Cress

The low, hulking roof of Da's hunting lodge was nearly impossible to see, half buried by a fall of rocks and the massive trunk of a dead pine. It was little more than a lean-to under there, built more to avoid detection if anyone were fool enough to come all the way out this far into the bush. There was hardly any way to track a person to it, much less find it without knowing it was there. Da hadn't been good for much, but he had certainly been good at hiding things from lawkeepers.

But somehow, the Ikaryans knew right where it was.

I topped the rise above the lodge and took a deep breath of the wild mountain air, pausing to look down across the small clearing on the edge of a weed-choked gulley. The lodge, with its dead-tree roof, was tucked right into the hill I was standing on.

"Beat ya to the water hole!" Jamesh suddenly shouted, barreling past me and down the hill, weaving through the clumps of flowering mountain bluespire and hogbush, shedding his shirt as he went.

Nox reached the top of the rise, then, coming to a stop next to me, pulling an exhausted Beckett on a makeshift pallet of saplings.

After a moment, Beckett sat up, then got to his feet with an old-man sigh. "Yeah, well, you're cheating," he called, trudging after Jamy. The lure of cold water was too strong, and he was moving quickly by the time he got to the flat rock we used as a jumping point.

I tensed up for a moment, but then pulled a mug face and relaxed when Becks didn't take a flying leap off the rock, and just waded down into the shadowy pool that Da, Jamesh, and I had spent a summer digging out of the creek bed.

Lolarose and Ephie arrived then, and Lolarose asked, "What's a water hole?"

There was a splash from the creek, and Jamesh let out a hoot of laughter, followed by Becket's quieter, raspy chuckle.

"Why don't you go on down and find out?" Doc asked, grinning at her as he climbed up the hill and stopped next to Nox.

Ephie, who had been following Jamesh, looked tired and cross as a bee-stung harpy but didn't object when Lolarose skipped off after the boys with a bright, "Wait for me!"

After a moment, Ephie's curiosity must have gotten to her too, because she huffed out a breath and trailed her sister, arms crossed tight over her chest. She took a wide detour around the group of Ikaryan soldiers who had gone ahead of us and were gathered by the cooking pit.

Nox picked up Beck's pallet and started down into the clearing, heading for the Ikaryans and Captain Arramy.

Then it was just Doc and I, standing there beneath a faultless late afternoon sky.

We hadn't spoken for a while. In fact, once we left the gorge behind, he had stayed quiet, walking with his head down as if he were deep in thought.

Every once in a while I caught him glancing at me, a serious look on his face. Now, though, he took a step closer, turning to face me, those green eyes darkening in a way that did something funny to my insides. "Cress... Can we talk?"

I swallowed, my throat gone suddenly dry. "Yeah," I nodded. "Sure... Now?"

A shriek split the air. "Snake! Oh, there's a —" this was followed by the loud, gulping slosh of something sizable hitting the water. Ephie had fallen in and was flapping about, apparently inhaling half the swimming hole.

Jamy was shouting, "Just stand up, it's not that deep, stand up," and several of the Ikaryans were running to help.

Another blood-curdling but gurgling scream made us both wince.

With a sigh, Doc shook his head. "It can wait. Let's go see what's happened."

>>><<<

Nox

The Liridians ran a tight camp. There were no unnecessary items lying about in the open to give away their position, they buried their supplies, and they had built a smokeless firepit that could easily be hidden beneath a pile of brush.

I looked around, impressed, and to be honest, more than a little reassured. These men might be facing the full might of the Coventry army, but they weren't inexperienced raw recruits playing at being scouts. If the Coventry happened to track us here, they would be met with formidable resistance.

What was more astounding, their leader — and I could barely wrap my metal brain around this — was none other than the famous Captain Arramy of the Coalition Navy. Even before I was requisitioned by the Ascended, the man had led more successful missions than a roomful of generals. I had no idea how he wound up fighting the Ascended on the side of small island country of Ikarru, but I was glad.

I was also glad he didn't seem the puffed-up, over-fed, over-paid regimental sort I had the unfortunate experience serving under during the Wars. I lacked both the time and the patience for such things, but to my relief, the Captain had the somber, quiet patience of a seasoned war dog.

