Mandalorian Revived

Chapter 11

Our night in the nest is long and very, very painful. By the time the sun starts peeking through the atmosphere, I've lost too much blood to be comfortable with and I can barely keep my eyes open. It's taken everything in me to keep Ragnar calm, myself alive, and the baby creatures asleep. And now, we're going to have to scale that cliff.

To distract myself from the agony of my wound, I'd tried to find any alternative to climbing down, but I really couldn't think of one. In my fogged state, I'd even considered trying to control those babies enough to fly down. I'm not sure how I expected that to work without them even being fully grown.

Ragnar slept fitfully, which wasn't surprising. And at the first sign of sunlight, he was up and ready for escape. He'd checked on my stomach, which was an unexpectedly kind gesture, and been not at all pleased with how it looked. I can't say I blame him.

Now, I watch silently as he dutifully unravels the strongest pieces of twine close to us in the nest. That was another discovery we made in the night. In addition to brush, sticks, and empty helmets, the creature was hoarding twine for its nest. And twine could be used to tie Ragnar to me when we climb. My vambrace has a cable, thankfully, but Ragnar has no such tools. And we both know I won't be able to carry him.

"These should work," he says. He holds up a few longer, thicker pieces and gives them an experimental tug. They hold.

"They'll have to." I start crawling out of our wooden hiding place and keep one hand pressed firmly on my stomach as I move. "We have to go now. That thing will want to finish us off soon."

But as soon as I get to my feet, I drop.

"Tara!"

My head spins and I groan as I lay in the brush. It cushioned my fall. My stomach stings like nothing I've felt before and my hand comes away completely red. I let out a slow breath.

"Tara, you have to make it," he whines, shaking my shoulders. I can hear the baby creatures stirring in the brush behind me. "I can't do this alone. I need your help!"

He's right. And I feel terrible, but I can't stand. My body feels like a block of lead. I can't move. I can barely breathe. Everything just hurts.

"Ragnar! Ragnar!" A new voice fills my ears. Gruff and low. Paz.

Ragnar's head whips around and he waves someone over. Paz, I assume. "Over here!"

My eyes stare straight ahead, burning against the sunlight, but my vision is soon filled with Paz's helmet. He looks me over, one large hand clamped on his son's shoulder, before calling over his shoulder. I can't make it out. Everything is muffled.

The wind picks up. Violent gusts. I squint and turn my head to see that it's not wind at all. The creature is back. We're out of time. Paz leaps into action, but the creature is too quick for him. It snaps its jaws around him, holding him tight, and once again wraps me and Ragnar in each of its claws.

A strangled whimper escapes me as it squeezes me and flies away. Ragnar screams beside me, but I'm too weak to do anything for him. I'm too weak to think. More Mandalorians fly around us. I can't tell them apart as my vision blurs from the wind again.

The creature shrieks and jerks around too many times to count before suddenly its claws release and I'm falling through the air. Instinctively, my hand stretches out, reaching for something to grab but nothing is there. There's nothing but the sky above and water below me.

But then, there is something else. A hand. And then two arms wrapped around me, and a strong surge upward through the air. My head falls against their armored chest as their voice reaches me. "I got you, Vizsla."