Chapter 68 - Survivors
Danny spotted the smoke.
It was a thin plume rising from past a group of trees.
He halted.
Smoke meant fire.
Fire meant people.
People meant trouble.
From his experience.
He stood behind the tree watching the small amount of smoke. It wasn’t enough to suggest a huge fire or destroyed town, so whoever was there had only lit a small fire.
Danny tightened his grip on the sword attached to his waist.
He should leave.
It was the logical thing to do. He didn’t know who was out there. How many there were. What they could do if they found him.
A hurt kid with a sword in the middle of the wilds. Not the best first impression.
But most importantly, he knew humans could be just as dangerous.
Sometimes even more.
Danny turned away from the smoke.
His stomach rumbled.
"...Damn it."
He didn’t have much food. His wound was still hurting. He wasn’t overly excited to spend another night in the wilds on his own.
He looked back at the smoke.
Maybe he could watch them for a bit. If they looked dangerous he would leave. But if they looked harmless he could maybe barter for some food.
He didn’t have much to barter with, but he could work that out later.
Danny cautiously approached.
Four people.
Two men, one woman and one boy who looked to be a couple of years older than him.
They were huddled around a small fire underneath a large tree. Their clothes were tatty, faces were exhausted and they had two large bags packed with everything they owned.
One of the men had a spear. The other had a short sword attached to his back. The woman had a wooden staff leaning across her knees. The boy was sitting next to her chewing something.
They looked like normal travellers.
But they weren’t necessarily safe.
Danny crept behind a tree to see if they had spotted him.
The spear guy suddenly looked up.
"Who’s there?"
Danny went stiff.
His eyes flitted to the trees.
"Come out. I know someone’s watching us."
Danny thought about running.
He stood up.
"If you’re a monster, I’d rather know now."
Danny sighed.
"Damn."
He stepped out from behind the tree.
All four survivors looked at him. Their faces changing.
The woman stood up straight away.
"He’s a child."
The spear guy didn’t lower his weapon.
"A child carrying a sword."
Danny looked down at the sword attached to his waist. He hadn’t thought about how suspicious it would look.
The young boy looked at him in wonder.
"Why does he look like he’s about to fall over?"
"Because I’m tired," Danny replied.
"I noticed."
"Why do you have a sword then?"
Danny looked at him.
"Because I don’t want to die."
The boy opened his mouth to reply but received a look from the woman and closed it again.
The spear guy studied him.
"What’s your name?"
Danny wasn’t sure. There was no real reason to give them his name but giving them nothing may make them more suspicious.
"Dannies."
It came naturally.
The man waited.
"Just Dannies?"
"Where are you from?"
"That’s not an answer."
"Somewhere else."
The boy scoffed.
"Not helpful."
"It’s the only one you’re getting."
The boy looked affronted.
The woman looked more concerned.
"You’re bleeding."
Danny instinctively put his hand on his side.
"It’s nothing."
"That doesn’t look like nothing."
"I’m fine."
"You can barely stand," Danny said nothing.
He didn’t want to explain how he got the wound, where he was from or why he was wandering alone in the wilds.
Every answer he gave would lead to another question. Every question would give them more information on him.
He had got this far by staying quiet. He wasn’t going to stop now.
---
"Have you eaten?" The woman asked.
Danny didn’t reply.
He could smell the food. Something was cooking in a small metal pot above the fire. His stomach twisted with hunger.
The woman noticed his face.
"We have enough to share."
One of the men rummaged through a bag and pulled out a piece of bread. He split it in half and handed some to Danny.
Danny stared.
It was normal bread. Nothing fancy. He couldn’t bring himself to take it.
He remembered the slave caravans. The hunger, the cold and how everyone treated you like you had to earn their kindness. How fast hands that wanted to help turned into hands with weapons.
"You think it’s poisoned?" The man asked.
Danny didn’t reply.
The man looked at the bread then at Danny.
"Okay."
He took a bite. Chewing slowly he swallowed then took another bite.
The woman shook her head.
"You’re making him more nervous."
"I’m trying to show him it’s safe."
"Then stop staring at him like you’re about to interrogate him."
The spear guy finally lowered his weapon.
"She’s right. Put it away."
The bread guy sighed. He placed the rest of the bread on a clean cloth close to the fire. He reached into his bag and pulled out a small container. He took a sip.
"Water, too. Nothing strange about either of them."
Danny watched him carefully. He took another bite of bread. The woman did the same. She took a sip from the container then handed it to the young boy. He took a few sips before handing it back.
They continued eating and chatting.
No one fainted. No one choked. No one suddenly told them the food was poisoned.
Danny felt a tiny bit silly.
Tiny.
The man pushed the bread and water towards him.
"There. You can take them if you want."
Danny hesitated.
His hunger and suspicion battled. In the end his hunger won.
He cautiously approached and picked up the bread. He looked at it once more before taking a bite.
It was a little dry but it tasted amazing.
He took another bite. And another. He tried to eat slowly but his stomach had other ideas. Soon he had eaten the whole lot.
The woman handed him the water. He drank carefully. He didn’t finish it.
"Thanks,"
he muttered. It was the first genuinely nice thing he said to them.
The bread guy smiled slightly.
"You’re welcome."
Danny backed away slightly. He was thankful for the food but didn’t trust them.
It could be both.
---
They allowed him to sit close to the fire. Danny made sure he was close enough to his sword.
The woman looked at his wound from a distance. She asked if he needed any help.
He declined.
She didn’t push.
This surprised him more than it should have.
Most people he had met so far had tried to make his issues their issues. Or their opportunity.
These people looked like they were okay with him making his own decisions.
For now at least.
The spear guy eventually sat opposite him.
"We’re heading east."
Danny looked up.
"Why are you telling me that?"
"Because you’re travelling alone, and I suspect you haven’t decided where you’re going."
Danny stayed quiet.
"There’s a settlement along the eastern route. It’s connected to Fort Haven. Smaller than the fort itself, but it has walls, guards, and people who know how to keep monsters away."
Danny’s ears perked up. He remembered the grey haired man promising to take him there. The strong walls and people who helped with his injuries. For the first time in a few days the wilds didn’t feel endless.
"How far?" Danny asked.
The man noticed his sudden interest.
"Depends on the road we take. A few days, if nothing goes wrong."
A few days.
That was doable.
Probably.
"What town?" Danny asked.
"Greybridge."
He had never heard of it but it didn’t really matter. He just needed somewhere to get food, shelter and find out about the route to Fort Haven.
He needed all three.
The man leaned back.
"We could use another pair of eyes on the road. You can walk with us if you want."