ToT: Chapter 3 - Sunbaked

                                              

 "How ya holding up, Sophie?"

Ywaru was awful. The sun was terribly harsh and  the belly of the canyon was even worse, even the wind burned, with or without the occasional stirring of sand. How anyone could call this home was an absolute mystery.

"I-I'm okay, just a little th-thirsty."

Though the little Cherubi would never voice that aloud. She didn't want to accidentally insult anyone living in these parts. If you didn't have anything nice to say, after all... So she tried really hard to ignore her internal gripes, to enjoy the sun as she usually did, but all it was doing currently was making her poor leaves wilt. Had she any pores she was certain that her tiny body would be more sweat than skin. In some ways she was thankful that her body vented hits excess heat through her leaves, but the process was still bound by the same restrictions, thus they needed water.

Art didn't seem as bothered by the heat, though he had shed off most of his usual garb, revealing a rarely seen undershirt beneath his wide necked gi. While he'd said he wasn't from this continent, Sophie assumed that his home probably had some of its own terrible heat. Unable to really attempt any carrying, the little wilting grass type watched from her place on Artemis' shoulder, happily obliging him a request for company as he marched up and down the switchbacks, now on his third barrel. Sophie kept a close eye on her partner, noting again that, while the heat bothered the fighting type much less than it did her, the weight of the barrels he'd been carrying were taking a toll on him. The small shakes of fatigued becoming more apparent to her over time. But getting him to stop and take a break would probably be hard, his heels were always so dug in once he got started with something.

The true heat of the day hadn't hit proper quite yet, the sun still lazily pulling itself up along the horizon, allowing the opposite lip of the canyon to provide at least a little bit of sheltering shade. Though this was rapidly disappearing and once noon hit, these constant treks up and down the cliff sides would have to be put on hold or risk the volunteers suffering heatstroke. With how long it took to get from top to bottom and then back, every second counted. The barrels were accumulating, but many were quite small, a testament to how very few large and evolved Pokemon there were with the relief effort. Still, everyone's contribution were building up and once the true heat hit the effort could shift to cleansing the water instead of lugging it, at least for a while.

Sophie sat, secretly  hoping that the sun would pick up its pace and get everyone to take a break. Despite how important it was to get as much clean water to the locals as they could, the health of the people who were making this happen was equally as important. It was a  bit of a selfish thought, but her senses as a healer were compulsively twitching as often as she felt a shudder from Art's tired arms. She couldn't really figure out why he'd volunteered to help carry the water over helping with creating the tablets, especially after watching him mix a potion quite well back in Tabira's potion lab. He's seemed more naturally confident at that, but he must have his reasons, right? As they reached the top of the canyon's lip once more, a boisterous shout rang out from behind the pair.

"Comin' through!"

Trotting their way up the switchbacks came a gray maned Rapidash, several full looking saddlebags hanging from their sides. Whisking right past Artemis and Sophie, the fiery horse came to a halt just before Menthe's makeshift lab, making themself known with an agitated stomp.

"Oy, you!" The horse Pokemon proclaimed. "Yer gonna have ta move this l'il campsite ah yers here an' git yer buds ta clear off the trail. Wagon train's makin' its way up the gulch an' we're gonna need the space ta maneuver."

Sinclair, who had just finished removing the four barrels strapped down on her sides moved forward to address the fire type. Sure enough, despite still being too far away to see, the dull squeak and rattle of a train of large, slow moving wagons coming up the main trail could be heard, along with the thud of many pairs of hooves pulling them.

"I see." The old Aggron confirmed. "Tell me, do you by chance know of another spot along the canyon with a trail down we may set up by?"

"Pssh!" The Rapidash snorted. "Like I'd be wantin' ta be givin' ya city slickers somethin' like that? I don't know what ya'll 'er up to here an' frankly, I'm not inclined ta be helpin' some random folks who's just showed up without good reason. Life's hard 'nuff without some new face showin' up an' takin' our livelihoods!"

