Drifters

Inti's Watcher

Razan walked. And walked. And continued walking.

They'd spent hours already in the room with the moving floor. He wished he could stop, but would rather die than be the first one to request a break.

The wall showed past contests. For the first hour it'd been contests in deserts, but for the second Marie had requested it change to contests in oceans. At the three hour mark she'd asked for fighting contests.

They were all interesting enough, but Razan's aching muscles were distracting him. He no longer had the energy to care.

And then he saw Innoka on the wall. She moved slowly through a forest, keeping low. Her long braid brushed the ground as she peered around a tree.

The hawk then turned to focus on her prey, the same bald woman Razan had fought on the reef. She had her back to Innoka, stalking someone down a hill. She lifted her spear, preparing to throw it, and Innoka darted forwards.

Innoka grabbed the butt of the spear, yanking it backwards as the other woman let go. The woman cried out in surprise and anger, spinning to punch Innoka in the face. Innoka ducked a bit too late and received a glancing blow. She dropped the spear.

The bald woman continued punching, and Razan saw she had spiked rings on her fingers. He wondered why she hadn't worn them in the water, then noticed they were connected. They probably restricted the movement of her fingers, which would make replacing air and opening a drawstring bag difficult.

Innoka, meanwhile, was blocking the woman's strikes with a vambrace made out of what Razan chose to believe were dragon scales. In her other hand was a hatchet, which she was using to hack at the woman's ribs.

Razan watched, memorizing every movement. Both women knew what they were doing, but Innoka had an advantage in her vambrace. The other woman had only a breastplate.

Suddenly the bald woman was covered in a blue glow and vanished. Innoka grinned, wiping blood off her face just before the picture changed to someone else.

Razan immediately lost interest and felt tired again. He sighed, reminding himself to not slouch.

"It's been three and a half hours," Peter announced. "We should stop for a bit and drink some water."

"Agreed," Razan said, walking to the small area of the room that didn't move.

"If you insist," Sophie said, following Razan.

Marie followed them. "I was going to wait until we reached the end of the hour, but I suppose this is fine."

"Thank you," Razan said, bowing slightly as he took a canteen off the wall where they'd left them earlier. He drained it in one go.

"If anyone were to suggest stopping now I wouldn't object," Sophie told them.

"No," Marie said, taking a canteen. "We need endurance. If you can't go on that's one thing, but if you're merely tired that's expected."

Razan put the canteen back. "You said we'd regret making you leader…"

Marie grinned. "Aye, that I did. Now get back to walking, lazy mongrels."

Sophie crossed her arms. "Excuse me, I am not a mongrel."

"Likewise," Razan agreed. "My ancestors are all completely Japanese. There is no mixing in my blood."

"Fine: get back to walking, ye lazy purebreds."

"Thank you," Sophie said haughtily, stepping primly back onto the moving area.

Razan bowed to Marie before following Sophie.

Marie turned to Peter with raised eyebrows. "And you, cowboy? Mongrel?"

He shrugged, finishing off his canteen. "No less than you are."

Razan was a bit shocked, but Marie just laughed.

"We'll sleep well tonight," she said, stepping onto the moving part again. "We should buy extra food for dinner."

"Yes, ma'am," Razan and Peter said in unison.

Marie looked at Sophie. "Learn from them, girl."

Sophie gave a very slight huff. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good."

Sophie hung from the ceiling in the climbing room. "You're sure nothing will go wrong?"

"The padded floor now has five extra layers of padding," Rani told her. "There's no way you can get hurt. Lose your fear. Drop."

Sophie took a deep breath. She could jump from the swing and land just fine. This was only… double that.

She had to learn how to land. Rani had explained and demonstrated, now Sophie only lacked practice. And it was better to practice here than during a contest, where there wasn't any padding.

She took another deep breath, closed her eyes, and let go.

The door to the room opened and someone shrieked just as Sophie hit the ground. She bounced a bit, letting her joints take the impact, and jumped to her feet.

"Did you do that on purpose?" the woman who had shrieked asked, hurrying up to her.

"Yes," Sophie answered, beaming.

"I'm teaching her how to fall," Rani said, walking over. "Sophie, this is Innoka. Innoka, Sophie. I've been teaching Innoka how to not be afraid of heights."

"Nice to meet you," Innoka said, smiling. "Sorry if I scared you, I saw you drop and presumed the worst."

