Heading Up Stream (5)

Warren didn't like the idea of leaving camp.

Not while both Vin and Kaela were still healing. But Vin had insisted.

"Go gather more of the green-leafed stalks with silver veins near the edge of the creek. We'll need more if she spikes a fever again," Vin had said, his voice flat, his eyes still locked on the treeline as if daring something to come out of it.

Warren had hesitated. He looked over at Vin's bandaged arm, the blood having long soaked through.

"Are you even in any condition to watch the camp?" Warren had asked, eyebrow raised.

Vin didn't move.

"Better me than you."

There wasn't a trace of arrogance in his voice. No snide remark. Just fact. Cold. Undeniable. And maybe even fair.

Warren gritted his teeth and turned toward the woods.

"Fine. I'll go but if you die i will be very upset with you."

***

The trees welcomed him with stillness. And silence.

Warren moved carefully, brushing aside low-hanging branches, eyes scanning for the medicinal stalks Vin had described. He crouched low when he spotted a cluster of them growing near the roots of a gnarled tree, their silver-veined leaves almost glowing in the low morning light.

He plucked them slowly, deliberately, trying not to think too much.

But of course, he did.

Kaela and Vin. They weren't just experienced. They were something more.

The way Kaela moved during the battle. The precision of her sword. That summoned chain. And Vin—his strength, his awareness, his sheer force. They had fought like gods.

And him?

Warren had done one thing: swung a weapon he could barely lift and hoped the beast didn't kill him for it.

'I was a burden.'

The realization came with a strange weight.

Even with all their strength, they'd nearly died. All because of one moment of distraction.

One moment was all it took in this world.

He tucked the last of the stalks into the satchel Kaela had given him and stood up, brushing dirt off his knees.

Then came a sharp crack.

A twig snapping nearby.

His breath caught in his throat. His body froze.

'Maybe I shouldn't have been worried about Vin guarding the camp. Maybe I should've worried about who's guarding me.'

He slowly turned, heart thudding.

But nothing came. No beast. No sound. No movement.

Just the wind brushing through the leaves like a sigh.

***

When Warren returned, Vin was still exactly where he left him—leaning against the base of a thick oak, one leg bent, bow resting across his lap. His uninjured eye flicked toward Warren for a brief second before returning to the forest.

'With his vision, at least we won't be blindsided by anything.'

"I got the stuff," Warren called out. "What do I do with it?"

"Mortar's in my pack. Left side."

Still not looking at him.

Warren found it, just like Vin said, and began grinding the stalks down into a thick, sticky pulp. It had a strong herbal smell, bitter and earthy. He scooped some of the paste into a small cloth, folding it like Vin had instructed.

He walked over to Kaela and knelt beside her.

Her face was warm. Eyes closed. Chest rising and falling slowly.

"Hey. Got something for you," he whispered.

She stirred faintly.

When she opened her eyes, they were clouded with sleep but still held that same soft warmth.

"Thanks," she murmured with a tired smile, taking the poultice gently from his hands.

Her fingers brushed against his.

It wasn't much. But it was enough to make his heart skip just a little.

He sat beside her for a while as she drifted off again, her breathing evening out. A soft flush clung to her cheeks—fever, Vin had said. Normal.

Still, Warren found himself watching over her longer than he probably needed to.

***

Eventually Warren returned to the center of camp preparing to start a fire

"Vin," Warren said, breaking the silence, "can I ask you a question?"

For a moment, no reply.

Then: "Go ahead."

Warren scratched the back of his neck, his voice quieter now. "Why am I so weak compared to you? We're the same rank, right? So why is it when you hit that wolf, it flew ten feet, but when I did... it didn't even flinch?"

Vin didn't answer right away.

He stopped watching the trees.

He looked directly at Warren.

"It's because you lack the will."

The words came like a blow to the gut.

As if they were so simple, so obvious, they needed no further explanation.

"Will...?"

Warren thought back to the cave.

To the pain. The blood. The voice.

[Will of Envy]

That whisper had never truly left him. Not entirely.

Vin continued.

"It's the driving force for all life. Why do people eat? Why do they sleep? Why do they work, or fight, or live? Because they will it. They want it. That's all it is. Strength isn't muscle. It's not speed. It's will."

He turned his gaze back to the woods.

"When I fight, it's because I want to win. That's why I do."

Warren stared at the fire, letting the silence stretch.

"...Thank you. For everything."

He stood and walked over to Kaela again. She was sleeping soundly now, her face more relaxed. Her clothes were stained and torn, barely covering the wounds beneath. He made sure not to look too long.

'I can't fight monsters like they can... but that doesn't mean i am useless. I can at least make a meal.'

***

Dragging the wolf's body back to the camp was brutal.

It was easily twice his weight.

He grunted, sweat pouring down his back, arms shaking by the time he finally rolled it near the fire. Breathing hard, he wiped his forehead and looked at it.

Now what?

Vin had made it look so easy with the fish. But Warren didn't even have a knife.

He turned to Vin.

"...Hey. Got a blade?"

Vin sighed, then nodded toward Kaela's pack.

"There's a knife in hers. Use that."

Warren retrieved it and got to work. Vin offered a few instructions here and there—how to cut along the muscle, where to peel the skin. It wasn't elegant. The fur tore unevenly. The meat came off in ragged clumps. But he managed.

All the while, Vin only occasionally glanced his way.

Not scrutinizing.

Just... watching.

Less guarded than before.

Eventually, Warren had the meat cleaned, cooked over the fire, and plated on rough-cut leaves. He served a portion to Vin and kept some aside for Kaela.

They ate in silence.

Not awkward.

Just quiet.

Halfway through, Vin spoke.

"You're welcome. For everything."

Warren looked up, confused at first.

Then he remembered his own words from earlier.

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

"...Yeah. I know."

The 2 continued to eat in silence but someone how the silence seemed a little more.

Pleasant.

And that, Warren thought, was progress.