"We're with the relief effort the sheriff sanctioned." Artemis said, finally reaching the stacks of barrels and placing his own among them. "We're here trying to get the town a drinkable water supply that won't cost them their family's legacy."

"By bringin' up that tainted slop from the canyon's belly?!"  The Rapidash questioned angerly. "Ya'll must think we're some real fools if ya think we'll be drinkin' any of that! I've seen what's happened ta anyone who does!"

"We have something to cleans the water though!" Menthe piped in, raising one of the small white tablets into the air. "It takes a little while, but these can remove the sludge from the river water and leave it drinkable again."

Trotting closer, the gray Rapidash lowered their head, meticulously eyeing the small pill with a shrewd narrowed gaze. They gave a loud snort and jerked their upwards suddenly, glaring down at the shorter Pokemon before them. "There's no crueler people out there than those who come preyin' on the need of others. And we've already got ourselves ah snake oil salesman here in town runnin' us into the ground. So just take yer foolery somewhere else and get this path cleared!"

"This isn't gonna cost the town anything." Art called out to the grey maned horse, who's already turned about and was walking away.

Stopping in their dusty tracks, the Rapidash craned their head around to stare back at the Sawk with a doubtful snort. "What'er you sayin'?"

"This is a relief effort as I said, so we're doing this for free. The town won't be indebted to us in any way for our work here." Art affirmed, gesturing back towards one of the many barrels behind him. "And if you don't believe us that the water's fine, we can offer a test or a demonstration."

While this wasn't exactly the break she's been hoping Art would take, Sophie considered the shiny Rapidash's appearance a blessing in disguise. She watched as the dubious horse made their way back to the makeshift lab to join them. Understanding the situation, Menthe pried open the earliest barrel they'd purified that morning and retrieved a pair of scoops so no one would be recontaminating their hard work with spit. The water within the barrel lay clear enough that it could almost be missed if it weren't the the ripples, all trace of the disgusting sludge that had plagued it earlier was gone. It had even managed to stay cool under the tent. Artemis snatched up one of the scoops, dipping it into the barrel and offering it out to the horse Pokemon. They glared at the gesture, jerking their long face back.

"Na-ah!" The shiny Pokemon snapped with distrust. "You first, you honey tongued Sawk."

Artemis shrugged, bringing the ladle back and taking a quick drink from it. "Want some Sophie?"

"Y-yes please!" She eagerly squeaked, almost jumping as the water was brought to her for her drink. It was almost sweet. Finishing off what remained in the bottom of the scoop, Sophie could already feel her droopy little leaves beginning to perk up. She gave a small sigh, feeling refreshed and happy for the  short  reprieve.

The fiery horse stood, eyeing the group suspiciously with a grimace plastered to their long mouth. There was a long silence between them as the Rapidash judged the situation, only the rattle of the wagons could be heard as they drew closer. Finally, they tossed their head and pawed at the dirt before them, the expression on their face softening.

"Fine fine!" They snorted. "Fill'er up an lemee try it."

Artemis obliged with a small nod, dunking the second ladle into the barrel and presenting it to the scrupulous horse. They stared, then gave it a loud sniff, weighed their options, and finally they shoved their long snout down into the cool water and drank away every drop. Fire types didn't need nearly as much water as other types, they were on par with rock, steel, and ground types with only really needing maybe one drink a day. Sometimes more, which seemed to be the case here. The water was gone so quick the Rapidash let out a bit of a hiccup and a small gasp.

"Well I'll be jiggered." They chuckled, their expression softening slightly. "S'pose ya'll were telling the truth here after all."

"Can't really expect your trust on word alone." Art noted as he made a quick glance around the horse Pokemon.

Following his gaze, the Rapidash stared back over their flank for a moment before turning their attention back to the group.

