The Phoenix Colony

Viva yawned.
"I'd like a task where there's Pasha. 'Cause he knows what to do, unlike me. Me, the stupid girl in the tribe."
She frowned, slapping her cheek.
"It's so stupid being a drug addict."
I'm more of a moron.

 

Owen shook his head. "You made it this far. I'm sure you're much more skilled than you think."

Cevin nodded and smiled. "OK Owen lesson two, what do we need?"

Owen looked around and began rubbing his chin. "More wood ... a lot more wood. Some food. Somethign with a lot of fat on it. Maybe another ape or two. Water? Nah the snow will be enough. Did I miss anything?"

The hunter smiled. "LArge strips of bark to block any wind that comes through ... and anything else our friends here can think of."

 

Fox hears Allen wake up and say "You won't be able to build anything that can take one of those. I was in the canyon when the storm hit, and took shelter underneath an overhanging cliff. One of those things hit the top of it and made the whole side of the canyon collapse. I don't think that kind of thing happens very often though, or there wouldn't be any standing cliffs or caves at all. This is probably the safest place around."

She looks over at him, noticing that he is staring at her. She walks over, "I was wondering where you went off to. I'm glad Britney was able to find you. You and I need to have a talk soon."

 

Pasha shook his head in agreement.

“I need to get the bark for the rope, and a few long sticks for the spears. I can get those. I’ll help with wood too.” He lifted himself towards the exit, and popped his head out. A bit of the snow fell onto his head, cooling his head. He looked back down.

“Sun is just coming out, now would be a good time to go.”

He lifted himself up and waited for the others. He breathed in the fresh air, it was almost feeling like home again.

 

Cevin nodded and began strapping furs to his body. He nodded to a pile of furs. "They won't be comfortable. They're still a bit stiff, but they'll keep the chill of of you. Everyone make sure you're bundled up. Who wants to get what?"

 

Xare walked over to Allen.

"I was wondering where you went off to. I'm glad Britney was able to find you. You and I need to have a talk soon."

There she was, standing there with the nerve to speak to him. He lifted his shirt enough to expose the cuts on his stomach. They were crusting over, but every breath cracked them open again, making them ooze more blood and a sticky clear liquid.

"We won't be speaking."

 

Viva frowned, sniffing in the cold.
"I'll get something with a lot of fat, I think."
She grabbed some of teh furs, enough for Pasha and her. With that, she dragged to the top and breathed in the chilly breeze.
"Mr. Huggles!"
She whispered to Pasha, handing him the furs.
"You shouldn't be out without this."
She spoke warily, covering herself with the furs.
"I'm going to go hunt. Where are you off to?"

 

Fox laughs a little after seeing the cuts. "Relax, I have no interest in harming or killing you. I got the answers I needed from you. Now that my head has cleared up, I remember you saying about being able to get us back home. We're you telling the truth?" says Fox.

 

"I was wondering where you went off to. I'm glad Britney was able to find you. You and I need to have a talk soon."

Reva saw Allen lift his shirt. In the firelight that Chad had rebuilt she saw the damage that Fox had done the day before. She was shocked and sickened, disgusted with herself that she hadn't insisted on cleaning his wounds.

"We won't be speaking." Allen's words fell into the quiet of the cave with finality.

Reva went back to where the others still snored contentedly and got her sweatshirt bag, taking care not to disturb them.

Returning, she pushed Fox away from Allen gently and dug two plant spikes out of her bag. A chill went up her spine when Fox laughed the cuts off. Did the woman have no empathy for the pain she caused?

"Let me see those cuts," she said quietly to Allen. "You won't be hurting him farther, Fox," Reva added over her shoulder, "At least wait until he's got two good hands to fight back with."

 

Pasha smiled, and stuffed the furs under his shirt and on the hem of his pants. He couldn’t help but laugh at the awkwardness of it. He looked back at Viva, squeezing her shoulder.

