Shadow Field Chapter Three- Road to Recovery

Part One

Chapter Three:
Road to Recovery

The daylight woke him, and he yawned, stretching slightly. He had a slight headache, he realized, but it wasn't really anything but a slight annoying throb at the back of his mind. He was inside the tent he'd been in these past few days, and two figures were still sleeping soundly next to him. Terin gave a sigh and sat up, rubbing at his eyes. His brunette bangs swished in front of his eyes, and he gave a breath, blowing them out of the way, glaring at them slightly as they did so. He got to his feet and stretched, and then screatched at a sudden itch on his arm. He shook his head and walked out of the tent. It was still rather early, he knew as the sun was only just rising. But he couldn't sleep. He'd had a strange and disturbing dream the night before, and he shivered as he remember it. There had been a lot of blood in the terrifying dream, and a spooky, ominous voice, along with many horrifying battles. Worst of all, his newest friend, Luke, had been killed directly in front of him, as he'd taken the hit for him. The strange thing was, he knew Luke would have taken the hit for him, too. Luke was just that kind of person. He'd come to respect the elder boy int he short time he'd known him, and wondered briefly if he was awake yet. The elder boy hadn't woken yet, and it worried him. He would admit that he'd thought the elder boy was dead, and had almost gotten tears in his eyes before they'd assured him he was alive, and would probably pull through. He'd been happy to get that news, and now they were sure he'd live. But he'd yet to awaken, and some were worried about it, thought hey wouldn't show it. He knew. Warin had been desperate to awaken Luke, but he hadn't gotten a reaction out of hi. His heart had nearly broken at the desperately pleading tone in the younger boy's voice. They all looked up to Luke, all the little kids did. And Luke was friends with everyone there, and was quite popular among them. They'd all been worried about him. Kip had tried to be strong for Keyen and Warin, but it hadn't been easy, he knew. Drake had even been scared, which seemed strange to Terin. Saurian had assured him over and over that the elder boy would be okay, and he'd believe him. But now...he wasn't so sure. IF Luke was okay, why wasn't he waking up? It just dindt' make any sense to him, and he hated seeing the elder male so still, so inert. So weak and vulnerable. He absolutely hated it.

He slowly made his way to Luke's tent, where healers were with him constantly, keeping a watchful eye on him. That worried him further; if Luke was really okay, why did he havet o be watched constantly? If he was okay, why were they always worried something would happen? It just didn't add up. Something else was going on, he knew, but he couldn't for the life of him figure out what it was.

"Terin?" a voice asked, bringing him out of his throughts. He turned his head to see Kip standing outside of Luke's tent, golden eyes fearful, though he was trying to hide it. His bay colored hair was disheveled and tangled, meaning that he'd been tossing and turning in his sleep.

"Hey, Kip," he said. He'd come to be rather fond of the younger kid, and hated seeing him so frightened. "What are you doing up?"

"...I couldn't sleep," he answered quietly as he averted his golden eyes. "What about you?"

"The sun woke me, and I couldn't get back to sleep. thought I'd come donw here and check up on Luke," he asnwered in the same quiet voice of that of the younger.

Kip looked at him. "They won't let me in."

"...Huh?"

"They won't let me in. I wanted to see him, see how he was doing, but they won't let me in. They said to come back later, that I should be in bed."

Terin's brows furrowed. "Won't let you in?"

Kip nodded. "Yeah."

"hmm...Well, it's pretty early. Maybe they're right."

"But...I don't get it, Terin. Why are they still there if they said he'd be okay? Why hasn't he woken up yet? I don't understand..."

Terin sighed heavily, shaking his head. "I don't get it either, Kip. But...they said he was going to be okay, they were sure of it. I'm sure he'll be fine, and wake up soon enough. He's just resting." he was tyring to convince himself of that as well.

Kip sighed heavily, and when he looked back to Terin, he was surprised to see the tears glistening in his golden orbs. "But...why won't they let me see him? It's not fair..."

