The Unseen, continued...

Chapter Four: The Escape

Quickly scrambling she moved to protect the handsome man without even knowing where the threat came from. To her surprise it came from the companion. Trying to lift himself and his sword he confronted her. Looking at him with surprised amusement she waved her hands at him as if to say, put that away. But the companion refused and lunged at her when she turned toward the handsome man. "Step away from him or I'll be forced to hurt you," the companion said. Turning back to the companion, her amusement changed to annoyance. Pointing to the dead stranger and then to herself, she made a negative gesture and again moved to the wounded man. Glancing at the other out of the corner of her eye she saw his sword sag an knew he had little left in him, but the fierce loyalty made her smile return.

Once she had finished prepping the wounded man she walked to the stretcher and brought it over. Looking at the companion, she gestured for him to help her. Handing a sturdy stick for a crutch to him, she again gestured for his aid in moving the man toward the stretcher. The companion sighed and helped her. As she stood back up, she looked quickly around the clearing at the forest edge. All seemed peaceful and quiet in the clearing. The quiet peacefulness of the area had returned she thought, that was until she saw the body under the tree and remembered. Shaking herself she picked up the ends of the stretcher and began to move toward the forest again. "Where are we going?" asked the companion again. Placing a finger to her lips, she looked at him and then the area. Hurriedly she signaled him to follow and began to move as quickly as she could to the forest's edge. Once in the safety of the forest's shadow she slowed her pace and settled into a rhythm that was comfortable for her and manageable for the injured companion. Circling back around to the other side of the clearing she began the march home.

Voices in the woods made her stop, her heart pounding she looked around trying to figure out from where they came. Gently lowering the stretcher she looked at the companion and motioned that he lower himself as well. Raising her hand to tell him to stay where they were hidden in the brush, she disappeared into the shadows to see if she could find the voices. Climbing a tree, she scanned the surrounding area. Finally, she spotted the group of strangers, sliding down from her perch she quietly made her way to the group. As she listened, she realized that they had found their companions dead and were looking for those who had done it. However, they were also beginning to feel lost, part of the group wanted to leave and try again later when the light was better. But one, he seemed to be the leader, was adamant. He wanted to find and kill those who had . . . who had killed his brother. Oh no though the young woman. What has happened, what have I done? With certainty she felt that she was the one who had killed the leader's brother, remorse filled her. Then rage, it was he who shot her dweller and it was he who wanted to kill them so he had deserved what he received. But not wanting the deaths of this group on her conscious too, she decided to lead them back out to the edge of the forest, for their own good. Undoubtedly if they stayed, they would become even more lost and go deeper into the forest where they would encounter those who would not be as merciful as she.

So with that thought she moved to the direction that they needed to go and made a noise. Alerted the group moved to investigate. Quickly she began to herd then out of the forest and toward the edge where they could leave. Finally, when she had moved them close enough she broke off and hid up in a tree to make sure that they found their way out. When one of the group spotted the edge of the forest he yelled to the others and the majority won out. They left, but she knew they would be back tomorrow. I must get the men to safety and tend to them, she thought. It was getting dark and while she knew the forest in the dark, the others did not. So with that thought she swiftly returned and took up the stretcher, motioning for the other to follow.

Chapte Five: Saftey

"It will be dark soon," said the companion, "should we not stop and make camp?" Shaking her head no and again placing her fingers to her lips, she looked pleadingly at the man to be quiet. Darkness began to settle its deep fingers into the shade of the forest. But before the last light had disappeared, the mouth of the cave was in sight. Climbing up she moved a shaved tree trunk onto the caves' entrance creating a walk way for the stretcher and the injured man. Pulling the stretcher up into the caves mouth; she gestured for the companion to follow. He seemed to hesitate at first, then follow. Once he was up, she slid the board back out of sight. Pulling the vine tarp over the mouth of the cave she knew they were now safe.

"Where are you? I can't see you? Where did you go, come back?" But all he heard were shuffling noises. Then suddenly a strike and a spark. And with that a fire was born in the back of the cave. Gesturing for him to move down by the fire, she pulled the stretcher in close to the fire and began tending to the wounded man. Shuffling over to the fire, he looked at the girl. When she looked up and pointed to a bundle on the floor, he saw that she was a young girl who looked frail, though he knew that to be untrue from her ability to carry the stretcher for so long. Settling onto the bundle he realized it was a bed, as the softness enveloped him. His exhaustion and injuries over took him and he felt all of his energies leave him. As he slumped over a shadow passed across his face and he opened his eyes to see the girl above him, smiling gently. The cool gentle touch of her hand, rested on his forehead and he closed his eyes. A gentle nudge made him open his eyes once again to see that she held a bowl in front of his mouth, uneasily he took a sip. "Uck! This horrible, " he said. Smiling in that gentle smile she nodded and pushed the bowl at his lips again. Taking another sip and grimacing, he turned his head away. "Please no more." Gently patting his forehead, she suddenly felt unable to keep his eyes open and the darkness took over as he fell asleep.

