Earthborn [Rewritten]

12. Hope in Turmoil

If it's not the rocks, then it's the branches.

I swear, my face is covered with scratches as twigs and thin branches snapped at my head. I can't really duck my head because of Yuri's running around tends to make me do uncontrolled headbutts whenever he picked up the pace or jumped over something. Trust me, I don't fancy bashing my head against hard surfaces just for the fun of it. My head was already full of bruises and a couple of bumps.

I had tried talking to Yuri but all I got were grunts and massive shrugs. Still, he was communicating. Just not in a way I understand.

So how in the world does the kid understand this guy?

I shook my head. First, I had to find them and deal with this situation together.

We trekked through the forest, covering ground easier with Yuri's longer and surprisingly quiet strides. I didn't recognize where we were going until he took a sharp left turn and I found myself back at the clearing where we met Kara earlier. I didn't realize we were that far ahead.

My hammer glinted in the early moonlight. I scrambled off Yuri's back and cautiously made my way towards it. When nothing came jumping out of nowhere, I breathed a sigh of relief. I bent to pick up my hammer, relaxing as the familiar feel of steel grip met my fingertips. My eyes studied the geound, picking out sets of footprints scattered all over the place. I recognized the bootprints from the Elites and a tinier pair leading off towards the south. From what I could tell, they had picked a fight with the Terran that appeared out of nowhere and dealt with it. I picked up a piece of rock shell. I looked around some more but didn't find a dead Terran lying around. Maybe they took the fight somewhere else. I shrugged. It wasn't really any of my concern anymore.

Yuri was already making his way towards the nearly hidden path to where the footprints disappeared. So, my guess was right.

I clambered again onto his back and we followed the footprints into the quickly darkening forest.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Shadow's POV

"Why aren't we going after the Terran?"

Shadow leveled Crimson a look. He glared right back. As much as she wanted to go after Kara's friendly Terran, they didn't know much about this part of the country. It wouldn't do Thor any good if either of them gets hurt or lost. They can't even take the kid with them to serve as a guide.

If that Dozer hadn't shown up...

Shadow gritted her teeth as images from this morning flashed in her mind's eye. Everything had been normal--well, as normal as can be when you see your brother making friends with an Aberrant Terran. All was good and nobody was being eaten, then naturally, all hell breaks loose.

She was just in time to see the Aberrant push her brother out of the Dozer's path and disappear into the forest. Tank had already carried Kara and zipped away, leaving Shadow and the rest to finish off the Terran.

After that, Kara had taken them to a small camp not far from where Tank had left the NightHawk. There were only about seven people but they were surviving. After explaining that they got the broadcast, they were more than happy to be shipped off to Hope.

The only thing that's left is to find her brother, which she can't even do without endangering the rest of the group.

"Are you just going to leave him out there to fend for himself?" Crimson growled. Shadow gritted her teeth, suppressing the urge to smack Crimson alongside the head. Even if Crimson doesn't admit it, he was just as protective of Thor as she was. That was cute of him and all, but given their current situation, she can't just carelessly give in to her impulses.