Sleeping with the Enemy (3)
For the tropics, the night was unseasonably cold. The wind cut straight through, driving the wind-chill even lower.
I gathered broad leaves, trimmed them carefully, and warmed them over the campfire. Once they held enough heat, I draped them over the Valkyrie's shoulders as well. It would be far warmer than sleeping under a uniform alone.
"Where are these mosquitoes coming from…"
As if the weather weren't irritating enough, bloodsucking insects had started to swarm. Those things were breeding grounds for disease. Perched on the edge of the life raft, I swatted away every uninvited guest that tried to sink its teeth into the Valkyrie.
"Grrrk."
"Oh. You're here."
And on top of that, the occasional monster that wandered in had to be dealt with too.
I was doing everything myself — beating the drum, blowing the trumpet, the whole damn show. I was running on empty.
If my dead classmates could see me like this, they would have shot me without a second thought. I offered them a silent apology in my heart.
I endured that lonely night, and by the time dawn broke—
"Ah."
I had half-ascended into a state of enlightenment.
"I'm dying."
Two nights of continuous watch duty in a row. Absolute hell.
But I couldn't sleep now. I still needed to fetch more water and hunt down something to eat. There was plenty left on the to-do list.
As the sun rose, the monsters vanished. I pushed myself to my feet. From here on, as long as I didn't stray too far, working alone shouldn't be a problem.
Before the Valkyrie woke, I scoured the shore and the undergrowth. Along the coast I found oysters and seaweed; in the brush, a few herbs I recognized by species. None of it was hard to come by.
It wouldn't fill a stomach.
But for a body wracked with fever and chills, it would help a great deal.
"Be carved."
⟨ Whieon ⟩
I picked up a stone of suitable size and carved it. Three bowls, dried thoroughly with dehydration magic. Then I set a flat stone over the campfire and arranged the bowls on top of it.
I was filling them with fresh water, adding the ingredients, and bringing everything to a boil when the Valkyrie, still lying down, let out a groan and pushed herself upright.
"Urrrgh."
"You're up?"
"What the hell? Why is the sun already out?"
Her voice sounded slightly off — frayed around the edges.
Her gaze dropped. She frowned. The leaves and the uniform I had laid over her slid off her shoulders in a soft cascade.
She shoved my clothes aside and opened her mouth.
"I told you to wake me after three hours. What were you doing? Don't tell me you fell asleep."
"You're sick."
I mimed a cough, then pointed straight at her. Her expression hardened in an instant.
"Looks like you've got a fever. Or am I wrong?"
"What are you staring at? I'm fine."
"Fine, my ass. You were burning up all night."
"Don't pretend to care. I am genuinely fine, so just— cough! Cough!"
The sudden fit of coughing made the Valkyrie clamp a hand over her own mouth. Her eyes went round.
Once it started, the coughing spread like wildfire. She tried to stop it, but it clearly wasn't that easy. Too late to play it off. Too late to pretend nothing was wrong.
I waited until she settled.
"Haa… hhh…"
"See?"
The Valkyrie squeezed her eyes shut.
Heaving shoulders. A face flushed scarlet. Trembling lips, and hollows under her eyes deep enough to fall into.
Anyone with eyes could see she needed nursing.
"Cough, cough!"
"You're a mess. Here — drink."
I poured the steeped tea into a small bowl and held it out. She didn't take it right away. She seemed to be questioning where the leaves had come from.
"You're not seriously thinking I used poisonous herbs, are you?"
"…"
"Hey."
That was a little much. Last night had passed without incident, and we'd even signed a ceasefire. She didn't have to open her heart — but she could at least acknowledge a gesture of goodwill.
"Ugh."
I ladled out a little water and drank it myself first, to prove nothing strange was in it.
And when that still wasn't enough, I fished the herbs out of the bowl and showed them to her directly.
"They're Peredi leaves. You see these all the time in your country too, don't you?"
Only then did the Valkyrie accept the stone bowl.
At first she only sipped, but soon she nodded and began drinking the rest in slow, careful swallows. A few droplets traced the line of her jaw.
"Sloppy. Here — eat this too."
I fished an oyster out of the boiling water, cracked the shell open by hand, and pulled free the plump, cooked meat. I speared it on the tip of my knife and offered it to her.
Once again, she didn't take it.
"What now?"
I'd gone out of my way to harvest them because oysters are good for the immune system — and she was refusing this too? Since when did oysters have poison?
Or did she think I was feeding her spoiled food?
"My arm's about to fall off. What's your problem this ti— hey?"
Half-lidded eyes. A head swaying up and down.
She was completely out of it.
Wow. Seriously. Was I going to have to spoon-feed her too?
I pushed the oyster closer. The Valkyrie parted her lips, just a little.
Chew. Chew.
Watching her take it from my hand, I could tell she really was in bad shape.
"…"
I rubbed the back of my neck. I was going to lose my mind.
Looking back, this woman had been sick since yesterday. She just hadn't shown it — too proud to let any weakness show.
"Get better soon. So I can suffer a little less."
Whether she understood me or not, the Valkyrie gave a small nod. Frustrated, I pulled David out and rolled him around in my palm.
"David. When am I getting rescued?"
