The Samurai's Companion

Chapter 5: The Woolies

"Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves"

Abraham Lincoln

A couple of days had passed since Jack had fought the beetle drones and won. Both Evie and Jack had said goodbye to Rothchild, Angus and Drifus before starting their long and unforgiving journey to find a way back home. They had crossed the empty terrain without a clue on where they were going or where they should go. It was far more preferable than being stuck at the pub, in Evie's opinion. At least this way, she felt safer and more secure- considering that Jack was not only a skilled fighter, but a human like herself who sought the same goal of finding a way back home.

Striking a conversation with Jack wasn't as easy as Evie had hoped. She asked about his injuries, which he brushed off as 'not serious'. She made a comment about the weather to which he politely agreed on her opinion of it. And most questions that she had asked him ended with simple "yes" or "no" answers. Evie didn't blame Jack for it. He wasn't a talker and neither was she, so small talk was an instant failure. Evie had always considered herself to be more of a listener and Jack seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. Perhaps he was thinking of a way to defeat Aku. In any case, the silence was making Evie ansty.

And if that wasn't uncomfortable enough, Evie found herself slowing Jack down. Every so often, she'd get a side stitch or her legs would hurt and she'd have no choice but to ask Jack if they could stop for a break. Being the gentleman that he was, Jack always conceded without a fuss. He never once gave the hint that these stops were hindering him, but Evie was most certain that he was just being nice. When they did take a break, Jack usually ended up scouting ahead while Evie caught her breath and massaged her legs.

It appeared as if Jack could have easily gone for hours without taking a single break because he never once looked winded. Evie supposed that the reason why he was being so kind to her was because they had not been able to find a place to eat or sleep. The barren wasteland had stretched for miles and they could do little with surviving off a few vegetables and a single pocky pack. Evie fished out a water bottle from her rucksack and swished it around. There was less than half left. They would have to find some water soon. Evie took a few sips before sealing the cap. It wasn't fair for her to hog it all, so when she saw Jack return- she offered it to him.

Jack glanced down at the water bottle and handed it back to her without opening it.

"What? Aren't you thirsty?" Evie protested. "We've been walking for hours."

"That water is yours. You need it more than I do," Jack replied. "Besides, we can find some food and water there," he pointed to the distant trees behind the cliffside. By the looks of the grand density of it, Evie concluded that it was probably a jungle. "If we leave now, we should make it before nightfall."

"Oh, good!" Evie nodded eagerly, perking up. "I'm starving!" Her stomach growled in agreement and Evie flushed pink. She gave a slight chuckle, avoiding Jack's eyes. "We should probably get going then," she stood up and stuffed her water bottle back into her pack.

Inside the jungle, Jack found a river- allowing Evie to refill her water bottle. Jack used his hands to scoop up the water and drink. Evie looked up at the trees above them and smiled. She could hear the birds chirping and the leaves rustling. This was so much better than the smog-stricken city and the dusty ruins of the dog mines. She took a deep breath and let it out. She spread out her arms and spun in place. "The air is so clean here! I guess there are some places that Aku hasn't even touched."

While looking around, Evie spotted a berry bush and she jogged over to it. She plucked a few and grinned. Finally! Something to eat! She was about to pop the berries into her mouth when a hand smacked them away. Evie looked up at Jack with an offended expression, "Hey... what gives?"