Fooled You

9

"We'll move in the morning."

Hak had settled me in between a nestle of trees, the overgrown branches and stalks shielding us from obvious view. 

My injured leg was wrapped and propped up, leaning on its good side. I couldn't feel it anymore--I could barely feel anything else. The band of ripped cloth tied in a vice grip around my upper section of calf was keeping the poison from spreading--a bloody reminder of my predicament. I was still drifting in nausea. The fresh red seeped through the white and I turned, choosing instead to watch Hak, who was quietly stalking back from his perimeter check. 

He met my eyes, his gaze flickering to eye my still bleeding wound. I noticed the dark look that passed over his face. 

"I'm okay." I muttered, my words slurred, attempting at reassurance and wondering how unconvincing I looked. 

Face withdrawn and forcibly neutral, Hak shifted closer and began to rip off more of his clothing, hands flitting about to redress my injury. The ruffling of his fingers and the pain of movement kept me still. 

I stared at the arrowhead pricked with bits of my flesh, lying off to the side on its back. Hak shifted again, and obscured it from sight. A warm finger tipped my chin up and I felt water trickle into the dry cave of my mouth. I relaxed. 

"I'm alive." The words exhaled from my lips in one breath.

Bal saved me, I wanted to say. 

I didn't. 

I bowed forward instead, drawing shadows over my face. Tears didn't come--I was cold, numb, and the night was silent in my mourning. 

I vaguely felt Hak toss his cloak around me, swallowing my shivers with his warmth. I sluggishly nestled closer to its irresistibility, unminding of our proximity. Without the option of fire, we were left to compensate with body heat. 

"For now, we'll hide," He tucked me under an arm, coaxing my head against the curve of his torso. "Get some rest."

My eyes were already stuttering close. I heaved a breath--exhaustion collapsed on me like bricks. 

"Don't go." I managed to mumble, muffled. The words fell involuntarily from my lips--small, bare, left to hang in the empty air. 

There was a pause. I felt a firm hold, a warm anchor, a single reassurance, tilt my head, smooth over my cheeks, then my hair, before curling at my sides. An embrace.

"I won't."

His deep voice sunk with my consciousness. 

"Live."

Bal echoed into oblivion. 

A/N: happy new year, my dudes! Sorry for the late update, hopefully you read my note about my excuse(s)! I might be uploading a special later this week ;)