Annwn, disturbed by the question and her friend’s reactions, said, “I don’t know what we’ll eat. But we will manage. Somehow.”
Wrapping completed, Annwn examined the bandage closely, making sure it was snug. “I think that’ll do. Good thing for first aid, huh?”
“Yeah,” whispered Miranda, examining her hand. “I guess I should have left the line alone.”
Annwn shook her head. “Don’t regret it. You did what you thought was right.”
“But I failed. And all I got for it was this.” She held out her wounded hand.
“You tried. That’s what counts.”
Miranda looked closely at Annwn, eyes questioning. “I just wish…”
“What?”
She looked away. “Never mind. I’m too tired to discuss it right now.”
Smacking the soggy ground, heavy rain fell again.
“How’re we going to survive the cold now, without our tents and bags?” asked Wildwind, looking at Kwazar, but certainly directing the question at Annwn.
Cool water dripped from Annwn’s hair as she gazed into the surging creek below. She said not a word. She felt guilty—not quite for Wildwind’s tumble, but for losing the food.
How would she break the pollen news? Everything worked against them now: the cold, the rain, the lost sled and the fast seasons. She felt very afraid. Miranda, leaning against her shoulder, and Xavier, warm in her arms, gave her some comfort. Maybe they had a chance together.
“You think we can get the cart back?” Wildwind followed up.
Kwazar snorted. “After that flood? No way. If it’s not torn apart, the cart is certainly buried by debris and silt.”
“Then what do we do?”
“Well, thanks to Miranda, I’ve an idea.” Kwazar ran his hands through his hair, brushing out a cascade of water.
Miranda looked at him in surprise. “Me?”
“Yeah. Last evening, you reminded me that this planet has a high heat flow. If that’s the case, all we need to do is go down into the ground a little ways. We dig.”
Wildwind, always on the lookout for a spoiler, said “But dig with what?” Kwazar thought for a moment. “OK, then we find a cave, or something. Volcanics—fumaroles, geysers—remember, what’s that place, Yellowstone? There's got to be stuff like that around here. This planet should be seething with volcanism. Though the quartzite in our location is not very encouraging.”
Wildwind, doubtful, said, “Lead the way, rock fiend.”
Annwn sat under a lean-to made of large branches and broad circuleafs, feeling miserable from a wet night, but warmly crammed between Kwazar to her right and Miranda to her left. Out of necessity, Wildwind sat to the left of Miranda, away from Annwn. Xavier rested in Annwn's lap, breathing peacefully, the only one who did not seem to mind the cold all the time.
Rain continued falling as the light of morning trickled through small gaps in the walls.
“Caves,” snickered Wildwind, mimicking Kwazar, “geysers. Oh, we’ll find one. The planet should be one giant volcano.”
“Give it a rest, Wildwind,” replied Annwn. “Did you come up with anything better?”
“Glad you thought of this lean-to, Annwn,” interjected Kwazar, stemming off an argument. “We never encountered anything like this during the Elara sims.”
Wildwind shrugged. “That’s because Elara had no wood.”
“Elara’s sim was missing many things that this world has,” commented Annwn, attempting to change the subject, but accidentally bringing up an even more disturbing concept.
She had told the three about the poisonous bloom as soon as they were on their useless hike for volcanic terrain. Everyone had taken the information in silence.
“We have to get to the colony by spring,” added Kwazar. He pondered his statement. “I never imagined myself trying to outrun a season before. They’re so slow on Earth.”
“Well,” said Wildwind in harsh tones, “we’d have an easier time if we still had our food and tents.”
“Shut up!” said Annwn coldly, feeling a renewed surge of guilt about the cart’s loss. “The food is simply gone. Deal with it!”
“Because of you, the food’s gone! Because of you we all have to suffer. Even that runt of yours is suffering.” He gave her a dark look. “And I nearly died!”
Appalled. Annwn said, “Me? My fault? Who grabbed whose arm?! Y-You—You bastard!” She balled her hand, preparing to hit him.
“Will you two stop?!” screamed Miranda, holding her arms between Annwn and Wildwind. “Your constant fighting is really scaring me! How can we accomplish anything with you two disagreeing and fighting at every moment? Stop it!” She sobbed, covering her face with her hands, tears splashing onto her stained bandage.
Annwn angrily grabbed Xavier and crawled out of the shelter.
She paused her stomping at a nearby clump of circuleaf trees and placed Xavier on the ground, somewhat jerkily due to her anger. He didn’t mind the treatment, and pranced happily into some denuded shrubs.
She stared at sagging clouds being twisted and torn apart by an invisible wind, letting the rain’s cool caress soothe her hot face. Was losing the food really her fault? Was keeping a puppy alive such a crime? Did she have to like everybody?
Kwazar walked up from behind.
Not feeling in a talkative mood, she didn't say anything.
“Look,” he said, “You remember that one time you walked out of the ATV, saying, ‘Oh, it’s just a sleeping herbivore’?”
Annwn, too tired to become embarrassed at the Elara recollection, couldn't help a small chuckle. “Yeah. What a way to learn about monopouncers.” The encounter had been quite a shock.
He made a jaw shape with his two hands and clapped his fingers together, imitating a mouth. “Snap!”
“Elara’s no place to hike!”
“And,” he seriously replied, “Bode really isn't all that different.”
She reluctantly nodded, knowing where the conversation was going. “My pigheaded attitude just doesn’t seem to be very good for survival situations.” Depressed, she sat down, the wet ground litter not improving her cold rear any.
She saw the point of Elara now. Teamwork. Everyone had to work together to make things happen. Funny how it took a real situation to make her realize the importance of Elara’s lesson.
“If it makes any difference, Wildwind is more pigheaded than you. Nothing’s been easy about him.”
“I know.” She paused, feeling a little guilty. “But I can’t be right all the time either.” She sighed.
Winter’s cool breath blew through the trees. The clacking twigs were already budding. Spring in only a few more days!
Springtime thoughts brought a chill down her spine. Not many hours remained before the world would explode with new life’s spoor. Maybe they should have stayed back at the crash site, like Wildwind had wanted. There were fewer plants on that barren plain of rock. But the sparse vegetation might even produce enough pollen to bring death.
Deciding to leave her to her thoughts, Kwazar walked off, saying, “I’m going to talk with Wildwind.”
“Wait,” she said.
Kwazar stopped and looked at her.
She hesitated before saying, “What keeps you from getting angry at Wildwind’s behavior?”
“I guess I don’t take his stuff personally.”
“Ah. I don’t know if I can do that.”
“Do it for Miranda then. She’s really bothered by your fights.” Kwazar turned around and slowly walked toward the lean-to.
More guilt surged within as Kwazar’s words made her realize how little she had considered her friend’s feelings during her battles with Wildwind. Annwn remembered the short conversation while she was bandaging her injured friend. That’s what Miranda was asking, she realized. Miranda had been afraid of angering her, so she kept quiet. Annwn shed.a tear, one that became lost in the rainfall trickling down her face.