Fallen Towers, Silent Ruins | Dream Smp

5

The blood from the wound in her shoulder had long dried out, staining part of her white shirt a rusty brownish red near the shoulder. Rose hadn't bothered pulling out the arrow since it was acting as a plug to keep the wound closed. When she finally exited the mountains early the next morning, her legs felt like they were about to collapse and the pain from the arrow had died off to a dull throb.

It was quite the relief to let the warmth of the morning comfort her again. There was a meadow of rolling hills before her, and beyond it she could make out a large jungle. If she remembered correctly, that jungle was her final destination—in the center would be the ruins and the treasure.

Rose looked around the meadow for a few minutes, but was unable to find any water, so instead she chose a comfortable-looking spot in the grass. She set her backpack and sword beside her and rummaged through the bag to pull out a container of dried fruit. Rose hadn't eaten anything since departing for the mountain pass the day before, and after the adrenaline had disappeared, she could feel the growing hunger inside of her.

She lay down in the grass, careful not to put pressure on her injured shoulder, and closed her eyes. Rose popped a piece of fruit into her mouth and smiled to herself at the burst of sweetness. She began to think back to the map and the stranger who stole it. Has he already reached the ruins? Most likely. Has he found and taken the treasure? She desperately hoped that he was struggling to uncover it.

Rose drifted asleep to these thoughts. She hadn't slept that fitfully in a long while, but the exhaustion from dealing with the illagers might have had something to do with it.  When she woke again, the whole day had passed and the sky was pink and orange as the sun fell below the horizon.

Since she was wide awake and well rested, Rose decided to continue onwards. It wouldn't take longer than an hour to make it to the jungle, and within the thick mess of trees, she hoped to find a water source. Her wound might get infected if she left it alone for much longer, and that was the last thing she wanted to happen out here.

It took a bit longer than Rose planned to arrive at the edge of the jungle. Apparently, her perception could use some work. She walked into the jungle, choosing to travel in a straight line since there was no clear path. Soon enough, Rose came across a stream hidden among the undergrowth.

She stopped and set down her belongings against a nearby tree. She grabbed a bandage roll from her supplies and then took off her reddish brown leather jacket, leaving it neatly folded on top of her backpack. Then, she sat down next to the stream and grit her teeth before quickly yanking the arrow out of her shoulder.

A bit of fresh blood began to drip from the open wound, but Rose ignored it for a moment to scoop water into her palms and rinse off the dried blood from her skin and shirt. Then, she wrapped the bandage over the wound a couple of times, making sure it was tight to apply enough pressure.

Rose tied a knot once she was done and placed a hand over the wound, moving her right arm in small circles. It didn't hurt too much anymore, thankfully, though the area of movement for her right arm was a bit restricted. The pillager's arrow laid on a rock to her left, and she picked it up and studied the bloodstained point.

"I—oh. Wait. It's...you?"

Rose almost fell into the stream from surprise. She quickly flipped in the direction of the familiar voice, and saw the tall stranger standing beside her pile of belongings. His sword was in his right hand while his arm hung limp at his side, his head tilted slightly in confusion and surprise.

The first emotion Rose felt was surprise. Then it turned into embarrassment that he saw her while she was dealing with her injury. Finally, it shifted into anger towards him for a multitude of reasons. Half of which were probably illogical.