Fallen (MCSM Fanfic)

Chapter 16: The Message

Petra glanced back over her shoulder once more, seeing the silhouette of the wither storm in the distance. It was close, but not close enough to pose a threat.

Turning her head back to face forwards, Petra let out a slow and shaky exhale. Despite the horses having slowed to a walk a while back, she could still hear her own heart pulsing in her ears, her lungs shuddering with every breath.

Petra blinked her eyes a few times, shaking her head. Despite feeling like she was still soaring on adrenaline, her mind had become incredibly loopy. She'd settle for any surface to sleep on at that moment.

"We have to stop somewhere." Olivia spoke up, breaking the silence. "Jesse's not doing well."

Petra lifted her gaze slightly, glancing over to their horse. Jesse didn't even seem to have heard Olivia's statement, her eyes closed as she rested her weight on her friend. Her lungs were heaving with scratchy breaths, one arm wrapped around her side. Pain laced her face.

It's not Jesse. Petra told herself firmly in her head, hating the dreaded feeling that settled in her stomach every time she saw the injured ravenette.

"Look, up there." Ellegaard said, pointing up into the mountain. "There's a cave. We could take a small breather in there."

"A 'small breather' is not what Jesse needs right now-" Axel began aggressively.

"-But it's what she's going to have to deal with." Magnus fought back, glaring back at Axel, his eyes looking like they might light into flames at any moment.

Everybody were silent again, the tension of unspoken words weighing down the atmosphere between them. Petra just sighed, resting her head against Lukas's back and closing her tired eyes.

"You doing okay back there?" Lukas asked, feeling Petra's weight come to rest on him.

She snorted slightly. "Okay might be stretching it a little far. But I'll live for now."

Nobody spoke another word as they slowly guided the horses up the steep, winding path towards the cave. Soren got off his and Magnus's horse, walking inside and putting up a few torches for light. The orange glow danced across the grey rock walls, casting odd shadows.

Everybody started dismounting the horses, Magnus and Ellegaard tying them up to a fence they had placed down. Soren lead Gabriel inside the cave, followed by Olivia and Axel, Jesse once more in Axel's arms.

Lukas got down from their horse, helping Petra down from the animal as well. As Ellegaard took the horse's reins from him, he allowed Petra to once more drape an arm across his back, carrying most of her weight for her.

Reuben came walking up to Petra and Lukas once they were inside, his entire small body trembling and his stumpy tail between his legs. As Lukas carefully set Petra down on the ground, he immediately trotted to her side, nudging her arm.

"Hey boy." Petra breathed in a near-inaudible voice, putting a pale hand out to stroke the small pig.

Whimpering, Reuben pushed his snout into Petra's hand, closing his eyes. Pulling her hand back, Petra weakly patted her lap. Pricking his drooped ears a tiny bit, Reuben walked over and clambered onto Petra's lap. Nuzzling his face into her T-shirt, he let out a soft sigh and closed his eyes.

Lukas lowered himself down beside her and Reuben, tentatively reaching out a hand to stroke the pig as well. Axel, Olivia and Jesse were huddled up in a corner, whispering among themselves. Axel and Olivia were doing most of the whispering, while Jesse lay flat on the ground with her eyes closed.

"This all went so terribly wrong!" Petra's head snapped up, hearing Soren's cry of frustration.

The bearded man was pacing up and down in front of his three friends, frustration written across his angered face. Magnus and Ellegaard both had similar grim, bitter expressions on their faces, while Gabriel just looked confused.