"Alright, ya'll got my attention." The horse announced. "The first of the wagons'er 'bout ten minutes from the top. There's another trail down ya'll can be usin' that's five minutes north of here and kinda hidden by some brush. We dun use it on account ah it bein' too narrow fer our wagons. I'll go grab some spare hands and strong backs to give ya'll a hand in movin' yer stuff there if'n ya give us one of yer barrels there to water our train. Got some youngins aboard who're lookin' just as wilted as your little friend there."

Sophie glanced up at her leaves. The foliage still drooped quite a bit despite her drink, likely not having circulated her system entirely yet. She felt her face redden in embarrassment, tilting her body down a ways to have her shawl hide her eyes. A gentle touch rested against her not a moment later, Art's hand having raised to press lightly against her side in comfort. A quick peek from beneath the fabric in front of her eyes showed his stare still fixed on the local before them, his action seeming to have been almost an unconscious one.

"We would be greatful if you could do such a thing for us." Sinclair said as she moved closer. "And of course you may have a barrel of water for your caravan. I was actually just about to make the offer to you myself."

"We, uh, we can even supply you with some tablets to use for the future." Menthe offered. "That way you can cleans any barrels of river water you need in your travels."

"Well ain't ya'll just the saviors in disguise!" The shiny Rapidash whinnied. "Hang tight here for just a few minutes and get as much ready ta move as ya can. I'll be back right quick!"

With that, they took off at a gallop back down the trail, kicking dust into the air as they went. All the Pokemon at the top of the canyon quickly began preparing to move, dropping pills into the still tainted water, securing the lids down onto the barrels, and marking them with the time. About half the site was broken down and ready to move when the grey fired horse returned, a team of about eight strong looking Pokemon following at their heels. A flyer was sent down to inform those stuck at the canyon's basin of the move as the helpers had heavy barrels strapped to their sides. Soon the group set off, following the northern lip of the canyon in the wke of the gray horse and their helping hands.

Five minutes of a brisk pace up the trail and they came to a stop, the clumps of snaggled, half-dead bushes the Rapadash had mentioned covering a majority of the dirt around the edges. And there, just out of sight, was a path just wide enough for two Sinclairs to walk shoulder to shoulder. The Tabira volunteers thanked the local's for their help, sending them off with a sack of purification tablets and the promised barrel of water, along with three extra ones. Menthe's tent was swiftly reassembled and the stack of empty barrels redistributed. They'd lost about a half an hour from all of that, but this trail was also a bit more shaded from the shape of the canyon and they could potentially keep working a bit longer, much to Sophie's dismay.

Needless to say, Artemis had another large empty barrel shouldered and was on his way down the new trail as soon as he was able. Picking his way through the shin high brush and discovering the branching nature of these switchbacks. Way down at the bottom, they could see the rest of the group starting to make their way up, all seeming to stick to the closest path available to them. To keep clear of the returning group, Art started down the opposite path, a bit more brush filled and seemingly less travled, but still clear enough to use.

"How come y-you didn't want to t-take a break with the others?" Sophie questioned in her normal concerned tone.

"Because noon isn't far off." Art replied as he stepped over some shorter bushes. "Told myself I'd get as many of these up top as I could before the heat gets real bad."

"If y-you're feeling tired, you sh-shouldn't push yourself..." The little Cherubi murmured.

"I feel fine, Sophie. Just need to try and-"

"I know y-you're not fine, Art! I c-can feel your arms sh-shaking!" The small cherry Pokemon squeaked in protest.

Artemis stopped. He turned his head to glance down at his shoulder where the little grass type sat, a spark of surprise in his brown eyes. His stare seemed to make Sophie aware of her outburst, causing her own gaze to fall to the dirt for a moment. But she couldn't back down from this, if she let him, he'd work till he hurt himself and she couldn't stand by and let him do that. Her eyes raised back to meet his once again, her face a mix of determination and concern for her friend.

"Promise me you'll take a break after this trip." She pleaded, her nervous stammer seeming to vanish momentarily. "P... please."

