20: Food For Thought

Rather than listen to Fabrienne and continue our pointless back-and-forth argument, I focused on my stomach's demand to be fed. I returned to my hovel to fish a vegetable out of my storage pot for breakfast.

"We're not done, Skyler. Not this time."

I ignored her and grabbed another three of the dirt-flavored treats. I had some catching up to do if I wanted to silence my stomach. Returning to my fresh pot of water, I partially dunked one to rinse it before taking a bite that filled my entire mouth.

"Luterrum roots? Raw?!" Her face went gray. "That's what ya…?" She looked disgusted as I swallowed a mouthful and took another bite of the vegetable I'd been forcing myself to eat for over almost two weeks.

"These…?" My mouth was still full. "They're mine. You want some, then go fetch your own. There's a bunch growing out—" Her eyes widened from either shock, disgust, bewilderment, or all of the above. I didn’t understand the reason, having almost grown used to the awful taste. "What? It's food, isn't it?" I took another bite to finish the one in my hand, and start on a second one.

"Yeah, but…"

"Not as good as the berries, though. At least they don't make me see things like those glowing—"

"Pallumb caps?! Ya ate a Pallumb cap, too?"

"No. Maybe? I dunno." I shrugged at her question. The names she used made no sense to me. I pulled out a berry I had for a taste cleanser. "These are good, but… I'm not sharing. It's hard enough to find ripe ones. The birds and those… flying fen-things like them, too." I finished my second vegetable and popped the berry in my pocket to save it. The way she stared at me was unnerving. "What? I've got better things to do than… whatever this is." I motioned between us, with a third vegetable already in hand and another full mouth.

"Better things?" She placed her hands on her hips and changed her expression to one I didn't like. Her brows furrowed and wrinkled the bridge of her nose as she leaned in closer. "Ya claim to want to go home, yet here ya are: camping in these ruins, taking things that don't belong to ya, and stuffing your face with raw luterrum roots, pallumb caps, cyruba berries, and who knows what else, like a… Not to mention all the nasties that lurk about out here! Whatever killed that wolfang and left it to rot by the fountain was probably a warning." She pointed an accusing finger at me. "Ya know, intending to make ya leave this place." Her lecture on all the things I didn't understand had one point that was perfectly clear. My lack of survival skills annoyed her, and she almost seemed offended on my behalf. In other words, she considered me an idiot. "Who knows? Next time, it might not be so nice about—"

"That… It… was an accident. It attacked and, I didn't mean to—"

"What? No! Ya aren’t telling me… You? Ya really bested that big ol’ beastie by yourself? Ha!" Her shock switched back to a condescending tone so fast I flinched. Fabrienne snickered at the absurdity of her question.

The mockery was uncalled for. I still had nightmares about facing that thing. I tensed up, my fists clenching without thinking, and squished the last of my breakfast a bit. The immediate pain in my hands brought me back from the edge of doing something stupid, like throwing my food at her. I still wanted to hit something, but settled on a nasty glare.

"Nysh… Ya really aren't joking, are ya?" The joking was over. "Well, I can’t just leave ya here… alone. It’s not right to let—" Her eyes kept looking me over before dropping to the squished piece of dirt-flavored food I hadn’t finished eating yet. A curled lip and furrowed brow told me everything I needed to know; I disgusted her. "So… Um, how 'bout instead of—I know! How about a deal, aye? Ya tell me everything, the truth, and… I'll take ya back home with me, to Docheo. Easy!"

"What?" My jaw dropped and precious food escaped, but I must have heard her wrong.

"Yeah, it's perfect! Ya can’t stay here like…" She looked at my food again. "We can figure out how to get ya home when we get ya safe and well fed. You’ll love it there! Etan’s got all those books of his, ya know. They might have some answers in their pages about why ya don't—Oh! Then there’s the bakery…"

Bakery? Real food?

I stopped listening to whatever else she said. Her words wouldn’t stop.

My mouth watered at the thought of baked goods. The temptation of any food, let alone having somewhere comfortable and safe to sleep, felt too good to be true. My last deal, though, was a one-sided bet that was shoved on to me and led to this so-called 'game' of survival in the ruins.

It has to be a trick. How can I trust someone who goes from treating me like a moron and a criminal to offering me help out of nowhere? I know she heard me last night when I admitted to… Is she working for that… that voice?

The only thing she wanted was information, but she already treated me like a lying thief. I didn't want to believe her. Nothing was that easy, yet she bandaged me up after finding me. Leaving me would have been so easy, but she actually took care of me. Maybe she really had no motivation other than the decency she claimed I lacked. Whatever the reason, Fabrienne had to have come from somewhere close by, the Docheo she spoke of, unless it was all more of the same clever trap.

She buzzed with excitement while raving and rambling about taking me along. I hadn't even agreed to her terms. Saying I had mixed feelings about the offer was an oversimplification. By the time she finally stopped talking and closed that mouth of hers, she wore a beaming smile from ear to ear. The smile was oddly genuine compared to the forced niceties of my past job interviews and her interrogation the night before. Either she was carefree or absentminded. Our spat ended only moments ago, if it even was over, and now she just thrust an open hand towards me like nothing happened.

"So, whatcha think? Deal?" Her hand still waited for me to reach out and take it.

I hesitated. The same hand that slapped me hung in the space between us, waiting for me to take it. I was never good at reading people, just another failure on my part, but I studied her expression. Her smile faded a little more with each passing second. If I'd known better, it almost looked like she was upset that I didn't trust her.

You're an idiot, Skyler. You can't trust… but… food.

"Doh… chay… oh?" Hearing the name come from my lips didn't sound right. I hoped my pronunciation wasn't an insult.

This is a mistake.

"Aye! That's it, my home! It's to the north. It shouldn't take too long. We might even make it by nightfall if we're lucky. I know this forest better than the back of my hand. I come out here whenever I'm feeling… Say, do ya got anything ya need to pack up before we go?" She snorted and laughed at the idea. I obviously had nothing. In fact, she took my only two items of value. The joke wasn't funny at all.

"The back of your hand, huh? Must be a real short trip, then."

"Sh-short?!" Fabrienne's laughter abruptly cut out.

Good. It was super effective. She literally had to look up at me. I wasn’t wrong, but I must have struck a nerve. Even with her cloak on, I noticed her tense up and shake for a moment. Is she deluded?

"Just who are ya calling SHORT, little man?"

I flinched. Hopefully, I hadn't gone too far. I wasn’t sure about getting an instant replay of what had happened before. I rubbed my tender cheek.

Suddenly, she bared her teeth and growled like an animal.

Are you kidding me?

"Hey, if the shoe fits," I muttered. She stomped a heavy boot and shot a glance down at my bare feet.

"At least I have my comfy boots. Not like ya have any, y-ya, um… ya wild child! What happened? Got so hungry ya ate 'em?"

Wild child? Wait, how hungry do I look?

We stared each other down silently, but a smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. Even upset, she clearly thought of herself as a comedian. It turned into a game of chicken to see who would back down first. Neither of us moved until my stomach growled again, still unsatisfied. It caught us both by surprise.

My face and ears grew hot from how loud it rumbled. I couldn’t help it, though. She mentioned food, real food, delicious food. Fabrienne snorted out another laugh. I won the stare down. I think.

"F-fine, I guess. It's… a deal, if you've got something to eat." My negotiation skills could probably use some work, but I needed help. Denying that truth was impossible, and she was the only one offering any.

"Depends. Do ya like jerky?"

My mouth watered, and I nodded without stopping to consider what kind of meat she was offering.