A war dog that could tell me what the real situation was.

I had some questions. So I followed him to the fire pit, slipping into line behind him as he moved to get some of the roasted meat and foraged root vegetables his men were serving.

"Permission to speak freely, sir," I said quietly.

He glanced at me, and just as before, he didn't seem to care that I was wearing a shiny mechanical body. "Of course, Ranger. At ease."

"Sir, I have information you and the Ikaryan army will find valuable. I'm also well trained in tactics, and I seem to have a few skills that ah... well, that normal soldiers don't," I said, absently taking a plate from a stack on a small table. "I was hoping you would have a place for me. Somewhere. Some way to be ah... to be useful," I added, looking down at the slab of meat his second in command had just slapped on my plate. "Thank you."

The Captain tipped his head toward a nearby bench facing the firepit, indicating that I should sit with him. As if this were some sort of normal, everyday event, and I was just a normal, everyday person. It felt... good. Strange. But good.

"You're offering ta join the Ikaryan Resistance Army, then?" Arramy asked as he sat down.

"Yes, sir," I said, unsure if I should just sit down next to an officer and begin eating. But the rest of his men were all watching with a great deal of interest, so I did just that.

The captain observed me forking a large chunk of meat into my mouth and raised an eyebrow. Whatever his thoughts were, he kept them to himself, instead saying, "I believe the Ikaryan army would be overjoyed to have you. We can use all the help we can get..." he paused, then glanced around at his men. "We will be heading back to base camp tomorrow before dawn. You're welcome to come with us, though when we get ta where we're going, the Admiral will want to debrief you."

I smiled. "I look forward to it."

"Aye... well, dinnai thank me yet," the Captain said around a mouthful of food. "You've nai had ta sit through her particular brand of debriefing."

"That bad, is it?"

"Like pullin' teeth," he muttered. "But she's a good officer. She'll find a place for ya, if that's what ya want."

I looked around at the other people gathered in the clearing. They were quiet, these Ikaryans, but they were easy with one another. Very much like Cress and her little family.

"Yes. It is. But can I ask for something in return?"

The Captain glanced at me.

I threw a glance at where Cress and Dr. Starling were sitting on a log a bit away from the rest of the group. "Cress Montgomercy is a gifted mechanic. She managed to get me patched up and running without any formal training, and she is tough as nails. Doctor Starling is also a capable surgeon and physician, well used to operating in rough conditions. He would make a good battle medic. I'll give you all the information I have, and in return, you offer them and the other survivors a place if they want it."

Arramy's pale gaze shot over to Cress and Doc. He deliberated a moment. Then nodded. "Alright. We can make room for them in the refugee camp."

I nodded in appreciation.

For the first time in a very, very long time... I felt a spark of hope.

Maybe. Maybe, just maybe, I would be able to keep the Coventry from reaching its long, razor claws across the ocean, and my daughter could grow up without being subjected to their cruelty.

>>><<<

Cress

I settled onto the sitting log and eased my feet out toward the merry blaze burning in the fire pit. Da had left a few pairs of leather hunting shoes in the hut, and it was a relief to walk without feeling every stone and thorn. Odd, though, to feel gratitude for the old man.

Nearly dying had put a few things in perspective.

I had also washed up a bit and changed my clothes for some of the clean things Da kept in the dry box for emergencies. They were a bit stale from sitting for months in a rubberized bag, but they weren't filthy. It felt good to be clean.

Around me, the Ikaryan soldiers and the rest of our ragtag little group were eating a fine meal of roasted tiktik, thanks to Captain Arramy's hunting skills, and the mood had improved considerably.

After a few minutes, Doc came over to sit next to me, bearing a tin plate with what looked to be a whole critter hindroast on it.

I eyed the steak, then eyed Doc's trim middle, and a wry grin tugged at my lips. "Darkening spring picnic all over again?"

"Yeh..." Doc deadpanned. "Well... See, I'm doing the world a favor. If I eat all the food, it won't go to... anyone else's... waist."

I waited for him to sit all the way down and get himself situated, then looked at him askance. "So what did you want to tell me, earlier?"

