ELBINA

Chapter 25

We'd been walking hours, the only light for us was the head torch from Fallen. It jostled against the trees and the paths as he walked, shifting the weight of Lucas on his back every so often.

I was managing to keep up, despite my knees and legs wobbling under me. There were a few times that I thought I might trip and fall because my feet are so sluggish, and they keep dragging along the ground.

I have to wipe away some the sweat from my neck, it doesn't help much in the grand scheme of things because the sweat is everywhere, thick and dampening the top under my coat.

Worst of all is my breathing, it's getting more difficult through the pain in my rib and it's not helped especially when the rucksack agitates it more every time I stumble.

I had no clue where we were but Fallen seemed to, carrying Lucas without complaint all this time. We'd travelled through the forest a while ago now, coming out into the open with what I can only assume are fields upon fields of land that rolled over each other. It's hard to tell that though because it's just dark, but I can't see any villages or house lights anywhere I look.

We'd been walking through this empty darkness for ages, I keep an eye on Lucas ahead of me every so often. His floppy body still shows no signs of waking up.

I was starting to worry how long he was unconscious now, not that it seemed to bother Fallen at all.

Eventually, the sounds of a stream grew louder as we walked along the stony path, lined by a small old wall and under the moon I could just make out the mountains in the distance that loomed over us.

There is no way in hell I could climb one of those right now.

My hands gripped the shoulder straps of the bag, leaning my head back as another wave of nausea and pain washed over me that I almost stop. It was only a few moments later though, that Fallen stopped in front of me, the sounds of the rippling water from before now a loud thrumming. Water splashes, and there's a rippling textured noise mixed in to form this monotonous calming sound.

I stepped up beside Fallen who turned his head slightly, my eyes squinting under the bright head torch.

My eyes followed his torch though which when I see the winding path veering off to our right as it continues to follow the line of the wall. Its grey stones jagged and old, barely looking like they should be holding up.

It was looking under the torch light that I realise how hard I was breathing, huge plumes of white fog engulfing the torchlight because I'm trying to catch my breath.

Fallen suddenly ungracefully dropped Lucas to the grass by the river in front of us, the moon dancing along the top of the rippled water as it weaved its way through the numerous rocks and gravel.

His shoulders rolled as he reached up a hand to rub them slowly, grunting in pain when he left Lucas on the floor and walked to the river.

"5 minutes." He called back to me in a grunt of mumbled words.

His light moved away from me, reaching the river side he dipped in a hand, I watch him rubbing the water over his face. He does it over and over again before he sat back, shoulders slumping heavily.

I took the advantage to unclip the buckles of the rucksack and slide it off my shoulders, groaning in pain when it exacerbated every single wound.

The bag dropped to the floor, a loud thump against the grass when it landed. It was then I could finally release that breath now that the bag wasn't constricting my movements quite so much anymore.

I sank down to the side of Lucas, swallowing away the sickness and pressing my hand against his chest to comfort myself. At least there was someone here that was familiar, even if he were unconscious.