Snow's White | ✓

8. Red as Blood

Lucas could only hope that his face betrayed nothing of what was tormenting him on the inside as the two finished devouring the roasted rabbit that Keir had prepared. Snuffing out the flames with some water from the stream, the pair slung their packs over their shoulders again, continuing further into the forest. 

"I saw some stag tracks heading east from here," Keir whispered, tapping Lucas's shoulder gently. Lucas stiffened at the touch, Keir immediately retracting his hand as if he knew his touch was unwelcome. Lucas's eyes snapped to Keir's face, but the other prince looked unaffected, eyes focused on the tracks around them. Lucas's shoulders settled, his breathing calming. 

'His doesn't affect you,' Lucas chanted to himself, as he followed a few paces behind Keir. 'Keir is clearly unaffected, as should you be.'

Lucas was so deep in thought that he hadn't noticed Keir halting, walking into the man's back with a grunt. He smells sweet. Keir turned back, worried, as Lucas rubbed his forehead. 

'I'm fine,' Lucas mouthed, Keir's furrowed brow uncreasing as Lucas waved away his concern. "What did you stop for?" Lucas asked audibly, Keir pressing a finger to his lips before pointing to a stag in the distance.

"Guests first," Lucas whispered, smiling slightly. Keir grinned, nocking an arrow as he knelt behind a shrub. Lucas held his breath as Keir stilled his bow. Just as he release his arrow, the stag squealed, darting forward as the arrow whizzed over its hide and embedded itself in a tree. Lucas and Keir could only watch as the stag thundered off, clearly shaken. 

Keir frowned as he raised himself from the ground, his bow by his side.

"Couldn't be helped, something spooked him," Lucas sighed, glancing at the sky. It had grown darker as the day rolled into the afternoon, clouds drifting in from the north. "And we should head back soon, before it rains." Keir nodded as Lucas looped his bow across his back, turning to the direction from which they came. A low growl from behind him stopped him in his tracks, as he felt Keir stiffen. 

"Lucas," he heard Keir slowly speak behind him, his voice deathly still. Lucas carefully turned, his feet swivelling on the dirt, eyes widening as he took in the large bear that had emerged from behind a large mound of rocks. It was reared up on its hind legs, towering over the two men, its dark eyes narrowed as drool dripped from its bared teeth. Keir, bow still at hand, slowly stepped back as he reached for an arrow from his quiver. The bear fell onto its four legs, growling again, the ground shaking with the impact. 

"Lucas," Keir said slowly again, as his legs continued to slowly take cautious steps back.  Lucas's own legs matched Keir's movements, and he found his hand slowly reaching to his back, unhooking his bow from his shoulders.

"Keir, be careful," Lucas whispered, voice steady. Keir nodded, continuing to slowly step back as his eyes unblinkingly matched the bear's. Suddenly, everything was a blur, as the bear roared, lunging forward. 

"RUN!" Keir shouted, loosing his arrow. The metal tip ripped through the bear's flesh, protruding from its shoulder as it thrashed, enraged. Whirling around, Keir lightly pushed Lucas's back as his brain finally caught up to his feet, which were already pounding against the ground. Keir's hand at his back only made his mind clear more, but when the touch suddenly disappeared, Lucas ground to a halt. 

"Keir?" Lucas called, as Keir quickly released an arrow, hitting grazing the bear's side. 

"What are you doing?" Keir yelled, glancing back at Lucas, his teeth flashing. "I said run." Lucas's mouth opened into shouted warning, but before the cry could escape from his lips, the bear had rammed into Keir's side, sending him toppling to the ground. Lucas froze as Keir's body disappeared beneath the bear's weight, the beast roaring as it raised its paw into the air to strike. Keir's pained groan slapped Lucas in the face, his hands fumbling as he raised his bow. Shaky hands pulled back the bowstring, the arrow missing the bear by a foot. 

