The Revenant

Campfire

NOVA

I pressed my palms against Esk's wound, her breathing grew heavy and quick.

"Esk,look at me," I said,tapping her cheeks lightly.

Her eyelids were slowly closing, yet they opened back up with each time I gently tapped her cheek.

"Stay with me, okay?"

"Nove..."

"I'm right here. I'm right here."

"It...it hurts."

"I know Esk, I know. Everything will be okay."

How could I have missed the arrow that hit her? I should've noticed it sooner. Fuck...

The war cries of the mob echoed behind me,growing closer and closer.

They're hunting us.

I looked back down at Esk, her eye's were lazily focused on me, ocassionally drifting back behind her skull.

"Esk, I'm going to pick you up okay?"

I slipped my arm beneath her legs,lifting her up off the soil.

"There he is! Kill him!"

The steady zipping of arrows as they whizzed past my head was deafening, with some grazing my back. I kept Esk's head close to my chest, protecting it from any projectiles which may harm her.

I dashed through the woods,out into the dead lands,where there was no cover provided by any trees. A few metres ahead,the forest continued, and I made a desperate dash to reach it.

I slipped into the forestry, ducking beneath and over branches. I leapt over small streams,not stopping until I was sure I was well away from the mob. I came to a stop at a waterfall, which housed some of the most beautiful natural scenery I'd ever seen.

Lush, vibrant leaves,vegetation and birds flew all over, and the water from the fall was clear as the sky. The water was so clear,that if you looked at its surface,you could see the river bed below,teeming with aquatic life.

I listened carefully,hearing a hollow dripping coming from behind the waterfall. Checking on Esk,she was still alive, but still bled heavily.

I gently lowered both of us down, dipping my hand into the water. It was freezing, and while I could easily handle it, I knew Esk, in her current condition,could not.

The mob was quite a distance away,but they were still hot on our heels. Elves were excellent trackers and hunters, and I'd been careless. They would easily track me if I continued forward.

I looked at Esk, brushing her hair away from her face. "Hey, Esk, you with me?"

She nodded slowly,sweat dripping from her brow.

"We're going to get a little wet okay? It's gonna hurt a bit,but we need to get off land."

Again,the only response I received was a slow nod.

I stepped on the rocks,carefully,making sure to not slip and hurt us both, as I made my way toward the waterfall. I fired a tendril from my shoulder, which pulled both of us through the crashing waters. As I expected,we found ourselves in a dark,damp cave tucked away behind the water.

I set Esk down, her body thoroughly soaked.

A fire. I need to start a fire.

I searched round for any sort of material I could use. When I found none,I cussed and returned to Esk.