The Altar Girl: A Prequel

CHAPTER 10

Nadia cut two small branches off a young oak tree and trimmed them to arm’s length. Using some twine, she secured the sticks to each side of the Rodent’s ankle with the Ace bandage to form a splint. That locked the ankle in place so that it wouldn’t be hurt any worse when they moved him. He winced from the pain as she put it on, and Nadia did her best to keep him calm by talking to him as she worked.

Afterward, Nadia cut down two saplings with her knife. The whacking tired her out even more, and for a second she was afraid she might faint. Only adrenaline kept her going. The Giraffe noticed this and came rushing to her side with genuine concern, but Nadia waved her off and kept working. She asked the Giraffe to help her spread out the poncho.

After they did so, Nadia fixed a sapling to each side of her poncho and made a stretcher out of it. Together, the four of them lifted the Rodent onto the stretcher. The nearest ranger station was three miles away. Nadia drew a map for them and directed them toward the trail.

The Rodent thanked her profusely. He reached out with his hand, grasped her shoulder, and squeezed it the way she had done to his. The Kangaroo offered Nadia money, but she refused. She was almost insulted but realized they were city folk and they wouldn’t understand the PLAST code, that it was her duty to help anyone who needed it. They offered to take her address and send her the poncho, but she refused that, too. She was worried her father would get mad at her for giving out their address to strangers.

The Giraffe came over and gave her a hug. Nadia recoiled at first because she wasn’t used to anyone touching her, but she knew the Giraffe meant well so she decided it was okay.

Afterward, the Kangaroo and the Ferret lifted the stretcher and followed the Giraffe toward the trail.

Nadia made her way back toward camp. She’d given away her poncho, so if it rained she’d probably get soaked. It was a bad thing to be in the forest without a poncho. There was a reason Mrs. Chimchak had taught her to keep it at the top of her knapsack. Still, giving away the poncho was a matter of honor. She had to put the well-being of a sick individual above her own.

As soon as she returned to camp, though, Nadia realized she had an even bigger problem than life without a poncho.

Her fire had died. Partially burned wood and ashes were scattered all over the place. Some animal had ransacked her camp. There were no glowing embers, no sign of life for her to work with whatsoever.

She’d drunk all her water. She’d planned to boil some from the stream when she returned.

Now she had no poncho, no water, no fire, and no matches with which to light a new one.

And she had two days and two nights to go.