The Girl from the Ground - Season 1

Episode Five, Part 4:

Episode Five, Part 4: 
Defectors 

Harlow and Veer hurried through the forest, pushing every low branch out of their way and jumping down every slope in their path in the hopes of getting towards Izzy sooner.

"Which way?" Veer asked, knowing how close they were to New Riders' territory.

"Left," Harlow answered, heading in the direction without slowing. "The guards should be with them by now... Dammit, we're already too close to New Riders. They're bound to have heard them."

"We don't know that," Veer tried to ease him, knowing he was thinking out loud, unable to contain all of his worries alone. "Izzy's smart. She would have-"

The distant but undeniable sound of a gun firing stopped the Sovereigns in their tracks. They turned to face each other, both pale and holding their breaths.

After a second, Harlow ran off with a new flame to his fire; as if the previous miles of running were already forgotten by his worn-out legs, and Veer struggled to match his pace.

Moments later, they were stumbling upon a violent scene, struggling to differentiate between who was fighting who. Everyone looked war torn and muddied, and if it wasn't for the familiar faces of the Basilisk guards who had reached them, Harlow and Veer wouldn't have been sure if they had found the right group.

"...Where's Izzy," Harlow mumbled, scanning the chaos in search of her, as did Veer.

There were very few New Riders left - only three from what they could count - easily outnumbered by their people, but no Izzy.

"There!" Veer said, pointing to several of their guards crouched down on the forest floor, obscuring whoever was laid down from their view. But as they moved, a wave of long, brown hair came into sight, and Harlow's chest filled with terror.

"Move!" He muttered, careless to who else was in his path as he pushed his guards out the way, falling to his knees as he reached Izzy's side. Veer, a few steps behind him, redirected the guards to the last of the New Riders around, allowing them to take care of the fizzling threat.

"Izzy?" Harlow said, his voice almost too soft for such a moment. "Izzy?" He asked again, delicately caressing the side of her face hoping that it would stir some sort of response from her, but she didn't budge.

"She's breathing," Veer said, keeping her fingers pressed firmly on Izzy's wrist to monitor her. "And she's bleeding a little from her arm and...other minor cuts, but not enough to explain this. I can't see any major injuries so...I'm guessing she hit her head?"

Having a medic for a mother had always been a blessing to Veer, but never more so than now.

"Is she okay?" Harlow asked.

"I-I don't know," she wanted to say otherwise. "We need to get her home."

Harlow nodded and continued stroking the side of Izzy's face, more for his own comfort than he realised. "Can you hear my voice? Izzy, it's me. I'm right here. Me and Veer. We've got you."

Veer watched on, forgetting entirely about the danger around them as she observed Harlow's devotion to Izzy; she had no doubt that he'd be in a similar state of panic if something happened to her or Eden, or someone else in their family - Bas, Atlantis, or one of Harlow's nieces or nephews - but there was something stronger when it came to Izzy; something more moving.

His eyes couldn't pull away from her, and the fear on his face wouldn't budge. His hands were shaking, but soft and steady when he touched her. The usual boldness of his demeanour had melted entirely and he was more vulnerable than Veer had ever seen someone.