“You have your horn? You can use that until I make the spears. I’ll be off getting supplies for the spears and some firewood. I’ll help hunt too, if it’s needed…” he said, “I could snatch a few rabbits if I see them on the way… more furs if so.” He looked down at the men still inside.

“What do you think? Will that be okay? Maybe Furstin can hunt with you?”

He didn’t want her going out alone.

“Thinking of others, good boy.” His mother cooed.

“He always thinks of her…” Yuri muttered.

Pasha blushed deeply.

 

Viva frowned, saying:
"I'll be alright, Mr. Huggles! They have to get some other stuff too. Someone has to watch the house!"
She said worriedly, her squeaky voice merrier than ever before. She then looked towards him, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"I'll be fine."

 

Allen ignored Xare's question, he had meant what he said. Reva came up and offered to clean the cuts for him. At the same time she also told Xare to leave him alone. He nodded his approval and then let her work. Her hands were cold, the same with the juice from the plants that she used. It stung, and the scabs pulled at the raw flesh, but Allen held completely still. She was actually quite good at cleaning the wounds, moving with efficiency and ease.

"Thank you." He hoped that she could understand that he wasn't just talking about what she was doing.

 

Pasha looked down worried, but gave her shoulder another squeeze and nodded. He knew she was right. He looked back down.

“Maybe we can get the firewood and the bark while we’re out. Owen can help carry and gather things while I get the specifics for the spears… Viva, you’ll be careful?” he asked, a hint of worry still in his eyes. He took his bludgeon stick, just about the thickness of her neck and a good 2 feet taller then her. He smiled and placed it in her small hand.

“Take that at least.” He muttered. He suddenly felt naked, with only his knife and the horn to protect him now. His hands reached for the knife, his hands grasping the handle.

“Aww. So cute.” He heard his mother coo.

He tried his hardest to push them in the back as they began to chatter. He gave a sigh.

 

Fox watches as Reva works on Allen with the plant. He winced a lttile. Fox kneels down next to him.

"Whatever you're planning you can't do it alone and you don't have too much choice in who you work with you know. I'm one of the few people here that wants to get back home. So for our common goal, I say lets leave the past in the past. What do you say, are you willing to do the professonal thing and put your personal feelings aside to accomplish the mission?" says Fox.

 

Reva smiled faintly. She trusted Allen in an odd way. Trusted him to be him...which meant maybe he wouldn't be trustworthy in the future.

Still, she couldn't let someone with two good hands harm someone with none. It went against her nature.

"No problem. I'm afraid I don't have bandages, lie back and let the cuts dry. A couple are nasty but I think you'll get by without stitching."

When Fox continued to try to talk to Allen, Reva didn't try to prevent her. But she sat close by, ready to defend him if he needed defending.

 

Allen layed back down, and closed his eyes.

"I've already done what needs doing, so there will be no working together. If it works, I won't be helping you get back. The most I would be willing to help you is a chance to bring the other Warriors here. They wouldn't have a government to fight anymore, and that would take one more terrorist group off the planet."

 

Cevin finished tying the furs around him. He checke the knots one last time. Perfect, he thought, one tug and they'll drop of of me. Although he hated the idea of partying with any of the furs - if he needed speed, they'd have to go. "We'll cover the opening, she should be fine. Owen why don't you go with Pasha? If everyone agrees, I'll see about hunting down an ape for dinner."

 

Fox lets out a sigh. "I'm sorry but that won't be happening. This government is corrupt. It values money over human life, and it sends innocent people to mining colonies, just because they pissed of the wrong politician. If its the last thing I do, I will destroy it. What I can't figure out is, why would you try to protect a government that sent you to prison." says Fox.

Britney looks over a Chad. "Thanks for the offer, but there are a few more of us back at our cave. I'm not sure if we could all fit in here. Though if you know of a nearby cave, we could stay there." says Britney.

 

Allen opened his eyes again and looked her in the eyes.

