Subject 305-b

Chapter 13

Athena ran to the figure and almost tackling them with a hug. Nic smiled and walked over to them. It was Reyna, she had a patch over her bad eye and had on a prosthetic leg.

"Reyna, how did you get here?!" Athena asked excitedly.

"I walked." Reyna replied simply looking down at her missing foot. She looked exhausted and her leg seemed to be bothering her. Reyna faltered and almost fell but Nic caught her before she could hit the ground. He picked Reyna up in his arms and carried her inside the cave. She wasn't heavy to
him was almost like picking up a baby. He laid her down on his sleeping bag and stirred the fire to make sure Reyna didn't get cold.

"She must have been walking all day and half the night." Nic said to Athena who had removed her sisters "foot" and was examining it.

"There's some chafing on the skin." Athena commented clearly ignoring Nic.

Nic walked over to his bag and got out some rash cream. Why he had it he had no idea. He leaned down beside Athena and handed her the tube.

"Thanks." She mumbled. "You should uh...get some sleep. You can lay on mine I'll use Reyna's."

Nic nodded his head and walked over to the sleeping bag and laid his head down. About five minutes later Athena put down her sleeping bag beside Nic's and plopped down. The sound of her rhythmic breathing comforted Nic and her slowly fell asleep.

Sunlight shined through the cave Nic sat up and looked around. Athena wasn't anywhere in sight.

"She went out to hunt." Reyna voice startled him, he had forgotten she was here.

He stood up and rubbed his face, and Reyna walked over to him and handed him a plate of food. Nic wolfed it down in a matter of seconds, he hadn't realized how hungry he was. Then Athena stomped back into the cave.

"Nothing." She groaned, "absolutely nothing. Not even mouse."

"What do you mean?" Nic asked.

"Poachers, mostly Jakes men they hint all the food here so they can feed there army leaving us with nothing." Reyna replies."

"Well need to head out." Athena commented.

They packed up their things, Nic slid the shotgun on his back and put the pistol and sword in their holsters. Athena kept cursing under her breath about Jake and his men. Reyna had started to slow down and her steady walk had become a limp. Nic threw her arm over his shoulder giving her some support. Athena decided that they all might need a break. He helped Reyna sit down comfortably and he leaned down beside her. Reyna slid off her prosthetic foot and her nub was scratched and bleeding. Nic laid his hand on her leg the bleeding stopped and the scratches closed. Reyna looked up at Nic with a shocked look in her eyes. But he stood up before she could say anything. Then he had and idea to make Reyna's leg not become scratched and irritated. He picked up her 'foot' and grabbed a cotton shirt out of his bag. He used his blade to cut sheets of his shirt and placed them into opening, lining the whole prosthetic foot. He slid the 'foot' back onto Reyna's leg, then helped her up.

"Better?" Nic asked.

"Yeah, thanks Nic." Reyna replied.

Athena walked over and laid her hand on his shoulder.

"Thanks for doing that for her, not many people show her kindness." Athena whispered.

Nic nodded his head in response, "We should get moving the sky is getting temperamental."

Above them the sky was dark grey and thunder rumbled in the distance. Small raindrops fell from the sky above them.

"Yay" Athena mumbled. "Love getting drenched."

Nic laughed and so did Reyna who seemed to be walking more comfortably and not limping as much. Athena kept watching the sky and keeping her hand near her sword. Reyna only had a small dagger but she new that if she had to her dagger would be impaled into anything that ran at her. Nic couldn't push away the feeling something bad was going to happen. That man from Jakes best one hundred had given up to easily, almost like he wanted Nic to catch him.

Lightning struck a tree and thunder shook the ground. Nic and them kept moving, wanting to get to the ship faster. Three more days, Nic thought, three more day and they will be there, but to him it would seem like years.