𝑅𝐸𝑀𝐸𝑀𝐵𝐸𝑅 𝑀𝐸 | druig

𝒻𝒾𝒻𝓉𝑒𝑒𝓃

They walked a little while longer in silence, and sometime along the way Nita let go of Druig's hand as she needed it to grab onto rocks and low hanging branches. It was a gradual incline up as Druig led the way. And by the way they were stepping over plants and fallen trees, Nita could decipher that they weren't on a path yet as Druig marched on, sure of each step, she realized he knew exactly where he was going.

"Almost there," he assured over his shoulder as he held a branch out of the way for her to pass. She stopped so he could continue in front of her but he didn't move.

With the small smile playing on his lips she felt a little uneasy as she was just then beginning to realize that without question, she followed him deeper into the jungle in the middle of the night with no idea as to where they were going. "Please trust me, Benita," he said, his voice quiet and calm and assuring. And yet again, just like that, she found herself doing just that. So she kept walking.

"Up around that rock," he said, pointing over her shoulder. Nita took in a short breath and continued, following his directions as she grabbed onto a bigger rock and climbed up its jagged surface.

As she neared the top, she started to hear something in the near distance. It sounded almost like splashing water. Nita went to take the last steeper step but because she had one hand still clutched to her rib and the other on the rock, she couldn't catch herself in time as her foot slipped from under her.

A small yelp escaped her as she tried to grab onto something but the protrusions in the rock's surface didn't give her enough to hold onto. Suddenly she was clung to Druig's side, pressed between his body and the rock to keep her from falling all the way down. Nita's arm found its way around his neck, her cheek only inches from his.

"I've got you," he said in a near whisper as she panted slightly from the adrenaline. "Are you alright?" He asked and she nodded slowly.

"Yeah," she whispered back. After a moment of slight shock, she then realized how close she was to him, almost her entire body pressed against his. "Thanks." 

Luckily the side of her bad rib wasn't the one that slid down the rock so it didn't hurt as bad as it could have.

"Here, let me," Druig said, moving his arm so his hand was sprawled on her waist, his strong grip enough to help stabilize her but not enough to hurt. He held onto her as she twisted around before him and attempted the climb once more.

If her mind wasn't full of a bunch of confusing and conflicting thoughts before, it sure as hell was now. When he caught her she almost felt relieved... safe.
"You're sure you want to continue on?" He asked and she could've sworn she heard a hint of regret in his tone. But regret for what? Taking her out into the jungle after nearly being killed by the deviant? Probably. However she ignored it because she had already made it that far and now she was just too curious as to what he wanted to show her.

"Yeah. I'm okay," she said and reached up to the rock, grabbed a hold of a sturdy piece, and kept going. Druig's hand held firmly on her waist the whole way up.

As she made it up the rock, that splashing sound became louder and clearer, drowning out the sounds of the rest of the jungle. "Just a couple more steps, Benita," Druig said from behind her.

As Nita started to clear the rock, the site beyond came into view and it nearly took her breath away. If Druig's hand hadn't still been gripped onto her waist, she would've fallen right down the rock a second time. One of the tallest waterfalls she'd ever seen stood before her, it's crystal waters pouring down the side of a cliff into a wide, deep pool that in the daytime, she could most likely guess that she'd be able to see right to the bottom.