(M) The Treasure of the Lost Mountains IC (bluemoon x Siks apocy RP) (M)

[bluemoon]

Knowing she wasn’t going to change his mind, Ez nodded solemnly and leaned her head against him. It didn’t seem anyone was going to get much sleep that night, as she doubted she’d want to leave him alone once his shift came up. Humming softly, she reached out and took his hand in hers, wrapping her fingers gently around it, a soft smile coming to her lips.

“When I was a little girl, my father used to take me out to the courtyard in Endver on clear nights. We’d lay on our backs and he’d point to the moon, saying it was made of the tastiest of cheeses. He said there was an old man that lived there...a guardian...who stood over that cheese day and night. ‘One day...’ he’d tell me, ‘...we’ll fly out to that big block of cheddar and steal some to stock our cupboards.’ We’d giggle afterwards and try to come up with ways to build a flying machine.” Sighing, she looked up at him. “I miss that innocence...and the conviction that went along with it...believing in something so strongly that anything seemed possible." Giving his hand a gentle squeeze, she huffed out a laugh. "You still have that Jackal. That belief burns in you.”

Rolling her hand in his and interlacing their fingers, she sighed again, the melancholy of the day settling back into her mood. “I’m willing to keep looking for the Lost Mountain. We’ve come too far to turn back anyhow. ...and I can’t tell you how sorry I am that you lost Vash today, Jack, but the hard truth is, his passing was most likely more humane than Clove’s will be. This road we are on, it’s not made to be traveled, and we’ll be lucky to survive it ourselves. At some point, I might ask you to put my mount down too. I won’t see him suffer.” Pressing herself tighter to him, her tears started to fall, the moisture collecting onto his shirt as she cried silently.

[SikstaSlathalin]

Knowing she wasn’t going to change his mind, Ez nodded solemnly and leaned her head against him. It didn’t seem anyone was going to get much sleep that night, as she doubted she’d want to leave him alone once his shift came up. Humming softly, she reached out and took his hand in hers, wrapping her fingers gently around it, a soft smile coming to her lips.

“When I was a little girl, my father used to take me out to the courtyard in Endver on clear nights. We’d lay on our backs and he’d point to the moon, saying it was made of the tastiest of cheeses. He said there was an old man that lived there...a guardian...who stood over that cheese day and night. ‘One day...’ he’d tell me, ‘...we’ll fly out to that big block of cheddar and steal some to stock our cupboards.’ We’d giggle afterwards and try to come up with ways to build a flying machine.” Sighing, she looked up at him. “I miss that innocence...and the conviction that went along with it...believing in something so strongly that anything seemed possible." Giving his hand a gentle squeeze, she huffed out a laugh. "You still have that Jackal. That belief burns in you.”

Rolling her hand in his and interlacing their fingers, she sighed again, the melancholy of the day settling back into her mood. “I’m willing to keep looking for the Lost Mountain. We’ve come too far to turn back anyhow. ...and I can’t tell you how sorry I am that you lost Vash today, Jack, but the hard truth is, his passing was most likely more humane than Clove’s will be. This road we are on, it’s not made to be traveled, and we’ll be lucky to survive it ourselves. At some point, I might ask you to put my mount down too. I won’t see him suffer.” Pressing herself tighter to him, her tears started to fall, the moisture collecting onto his shirt as she cried silently.
—----------------

Despite his own sadness he couldn’t help, but smile at Ezra’s little anecdote. She hadn’t shared much of anything about her childhood. The gunman was beginning to think she was an orphan or something, but he was glad to learn about the silly little tidbit. It was then he felt her finally let go of the emotions that had been building up on the last hard road she decided to walk with him. He’d never be able to thank her enough for sticking with him as long as she had. He wasn’t sure he’d make it this far himself, especially not after he lost his sight.