"...I know it's not fair, but...they're the healers. They know what they're doing."

"I used to think that, but now...I'm not sos ure."

"I know what you mean, Kip. But don't worry so much. I'm sure he'll be just fine, and up on his feet in no time. From what you've all told me, he's quite stubborn and determined not to die."

A small, tired smile graced Kip's features. "True." he sighed. "You're right, anyway. I mean...if they really thought anything was wrong with him, they'd tell us, right?"

"Right," said Terin, but he wasn't really sure. The healers seemed to be hiding something, he was sure, and it worried him. What was really wrong with Luke? And if there was something wrong, why weren't they telling anyone? It all both confused and worried him.

Kip gave a tired sigh. "Well, I guess I'll get back. Try to get more sleep, maybe. Night, Terin. Glad we hadt his little talk," he said, and began making hsi way back toward a few toher tents.

Terin watched him go. "Night, Kip."

He glanced back at Luke's tent a little nervously, but shrugged the unease off. With a single sigh, he turned and began making his way back the way he'd come.
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Terin opened his eyes sometime later, and found himself alone in the tent. Chase and Drake had left it, probably to go check up on Luke and then get back to their duties. Chase was a defender, he'd learned. He worked to keep the area safe while they occupied it. Drake was a second-in-command, so he checke dup on everyone and made sure they were okay and were doing what they were supposed to be doing. He'd beene easily accepted byt he people of the small area, and had been welcomed. Warin and Keyen had opened up to him a little, as had Kip. they were all like little brothers to him, and he cherished having them around. He'd finally figured out all of their ages, too. Kip, as Luke had said, was thirteen. Warin was ten, and Keyen was seven. He'd yet to learn Chase's age, or Drake's, but he was sure he soon would. They were beginning to open up to him, too. Drake was a little more open than Chase. Chase was usually quiet, but he din't really need to say anything> He was just that kind of person. Drake, on the other hand, rarely shut up. He was quite talkative, and loved having people around him to talk to. He did a pretty good job of cheering Warin and the other two up when they were down or worried about something, and they looked up to him, he realized.

With a sigh, Terin rose to his feet once more, and exited the tent, entering the chilly air. He shivered and pulled his light jacket righter around him. Tory had given it to him for promising to keep their secret, to not tell anyone they were there. He loved it, but it wasn't really all that warm. It was to them, he knew, but not to him. He wasn't aht used to constantly being out in the cold.

He made his way back down to Luke's tent once more, and smiled as he entered. No one was there, except the inert form of Luke. He lay as still and pale as ever on the small mess of sheets and blankets. ON his forehead was a small, wet rag, folded and placed delicately in the center. He gave a small sigh and knelt down next to the motionless body, brown eyes narrowed worriedly, thoughtfully.

'Do you think he'll wake up soon?' he asked in his head.

His Crusian was quick to answer. 'I'm sure he'll come around sooner or later. I mean, no one can sleep forever, right?'

Terin chewed on his lower lip for a moment. 'I guess,' he said to Saurian. 'But...I'm worried...'

'I know you are, Terin. But don't be. You ahve to trust the healers on this. I know you dont' want to, but you should. They know what they're doing. I'm sure Luke will wake up soon enough, don't worry.'

Terin sighed heavily, and gave a small shake of his head. 'I guess...if you says o. I trust you.'

'Good. Trust me.'

With another sigh, Terin returned his attention to the inert form lying in front of him. He hoped Luke would wake up soon, as he knew Kip was ready to do something drastic, as were Keyen and Warin. They all loved Luke, he realized. Everyone did. Even...even himself. The boy had some sort of charm and aura about him that made it so easy to like him and become friends. He seemed hateful at the farm, but here, in the woods, with these people...he had been so at ease and lively, caring.

And then, Luke was looking up at him. It was so sudden, Terin froze for a second, and then gave a bright smile.

"Hey there," he whisepred, gazing into Luke's auburn eyes. For a moment, they were blank, and Terin began to wonder if Luke even remember who he was. But hen, gradually, recognition appeared in them.