"Only a little," Sophie admitted. "And nice to meet you, too." She tilted her head. "I thought you were Japanese."

"No, I'm Siksika. Why did you think I was Japanese?" Innoka asked.

Sophie hesitated, then grinned. "Razan likes you. So far the only people he's willingly talked to are us and other Japanese."

Rani laughed as Innoka smiled.

"In what way does he like me?"

"In the way that makes him write poems about your eyes," she answered.

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Innoka looked thoughtful. "Are they good poems? If they're bad poems I might have to never speak to him again."

Rani nodded. "Absolutely. A man who can write good poetry is worth catching. Bad poetry and he'll be single for the rest of his life."

"Alas, I do not know," Sophie admitted. "They're in Japanese and he refuses to read them to me."

"I'll have to ask him to read them to me, then," Innoka decided. "If they're about my eyes he has to."

"You do have beautiful eyes," Rani said. "I'm sure many men have written poems about them."

Innoka grinned smugly. "At least fifty. I've lost count. After a while they all sound the same."

Sophie giggled. "I should write a poem about Razan's eyes. It would annoy him immensely."

"What color are they?" Rani asked.

"They… I'm not sure," she admitted.

"Brown," Innoka supplied. "They're a very dark brown."

Sophie and Rani shared a glance, then grinned at her.

"What? I notice eye color. Anyway I'm here to see how high I can climb. Enough about men and eyes. Rani, will you help me with the rope?"

"Of course. Sophie, get back up there and drop again. This time try to get your hands on the ground sooner. Innoka, we got you to the green bar, right?"

Sophie started to climb as Innoka agreed.

Peter woke up from a nap to find Sophie in his room. She was in his chair, sewing something. He sat up, watching her.

"How do you sleep so deeply?" she asked, not looking up from her sewing. "Honestly, I could drive a herd of elephants through this room and you'd not wake."

"Oh, it's…" He yawned, rubbing his face. "It's something that hasn't left me from the army. I can sleep anywhere, at any time. And I can stay awake for about three days straight before I drop."

"What was it like, being in the army?"

Peter looked at his hands. "I don't want to talk about it," he muttered.

She paused, glancing at him before making another stitch. "That bad?"

"Worse." He shook his head. "How do you get in here? Why do you get in here?"

"How is a secret," she said, knotting the thread. "Why… I didn't want to work on this alone and everyone else is busy." She pulled out a small pair of scissors and snipped the thread, carefully putting the needle away. "There!"

Peter watched as she got up, shaking out her fuzzy robe thing. She turned it right side out and pulled the new seams into place.

"Making it less like a potato sack?" he guessed.

"Exactly." She turned her back on him and pulled her shirt off. "I'm not a master seamstress, but I'd hope I know how to alter a square of fabric to fit me properly. It seems the style here for women to embroider them, but first I want mine to not make me look entirely formless."

Peter barely heard the words. She continued talking, but all his focus was on her dark blonde hair brushing bare skin. As she pulled the robe on he realized he wasn't breathing and took a deep breath.

"How does it look?" Sophie asked, turning towards him again.

"Much better," he said, longing for a snowbank to jump in.

She giggled. "Are you feeling all right? You look like you have a fever."

"Yes," Peter said. "A very contagious fever. Sorry." He laid back down and turned away from her, pulling the blanket over his head. He curled up, trying to control himself.

There was silence for a few seconds, then he heard her take her robe off. And silence again.

"Peter, if you want me to stop, tell me," she said softly. "I don't ask you to explain, just tell me now."

A thousand fears and excuses ran through his head. He didn't want to push her away, but if he messed up and made her hate him the whole team would suffer.

Her hand touched his shoulder. "You're not saying anything."

Peter sat up again, finding her back in her shirt. "I'm… I don't want you to stop."

Sophie smiled, sitting on the bed next to him. "Good." She leaned in and pressed her lips gently against his.

Whatever restraint Peter had snapped. He closed his eyes, sliding his arms around her. She broke away, but he kissed her again, more intensely.

He lost all sense of time. Sophie moved into his lap, and somehow he got his hands under her shirt. He wanted more, but the doubts and fears in the back of his mind kept him from taking any chances.

Eventually she pulled away, and moved further back when he tried to kiss her again.

