Despite what she hoped, the group of students following them did not disperse. They lingered awkwardly, even sitting and trying to appear nonchalant, until Tori and her group put their things away and got up. Sonia let out a disgusted grunt as they started walking, only to be followed.
To make it worse, the further they walked, the more the other students began to complain loud enough for Tori and her group to hear.
Were going too far!
This is such a waste of ti. We should just cross here.
The river is getting wider the further we go!
How long is this going to take?
Tori kept her eyes forward, resisting the urge to turn around and scream then cross the fucking river; Im not stopping you. However, while everyone else was paying attention to the distance or her leading the way, she kept looking over at the river through the treeline, trying to assess its speed and strength.
Twice, she saw sothing brown floating down the river and smashing against rocks; lost bags from upstream. She pursed her lips and kept her sighting to herself so as not to alarm everyone. She could only hope that whoever lost them was all right and that maybe one of those bags was the lost one with the rations that belonged to Alessas group.
She tried not to dwell on what shed seen. There was even a chance shed seen wrong at that distance. Her brother and his juniors never ntioned anyone dying during an excursion. She tried not to let the thought stop her from at least trying to enjoy the overall majesty of the forest. It had towering trees, verdant fields, and the backdrop of granite mountains on either side. If they didnt have a ti restriction, and werent stalked by an entire class of people, this wouldve been very relaxing.
Ilyana sighed behind her. It would be nice to co back in the sumr when its warr and watch the stars.
Tori, is your uncle coming back again this sumr? Ewan asked, looking over the tops of his friends heads to peer at her at the head of the line.
He says he cos every sumr, but I dont know when, Tori said.
Hes not coming for fun, Ewan, JP said. He cos to pick dicinal plants and do so studies on them.
I can help, Ewan said. I filled up a whole jar of the guijava yesterday and I was the one who first spotted the curcumin and sarata.
And were very impressed that you were able to find them amongst all the dense foliage, Tori said. But Uncle does co to do work. If you tag along, youll likely end up watching Marco and Mateo.
Well...theyre fun, too. Are you interested in going, Ilyana? Ewan asked.
I want to, but sumr break is long enough for to travel ho and back and spend a decent amount of ti there. She sighed once more, but this ti sounding helpless. It takes almost a month each way.
Then what are you going to do for winter break? Sonia asked. Its only a month long; you cant even make it there and back in that ti.
And the dorms are closed for winter break. Tori knit her brows together. Should she invite Ilyana to Presidio? Her mother would be pleased to know she made a friend.
Im staying in Horizon. My father has already arranged a room at an inn not far from campus, Ilyana told them.
If you want sothing to do while youre here, we can always use an extra set of hands at the rchants guild during that ti. There are a lot of records that need to be copied and filed, Henrik told her. Itll be a good experience for you to get used to seeing and handling business paperwork, as well.
That sounds so boring, Henrik, Sonia said with a snort. Ilyana, you should co by my and JPs house. Our house has an extra room and were by the Imperial Stables. I can give you lessons.
Ilyanas face lit up. Thank you, Sonia...Ive actually never ridden a horse before.
Tori jutted her lip out. She wanted to take lessons, too...instead she had to take a weeklong, motion sickness-inducing trip back ho. She sighed heavily. Looks like this forced bonding excursion wasnt for naught. Im kind of envious. You all get to see each other over winter break.
Ilyana jogged forward to catch up with her. You can stay, too!
She shook her head. I cant. My family is expecting back. Im going with Auntie Lucias family and then my eldest brother will drop off after the new year, since he has to co back for work.
Thats disappointing, Ewan said. I was hoping we could get in so training over the break.
You have five brothers and sisters to train with, Henrik told him. And your dad.
Dad has duty at the palace and Im pretty sure Tori can beat most of my siblings.
Youre giving too much credit. Tori waved her free hand dismissively. She squinted and began to get closer to the river. Do you see what I see?
I see...the river opening out into a lake? Ewan asked.
The river is opening up. Henrik rustled through his satchel and pulled out the map. He looked from it to the scenery in front of him and grinned. That should be it. Tori bounced off the path, energized with reaching an important landmark.
She carefully went down the dirt slope towards the riverbank. The space between the water and the dirt was far wider than it had been upstream. In the spring, the water reached further up, closer to the dirt and trees after the glacier ice began to lt, but in the fall, the river had receded significantly.
Its quite a ways to the other side, Ilyana said.
Yeah.... Tori looked around and found another stick. She rushed towards the rivers edge and chucked the stick into the water. It made a dull splash and wasnt subrged completely. It floated at once and began a slow ride down the river. But the current is slow here, she said with a smile. Look at the surface. Its much smoother.
She lifted her hands and began to unbuckle her chest and waist strap. She knelt beside her bag and fished out the leather sandals in one of the pockets before sitting down and taking off her boots. She peeled off her socks and stuffed them in her boots before hooking their buckles onto one of the bag straps.