"I do not know, sir."
"Even if I do all this for her — does it actually help my survival?"
"It will, sir."
"If the Holy Kingdom finds this island first, that's a whole different problem. I'm investing against that possibility — yeah, investing. Even a mage ought to get decent treatment as a prisoner, right? Basic human decency?"
"With this much care, they will not kill you. You may, however, spend the rest of your life in captivity."
"Ah."
A prisoner for life? I'd rather die.
"By the way, David. Is it going to rain soon?"
"The season is right for it, sir."
I looked up. The color of the clouds was ominous. The weather had turned gloomier than it had been at this hour yesterday. This wasn't something we could just ignore.
"We should reinforce the shelter, then."
David agreed that of course we should, and I nodded. The Valkyrie was still staring at me with a blank, slightly dazed look.
"What, never seen someone talk to a rock before?"
She whipped her gaze away. Her face had taken on a faint flush — a clear sign the fever was climbing in earnest.
My tasks for the time being were set. First, secure more food. After that, gather materials and fortify the shelter.
I pocketed the remaining Chamcheongseok and got to my feet.
"Where are you going?"
"The forest."
"Where?"
"Just over there. Don't move around for no reason — stay put."
I'd scouted the forest once yesterday, so I at least knew the way in and out. Moving carefully, watching for any monsters that might be lurking, I pressed deeper in.
"David. What foods are good for a fever?"
"Warm tea. Or protein-rich meat, perhaps."
Rustle.
Right on cue, a squirrel darted through the underbrush.
So even a cramped little island like this had small animals living on it.
No — given that fish-monsters existed, a squirrel was practically ordinary.
I flicked a stone into the air and chanted in Whieon.
"Pierce through."
⟨ Whieon ⟩
The squirrel sensed the threat and bolted. My first shot missed by a hair and punched into a tree instead. The creature was so small that precise aiming was difficult.
After several attempts, I finally made the kill. A heat ray from the Chamcheongseok punched clean through the squirrel; it let out a sharp squeak and collapsed.
"Hoo."
Without magic, this would have been a lot harder.
It was so convenient — I still didn't understand why the Holy Kingdom banned it.
I tucked the game under one arm and a bundle of branches under the other, and started back. My pockets held a few raw magic stones I'd picked up along the way.
I returned to the shelter — and the Valkyrie was nowhere to be seen.
"…Where did she go?"
Not inside the life raft. Not behind the rocks.
Where the hell had she gone?
A bad feeling settled in my gut. Had a monster attacked while I was gone and dragged her off? No — there were no signs of a struggle.
"Mage."
A voice from behind me.
I turned. The Valkyrie was there, climbing the gentle slope at a slow, deliberate pace. In one hand she held a spear with a fish skewered on it; in the other, a basket woven from branches and twine.
"Where have you been?"
She pointed toward the shore.
"The beach? In that condition?"
"See? I told you I was fine. So stop looking at me like that — cough — with those eyes."
Her face flushed blotchy red from the coughing fit. She swayed as if she might topple over any second, so I sat her down quickly and fed more wood into the fire.
"Ugh."
"If you've got a fever, come closer. You need the heat if you want to get better."
No amount of coaxing could get the Valkyrie to close the distance to the campfire.
In the end, the cooking fell entirely to me. Not that I'd planned to make a patient do it anyway.
Crack. Pop.
I roasted the skinned meat with herbs. I didn't know a reliable way to kill the gamey smell completely. This was the best I could manage for now.
While the meat cooked, I stared into the flames.
Admiral Dietz's favorite refrain floated up unbidden.
He'd always said I was too soft-hearted.
"Heh."
Soft-hearted? This was just unpaid butler work.
"It's done. You can eat."
"…"
"Hey."
I portioned some meat into a bowl and brought it over.
"Want me to feed you again, like before? Hmm?"
The Valkyrie began picking at the food with small, reluctant movements, getting it into her mouth one piece at a time. I grilled and ate the fish she'd caught.
Right after the meal, I put myself to work reinforcing the shelter — partly for the exercise. Building a roof that could keep out rain was the top priority.
I pulled the life raft close against the rock face and used the branches I'd brought as support posts to build a frame. I arranged the ceiling skeleton in a cross pattern, then lashed every intersection with twine twisted from two strips of stripped bark.
Finally, I layered broad leaves densely over the top. Done.
"Hoooo."
The stake-driving skills from my soldier days hadn't gone anywhere.
I handed the Valkyrie a bowl of Peredi tea and said:
"No funny business. Drink this, then lie down and sleep."
"But…"
"Don't make me say it twice."
Hesitating, the Valkyrie took the tea, drank it, and climbed into the life raft. She glanced my way once, then lay down.
I shrugged out of my uniform and tossed it into the raft. And what did she do? She huffed and tried to throw it right back out.
The Valkyrie flung my clothes at me. I lunged and caught them before they hit the ground — then tossed them straight back into the raft.
"Ah!"
"Three-pointer."
A historic moment: Magic Kingdom standard-issue gear scoring a direct hit on a Holy Kingdom knight's head.
"Cover up and sleep."
"…"
No answer came back. Only the soft rustle of fabric.
And this time, no clothes came flying back either.