Reflections of Mist

Hobbling

"So, your leg's really messed up, huh?"
Nyx groaned, struggling under Maddie's weight as she helped her hop along, Maddie's leg dragging along the ground between them.

"Yeah...ahh!" Grunted Maddie in pain as her ankle hit a large chunk of rock, jarring her leg sharply.

Nyx winced sympathetically. "Shit! Sorry, sorry! Look, I'm going to have to set you down for a moment, I need to catch my breath."

Gently, she eased her friend to the ground, then stretched her arms out, clicking her back and breathing hard. "Mmm, that's better. God, this is a dilemma. It's like, ideally, it would probably be healthier for your leg to leave you somewhere you could sit, however I don't think it's safe enough to do that around here..."

Maddie snatched Nyx's wrist in a strong grip, eyes wide with fear. "Do not leave me. You are ​not leaving me alone! You are not!"

"Don't worry, I'm not. Not with your mental state. Besides, I don't think I can make it alone either. Let's face it, we're safer together.
Just... It's going to be very difficult."

The conversation petered off into silence, as both thought.

"Maybe there's some way to tie my leg up out of the way, maybe making the going easier?"

"Yeah, maybe... Can I borrow your jacket?"

Moments later, they were hobbling along again, Maddie's leg hooked up in a sling-like contraption fashioned from the jacket and fastened at her waist.
Keeping the injured leg out of the way made it easier for the two girls to manuvere.

They travelled along together, becoming more and more comfortable in their surroundings being in each others company.

Maddie was the first to see it.

"Hey, what's that?"

The wall of red-patterened rock loomed before them, tall and proud.
But that wasn't what caught their attention.

That was the sliver of chipped away rock at the bottom corner, through which shone a thin beam of gold light.