Had that happened when he was on his own he would’ve stayed and died in whatever firefight had cost him his eyes in the first place. Though were he on his own would he have even been in a situation that would put his sight in jeopardy? Off the top of his head he couldn’t think of one. On his own he did most of his fight from a high vantage point sniping his enemies or splitting them up and picking them off one by one with his knife and revolver.

He rolled this thought around his head for a bit before curling the woman protectively into his own body, kissing her head and stroking her back as she told him about what would likely happen with Clove before this was all said and done. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t suffer Ezzy…I promise.” He hugged her close for a few minutes letting her cry in peace, but as the sobs quieted he let out a small smile and thought back on her story about the moon. “Shall we tell our kid the moon is made of cheese as well? Give them something to believe in as well?” He chuckled softly resting his head against hers sharing his body warmth with her.

She hadn’t given much thought to their child’s future, not with all the uncertainties that lay ahead, but the prospect brought a smile to her lips. “I think I’d like that. Children need to have hope.” Sniffing quietly, she wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, content to stay in his embrace. “All we need to do now is make it through this damn dead zone and find a safe place to raise a family.”

Shaking her head gently, she chewed at her lip in thought. “I never imagined I’d hear myself say that…’raising a family.’ I was always too set in my ways. Loved the open road…the men…and the drink. I guess I have you to thank for changing that…or should I instead be slapping you?” Laughing lightly, she glanced around their campsite and shivered suddenly, wondering just where the old ghostly Indian had gotten himself off to. He’d been haunting her thoughts as of late...which always made her think of his prophecy and the fake treasure.

The possibility that the Lost Mountain truly existed would put a damper on any plans they might make, but that was something they would have to deal with together. She had already decided she would sacrifice everything to destroy the redoubt. It was the only reason she had agreed to continue with the quest. The fact they were discussing raising their child, however, gave her hope that Jackal was rethinking his plan.

Jackal nodded, smiling with her. “I agree and never thought I’d have the option honestly. Living the life of a gunman doesn’t leave a very bright future. If I wasn’t so hard to kill, I likely would never had, had the chance. As for where to raise our family, we did liberate a lot of places on our way here. But I think all the way back in Carousel would be the best place, far enough away from raiders and rads to make things almost idyllic.” He felt her shiver reaching behind him to grab one of their trail blankets and wrap it around them both. “So what will we do with Sammy once this is all said and done, think she’ll like being a big sister?”

Going back to chewing her lip, Ez considered his plan. “It’s a long way, Jack. We had a lot of stone cold killers on our team when we crossed the wastelands that brought us here. Are you sure you want to take a bunch of kids along the same trail?” There was no denying Carousel would be a good destination, but getting there might cost them a lot of lives.

“Maybe it would be better to just settle in the mining town…let Sammy and Matches get a start there. I’m sure she’d be tickled to be a big sister, but having her own children would make her happier. We can let her decide…let all of them decide actually…where they want to put down their roots once things are semi-normal. It’ll be safer to travel once the baby is a little older…at least a year.” Tilting her head up to look at him, she wondered if they would be able to live in harmony, neither of them used to staying in one place for any length of time. If they followed his plan, the one advantage would be that the house in Carousel would be hers, and she could kick him out anytime.

Humming softly Jackal thought through her proposal. Silver Springs would be a nice place to settle down, but so would the towns of Endver and Liberty now that they cleaned the places out. In fact picturing the map in his mind they had blazed a trail of safety from this very spot to Carousel. With alliances made between all those townspeople to ensure things remained safe. The thought amused him enough to voice it. “Now that I’m thinking about it, as dangerous as our road here was. We burned and buried a lot of bodies on the way here, nearly all of them terrible people who deserved it. Gabe and the rest of his Black Jack goons, the Cannibals, Salt Flyers…the zealots of Endver. Even those spider bots, even just with our bunch of kids backing us, our little family would likely make it back to Carousel in one piece. Just like my grandfather did with his Bounty Hunter friends.” He kissed her lips as she looked up at him. “Sounds like a pretty great ending to our days of constant wandering. But I can’t argue with letting Sammy, Matches, and the others decide for themselves.” He sincerely doubted any of them would leave the caravan if he and Ezra made it back. They were indeed a family at this point, if the woman hadn’t told them all to stay put they would’ve followed them right to the gates of hell that was this part of the wasteland. He let out one more chuckle. “You do know Deck will be with us to the very end right? If Sammy would be pleased about being a sister. Deck will make himself the grandfather and treat it like a sacred duty we’ll never be able to talk him out of.”

