On the move

[remindmeof_me]

Corporal Shephard's had plenty of time to think over the course of his hours on sentry duty. That patch of skyglow in the northwest looks pretty real to him; it might just be their only crack at finding a population center. He hasn't seen any signs of industrialization during his travels up until now, either human or Combine. Fair Chance was a

Comments

[subject_lj_here]

Chell wakes up slowly, from one of those silent nightmares that chills you so much that you go into a cold sweat. It's one of the least pleasant feelings in the world, that cold morning air on her skin, but it makes her alert, if anything else. She sits up and looks around, not quiet sure where she is or what's going on--wasn't she just back in Milliways? But no, no. That place was taken away from her.

Eventually, she shakes off enough of the nightmare to sit up on the burlap and crawl out. "Morning, Adrian." It's groggy, and slow, but it's a greeting.

[remindmeof_me]

"You're up," says Shephard through his mask. He's used to it enough that he doesn't think about it any more. "Mornin', Chell. Got us some breakfast, more or less." Breakfast would be the plucked bird (or mostly plucked; it's hard to tell just by looking at the blown heap of black feathers) he's got roasting over a tiny fire. "Eat what you can. We're gonna be foraging before we move out today."

Only then does he look over at the woman and add, "Hard time sleeping?"

[subject_lj_here]

"Thank you for that." She rubs the back of her head; she must have bumped it during the night. "I... I guess so, maybe." She stands up, and begins to take down the lean-to. "How was the watch?"

[remindmeof_me]

"It ain't much, but it was the best I could do without leavin' you alone," says Shephard. "Had t'make up a sling an' take it down with a stone.... Watch wasn't too bad. Coupla oogieboogies tried makin' trouble, but nothin' I couldn't handle."

There were noises from down below that he didn't like the sound of, but they didn't come close enough to their ridge for him to take action yet.

"Once we've stocked up, we're headin' northwest. Near as I can tell, there might be people that way."