determined to do?”

“Get you to stop talking, so FOR EVERY STAR IN THE SKY PLEASE JUST STOP.  TALKING.”

“Ha!  You actually answered those.  What skill would you like to master?”

“Unbelievable.”

“Wait, that’s a skill?”

“Okay, human being, no, it is not a skill, everyone knows that.”

“Oh…What mystery do you wish you knew the answer to?”

“This one.”

“Wait what?”

“I wish I knew how for the sake of the green forest to get you to stop talking!!!!!!!!!!!!”

=

She has a one track mind, I’ll give her that.  Though if we’re being honest here, I probably do too.

“What have you only recently formed an opinion about?”

Tigress sighs heavily, “I…I’m not going to answer that…okay?  From now on, I’m not answering any questions…”  She rubs her forehead with a pained expression.

“I’m just trying to start a conversation.”

“Look, just because I saved your life doesn’t mean I want to make friends.”  Ouch.

“Are you okay?”

She starts to groan, then pauses, her steps faltering.  She glances at me with an odd expression, then shakes her head and keeps going.  …Was that a no…?

“Tigress?” I quicken my pace to catch up.

“Yes…?” she grumbles dryly.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, alright?”  She shoots me a warning look.

“Okay…” I frown a little.  “It’s just that you don’t seem very okay.”

“I’m fine, you can stop asking me that,” the redhead states.

I nod slowly, trying to keep pace with her, “Alright, Ti.”

Suddenly, Tigress’s amber eye is burning into mine, “What?”

“What?”

“What did you call me?”

“Uh…Ti?”

“Yes, that.  Don’t call me that,” she hisses, eyes narrowing before she spins on her heel and keeps walking.

I rush to catch up, “What, you’ve never had a nickname before?”

“No, and I don’t intend to start now.”

“That has got to change…”

“Don’t you dare-“

“Ti.”

“Boy-“

“Ti.”

“Human.”

“Ti.”

“I’m warning you-“

“Ti.”

“-if you don’t stop-“

“Ti.”

“You’re not even listening.”

“Ti.”

“Person that I don’t know will y-!”

“Whose fault is it that you don’t know me?” I ask pointedly, glancing at her sideways.

Her mouth opens slightly, then she closes it with a blink.  After a second, she sends the tiniest of nods.  No really, I didn’t think a nod could be that tiny.

I smirk at her triumphantly.  She just rolls her eyes.

“Titititititititititititit-“

She whirls around with a growl.  I take a look at her scowling face that feels like she could kill me just by glaring at me like that (at any rate it feels like every molecule in my body just turned to ice) and decide that unless I want to die today then I’ve gone far enough.

I hold up my hands in a surrendering motion, “Okay, okay, I won’t call you Ti.”

Her shoulders loosen slightly, “Thank you…”

Tigress

We’ve been walking for nearly half the day, and after that ordeal with him calling me by a nickname, Rowan has been for the most part silent.  Which I am eternally grateful for.  Because on the one hand, I don’t feel as much like I have to be tense and on guard every second of the time, and on the other, I can actually hear our surroundings.  And then I can hear faint, drumming footsteps.

I grab Rowan’s arm and yank him down through the nearest cluster of bushes, lying flat, my ear to the ground.

Rowan lies dazed for a second, then looks at me, opening his mouth to ask.  I slap a hand over his mouth, holding a finger to my lips before pressing my ear to the ground again.  The footsteps grow louder so that Rowan actually freezes stone still for a second, listening.  A couple grains of dirt on the ground quiver as the first red helmet comes into view.  I motion for Rowan to duck his head, which he does so hurriedly.

It’s not an overly large troop, thank the skies.  If we had to lie there for more than five minutes until they were out of sight, I’d be concerned about someone seeing us.

The samurai pass our hiding place without incident and we just have to wait until they’re out of sight before coming out.  But that’s when I hear Rowan’s sharp intake of breath.  I slowly turn my head to see a samurai holding us at sword point.

Oh, cactus water.