Letting her eyes drift closed as he kissed her, she sighed softly, enjoying the tender moment and his familiar taste while it lasted. “Hmm…you’re probably right. The roads would be safer, but nothing stays that way for long in the Wastes. Men like Gabe always find their place on the scavver’s highways. There’s too much profit in stealing to put the effort into making one’s own way.” Thinking about all the men…and women…she had put in the ground sickened her. She had never set out to be a killer, but the life she had chosen was a hard one, and the people she had picked as her companions were even harder. Going back to her roots would make things so much easier in a lot of ways.

Carousel was the place she thought of as home. She had friends there…a local tavern and a house…not to mention all her money. It was scattered throughout the town in different hideaways, some invested, some just cached in buried boxes. She had told Jackal from the start that she didn’t need his treasure. She had enough money and scavved items to live a good life, even if she never led another scouting party again. They could raise their family there in comfort.

“I’d like to go back, but let’s ask everyone else before we make our decision. Deck of course will follow us anywhere…especially with a baby on the way. I think he feels he missed his chance with Sam. Carousel is his home too, so going back there would be what he would choose, I think. I’d like him with us. I miss his cooking.” Smiling to herself, she thought back on the days she had spent in his care. “I never took the time to learn from him. I was always too busy getting into trouble. Good thing for me he had a lot of patience.”

Not bothering to voice the obvious, Ezra grew silent as she contemplated the remaining steps of their journey. Their plans for the future were all based on them surviving the next few days…or weeks…out here in the desert-like environment, something neither of them seemed willing to address. They not only had to make it to the fabled Lost Mountain in one piece, but they had to make it back from there as well…with little food…and even less water. One horse. A pregnant woman. And a gunman. [i]What were the odds that they’d all survive?[/i[ she wondered.

“You’re never too old to learn a new trick.” Was all he said before laying back with Ezra to watch the stars as they began to break through the pock marked dusty blanket above them.

[bluemoon]

The night remained uneventful, Ezra managing to catch a few hours of sleep under the open sky with Jackal by her side. She slept fitfully, the night’s quiet broken by an occasional screech from the mountain’s predators, Clove’s hooves stomping on the rocks in agitation without his friend for comfort. The Chabbit’s absence was felt by all the companions, and when dawn finally broke and the heat pushed back what remained of the clouds, the camp was disassembled and the travelers put their backs to the painful event.

They pushed ahead, the gunman’s map the only reference they had to guide them through the unfamiliar territory. Ezra kept her eyes on the craggy outcroppings of rock, searching for any deviation in the natural formations–an unusually smooth opening to a cave entrance or a metallic gleam–anything to show a human hand had touched the stone. They moved slowly, the daylight hours slipping into night, one day becoming two, then three. Voicing her concerns as their supplies began to dwindle, she gave the last of her water to Clove on the fourth day, her gaze lifting to the dusty trail as she stared out ahead.

“We have two days…maybe three…to find your Treasure Jack. That’s the end of the road for us unless we find a water source. From here on out, I’ll walk. We need Clove to last for as long as possible...no extra burden.”

Wiping sweat from his brow Jackal nodded, moving to the weary horse’s side and removing some of the gear and beginning to rig it about his own body. “You’re right Ezzy.” He said quietly, beginning to consolidate whatever was left in his and Ezra’s travel bags into one before strapping it about his own shoulders. The empty bag was stuffed in last and with a low grunt the lawman was on the move again. “We’re also down to our last few bullets, maybe two more cylinders for our revolvers and one more clip for the rifle.” It was a miserable state to be in, that’s for sure. But as they were nearing the end of his map they would either find the Treasure of the Lost Mountains or walk off the edge of the world…either way they would be at the end of the bad idea.