"Hey, Terin," he said quietly, weakly, his voice rough and slightly unclear from not being used in days. He cleared his throat and smiled at the younger boy. "Are you okay?"

"...I'm fine, Luke. How...how are you feeling?" he asked, brown eyes concerned.

"Better, I guess. Not so...disorientated. I can acutally think straight." he gave a short, weak laugh. "How have you been?"

"Okay, I guess. I've beens taying with Chase and Drake. Drake is...a hyper one, huh?"

At this, Luke laughed. "Yeah, yeah he is. He's quite talkative, and wille asily talk you to death if you're not careful. I remember when he first came here. The very first thing he did when he saw me was started talking. I just stared at him in total confusion. I didn't know who he was, but there he was, talking to me about some random things I either dind't care about or dind't care to know. I thought it was strange, and I couldn't help but laugh."

Terin gave a laugh. "Sounds like him."

"Yeah..." he yawned. "Anyway, I'm kind of tired. If you see Kip or anyone, tell them not to disturb me, and that I'm okay."

Terin nodded, getting to his feet. "Okay. Anything else?"

"Nah, not really. I'll be ready to get up shortly, but I'm sort of tired at the moment. A little more sleep, and I'll be fine."

"Okay. Well, night then. Sleep well," he said, and exited the tent, a small smile on his face. Luke was okay. That alone made him feel relieved.

"hey, Terin," a voice from behind him said cheerfully.

His smile widened before he turned around. He knew who it was. "Hey, Drake," he said, and turned, facing the male. Drake smiled athim, long bangs blowing with the breeze. He always had his hair tied back into that slender ponytail, and it blew with the breeze as well.

"I was wondering if you could do something for me."

"...What?" he asked, raising a skeptic brow. Knowing Drake, that stamement could mean anything.

"Stay here with Luke while a few of us go out hunting."

Terin nodded. "Will do," he said.

"Good. Well, when he waskes up, tell him I said hi, and that I'll be ing to see him later. If you need anything, Tory's with the kids, and Amelia's with Kip. If you're hungyr, though, I suggest you got o Fran's. She caught a rabbit his morning, and the meat's quite delicious. Well, I best be getting off. See ya later,t hen," he said, and then turned to walk away.

"See ya," Terin called after him. With a sigh, he began walking back to the tent he shared with Chase and Drake, pulling his jacket tighter around him as the wind picked up. Winter would soon set in, and he knew he'd have to be leaving soon to begin his journey. He wondered briefly if Luke would go with him, but then pushed the thought aside. He'd worry about that later, when Luke could have a descent conversation without getting tired and sounding so weak.

Before he could make it back to the tempting warmth of his tent, however, Warin gripped his arma nd began pulling him away.

"I want to show you something," he said, and the turned and began pulling him along.

Terin didn't resist, only gave a short chuckle. "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see," was his reply.

No more was said as Warin led him toward a tent. As they entered it, Tory was standing there, waiting for him, along with Keyen. Keyen and Tory were smiling, so Terin knew it was nothing bad.

"...What?" he asked, curious.

"Well," Tory began, "since you're kind of one of us now, we've decided to make something for you."

"Really?" he asked. "What?"

"Well, here," she said, and handed him something. He grasped it thoughtfully, and it felt warm in his hands. He looked down at it, and noticed that it was warm-looking sweater, with his name stitched into it. HIs eyes began to water as he stared at it, his heart warm and fuzzy.

He glanced up at Tory. "Thank you..." he managed.

She smile dbrightly. "You're welcome, Terin. I knew you weren't used to the weather yet, so I decided to maket his for you. Do you like it?"

"Like it?" he asked. "I love it. Thank you."

"You're welcome, as I said. Well, I'll let you get back to your tent, if you want. I know you're probably cold, and maybe a little tired. I'll see you later."