Doc had taken a big bite of steak and looked at me, mouth full. It could have been a trick of the firelight, but I could have sworn he blushed. His throat moved audibly as he swallowed that bite of steak whole. Then he coughed.

"You're not supposed to breathe your food, dill weed," I said, shaking my head, giving him a firm pat on the back.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he got out, his eyes watering. He cleared his throat a few times. "I... ah..." He looked around at the others gathered by the fire.

I had picked a spot that was back a bit from the others, and no one was really paying any attention to us. I shot a look at him, watching as his brows drew together and his expression settled into determination. Whatever this was, it was serious. He put his plate down on the ground next to his feet. Rubbed his palms on his pants. Then he turned and looked at me.

"When you were out there on that bridge, I realized something," he said.

He paused for a moment, but there was more brewing behind those green eyes. I waited, breath bated, an odd tension rising in my chest.

"A lot of things, really. All at once," he said, frowning slightly. "I realized that I could lose you. And then I realized how big a part of my life you have always been. I realized how much I respect you, your tenacity, your love for your brothers... Your friendship means a great deal to me. A very, very great deal, Cress." He turned to face me full on, his gaze intense. "But when you were out there, I realized I don't just want to be friends. Not anymore. It's not enough." He took a deep breath. "Cress Montgomercy, would you do me the honor of letting me call on you?"

I felt like a million small wings had taken flight in my middle. "Call on me," I whispered, then wondered when I had become a parrot. Then it dawned on me what he was actually saying. "Wait. Call on me, call on me?" He was starting to smile. "Call on me bring-me flowers-and-call-me-sweetheart-under-the-stars call on me?"

"Yes," he said, his smile growing, although there seemed to be a hint of worry behind it. "Please." He chuckled a little. "Or at least tell me I didn't just ruin everything —"

"Alright," I said. Quick. Decisive. "Alright. Yes. You can call on me." I couldn't fight the flare of a blush rising to my face, and was glad he couldn't see it in the dark.

Doc's eyes crinkled at the corners in that way that made my heart turn right over and melt. "Well, that's a relief. Now I won't have to pine away," he said quietly. "I wasn't looking forward to that."

"Is that so?" I whispered, my own smile responding to his.

He nodded, leaning just a little closer. "If you had said no, things would have gotten awkward, I would have had to deal with crushing disappointment, and had to keep going with a stiff upper lip, pretending I wasn't wounded and heartsore, and who wants all that bother —"

With a scoffing, "Oh yes, such crushing disappointment for sure," I closed the distance between us, slipped my arm around his shoulders, pulled him to me, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. It just happened, easy and free, like it was a natural thing to do because he was there, and he was trying to make me laugh, and I was happy. I had given Beckett a kiss on the cheek just like that many, many times. Jamy, too, when he was younger, until he had outgrown such things. But I had never done anything like that to Doc before. As soon as my lips brushed his skin, I knew I had crossed a line. Doc was most definitely not my brother.

Stunned by my own forwardness, I pulled back, panic setting in. He had asked if he could call on me. What if he wasn't wanting outright affection yet? What if he needed to ease into it? What if he figured out he made a mistake? A lifetime of having Da say one thing only to change his mind and claim it had all been a joke at my expense had taught me not to believe what I was told. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I was more than half convinced I was dreaming, and this couldn't possibly be real. I had misheard him, or imagined the whole thing... But this was Doc. He had never gone back on his word to me. Or anyone. Not ever.

Doc had gone still, and those spring-green eyes gleamed like rich jade in the firelight as he stared at me. Then his gaze dipped to my lips. He wasn't smiling anymore. But he wasn't sad, or angry. He was looking rather a lot like he was hungry. Just not for food.

My heartbeat took off at a fierce gallop, warmth flooding through my veins with every beat.

His voice had a deep, husky rasp to it. "May I kiss you, Cress?"

I ran my tongue over my lower lip. Then, hesitantly, I nodded.

Slowly, Doc angled his head to mine, his lashes lowering as he brought a hand up to my jaw, framed my face, and kissed me proper.

Gently.

Sweetly.

Perfectly.

And any fears I had that he might not really mean what he said flew right out over the ravine below us. Just like that, I knew I was home.