Adjusting the straps he looked up at the late afternoon sky. “We’ll find something soon…I know it.” Reaching out he grabbed the woman’s hand pulling her close before they turned the corner into a maze-like corridor of eroded rocks and sand dunes. He had called himself a man of some kind of Faith, but even this was beginning to wear him down. Did they have enough supplies to make it back to Silver Springs? He doubted it, for now though the heat and dryness was getting to them both. They needed a shady spot to begin setting up camp for the night.

It was just at twilight when they found a deep cave recessed into the canyon walls. With a low chuckle he nudged Ezra. “Hey look, we can have something of a roof over our heads tonight. And this cave looks deep, maybe I can find some water or something deeper.”

Pulling her lower lip between her teeth, Ez nodded, the hint of a smile forming on her lips. “That would be heaven Jack…but for now, I’d settle for someplace to sit.” Groaning slightly, she tugged on her horse’s reins, leading him under the overhang of rock, her eyes slowly adjusting to the gloom. Taking in a deep breath, she didn’t pick up on any scent of decay or ash, the area seeming to be relatively safe.

“I want to get a fire together first,” she said, her hand settling on her stomach unconsciously as she placed her pack on the ground. “Just give me a minute…then we can go together.” Kneeling down, she cleared the sand from the rock floor with her palms, her hands working quickly as she pulled the tinder from her supplies and lit it. There was enough dry wood at the entrance of the cave to get a small fire going, and once she was satisfied they would have a light to return to, she got back on her feet.

“I wish we could leave Clove here…but it’s not safe. Maybe we can find an alcove to slip him into..somewhere out of sight.” It wasn’t just the horse’s safety she was thinking of, but their own, the clomping of hooves on stone a heralding of their arrival to any foe that might be lurking deep within the cave. Taking the animal’s reins in one hand, she filled her other with her revolver and took up behind Jackal.

“Lead the way…I’ll cover our backs.”

Setting the packs down the gunman pulled his one revolver out checking the rounds out of habit. “You should stay here and rest your stomach, I won’t go too far. I promise.” He kissed the woman’s forehead and gently nudged her back towards the fire. “Let Clove have a rest too, I’ll be back.” Taking a small torch from the fire the tall man began walking alone into the cave.

After he had taken a few steps, she closed the distance, her horse trailing behind her. Soft laughter filled the small space as she shook her head. “You don’t learn…do you? You’re not leaving me behind to wait. We’re safer together. Neither of us has enough ammo for a prolonged firefight…and we’re tired…but we fight well together Jack. We can cover each other’s back if there’s trouble.” Reaching out, she put her hand on his shoulder, letting him be their guide. She had faith in his navigating skills, but she committed each turn to memory as well, just in case.

With only a light snort being his answer Jackal reached up and gripped the woman’s hand pulling it down to his side as they walked through the narrowing cave system. The pair carried on for a few more feet, the torch beginning to grow dark as they finally found a nice little cave pond to leave Clove at before continuing on. The torch had nearly burnt out before they found what was sharing the cave with them. They heard and smelled their neighbors before they saw the two males by the sounds of them, speaking in some kind of made-up language. The air inside the cave stunk like shit and raw meat. Snuffing out the torch Jackal motioned for Ezra to stay back as he crept forward, his revolver out and ready though he really hoped he wouldn’t have to use it.