"'Some people swallow a whole bushel of evil because it contains one grain of good, and some people reject a whole bushel of good because it contains one grain of bad.' I protect it because there is still good there, more good than evil."

He looked down at his freshly cleaned wounds.

"From what I can tell you don't place the value of human life that high either. How many innocent people were there in the white house? Did you know families lived there?"

 

Pasha nodded and stopped next to Owen.

“We’ll need lots of firewood, might take a few trips back and forth but we can do that last. We need to get the bark and the specific sticks for the spears.” He said, mostly to remind himself.

He headed for the woods, his feet dragging him slowly through the thick snow. He kind of liked it, it made him feel at home again. He hadn’t been in Russia since he was about twenty… he really missed home. He continued forward until he found the trees they needed. He took his knife and began to once again shred the bark, until it was in strings. Owen helped him collect them as he went around the entire tree. He did this to a few more, getting enough string for double what he needed. Extra rope might be useful.

He then went to some of the other trees, stripping off a few large sized pieces of park to cover the hole with. Owen held them in his arms as Pasha continued forward. He had to get 8, sticks that were good in size and were at least somewhat straight.

After at least half an hour of searching, he had found the 8 sticks, as held them tightly in his arms. He looked at Owen who was struggling to keep everything in his arms. Pasha gave him a pat on the back, nearly dropping the sticks in his arm. He nodded and they headed back for their home, they would need to make a few more trips to get the firewood.

 

Fox says "I believe what I am doing is the lesser of the two evils. I know a lot of innocent people were killed. I know that there are going to be little girls and boys, who like me, will lose their parents. I know that I will have to atone for my sins someday, but for know, I have to continue to fight. Fight for future generations. So they won't have to live in fear of the government. For the chance to give freedom of speech and expression back to the people, I would be willing to sacrifice my own life."

 

Hypocrite.

He closed his eyes again, unwilling to carry the conversation any farther. They were leaving, and he didn't want to stop that. Things were bad enough even without them here. Hopefully they would take the puppet as well.

 

Ben got up and put a hand on Fox's shoulder. The weed was wearing off and reality struck him hard. He was tempted to refresh her concussion, but it would accomplish nothing, so he decided to continue watching Allen's back.

"Let it go Fox, if Allen doesn't want to speak with you he won't and your in no position to make demands of anyone here, so why don't you just go-" Ben stopped himself. Calm down, don't say anything impulsive. He let out a deep breath and took in another shaky one. "Why don't you just go and do something constructive for once."

 

Fox shakes her head and says to Allen "You know, there isn't that much difference between you and I. The only thing that really seperates us, is what side we ended up on.", turning to Ben "Look, I'm sorry for how things turned out." She then stands and walks back over to Brit and Raylene.

"As soon as it warms up a little, we should head back to the others and start looking for a new cave." says Fox.

She turns and looks back at Reva, who was still helping Allen, "Reva, I would really like it if you came with us. So are you going to stay here, or come search for a new home with us?"

 

Cevin pulled back the skins as gently as possible trying to leave as much snow as possible undisturbed. He knew it was foolish to even try, but old habits die hard. There was a large rock a couple of feet away. With a grunt, he jumped. The snow scattered off the rock as he landed. He looked at the undisturbed snow between him and the nearly invisible opening. Not ideal, but damn close.

The hunter shook his head. The snow was too thick to carry one carcass much less the two they’d need to make it through the next few days. “You’re gonna have to bring them to you,” said Cevin as he reached in his back pocket for the cigarettes that a week ago would have still been there. “The snow must have made pickings small for them. All I need is bait.” He looked at his hands. They weren’t tingling but maybe he didn’t need them to.

He scooped up some snow and began packing it tightly until he had a snowball that would’ve made any ten year old proud. “Bloody meat … just think about bloody meat,” he said as he pulled off his gloves and began rubbing it. He kept it up until his hands were raw, red, and numb. Nothing happened, he was still holding a ball of snow and ice. “No, I guess it wouldn’t be that easy … would it.”