"Sorry," he whispered, dropping his hands to her belt. He saw the buckle and realized it was his belt, but only smiled.

"I'll admit I haven't planned past this point," Sophie said, trailing her fingers down his chest. "What should we do?"

Peter wanted to take all her clothes off. But somehow he didn't have the courage to say that.

"I'll take my things back to my room," she decided, getting up. "You may follow me, if you wish."

"I won't," he said. "But, Sophie…"

"Yes?"

He moved to the edge of the bed and kissed her one more time. "I love you."

She smiled, stepping away.

Marie took a deep breath, her lips parted slightly. She picked up notes of… dirt, mostly.

"I promise it tastes better than it smells," Ebba said, stirring the small pot. "Not that anyone drinks this for the flavor."

Marie looked at her, debating.

"Yes?" Ebba asked.

"I lost my ability to smell years ago," Marie told her, deciding to share the secret. "Broke my nose, and some idiot convinced me to snort seawater to heal the inside. Haven't smelled a thing since."

Ebba laughed. "That sounds painful."

"Exquisitely, yes."

There was a knock on the door. Marie pushed herself to her feet using Ebba's shoulder and went to open it. Sophie stood on the other side, oddly nervous.

"Marie, I- Oh. Sorry, didn't know you had company."

"Join us, I wouldn't mind," Ebba called, grinning.

"I would," Marie hissed, then looked back at Sophie. "Come in if you need something, we're waiting for the pot to boil."

"Oh? What are you making?" the girl asked, stepping in. "And why not make it in the kitchen?"

"Mushroom tea," Ebba answered. "Making it in here so Louis doesn't find out and get jealous."

Sophie looked confused, but didn't ask for elaboration. "Well, I was… in need of advice. You see, I… kissed Peter, and I don't know what to do next."

"Invite him over for some mushrooms," Ebba suggested with a perfectly straight face.

"I doubt they need them," Marie told her. "The problem is they're both virgins."

"Ah. In that case, I would be happy to show you what to do. Come, sit next to me."

Sophie smiled. "Really?"

"No," Marie said flatly, grabbing Sophie by the arm. "Let's discuss this in your room, leave the witch here."

Ebba laughed, focusing on the pot again. "It's fine, I'll stop. I'm not here to be nervously declined."

"Declined?" Sophie echoed.

"Never mind," Marie said, pushing Sophie into a chair. "With Peter… I'm sure he'd prefer setting the pace. Just keep finding opportunities to be alone with him, and things will progress."

"But they'll progress extremely slowly," Sophie whined. "I think he's worried about appearing too eager."

"Mushrooms," Ebba whispered. "Or, what type of drunk is he?"

"Then show him how eager you are," Marie told Sophie, ignoring the witch. "Get him to kiss you when you can. And if he apologizes, send him my way."

"Right." Sophie was blushing, but looked determined. "What should I do when… things have progressed?"

"Continue progressing," Ebba shrugged. "There's always more to discover."

Marie nodded in agreement, then paused, furrowing her eyebrows. "Sophie, what do you know about sex?"

Sophie blushed again, trying to act casual. "It… involves a man and a woman and results in babies. Mother said I didn't need to know more until I was about to be married."

Marie shared a glance with Ebba.

Ebba nodded. "All completely wrong."

"All of it?"

"Not completely," Marie said, thinking.

"It doesn't result in babies here," Ebba said. "Women get some sort of regulator put in us that stops our cycle, and the men get an injection every three months that sterilizes them. The rostari do lots of things to us and only tell if you ask directly."

"Interesting," Marie said.

"So… I can't get pregnant?" Sophie asked.

"Not while you're here," Ebba shrugged. "If you leave they'll take the regulator out."

"Perfect." She smiled, then frowned. "How else was it wrong?"

"For one thing, your mother's an idiot," Marie told her. "I'll have to explain some things in detail, and that will take more time than I have right now."

Ebba picked up her small pot and blew out the candles that had been heating it. "Done."

"And for the last thing being wrong, I'm sure Ebba would love to give you a personal demonstration, but she has to give me one first." Marie pulled Sophie out of the chair and pushed her towards the door. "We'll speak more tomorrow. Good-bye."

"But wait-" The door closed, cutting Sophie off.

Ebba got to her feet, laughing. "You were too subtle."

"I don't want even more questions," Marie said, grinning as she took the pot. "How much should I drink?"