Chapter 4

It took nearly half an hour, but we had managed to find clothing and some supplies for everyone. I fretted nearly every minute of it.

I'd asked Jessie to keep watch down the valley to give us time to hide while I tried helping the others.

Walter seemed to be okay, wandering out of the village and coming back ten minutes later with a large woodcutting axe and a small pack. I asked John to find the weapon he was defending with. If he'd gotten separated he may be able to find it. He wandered off towards the outskirts and I started helping Janey.

Janey was easy. I just asked her where she lived and when she finally clambered down from my arms I managed to find some stuff in an unburnt room. Weirdly, through the window I could see John sitting doing nothing, staring out of the village. Shrugging, I just assumed he was devastated by the loss of his friends and family.

I had a quick look through the pile of discarded weapons myself, taking out the few surviving arrows since they had metal heads unlike the stone arrow heads I was using. I noticed Janey following me not too far away but hiding her face from the bodies.

Emily was no use at all, waving her hands and expecting me to find her stuff for her. She bitched that I got her leggings instead of a dress, then spent another ten minutes trying to find some jewellery and perfume. I tried talking sense into her, Jessie tried talking, but in the end once everyone else was done I just started pulling her out of the village, with her screaming objections all the way.

Finally though we were ready, and started off towards the road.

Almost immediately Jessie grabbed my arm. She quietly leaned over to me and said 'I don't think they can keep up a fast pace. Remember how you were when I started showing you woodlore? You were knackered after half an hour. And I really don't think Janey can go that fast.'

Slowing, I nodded. I replied 'We may have to take turns carrying her. Look, I'm worried. We may be only an hour or so ahead of them. Probably less. We need to think about what to do if they find us.'

Jessie grimaced. 'What can we do? I'm blank on ideas.' She shrugged, before smirking at me. 'You'd better tell Janey and carry her first. It's really cute how she listens to you. I like it.'

'Cute? I was hoping for manly.' I grinned.

'What, for the airhead? Seriously, you're not interested in that are you?'

I blushed, remembering how Emily's breasts quivered as she breathed heavily in her flimsy night gown, her nipples standing out. I suddenly found it much harder to walk. Jessie giggled and walked on ahead.

Stopping, I beckoned Janey, then kneeled down and smiled at her. 'Listen, I'm going to carry you for a bit, then you walk, then Jessie carries you and so on. Then we repeat that until we get there. Okay?'

She shyly nodded. Picking her up in one arm, she wrapped on arm around my neck and started sucking her thumb as I started walking again, but much slower this time.

Ever since I'd been stopped from doing that I couldn't stand people sucking thumbs, so I gently pulled it out and whispered to her 'While we're going, you're going to have be a big girl, okay?' She nodded. 'Big girls don't suck their thumbs.' Janey pouted at that, obviously having heard that before. 'That way, if you see something over my shoulder you can call out rather than have to take your thumb out first.'

Janey concentrated, her face screwed up, then nodded silently. As I walked onwards she seemed just about to put it back in when she stopped. I smiled down at her in approval and she beamed back in reply. I kissed her forehead and we continued walking.

Once again we travelled through the woods, since it should have been faster than going up to the road then east. Should have being the important part there.

This time we were travelling much slower. Me and Jessie were used to spotting the likely gaps through the undergrowth or following the other to make just the one path rather than several. But the others, especially Emily, just walked forwards in a straight line, getting stuck in bushes. Even when I led them once through a patch of ferns the others didn't try following me again. Well, Janey followed me like a shadow whenever she did some walking, but since me and Jessie carried her through the worst parts that didn't really count.

It got worse when we travelled through a tightly knit area of trees with cobwebs across the trees.

Urgh, the bitching from John and Emily. I just didn't get it. If you just shut your mouth and be careful you can almost run through that sort of forest. We actually did that as kids, playing Tag. Theres so little vegetation the footing is easy. But Emily got some web in her mouth and just didn't shut up about it.

Meanwhile I passed Janey to Jessie and collected some of the cobweb myself, carefully putting a bit in a pouch. Comes in really handy at times for rituals.

Walter just walked forward like a dead man, hardly reacting to anything. I thought he was finally reacting to the destruction of the village and left him alone to grieve.

The first time we were about to get Walter to carry Janey was a complete fuck up. Walter refused, insisting that he shouldn't have to carry some slut's kid. Whereas Janey refused and gripped onto my legs, refusing to let go. In the end we gave up that idea and I carried Janey again, pissed off at Walter.

By the time we took a break for lunch I was bored to tears of the fuss. It wasn't until I sat down for a moment that Jessie sat beside me and said conversationally 'Have you noticed how as you got more pissed off at the others Janey got quieter and still. I think she might be scared.'

My heart stopped for a moment and I suddenly felt really guilty. I did the calming ritual, realised just how tense I had gotten and lay back a moment, relaxing. After a few breaths I sat up and noticed Janey almost hiding on the outskirts of the group, body tense, face down and looking through her hair at me. I smiled and patted my lap. The way her face lit up as she smiled made me grin happily. She came over and sat on my lap, snuggling up to me.

Looking down at her I smiled, kissed the top of her head and quietly spoke to her 'I'm sorry, I wasn't angry at you at all. You've been brilliant.' She smiled back up at me and kissed me on the cheek.

Much calmer now, I looked round the makeshift camp. Jessie was walking round the camp performing the protection ritual. The others had flopped down wherever. Walter was sitting with his axe in his hand, stroking it gently. John was sitting rubbing his legs. Emily was sitting back against a tree like me, but one leg stretched out and her hands over her head.

My first thought was that her tunic was too small and was going to get uncomfortable. Wait, thats not really true. My first thought was that she has huge breasts, and that I'd like to touch them, rub them, kiss them. Then I wondered if I could see her nipples through the tunic.

It was only after that I shook my head and thought that her tunic was too tight and was going to hurt. Then I wondered whether I had seen her looking at me.

After that I was glad that Janey was now sitting on my leg rather than on my lap.

Lusting over Emily's body over, or at least on a low enough level to concentrate, I pulled some smoked deer out of my pack. I pulled out two plates and put some out for Janey and me. Passing Janey her plate I picked up some soil and performed the cleansing food ritual over it, mumbling the words. I looked down to see that Janey had started nibbling but had stopped to watch me, the deer still between her hands at her mouth.

I grinned as she put it back on her plate and grabbed some soil and tried to copy me, accidentally dropping some grass on the deer. I heard Jessie giggle too at my side as she watched Janey. Helping her, I dusted off the grass then gathered some soil for her. I carefully took her hand in mine, and helped her sprinkle the soil around the plate, whispering the words into her ear.