Moving slowly along the smooth stone wall he poked his head around the corner and saw what they were dealing with. Two misshapen lump of men were squatting beside a large fire, they had definitely been living in this cave awhile. Rudimentary furniture lined the walls, as well as cave art, but the floor was slick with piss and shit. The man-things were more or less naked, wearing only a pair of nasty ripped up jeans. They were mutants covered in pus-filled boils and open bleeding sores caused by too much time in the Rads. They had no hair anywhere on them and their skin was so black with filth he couldn’t tell what race they once were. While most of the little room was filthy, high up on the wall nearest him Jackal could see food stores and what he hoped were barrels of fresh water. Even with only being able to bring what they could carry themselves or attach to Clove, it looked to be enough to get him and Ezra the rest of the way to the Lost Mountains. Biting his lip…a habit he’d begun to pick up from Ezra he contemplated how to go about getting those supplies.

The sound of footsteps coming up behind him alerted Jackal that Ezra was no longer holding her post. Moving with a purpose, she slid her hand along the cave wall with little concern for noise. Pausing slightly when she reached the lawman’s side, she put her hand against his chest and her finger to her lips, her weapons hidden from sight as she rounded the corner. She came to a sudden halt once she was out of view, her hand going up to her throat as she let out a surprised gasp.

“Thank God!” she said with false cheer, her eyes roaming over the squat forms of the two deformed men as they rose to intercept her. “I am so lost. If one of you two could just…” Stopping mid-sentence when she was met with identical gap-toothed smiles, her eyes went wide as they started to approach menacingly. They were just as stupid as they were ugly, she thought with a grimace. Putting her hands out to fend them off, she shook her head, purposely walking backwards to lead them past the entrance where Jackal was hiding.

“There’s no reason to be rude. I’m willing to offer a trade for your assistance.”

Not bothering to wait for a response, Ez reached a hand behind her and withdrew her knife as soon as the first man passed the threshold, her wrist flicking forward to send a blade hurling through the air into the man’s chest. A wet gurgling noise followed and the man collapsed to his knees, short webbed fingers grasping at the hilt. “Zill Itch!” he bellowed. Red froth bubbled from his lips as he rose to his feet again and faced off against the Scavver, her weapon now in his bloodied hand. “Zill Itch!” he repeated and charged towards her.

As the first man charged Ezra the second one followed suit, bellowing something dark sounding as he picked up a rock from the floor and made to throw it at the woman. But before he could get the rock up to throw, Jackal lunged out of the shadow of the wall and drove the blade of his own knife into the back of the mutant’s skull. The man died instantly, flopping to the floor like a sack of dead meat. In a single fluid motion he then picked up the fallen man’s rock and threw it at the man charging Ezra, the mutant staggered from the force before turning to vent his rage upon the tall man. “ISKTH ZRAN!”

“ZRAN!” Ezra bellowed back, her pistol in her hand when the man spun again to face her. Cornered between two enemies, he snarled like a rabid dog, his few jagged teeth coated in a layer of blood. “Die fucker!” she said as she squeezed the trigger, the bullet exploding through the back of the man’s head like a rotten watermelon. Gritting her teeth against the loud echo, she turned from the spray of fluids, the putrid odors in the mutants’ cave enough to flip a normal stomach.

“Shame I had to waste a bullet, but if I had to suffer another minute in this toxic dump, I think I might die from the smell.”

Jackal quickly pulled his coat over his face as some of the mutant’s nasty flesh came his way. The chunks of foul flesh hitting the rough leather garment with audible plunks. As the echoing of the gunshot faded Jackal shook the vile chunks from his coat and nodded holding his breath. “Agreed, let’s grab some of these supplies and get back to some fresh air.” Yanking his knife out of the second mutant’s skull he cleaned the blade off and sheathed it carefully stepping around the dead bodies and the cesspit the two creatures had been living in for who knew how long. And it seemed himself and Ezra weren’t their only visitors, bones were piled haphazardly around the cave, mixed with piles of ripped up and ruined clothes, some of them belonging to men, women, and even children. Shaking his head slowly Jackal set about trying to get up to the supply shelf.