Seeing her move, the rest of her group began to follow. How long do you think it will take us to cross?
To be honest, not too long, Tori said as she stood up. You all stay here. Im going to test out the depth.
Alone? Ewan frowned.
Itll be fine. The current is slow enough that if I slip and fall, I wont be overwheld. Plus, it feeds into a lake. I can swim to shore once Im out of the current, she said. Watch my bag. In case its deeper and faster than I think, I dont want to drop it.
Do you want to carry it over when youre across? Ewan asked.
No, Ill co back. Go ahead and put on your sandals and hang your boots securely on the top strap of your rucksack and be ready to cross when I co back. She walked towards the edge of the river. The water lapped at the small, smooth stones gently and Tori put her hiking pole in ahead of her.
Once it was secure, she stepped in. A hiss left her and behind her, her group shot up with panic.
Tori!
Its cold! She gritted her teeth and moved forward, not wanting to dwell on the cold temperature of the water. It was like a cold pool; just dive in and get it over with. She still took her ti crossing at a slight angle upstream. Before she took a step, she made sure to put her hiking pole down and that it was secure.
At the midway point, she began to smile. The water was just a bit above her ankles. Still cold and the current was a bit faster in the center, but it wouldnt sweep her away unless she lost her balance. Even then, she was quite sure that as long as she didnt fight the water, she would just sink and sit there until she pulled herself up.
As she reached the other side of the river, she turned around to the sound of her group cheering. Tori then began her wading back, a bit faster now that she was used to the rhythm. JP handed her rucksack back to her and Tori put it on.
Dont buckle your chest and waist straps of your bag. If you fall, get rid of the bag. I dont care whats in it. The bag will drag you down. You are more important than the bag, okay?
Okay! they chorused. She could feel the slight tension over them and smiled.
Relax. The deepest part was just above my ankle. If you fall back, let go of your bag and just sit there. Dont fight the current. Ill co back to help you up. Youll be fine, she said with a reassuring smile.
Do we follow behind you? Henrik asked. She saw him squeeze his hiking pole as he glanced anxiously at the water.
Yes. Try to step in the areas I step. Rember to always keep two points of contact to the ground and do not attempt to move forward until you are steady. Were not going fast. Just follow my lead, Tori told them as they filed in a line behind her. Okay, hiking pole first. Secure it. Step forward and steady yourself. Then hiking pole. Secure. Step and steady.
She kept her voice over the sound of the water as they began across, moving in the sa upstream angle as her first crossing. Tori tried to keep her beat steady; chanting: pole, secure, step and steady in even cadence. The sloshing of their feet in the cold water sounded and with every step, Tori listened for any sound of splashing or struggle.
Once or twice, soone faltered and Tori stopped, turning her head to see who was struggling. Ilyana had managed to grab on to her hiking pole to steady herself and JP managed to keep steady when Sonia slipped back and fell back against him.
Are you all right back there? Tori called out.
Im fine! The rocks are slippery!
I know; imagine if you were crossing barefoot!
They reached the other end and Ewan let out a loud cry of excitent. Tori laughed and told them to take a mont to rest and dry their feet.
Can we put our boots back on? Ilyana asked.
Yes. Go ahead and hang your sandals on a strap; the canvas is waxed and wont get the contents wet. Dry your feet thoroughly before putting your socks and boots on, Tori told them. She put her bag on the ground, closer to the shore. She bent down to unbuckle her shoes from the rucksack when she heard a scream and a splash. She whirled around and saw one of the girls in the other group in the river.
She was on her back and her bag was being dragged by the current. It was slow, but she was faltering and the people with her could barely keep themselves standing up straight. The remaining groups on the shore seed hesitant once they saw the other group in trouble.
Tori and her group made it look easy, but this part of the river was almost three tis as wide as the northernmost point. She swallowed hard as she watched the girl struggling to stand, only to continue to slip in panic. She winced, thinking of the hard river stones at the bottom.
Tori? Ilyana asked from the ground, where she was running a small towel over her feet. Are you okay?
Tori closed her eyes. She didnt want to. She really didnt want to. Dammit. She put her boots down and headed back to the river. She could not, in good conscience, leave those children to flop around in the cold river water, especially considering that their clothes would not dry before sunset and they could get seriously sick.
Her cousin always told her she was too nice. She wasnt. She could be just as terrible a human being as anyone else. It was just that she didnt want any lingering guilt or regret. If those students got sick enough to cause long-term damage to their bodies, she would feel guilty. Especially when they didnt really do much to wrong her and she had the chance to help them.
And lastly...they were just fourteen-year-old kids. As soone with an adult soul and the ability to help, she couldnt bring herself to shake that responsibility.
Tori! Her group mates called behind her.
Ewan, clear space in the dirt up ahead for a campfire. JP and Sonia, when you get your boots on, try to find so burnable twigs by the treeline. Henrik and Ilyana, get my fire steel from my bag and one of the bundles of starter kindling and start building a fire!