Blinking at her request, Artemis' face eased into a reassuring smile. He brought his free hand up, tapping one of Sophie's partially unwilted leaves delicately with one of his fingers.

"Alright, I promise to take a break once we're back up at the top again." Art confirmed. "S'pose trying to hide being tired from a healer is a bit silly. Gotta remember to stop doing that"

Sophie smiled, letting a tiny laugh escape. Those well learned in aiding others were hard to keep in the dark about things like this, tired, wounded, sick, it didn't matter; nurses and healers almost always knew. She felt a little embarrassed, having had to raise her voice to get him to consider things, but it seemed to have worked. At least now after they finished this last run Art would relax and focus on something else, something it seemed like he'd be quite good at too! Art gave his tiny companion a small nod and started to make his way down the trail once more-

Or at least he tried to. One step through a patch of scraggly bushes and Artemis' foot snagged on something heavy. His body jerked, pant legs catching within the mess of branches and sending him topping forward towards the edge of the path. Sophie was flung from the spot on his shoulder, feeling her tiny heart leap as for a moment she saw only the bottom of the canyon far below before she clamped her eyes shut with a terrified cry.

She felt a force surround her body and heard Art hit the dirt not a moment later, the snapping of twigs accompanying a pained grunt from him. Had they fallen? No, after several seconds of silence, the distant sound of wood splintering against rock proved they were still on the path. Sophie opened her eyes, Art's trembling fingers clasped around her, keeping her from dropping to her fate. Several shouts came from up above them on the path and the sound of quite a number of feet hurriedly making their way down could be heard as Art slowly dragged himself up.

"A-..." The Sawk looked and sounded awful, face covered in dust and the wind clearly having been knocked out of him in the fall. Still, he gave a few coughs and pulled himself up to sit, back against the closest wall and his hands opening flat to allow the tiny Cherubi in his grasp to move. "Are you... alright, Sophie?"

"I-I'm f-f-fine!" She squeaked. She didn't mean to, but she couldn't control the level of her voice at that moment, nor the terrible trembling that almost left her unable to stand. "I- ... J-just, sh-sh-shaking. I- ... H-hold-."

She was beginning to become frustrated with herself, stuttering so much more than usual that it was just impossible to actually say anything. Instead she stopped trying to speak, it was too complicated at the moment, but healing wasn't, healing never was. It was something that felt as natural as breathing to her, even if that was even a little shakey for her at that very moment. She closed her eyes, releasing a soothing burst of energy from the tips of her leaves to help her partner feel better.

"Sophie?"

Her large brown eyes popped open to stare up at Art's dirt covered face. He leaned his head back against the hillside, taking note of the scurrying feet coming ever closer above them.

"I think I'll take you up on that break now, heh." He noted with a weak laugh and a tired smile.

She stared quietly for a moment, surprised at what she'd just been told. Then slowly, she returned her partner's expression, giving her own little weak laugh. They quietly chuckled to one another before a low groan snatched both of their attentions. It was coming from the bushes where Art's leg had been caught. Both of their aches, pains, and gripes vanished for that moment as Art pressed back against the wall and got to his feet. Their eyes stared intently down into the brush as the Sawk drew closer to the source of the noise, pausing at the edge of the clump of weeds and pulling away the branches.

There was, a pile of blue cloth? No, it moved. There was someone under the blue cloth. Both Pokemon seemed to realize at the same time that this person must have been what he had tripped on. The small body groaned again, not at all sounding well. It only took a short look at his tiny companion's concerned face  for Artemis to know what he needed to, the Sawk kneeling down into the brush just as Menthe and a few other faces appeared up the path.

"Everyone heard a barrel smash. Was that you two? Are you alright?" She panted.

"We're okay." Art assured.

"B-but we found someone who m-might not be!" Sophie added as Artemis got back to his feet. The small figure of a cloaked Froakie cradled gently in the Sawk's arms.