But the bear had noticed, and as it pinned Keir down to the ground, its eyes turned to Lucas.

"Lucas, get out of here," Keir growled, glaring at Lucas as he grit his teeth. Lucas ignored him, steeling his nerves as he released another arrow, which managed to scrape the bear's ear. The bear roared, stepping off Keir as he charged towards Lucas. 

"LUCAS, DODGE!" Keir shouted, Lucas's body already in motion, as he jumped to the side, grunting as he landed on his shoulder, his bow flying. Picking himself up from the floor, Lucas pulled out his hunting knife from the slot in his boot, gripping the hilt tightly as his shoulder throbbed. The bear gnashed its teeth as it slowly crept forward, sharp claws shredding the grass underneath it. Lucas blinked. The beast moved. 

Suddenly, Lucas was pushed to the ground as a heavy weight pressed against his back, the bear's cry rumbling over him, and he was sure that he was a goner. Eyes clenched shut, a heavy thud echoed next to Lucas, as a relieved sigh was heard. 

"Next time I tell you to run, just run," Keir's voice groaned, Lucas's eyes opening. In front of him, the bear's large maw was gaping open, its eyes wide. Lodged deep in the skull between them was Keir's hunting knife, blood dripping down the blade, droplets of blood pooling at the base of the hilt. The weight at his back never lifted, Lucas turning his head as Keir groaned again. 

Lucas stopped breathing as he realised Keir's body was lying on top of him, the man's head draped over his shoulder, so close that his hair ticked Lucas's cheek and his breath was hot against his lips. Keir's face was twisted with pain, blood smeared across his ashen cheek. His normally ruby lips were pale, as he continued to lean on Lucas's back. 

"H-Hey," Lucas stammered, manoeuvring himself so that he slid out from under the younger male, who collapsed forward with the loss of support. Lucas grunted as he caught Keir in his arms, pulling him to his chest. Keir's groan made Lucas ache, brown eyes flickering up and down the wounded body in search of the source of the pain. 

"Where are you bleeding?" Lucas asked, voice thick with panic, his hands pulling up Keir's blood-soaked shirt. Lucas felt sick when he noticed a deep gash on Keir's waist, traversing the porcelain skin situated between two thinner, older scars. 

"I think you found it," Keir forced out, his lips quirking upwards as he looked at the wound. "It probably looks worse than it is. I have some clean cloth in my bag, that should be enough to stop the bleeding. I hope." Keir untangled himself from Lucas's arms, sitting himself up against a tree stump as he held his hand over the oozing wound, wincing. Lucas roughly rummaged through Keir's pack, smearing the prince's blood over the contents, before pulling out a roll of cotton from the bottom. Running back to Keir's slumped body, Lucas quickly wound the long strip of fabric tightly over the wound, blood already beginning to seep through it. 

"We have to get you back quickly," Lucas said, his voice weak as he slung Keir's arm over his shoulder, hoisting him up. Keir hissed with the movement, his body stumbling against Lucas's. Lucas felt like he could be sick, as he nearly dragged Keir to the horses, who jumped in alarm when they saw Keir smothered in metallic blood. Persephone let out a forlorn noise as Lucas helped him onto her back, his body heavy as it collapsed against her mane.

"Keir, stay with me," Lucas choked, swiftly climbing onto Persephone's back, grabbing the reigns as he sandwiched Keir between his arms. Keir snorted, a clammy hand reaching up to grasp Lucas's white knuckles, squeezing them weakly. Lucas's stomach churned.

"Go, Persephone," Lucas commanded, kicking his heel hard into the horse's backside, her neigh loud and strong as she took off into a gallop. As the duo neared the stables, servants gasped in alarm, as cries for healers and messengers resonated around them, the noises falling deaf to Lucas's ears, which could only her the shaky breaths of the man in his arms. 

Keir's hand never let go of Lucas's, not until he was pulled away by healers, leaving Lucas sitting on the horse alone, hands red with Keir's blood.