What? Henrik sat stunned with the others. Why?
Because theyre going to need a fire to warm them up and dry so of their shoes! She slamd her hiking pole into the river. Tori made her way to the girl still on her hands and knees with tears in her eyes and stopped beside her. You! Stop moving! Her voice mustve carried across the river as everyone on the other side seed to freeze. The girl at her feet trembled and looked up. Lift up your left hand and grab on to here. She tapped a section of her hiking pole and the girl, with seemingly no other options, did as she was told. Is your grip firm? Put the other hand above it. When youre steady, lift one leg and put your foot flat on the stones. Push it down until it wont move, then move your hands up the pole one at a ti and stand, pulling yourself up. Ill hold the pole steady.
Once the girl was on her feet. Tori looked back at the others and told them to get back on the shore. Those who were on the shore were told to go and find a mostly straight stick at least two fingers thick and at their chest height.
From the other side of the river, Ilyana was blowing into the kindling as Ewan cleared a space next to her. Henrik looked impressed. You can tell shes from a martial family. Look at how shes giving orders.
They could hear Toris faint yelling as they watched students rush back with sticks, check with her, and then begin to take off their boots and peel off their socks before putting their boots back on. She gave each of them the sa instructions.
Im going to take one group over at a ti, she said. The water is cold, I know, but were going to take our ti, so bear with it. Just follow my rhythm, okay? My group is preparing a fire on the other side. You can dry off and warm up there!
There were four groups that had followed them and Tori crossed the river alone three more tis after the first group crossed. Then guided the next group forward. Ewan and Ilyana started another fire because there were more people and instructed other groups to blow and feed the flas.
Ewan and JP stood by the rivers edge, greeting students as they arrived. Good job! Grab a seat by the fire and warm up!
Take off your boots and dry your feet. When theyre dry, put your socks on, Sonia told them as she walked between campfires. If you can, wring out your shoes or wipe them dry. You want them as dry as possible before you keep moving.
Tori could not help her proud grin as she leaned against her pole and took the last few steps on to the shore after the last group made it over. You all did a great job. I didnt even tell you to make that second fire and -
Tori, your feet! Ilyana nearly scread. Tori looked down and winced. Her feet were red from wading through the cold glacier water. She wiggled her toes and frowned. They were kind of numb.
Suddenly, her legs were swept up from underneath her and she let go of her hiking pole. What the-!?
On one side was Ewan and on the other was JP. Two arms supported her back while their other arms were under her knees as they hauled her towards the nearest fire. Henrik was moving people aside, opening a space for her. As soon as she was placed down, albeit a bit roughly, Sonia wrapped her feet in a dry towel shed ward by the fire.
Ill warm her socks, Ilyana said behind her. Sonia was kneeling pressing the towel against her feet after she removed the sandals.
You were in there for over half an hour, Sonia said, frowning. You couldve taken a break.
It wasnt that cold. I an...there was no ice floating around so....
Ilyana moved Toris socks near the fire and kept touching them until she seed to think they were warm enough. Once they were, she brought them back and Sonia unwrapped Toris feet and llyana shoved on the socks.
How are they? Are they okay?
Tori couldnt help but shake her head helplessly. You guys...Im fine. I can put on my own socks.
Just take a mont to rest, JP said. Do you want sothing to eat?
No, Im good. Just give my boots...Ilyana, I can put them on myself. Tori had to pry her boots from Ilyanas hands. She chuckled as she rubbed her socks a bit more to warm her feet and smiled. I have the best group. Thank you. Just give another minute and we can continue. Henrik, set the course.
As soon as her feet felt warm and had feeling again, she put on her boots and stood up. Sonia gave her rucksack back and Ilyana handed her the hiking pole. Henrik led the way into the forest, double checking with his compass.
Tori was about to disappear into the forest with them, when she stopped and turned around.
You all take as long as you need. Rember, its not a race. For the girl who fell in the water, if anyone has spare clothes, please let her borrow and change into them. In this weather, her clothes wont dry by nightfall and she could get sick if she wears wet clothes. When youre done, make sure to smother the fire. And from here, follow the river upstream for less than an hour and then start going northwest again. I trust each group has a compass?
She watched several students pat themselves down to check. One of the boys gasped and paled. I...I cant find it. Yohan, do you have one?
No, you were the one in charge of it!
Oh, for the love of.... Tori rolled her eyes. She reached into her shirt and pulled out her compass. Just return it tomorrow. She tossed it towards the boy and shook her head as she turned around. Only have one compass per group...honestly....
Lady Guevera! She heard soone call out to her and she looked back over her shoulder at the complicated expressions on the students. Finally, one broke the silence. Thank you! Words of gratitude poured out one by one and Tori just crinkled her eyes.
I just dont want to witness soone die in front of ... She sighed and gave them a nod before turning and walking into the forest. See you tomorrow!
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