Evie, her friends, and her family got comfortable in their hideout. Mateo could not travel through the night for his life. Ranger Krysta decided to get everybody up early the following morning.
Edger temporarily returned to Seranet to check on his people and pick up food for the weary party. John the Red-Crowned Crane accompanied him. In the meantime, Ranger Krysta gave Keegan and Charlotte fire duty. They left together to search for wood. Both were reminded of Crows' Den. They had to get the firewood there, too.
Crystal turned to face Evie and her friends, looking graceful. "I'll be on lookout duty. If you hear me neigh, it means we need to move."
Evie gave the alicorn's shoulder a quick pat. "Good luck, Crystal."
"Thanks, Evie." Crystal rubbed her nose on Evie's side to illustrate her gratitude. "You guys watch over Mateo." She trotted away from the group and headed for some ferns. Tucking her wings, she buried herself the best she could.
With everybody pitching in to help, the camp was set up in forty-five minutes. The party sat around the crackling fire. Its orange glow showered on everybody's faces. A silver cooking pot hovered over it. Edger enjoyed using his magic for simple tasks such as these. Mateo was going to have chicken noodle soup for dinner, but the others feasted on some fish John had caught. Well, the adults ate the fish, but Evie and her friends shared a pot of spaghetti and meatballs. Evie forgot how much she enjoyed them. It was always fun to have spaghetti and meatballs while camping.
Evie backed away from the fire when some of the smoke blinded her. She ate her spaghetti in silence, still trying to accept that her parents had hidden the truth that she was a Gifted Human.
Poor Mateo was cold. He lay on his front beside the flames, with his blanket over him, and shivered like a madman. Beside him, Maria pulled off her lightweight purple sweater, revealing her black, short-sleeved shirt. She put it over Mateo, but he still shivered. The fingertips of his right hand rested on the bottom half of the mask.
The moon's rays shimmered through the hideout's treetops, allowing the party to see each other easily.
Maria glanced at the fire. She was silent for a minute and then said, "I think we need more firewood." She rested her palm on Mateo's forehead.
As expected, John was the first one to speak. He puffed out his feathers to make room for an extra layer. "You've got that right, Maria. I'm mighty chilly myself."
"Really?" Maria smirked. "Then why don't you do the honors, John?"
"Wait, you're serious?" John nervously peered into the dark forest. "There are dryads out there, Maria. Wolves and bears. Na hah, I'm good."
Maria crossed her arms. "Strange, I think this wouldn't be a problem for a brave adventurer like yourself."
At the sight of the confrontation, Evie and her friends laughed a little. Edger, Evie's parents, and Krysta continued to nibble on their fish.
With Maria's words, John perked up. "'Brave adventurer'? Thank you, Maria. I am honored."
Maria removed her hand from Mateo's sweaty brow. She cocked her head. "I'm sure you can fight off any dryad, wolf, or bear that tries to attack you."
In a confident voice, John said, "Oh, I sure can." He stood tall. "All right then, Maria. I'll go get that firewood." He gave her a quick bow. John passed behind Evie and her friends and vanished into the overgrowth.
The second the annoying bird was gone, Maria's smile vanished, and her eyes landed on Edger. "Mr. Edger, is Mateo's soup ready?"
He removed the pot from the flames. "It sure is, my dear. Ooh! Hot! Hot!" He tossed it back and forth from each of his hands. "Let me just get it ready for him." The soup almost spilled on Keegan, but he avoided it at the last second.
Charlotte noticed him staring worriedly at Mateo. Was he concerned for him for once? She wasn't sure. Keegan still looked conflicted—like he wanted to accept the young man, but he couldn't. Please, Keegan, Charlotte begged in her head.
Edger poured some soup into a wooden bowl he retrieved from his house. He approached Mateo, passing Notmuth and Diana in the process. His little girl leaned against the dwarf's shoulder and fell asleep.
Notmuth patted her shoulder a few times. "I'm sorry you had to get caught up in this," he whispered.
Edger stopped beside Maria and Mateo. He held the bowl and a spoon out to Maria.
She set her plate down and pushed it away. She turned Mateo onto his back and helped him sit. His blanket and her sweater fell from his torso. They landed in a bundle on his lap.
Maria retrieved the bowl from Edger, put it beside her, and removed Mateo's nose and mouth mask. She then handed it to Krysta, who joined them.
Maria dipped the wooden spoon into the chunky pieces of chicken, carrots, celery, and that sweet-smelling broth. Gulping, she moved it toward Mateo's lips. "Here, Mateo."
Evie, her parents, and her friends put their meals on hold so they could watch.
Mateo feebly shook his head. He pulled it away from the soup-filled spoon. He had completely lost his appetite.
Maria tried again. She did the old-school trick of "Here Comes the Airplane". Her lips buzzed together, and she twirled the spoon a few times in the air. "Here comes the airplane."
Mateo still refused to eat. He grabbed Maria's wrist and smacked his dry, cracked lips. "Water." His voice was just a whisper, but Maria still understood what he said.
"Water? Do you want water instead?"
"Oh, I can imagine he's thirsty," Krysta explained. "I mean, after sweating and throwing up so much?"
"Water," Mateo repeated. He gestured at his mouth.
Charlotte nudged Keegan. "Keegan, why don't you get him some water?"