“Want a boost lover?” Ezra said from behind him, chuckling softly. Offering her cupped hands, she also slid a sturdy looking stool over with her booted foot, the clunky piece of furniture made from the trunk of a tree. Without another word, she grabbed the food items she could reach easily, taking an armful out to the passageway and filling her lungs with the fresher air before returning. There was no avoiding the foul mess the two rad-stricken men had left, but she did her best to keep her boots fairly clean, scraping the soles on the rocks whenever they got clogged down.

“If I can’t have a bath after this,” she complained, “...the least I can get is a thorough wipe down. I hope the supplies aren’t tainted with the stench of this place.”

Grabbing his own armful of goods he followed Ezra back to the front of the cave. Chuckling at her complaining he walked up beside her. “Well we did leave Clove by a small pond, if you don’t mind the cold you can probably get a quick clean there.”

“I think that’s a good idea…for the both of us,” she said as she set her bundle down by the fire, her hands wiped along her pants as she looked around at what they had gathered. “Our clothes could use it too. I think those Mutes damn near soiled everything. How could they even live in that filth? …and cannibals?”

Shivering despite the warmth, she did a quick inventory of the stock, setting aside anything that looked spoiled or suspicious, the rest stored near their packs.

“I’ll go first…and don’t worry...I’ll be quick. I’ve lost my taste for cold baths.” Laughing softly, she dug through her pack and pulled out a blanket, her footsteps receding back into the depths of the cave a few moments later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Between the two of them it took a total of a half hour to wash themselves and clean some of the grime off their clothes. But fresh and in a better mood, they settled down for a simple meal and the enjoyment of having a roof over their heads for a night that wasn’t the tattered hide of an old tent.

It was a small respite in a long, mostly terrible journey. They’ve had so few of those since they left Carousel. Nearly every town they’ve been in had the dark cloud of danger hanging over them and aside from Silver Spring they all were dangerous. So any small peace and quiet would be welcomed. Their meal was filling and after dinner there was a rare bit of clear sky to watch for an hour or so before Ezra, Jackal, and Clove went to bed. The three of them slept peacefully, and while there was no way to really tell the time that far in the wastes, it felt like they had actually slept until nearly noon.

But they had to get back on the road and so after another quick meal they were back out in the rads and heat. Luckily whoever was in charge of their fate had decided to make the rest of their journey less filled with death and danger than the road behind them had. While he never said this to Ezra, to Jackal this ease was telling him they were nearing the end of this madness. He wasn’t even sure he wanted to find the treasure any more, nothing could be worth the trouble they’d faced. He ran through the list of things he’d heard about what the treasure could be, and not even the ark of unspoiled pre-war virgins that could restart the human race would be worth being set on fire, rendered blind, or captured and almost turned into a meal for a town of cannibals. But they had come so far to turn back this close to the end. It would just reduce all the hardships to vain stupidity, and they had lost too many people to let that sit well with him. He would still keep that to himself, mulling his thoughts over and over for the remainder of the day. It wasn't until nearly dusk that he looked up and realized they had wandered out of the wastes and were actually at the base of the fabled mountains. Small outcroppings of trees and the high rock walls kept the hot winds down and he actually let out a shiver, noticing the cold. He stopped in his tracks and looked up at the massive shadow of the mountains before them. Gripping Ezra’s hand he spoke in a quiet voice. “Welcome…to the Lost Mountains Ezzy.”

“We’re here,” she said in hushed awe. Letting her eyes scale the rocks, she sighed softly, her hand caressing her stomach as she looked around. The legendary mountains were majestic, the emergence of sage grasses and other greenery bringing life back into the landscape. It was an unexpected beauty that made the mythical treasure more likely also, a prospect she didn’t dare ponder. It wasn’t a pleasant thought, but she’d see the journey to its end…one way or another.

