Chased Distance: A Novella (WLW)

Chapter Three: March 4th, 1876, Somewhere Within the Smokey Mountains

"Be still, Elu!" Beth scolded as she fought to hold her down and tried redressing her wounds. They rested in a rather small cave just on the opposing side of the mountains in the eastern part of Tennessee, remaining hidden from the world and the storm outside as they struggled to decide on what to do next and dealt with Elu's rising fever. Beth grasped the wrist of her unhurt arm, determined to check her wound for infection and fearful of the worst, then realized she couldn't avoid her ultimate tactic when Elu writhed around beneath her. "I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt."

Beth straddled her hips and pinned her good arm at her side underneath her thigh, hastily feeling her gripping the backside of her thigh. As a wave of something unknown hit her gut, she pushed onward and latched onto Elu's hurt arm. Her forearm wasn't as swollen as the evening prior and wasn't giving off the bitter scent of decay, which meant Beth had managed to save it, but she definitely still had a fever.

She sighed in relief as she pulled back Elu's makeshift bandages and thanked the heavens that they came across some yarrow along their journey yesterday evening. Lucky it was the herb they needed and not something poisonous and easily confused for hemlock, Beth had immediately boiled some water in her one and only clay pot. After getting a bit into her patient and cooking some impromptu stew with a rabbit Beth caught in one of the snares she lay last night, Elu had slept through the night and was looking better this morning. However, she was also as cantankerous as ever, fighting against Beth as if she was someone trying to attack her in her still relatively delirious state.

Beth managed to do away with the last of the bandages and poured some of the yarrow mixture onto her wound, then began laying a salve she'd only just found in the bottom of Elu's rucksack as she sensed a stillness around her. No, it was beneath her. Beth quickly, but gently brushed the hair from Elu's eyes and found her staring up at her as if she was finally coming to her senses. She wiped some of the sweat from her brow as she lifted her leg, nodding for Elu to move her uninjured arm from underneath her thigh.

Although, once she had, Elu surprised Beth by sitting up entirely and steadfastly gazing into her eyes as she ran her good hand along her back. "You... You are not hurt...right?"

"I am fine." Beth cupped her cheek, giving it a few calming caresses, then let go and sat back to finish her task.

Elu latched onto her wrist and stopped her just shy of touching her laceration, demanding her full and undivided attention in an instant. "Did they touch you, Unega? Did they...force themselves on--"

"No, Elu. I fought them off the first time and with the second, you got there before they could go any further. Literally just before..." Beth placed a hand on her shoulder, feeling her shivering and began rubbing her hot to the touch skin. "I think your fever has gone down, but you are still so heated. We need to draw it down to your feet."

"The water--" She replied as she gestured toward the clay pot sitting atop the fire illuminating the small space.

"We must use that water for the yarrow until we can locate more." Beth finally sat back, adjusting her stance before crawling over to Elu's right side on her hands and knees. She finished laying the ointment and noticed more scars now with the morning sun breaking through the finally parting storm clouds outside and into the cave. "What...? What happened to you, Elu? You are covered in scars..."

Beth's heart shattered as Elu cast her gaze toward her arm, then rapidly covered herself with what little she could. "Traveling can grow quite difficult. On occasions, I ran into some unsavory types, but at least I got away with my life. Others who journeyed with me were not so lucky. Perhaps, I am not the best venturing companion and you might find another, more able bodied and experienced person once we arrive in a town... It might be for the better."