At first, Keegan refused. He scoffed and crossed his arms.
Evie started to get up, but Sam pulled her down. "No." He shook his head to emphasize. Euphorbia nodded at him to say he did the right thing. Keegan needed to accept Mateo.
He stared at the sickly boy for a long while before he finally made up his mind. "Okay, fine." Keegan rose to his feet. He picked up one of the water canteens Edger brought from the village. It was olive green and had a circular shape to it. Tied around it was a red strap. Keegan delivered the canteen to Maria.
With a slight smile, she said, "Thank you, Mr. Madison." She retrieved the canteen from him.
"Sure," Keegan replied in a low voice. He backed away from her.
Just as Krysta predicted, Mateo was extremely thirsty. He finished off that whole canteen in one gulp. He drank so fast that water ran down his chin and soaked his shirt. The white changed to a light shade of gray.
Maria tossed the canteen's strap over her shoulder. "Do you feel better now?" she asked.
Mateo answered with another huge yawn. It was honestly adorable. He looked like a little kid.
Krysta nodded at Maria. "Let's let him rest. We'll see how he is in the morning."
"Okay." Maria gave Mateo a good night's kiss. She remained on his lips for quite some time before she pulled away. "Good night, baby." She lied him back down.
Krysta covered his nose and mouth with the mask again. She glimpsed at the woods. "Where is that John?"
"I'll go look for him," Keegan said. Oh gosh. Was he seriously starting to have feelings for Mateo? Since when did he care about such a scrawny boy? Yet, he still couldn't shake off such a strange feeling in his gut. He wanted to find John. He wanted to help. "Just let me," he begged Krysta. "Besides, Charlotte, Evie, and her friends must go to bed. I'll be back soon."
"Wait, Mr. Madison. Take this." Krysta picked up one of John's tranquilizer guns. She tossed it into his hands. "You know, just in case."
"Aw, how nice of you. Thank you," Keegan said. He started toward the woods, but he stopped at Evie. Keegan tilted her chin up with his index finger. "Get a good night's rest. Okay, sweetie?"
"Yes, Daddy." Evie wrapped her arms around her father's tummy. He hugged her back and kissed the top of her head.
Maria could not wait for the day Mateo could do that with Isabella. He would love her just as much as Keegan loved his daughter. The thought alone made Maria's night. She remained optimistic, which was crucial during trying times like these. She needed to be strong for her baby, Mateo, and Keegan.
***
A rainstorm snuck into the forest, but it only hit Keegan. A single cloud appeared over the flowery path he trekked on. The cloud followed every step he made. The harmless nectar poured over his head, neck, and shoulders. Upset, Keegan groaned. He pulled a few large leaves off trees and used them as an umbrella. His feet splashed through the mud. "Get away from me, you rain," he said.
The rain did not. It tested him.
Keegan stopped on the trail. He turned his body back in the direction of the hideout. Conflicting thoughts bubbled through his brain. Wait, why was he trying to help that scrawny ranger again? He got an innocent girl pregnant. Did he really deserve her? Likewise, his father ruined Keegan’s childhood.
He fought the demon who kept on tormenting him. "I'm not going to give him my blessing. I'm not."
Keegan switched his attention from the hideout to the endless path before him. What was he doing? Oh, yeah. He was looking for John. "Get out of my head," he begged the demon.
Keegan pushed through his internal conflict and continued his search for John. The rain fell harder. A puddle weighed the leaves down. When he reached an open forest area, Keegan finally tossed them off to the side. The grass went up to his shins. He closed his eyes and stretched his arms out to his sides. The tranquilizer gun dropped from his hand. He offered the rain gods his open palms and announced, "I redeem myself! Please! Just give me another chance!"
The gods halted their assault. They paid attention to the desperation in Keegan's voice. He sounded serious. He was fighting his possessed self with everything he had, just like how Mateo was fighting for his life.
The weather changed drastically because magic channeled it. Keegan no longer felt water droplets on his face but something cold. He opened his eyes, surprised to see that instead of rain falling, it was snow! Snowflakes wafted down from the atmosphere. They settled in his hair and on his eyebrows. Keegan loved snow. Winter was always his favorite time of year in the tribe. The gods wanted to reward him with something nostalgic from his childhood.
Grinning, Keegan turned in a slight circle. He caught a few snowflakes in his palms and blinked some off his eyelashes. He felt like a little kid all over again. Keegan remembered the dance he had to perform during his rite of passage. He wanted to try it again. Some of the snowflakes came together and took on the form of a person... the first ranger of Pinta Country. He and Keegan clapped their hands and stamped their feet. They marched in a line, with a snow trail following them.
Two figures emerged from within the shadows of the forest. The snow stopped, but Keegan still danced. He cupped his hands in a flute-like shape and pretended to blow into it.
A familiar voice broke his concentration. "Yo, Keegan! You've got some moves, just like Mateo."
John and the basilisk had been waiting for him during the whole ritual. John leaned up against one of the basilisk's tails. He rested his right foot on a pile of wood under him.
The basilisk nodded at the bird. After a moment of silence, he hissed, "Are you ready to accept Mateo?" to Keegan.
He dropped his hands. He tugged at his fingertips as he tried to think. The snow was already starting to melt under his feet. "I-I don't know," he stammered. And Keegan didn't.
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