and a horse called Straton

Chapter 12

 The sun flickered across Caitlyn's face as she yawned. She tried to drag a hand through her hair, only to notice the dire need for a wash. She cringed at her B.O and hobbled painfully to the river with her dusty mug to get water and clean herself.

Once she had completed the painful task of washing herself, she peeled the paper bark off of her broken arm to look at it. It was less painful but it was seeming to heal in the wrong place. She gritted her teeth, she knew what she had to do but it would be immensely painful.

She decided to first drink some of her tea and treat the ever swelling wounding her leg, trying to stop the infection from getting any worse. She could hardly walk now and planned to try and make a crutch of some sort.  Procrastinating.  She was getting back to herself before the, well whatever this was. 

Why didn't I do this before it started to heal

Only one of the bones in her arm had snapped, thankfully. But it was necessary for her to move it the centimetre or two back to its place. She thought back to the medical shows, she couldn't exactly operate, and she didn't need to cut her arm off like in 127 hours. She cringed and then winced at the pain. She pondered what to do for a while longer.  She could always leave it for now anyway.

She saw her garden and walked over to water it first, her arm would wait after all.  She collected water in her mug and watered the dry plants, trying to distract herself.

Soon enough it was midday and she had collected a lot more food and wood than she had any other day, hm, wonder why.  Caitlyn kept her arm close and distracted her self for the day until just past lunch when she decided that her arm could wait a day, or maybe a month, and start weaving like she meant to, so as not to procrastinate.

As she was weaving she heard a sound coming from the sky, something that sounded like...  Help!  She jumped up and screamed.

"HELP!!"  Her unused voice was raspy and dry as she screamed again.

"HELP!  PLEASE!  I'M HERE!!"

She ran to Straton and scrambled up onto his back. They helicopter started to go past, not a rescue helicopter, but surely they were looking for her.  "Please don't go."  She begged, her voice sore and dry.  Her leg and arm were in immense pain that she hadn't noticed during the rush.

She flopped over Straton's back and put her arms beside his neck.  "Why haven't they found us boy?"  

Straton snorted in agreeance and held his head high, in a regal way and had his ears pricked towards the trees.  The scars around face were slightly shiny in the light, making him look like a warrior.  To be honest, she probably did as well.  

She had long light brown sun bleached hair, her stomach, arms and legs were heavily toned from living on her own and running everywhere to collect food and wood, her arms from lifting and digging.  Her hair was tangled and she was just wearing a 'bikini', ie. a bra and her underwear so she was tanned as well.

As she lay dejectedly on Straton's back, she began to think.  "Where are they boy?"  Her voice was beginning to sound clipped and harsher than it had before.  His ears stayed pricked towards the trees and their shadows.

 Tears stained her face and left marks through the dust.  'Surely they would be looking for me.  Maybe father thought I would be farther away."  She felt extremely uncomfortable using her voice now, she found herself speaking less and less.  In a strange sense she enjoyed it.

Caitlyn decided to sit down and start weaving by the ever running fire again, with Straton standing almost on top of her as if guarding her.  Caitlyn began to grow uneasy.   Her hands trembled as she weaved now.

Caitlyn suddenly felt a presence, as if something was watching her.  She swung her head around and 

"I won't hurt you."  Caitlyn said, looking through part of her hair at whatever it was.  'I hope you're thinking the same thing.' She added in her head.

Suddenly the shadow hesitated then showed itself.  Caitlyn sucked in a sharp breath.

A/N

I'm so sorry it's late!   I've been not to great lately (I say that a lot, but don't worry I'm okay).  Thanks for sticking with me this far!  I know it's kinda been a bit slow but I'm gonna do a time lapse soon thanks!