He nodded. "Thanks, Tory," he said, and then turned, leaving the tent. For onece in his life, he felt like he belonged. Now he knew why Luke loved this place, these people, so much. It was because they cared, and were just so easy to like.

With a smile on his face, he began making his way back to his tent. He felt whole here, and he knew Luke did too. He found that he really didn't want to leave. But he had to; he had a mission to do. He had somewhere to go. And he really wanted Luke to go with him. He hoped the elder boy would say yes. He had to find some way to convince Luke that it would help these people, and he knew it would. If they could get the crystals back, it would help everyone. And he really, really wanted to help these people.

Finally, he made it to his tent, and he plopped down into warm covers, feeling himself drift off to sleep.
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Terin awoke a few hours later, and got to his feet and walked to Luke's tent, where he quietly slipped in. Luke was sleeping silently, his breaths shallow and even. Terin gave a small smile and knelt down next to the elder boy, checking him over. He heard a sound from behind him, and turned his head to see Drake entering the tent, smiling at him.

"Hey, Terin," said Drake, giving him a nod in greeting.

He smiled back. "Hey, Drake. Nice hunting, right?"

Drake gave a nod. "Yeah, it went pretty well. How's Luke doing?" he bent down next to the two. "Has he woken up yet?"

Terin shrugged. "He woke up earlier, but...not since."

Drake gave a small, tired sigh. "Okay, I guess. I mean, he'll wake in a little while, right?"

"yeah. He will," said Terin. He smiled again, reassuringly. "He's just resting, that's all. He'll wake up soon."

Drake smiled back. "You're right," he said.

Luke stirred suddenly, catching their attention. Drake's topaz eyes sparkled in delight as he watched his friend come to. Terin knew Luke and Drake's friendship was special, and it warmed his heart to see Drake so relieved. Luke's auburn colored eyes slowly fluttered open, and he blinked a few times to clear his vision.

"Luke?" whispered Drake, voice sounding relieve and happy. "Are you with me?"

Luke's eyes swiveled toward him, and he cracked a small, weak smile. "Hey, Drake," he whispered faintly. He glanced at Terin. "Hey, Terin."

Terins miled. "Hey, Luke. Nice to see you're awake."

"...Yeah," Luke mumbled. "I guess it's nice to be awake..."

"Glade to have you with us again," said Drake. "Feeling any better?" his topaz eyes seemed worried.

"...I guess so," he said quietly, tiredly. "Better than before, yeah."

Drake smiled. "That's good," he said. "I was worried about ya there for aminute."

At this, luke gave a short, weak laugh. "You? Worried about me? Wow, I must have been out of it."

Drake laughed, too. "Well, I wasn't really worried you know."

"Uh huh, sure."

"Seriously," argued Drake.

"I was jsut agreeing with you," said Luke.

"Whatever. You missed a good hunt today, by the way."

"...Damn," Luke muttered. "And I so wanted to go."

Drake knew he was being sarcastic, and laughed again. Terin watched in amusement, feeling better now that Luke was awake again, and that Drake didn't look so depressed and worried.

"You sleep too much, by the way," said Drake,s mirking. "You've been asleep for about five days. You've had the kids worried sick. I should hit you for that, you know."

"...You should, probably, yes, but you won't," said Luke, grinning.

Drake rolled his eyes. "Damn, you're right."

"...So, how have you two been?" Luke asked, auburn eyes switching from Drake to Terin, and then back to Drake.

Drake shrugged. "Okay, I guess. Worried about you, though. Oh yeah, that reminds me," he said, and then lightly punched Luke in the shoulder.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"That was for doing what you did, you idiot. YOu could have gotten yourself killed. In fact, you almost did."

"...I know, I know. I got the same lecture from Kanashi, I don't need it again."

Terin blinked. "Kanashi?"

Luke looked at him. "My Crusian," he said. "His name's Kanashi."

"Oh," he said. "Mine's Saurian."

Luke smiled at him. "I like that name."

"Me too," said Drake, nodding. "My Crusian is called Reih."

"That's a neat name, too," said Terin, smiling.