Rosha

An Alternate Ending

They continued to follow, spotting new tracks before others did. They realized they were heading towards a cave.

Be careful, Rosha thought. There might be wild animals.

I never would have thought about that.

Ha ha.

Jolinar wished she had more than a spear as she approached. Her sarcastic joke wasn't so amusing as she saw the tracks change from walking to being dragged. Blood. Lots of blood. Then she saw a large cat...dragging Faron to the cave by the back of his neck.

Shit.

Faron moaned.

Shit! Rosha echoed. He's still alive. We have to help him.

"Ah!" Jolinar yelled to distract the cat off him.

The cat quickly dropped him, then growled as it crept to her.

"Hey!" Said the hunter assigned to them, having followed.

The cat turned to him.

"Grab Faron," he ordered, stomping his foot to keep the cat's focus on him. "Be careful. They sometimes hunt in pairs."

The cat was so focused on him that it seemed to forget Rosha. There was no sign of another cat. Jolinar was able to slip by, kneeling by Faron.

He's bleeding out. Jolinar quickly bandaged his neck with supplies that Bash had given her. I don't think he'll-

The another cat! Rosha suddenly realized before they were pounced.

They were knocked down with a heavy weight. Jolinar felt a tooth sink in in her side as Rosha suddenly became quiet.

Rosha?!

It had been instant.

Rosha!

She felt herself shaken and dropped, then heard muffled sounds of fighting.

Rosha.

She ached. A few centimeters over and she would have died as well. She left before she could be finished and to see what was going on. She saw two men fighting off both cats. Another search group found them, but the cats were distracting everyone.

Faron moaned. "Talia. I'm...sorry."

He clearly had the same regrets that Jolinar did, knowing he was going to die.

You'll see her again, Jolinar thought impulsively. As if helping him would save Rosha. As if he knew what she was thinking and had agreed.

The cats were chased off with the hunter having died. A few minutes later, Bash knelt down by Faron, examining him quickly. Then he went to Rosha.

Jolinar watched him check her breathing and pulse.

You won't find anything, she thought sadly, then was surprised when he checked the back of her neck.

"They're dead," he muttered as Faron was lifted on to a stretcher.

He knew, she realized.

"They?" Asked another woman.

"Nothing." He gestured. "We'll take her back to Yra."

Jolinar worried about what they would do to Rosha's body. Bash was a good person though. She was certain he would be respectful.

I will tell them, she thought. I will return to our husbands, and I will tell them that you died saving someone's life. That you were strong and brave, and that you didn't hesitate to do the right thing.