Smiling at the gunfighter, she squeezed his hand. “It’s cooler,” she said, “...it’ll be comfortable inside the tent under the blankets tonight…for a change.” The past few days they had traveled hard under the hot sun, and the food and water they had taken from the rad-boiled mutants had sustained them, but there had been little more to that time other than that. Ezra was still fighting the sickness that the pregnancy caused her and Jackal seemed lost in his own thoughts. Perhaps tonight could be different.

Tugging on her horse’s reins, she started them forward again. “We should find a place to make camp before it gets too dark. I think a nice warm fire would be appreciated. I’ll cook if you set up the tent?”

Jackal nodded slightly, taking some of the weight off of Clove’s back as they began to ascend the worn gravel path deeper into the majestic purple mountains above them. The man couldn’t believe they were really here. Since he was a young man he’d been dreaming about what the Treasure of the Lost Mountains really was. So many ideas, most of them ridiculous beyond all reason. But that didn’t stop him from wishing some of the more outlandish ones were true, his favorite being a time machine that can take someone back to before the world ended.

Not that he expected that to be the treasure, but one could hope. It had been nearing dark by the time they reached the summit and a flat enough place to set up their tent for the night. He could feel they were at a higher elevation. The air was thin…but remarkably clean tasting. He didn’t even know what clean air tasted like, but every breath tasted less like metal and filthy sand so he assumed that meant it was cleaner. Kicking away some stones he began setting up their tent.

The silence that reigned between them as they completed the final stretch of their trek seemed appropriate to Ezra, the beauty of the mountains appreciated more thoroughly in the solitude of quiet speculation. As soon as they reached their destination, she tied Clove to a stunted tree and got a fire going, the flames hungrily devouring the dry branches she fed to it. Digging through her pack, she chose a few items for their evening meal and put them in a pot to warm, then saw to the horse’s feed and water.

“Do you think anyone has been this way in a while?” she asked the gunslinger as she used a damp cloth to wipe the trail’s dust from her face. She had not seen any signs of human habitation since they reached the Lost Mountains. There were no discarded items or fire pits, no prints in the dust or shreds of cloth on a limb or striped bones…nothing. It was almost as if man had not walked the area in a hundred years or more. The hot zones and desert-like temperatures, mixed with the lack of food and water sources would definitely play a major factor in the number of people that could make the journey. Once she added in the mutant cannibals, the possibility for death became even greater. Shaking her head, she laughed softly. As far-fetched as it seemed, they could be the first two people to have reached the fabled land since the big fire.

Once the tent was set up Jackal returned to her side shrugging. “I don’t think anyone has been here since before the world ended. Even the rocks have dust on them.” Letting out a low sigh he sat heavily down by his lover taking a pull from one of the canteens they took off the mutants. What he drank caught him off guard though. Coughing and sputtering he capped the metal container grabbing some real water to wash it down with. “Damn me…*cough…cough* those muties were drinking some high grade fucking moonshine!” Pulling the cap off again he poured some into the fire, the blaze flaring up above their heads showing just high-proof that booze was.

Laughing softly as she leaned away from the flames, Ez patted and rubbed the middle of Jack’s back to soothe him. “Someone can’t handle their liquor,” she said with a teasing lilt. Glad she had already removed the pot of food before he had doused the pit with alcohol, she glanced at him, smiling. “There was a time when I’d have taken that from you as a nightcap, but being that I’m carrying your progeny, I gather I’ll refrain.”

Reaching beside her, she grabbed up two bowls and filled them with stew, passing one over to him. “I suggest you hurry up and eat, lover. I’d like to get into the tent early tonight…make up for some lost time. If you feel up to it…that is.

Jackal nodded, leaning over and giving her a kiss upon the head before taking the stew from her. “Thank you Ezzy, I’ll be sure to buy you your first glass of new motherhood after the kid is born.” Taking his first mouthful of stew he groaned deeply, it was so good. At her mention of making up for lost time in the tent he smirked, the hormones of a pregnant woman would always amaze him. Of course he wouldn’t deny her it, it wasn’t like she could get pregnant twice after all.