Devils Den

84

My head was pounding. I sat up slowly, in pain. 

The sun was up meaning Emrys and I had 'slept' through the night.

Emrys still laid on his back, healing. The sweater still tying us together.

I untied the sweater from both of our waists, propping it under Emrys head. He groaned painfully in his sleep.

I grabbed Emrys right hand examining the scars the stone had left on him. My thumb traced the scars. 

Why was he scarring? Was the stone causing this?

My hands had healed with no problem, why was Emrys healing into scars?

Emrys hand squeezed mine, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Was it me?"

I brought my gaze to Emrys face. "What?"

"Was it my fault we fell?" He clarified, sitting up on his own, wincing slightly, his head hurting too.

"It was no one's fault." I sighed. "If it hadn't been you, it would've been me. No matter what, one of us would have fallen bringing the other down with them." I explained.

Emrys nodded in response. "Are you ready to go then?" He changed the subject.

"Don't you want to rest more?" I looked at him, worriedly. Emrys had dry blood on his clothes, hands, and head. The blood on his head from the impact of the ground.

"I'm fine," He assured. "we should get going before the sun goes down again." Emrys stood up making me realize I was still holding his hand.

I let go of his hand quickly, standing up on my own. I grabbed the sweater, tying a sleeve around my waist again before handing Emrys the other. 

Emrys lip twitched up as he grabbed it. "Are you sure you want to tie yourself to me again?" He hesitated to tie it around him. "If I fall again, you'd fall too."

"I'm sure," I confirmed. "Besides, I wouldn't want to be up there alone. If we fall, we fall together." I gave him a warm smile which he returned.

"Okay then," He tied the sleeve around him. "let's go."

We walked towards the stone wall. I looked up again, dreading the hours or days we'd have to spend climbing.

"Don't be scared." Emrys pat my shoulder to calm my nerves. "I'll be here with you the whole time. I barely felt the fall."

I looked at him with my lips pursed. "That's because you were already passed out, I wasn't. The fall was frightening. I'm afraid to relive it." I confessed.

"I'll try not to die this time." He readied himself to climb.

"Wow, I'll keep that in mind," I said sarcastically, which he smiled, shaking his head, and chuckled in response.

"Is there extra fabric?" Emrys winced. He had already pricked himself on the stone.

"Yes," I lifted the flaps of the sweater. "but it might be hard to tear-" Emrys interrupted me by tearing the sweater. My eyes widen at his abruptness.

"Here," He ripped the fabric in half a few more times. "for your hands." He handed me two straps of the fabric.

"I think you need more fabric than I do." I declined.

"No, a thin layer should be fine." Emrys forced the fabric into my hands, tying his own with the last two pieces of fabric he had.

I wrapped my hands loosely, wanting enough room for my hands to move freely.

"Let's not go dying this time." Emrys patted my shoulder, chuckling before he began to climb. I followed after.

The fabric was helping very little. The stone wall would sometimes puncture through the fabric and cut through our skin. The fabric mostly covered our palms.