The bog grew less muddy the farther north they went but even with the terrain becoming easier to traverse, Mel’s injuries prevented them from going much faster. Tique, at least, didn’t seem to be having much difficulty in keeping up although she still hadn’t spoken ever since their crash landing. Her vacant eyes stared straight ahead and it was up to Mel to make sure Tique didn’t trip over the uneven ground too often.

“Let’s see,” Mel said in the hopes of pulling Tique out of whatever mental shock she was suffering from. “The first bit of wreckage should be just over that rise in the ground. How many steps do you think we’ll take before we find it?”

Tique gave no response.

“Or we could hum a tune?” Mel asked with the same result.

The real trouble was that Mel hadn’t spent much time around people, let alone children, for the better part of her adult life. She doubted she’d be doing any better if she’d been traveling with someone her own age. Regardless, she kept trying to make conversation with Tique.

“I remember the first time I got hurt out here,” she said. “I was trying to raft down a new river I’d come across and hit some big rapids. Before I could steer my boat to shore, I got tossed out of it. I broke a few fingers and toes from trying to grab onto the boulders and logs in the water, not to mention the cuts and bruises I got along the way. I must have been carried along for almost a mile before I was able to get out of the river. Never did find my gear or my boat, but I made it out of there. Only side effect I have is now I can feel a prickle in my fingers and toes whenever it’s going to rain. Have you ever broken a bone?”

Tique’s head turned ever so slightly back and forth as if to signify a ‘no’.

“Lucky girl,” Mel told her. “I can tell you from experience that they aren’t any fun”

The talking was helping Mel ignore her own pain and so she kept up the running monologue.

“I’ve got some good scars, too,” she said, holding out her uninjured arm to show a large, pale line that curved around her forearm. “I got this one from a big snake. It bit me by the arm and then tried to wrap itself around me. I had to cut it off of me with my knife and even after it was dead the jaw wouldn’t let go. I had to pry it off. I got a scar on my other arm from a time I slipped and fell down a cliff and got all torn up.”

She glanced down to Tique and noticed that her neutral expression was taking on a more frightened look.

“Of course none of those things happened out here,” Mel lied. “The Unexplored Wastes are really safe. That’s why I spend most of my time exploring out here instead of those other places.”

It was impossible to tell if Tique believed her.

“I’m not very good at this,” Mel finally said and then asked, “What kinds of things do you like to talk about, Tique?”

“I had a puppy,” Tique’s voice was incredibly faint but the fact that she’d spoken was no small victory in Mel’s estimation.

“I love puppies,” Mel replied. “What was its name?”

“Pik.”

“That’s a good name. Did Pik know any tricks?”

“Roll over,” Tique muttered, still very quietly but with growing clarity.

“That’s fun.”

Mel wanted to keep up the momentum they’d built up in their conversation but she was already out of questions to ask about Tique’s puppy. What else was there to say about a dog?

“Are there puppies here?” Tique asked.

Mel turned, looking at her with welcome surprise to see Tique looking much more aware and alert than she had been ever since the crash.

“I’ve never seen any,” Mel said, “but there is a lot of places I haven’t explored yet out here so I wouldn’t be surprised if we happened to find one.”

Tique brightened slightly.

“Do you know what I have seen a lot of out here though?”

“No, what?”

“I’ve seen talking birds.”

“They talk?” Tique wrinkled her face in thought. “How do they talk?”

“I don’t know,” Mel admitted, “but they do it somehow.”

“Wow, are they like people? Did you talk to them a lot?”

“Not exactly. I think they only copy what they’ve heard people say. I had one that followed me around for a few weeks and it got pretty good at imitating me.”

“Do you think we’ll find some talking birds?” Tique’s eyes were lighting up now at the prospect of seeing such a thing for herself.

“I bet we will,” Mel assured her. “They’re usually a little farther in to the Wastes but that’s where we’re going anyway.”

They crested the small hill Mel had pointed out earlier and the first piece of wreckage came into view. Only a small section of undergrowth had been burned since most things were too damp in the bog to burn easily. In the center of the burned area were remnants of twisted metal and a few battered crates.

“Looks like part of the tail section,” Mel said and gave Tique a broad smile and a wink. “Our lucky streak keeps on going.”

“Lucky?” Tique asked with the sort of disbelieving tone that only small children could ever manage to make.

“Yeah, we’re lucky,” Mel insisted. “We made it to the Unexplored Wastes, we survived the crash, now we’ve found what look to be the supplies I was hoping to find. How much more lucky could we be?”

Without any hesitation, Tique gave her answer.

“We could still be safe at home.”

The weight of sorrow in Tique’s voice hit Mel and forced her to stop walking. They both looked at each other before Tique turned her gaze down to the ground. She sniffed a little and a few tears began to run down her face. Mel wanted to pick Tique up, tell her it was all going to be alright but between her broken bones and her own uncertainties about their future prospects, she couldn’t do it. Instead she placed her hand on Tique’s shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze.

“I know,” Mel said softly. “I wish things were that way too.”

Tique needed a couple minutes to cry and Mel let her lean against her good leg for support, all the while stroking her hair. When Tique finished crying she looked back up at Mel and asked, pointing to the wreckage, “Is there anything to eat in there? I’m also thirsty.”

“Why don’t we go down there and find out.”

Going downhill, Mel discovered, was harder than going uphill with her injuries. She had thought it would be the opposite but the additional jarring of her steps as she descended the hill made her almost gasp from the pain. She tried her best to hide it from Tique since she knew the little girl didn’t need any more reasons to be worried.

The wreckage was still warm to the touch and Mel was careful to test the metal pieces before gripping them tightly to avoid burning herself. Fortunately, everything had cooled down enough from the fire that they weren’t dangerously hot anymore. The crates were difficult to shift from within the wreckage and Mel struggled for some time, trying to remove them without success.

“Can you just open it where it is?” Tique asked.

“I suppose,” Mel admitted.

Even leaving it where it was, the crate was not easy to open. At last, however, the latches on the crate gave a satisfying click and she was able to remove the lid. Inside were packs of rations and canteens of water. Mel let out a sigh of relief at having found the right crate. She still wanted to find the others but this one was the most important for their immediate survival. It would be a long while before Mel would be up for any serious foraging or hunting so having their food taken care of was crucial.

“Let’s have some food, eh?” Mel said and Tique eagerly nodded her head in assent.

Mel gave Tique a ration pack and canteen and took one each for herself as well. Sitting down was not an easy task for Mel but she couldn’t keep standing on her one leg and her makeshift crutch was beginning to dig painfully into her armpit. With Tique’s help this time, Mel was able to sit down without too much discomfort.

The rations weren’t anything special and Mel worried that Tique would be disappointed in them but she ate without any complaint. As soon as they were finished eating, Tique yawned and stretched out, resting her head onto Mel’s lap before falling asleep. There were still a few good hours of daylight and things to do before it got dark but Mel allowed herself to sit and rest a little while longer, enjoying the sound of Tique’s steady breathing, amazed and grateful that they were both still alive.