Fire Angels

Chapter 7 Part 3 In hiding

"Tomas!"

He staggered against me.

"That fucking Arvy Ironmonger. Shot me the sod. And he was drinking Holyhand's beer last night too. Come on."

"You're bleeding Tomas."

He staggered on past me.

"Come ON sister! We've got to keep going."

Shad shot me a quick worried look.

"Further on," he said. He slid his arm round Tomas waist.

"Oh leave me for Aumaz sake," snapped Tomas. "Look to Dion. I'm well enough."

Shad just ignored him, dragging his arm up over his own shoulders so that Tomas was supported on his hip and hauling him along quickly, stumbling noisily over rocks and stones in the stream bed. I hurried along behind.

The stream had carved a deep bed and the banks were overgrown with ferns. Trees overhung the water forcing us to bend almost double. We were soon out of sight of the track and hidden from anyone who might be standing in the forest beyond the banks. The water was freezing, but it only came up to my knees, which was lucky, for after a while, my fear numbed brain had started to work again and it occurred to me that my petticoats would be needed to act as bandages for Tomas. It was fortunate that they were still mostly dry. As soon as I could I climbed on a rock, pulled them off and carried them around my neck.

At last the stream broke into a series of cascades. We climbed out onto dry ground.

"Over the bank here," said Tomas. He dragged himself up onto the bank. His shirt was red with blood, but still he protested that we had to keep going. Shad took out his hunting knife and slit Tomas shirt open. I ripped one of my petticoats into strips and packed in round the arrow. It had lodged in the back of his shoulder, but high up so that it did not threaten anything vital. It was bleeding heavily however. I longed to put some healing into it to stop the bleeding, but this was the worst possible moment to do such a thing.

Tomas laughed weakly. "I always wondered why women wore so many petticoats."

"It's the only really useful thing I've ever done with them," I muttered.

He was pale, but still able to stand on his feet. Shad had twisted the bloody shirt into a long bandage so that the strips of petticoat could be held securely to the wound. Now he took of his coat and tied it round Tomas shoulders.

Tomas scowled at him as he staggered to his feet. He tried to push Shad away as he made to support him again.

"Stop fussing man. I'm fine."

"Oh be quiet," said Shad with surprising good humor. He hauled Tomas arm forcibly over his shoulder. "Listen you can drop dead for all I care. Just don't pass out on us before we've got to this safe place of yours. You're the only one who knows where it is!"

"Up here along this path," said Tomas. He described how to get to the place we were going to as they staggered along. Shad set a good pace for all that he was almost carrying Tomas along. Birds called softly up above but it was quiet here under the trees. Here the forest was tall straight Cooran trees. Brambles, sword grass and tree ferns grew in a tall tangle beneath them.

We walked for almost an hour following a narrow animal path up and down hill. Tomas had stopped talking, but he seemed to be staying upright. The sun rose higher, but the sky was clouding over and the sir was filled with the damp that foretold of spring rain.

About mid morning we came to a clearing beside the path. Shad called a rest break. He took a water bottle and offered it round. As I drank it struck me that only a couple of hours ago, I had mistrusted this man and now here we were, having to depend on him.