Memphis coming back had been a relief, of course. Alder wasn’t touchy, but he didn’t even deny Memphis the relieved hug that he went right for when they reunited. He’d explained vaguely that Marino wasn’t coming, but Alder didn’t question it too much. Fine. Whatever. They were better off without him anyways. After both Memphis and Alder were cleaned up acceptably and they drank their fill from the spring, they decided to keep moving. Staying in one place would be more likely to attract murderous tributes, right? So they spent the day shoving through thick brush, trying to find something, anything to eat along the way. Trouble nosed at some roots and started munching around noon. It was a risk, but the gnawing in Alder’s stomach was too much to resist, so he took the plunge and tried one. After an hour (the longest hour of his life) he hadn’t died and felt normal and Memphis confirmed he didn’t look sick, so he tentatively ate a few more, and stuffed some others into his pocket for them all to share later. As the sun set, the trees thinned, and the distinct sound of waves on a shore faded in from the distance. Sure enough, they broke from the foliage onto a rocky beach as the sun was setting. Admittedly, it was gorgeous- pinks, reds, golds. And it meant fish, seaweed, food. He could have cried with relief. They camped out near the treeline, just in case they needed to disappear in the woods. It was the better night’s sleep from the night before, and they spent the next day laying low, recuperating, foraging for food and collecting what very, very little rainwater fell through the day. They’d need a better water source soon, but for now, they needed more rest. The second night they chanced a low fire once darkness fell and some clouds rolled over. Alder figured that the clouds and darkness would mask most of their smoke, and they needed a morale boost. Even with the shoddy fire starting skills between them, it didn’t take long to light. The wood from the forest was intensely dry, it went up in an instant. Typically, Memphis and Star chatted constantly and Alder followed them around or made an excuse to go find some food alone, but Star was uncharacteristically quiet tonight. “Star, you okay?” Alder finally asked. The silence from him was freaking him out a little bit. He hadn’t known Star long, but it didn’t seem... right. @firststarisee2night @memphisxshiloh
