Oswin Tunnelway's Arc

Chapter 8 of 10

Oswin woke before dawn and knew immediately something was wrong. The fever had broken through whatever barrier the salve had been holding. His leg burned hot enough that he could feel it through the blanket, and when he pressed his palm against his forehead, the heat answered back. He sat up slowly, careful not to wake the others, and reached for his backpack. The clearing around them was quiet, the ruins of Nor visible through the trees in the distance. His fingers found the front pocket where he kept his symptom tracker, but when he pulled it open, the pocket was empty. He checked again, panic rising in his chest. The note was gone. Foxface stood at the edge of camp, holding the folded paper in her hands. Her eyes met his across the clearing, and Oswin saw the moment she understood what it meant. She walked toward him, her steps deliberate, and held the note out between them. "This was for Caius," she said. "Not for me to find. Not like this." Oswin opened his mouth to explain, but the words caught when he felt the first itch beneath his skin. He looked down at his forearm and watched a small red cap push through the fur, then another beside it. The mushrooms bloomed slowly, their soft glow lighting the space between him and Foxface. He met her eyes one last time, then turned toward where Grendel was sleeping. "Wake him," Oswin said, his voice steady despite the fear. "Tell him I need him to finish this."