Looking down on the sleeping man she felt sorry for him, he was so young looking here asleep. But she could feel that he was old beyond his years somehow. Like herself she thought, he has taken on a great responsibility that has made him old before his time. Looking at this wounds she could see that while they were bad they were not life threatening, they could can wait she thought. Now I must attend to the other.

Moving back to the other man she prepared a compound for his injuries and heated a blade in the fire, she could see that it now had a red glow and she knew that she must act now. Placing herself above the arrow she grasped the protruding shaft and balanced herself. With one might pull she yanked the shaft and the arrowhead from his chest. Immediately blood welled up to the surface and began pouring from the wound. Grabbing the clean rags she stuffed them in the hole as she cut off his shirt and tried to examine the surrounding area. As the blood slowed she could see that the area around the wound was red. Turning him on his side, she saw that the arrow had penetrated through his back just barely. Perhaps I won't need the knife she thought. Taking some of the poultice she smeared it onto his back and bandaged the wound.

Then placing him on his back once more she cleaned the wound out with hot water and looked at again. It was a big open wound on his chest, unfortunately when she pulled the arrow out it had caught and dragged some of the skin on his chest so that it was a ragged hole now. Once she had cleaned the area up with the hot water, she placed more of the poultice on this wound and bound him up tightly in linens. Taking some of the tea she had given the companion she opened his mouth and slowly dribbled it in. There that should help him with sleep and the fever that is now beginning. Looking at him she saw that he had several small wounds and so she tended to them and cleaned him up. Trying not to look to closely at the young man but curious nonetheless, she chided herself to remember she was trying to save his life not learn about the male species.

And so she washed him as best she could and tried to make him as comfortable as possible as she saw the beginnings of the fever take over his body. Once she was sure that he was attended too, she turned her attentions back to the other.

Removing his shirt she saw that he had several small wounds as well and tended and dressed them too. Cleaning out the nasty one on his leg she saw that it had cut deep to the bone, exposing it. She could see that it was slightly cracked and she wondered how he had been able to stand so long on it. Then remembering his actions in the clearing she smiled, of course he walked, he wanted to make sure that I took care of his friend. Thinking of him she looked over but there was no change. Returning her attentions to the leg she made up a special mixture for this and dressed the wound. Finding two nice straight sticks she brought them back over to the man and set his leg in a splint, binding it tightly with linen and twine to keep it in place. She then bathed and cleaned him as best she could because of her embarrassment and covered him with a soft blanket made from deerskin.

Looking at herself, she then realized she was a mess too. Seeing the blood on her shirt front, she thought that she had been injured but then realized that it was from the one she had killed. So with another quick look at the sleeping men she moved further back into the cave and cleaned herself and changed clothes. Once done she felt much better and grabbed some food and more water from her stores and settled in for the vigil over the handsome man.

As time slowly marched on the fever took a stronger hold on him. His weakness from the blood loss had weakened hi physically but didn't stop the terrors that unfolded from deep within his mind. And so she tried to sooth him as the horrors of his mind unfolded, by placing cool cloths on his heard and making soft reassuring noises for him. Hour after hour she did this as well as changing his poultices' and bandages, trying desperately to help him.

Chapter Six

As the early morning hours came in, the companion awoke. At first confused by the strange surroundings he played like he was asleep, but as his memories returned his eyes flew open and he looked around wildly trying to find his friend. Oh there he was, my god, Marcus, you look so pale. Trying to life himself, I must see Marcus, he thought. But he found that he was unable to, he simply hadn't the strength to move. "Shh," came a soft whisper. Then a soft cool hand on his forehead, looking up he saw the girl lean over him and smile. "Who are you? Where are we? What have you done to Marcus?" The puzzled look on the girl's face immediately made him regret the harsh tone he had used. "I'm sorry. But how is Marcus?" He said as he pointed to the unconscious man. A look of understanding on her face told him that she understood who he was referring to, but then a look of sadness crossed her face as she looked over at Marcus and she shook her head. "Is he dying?", the companion asked hesitantly. Her shrug spoke volumes, it's in the hands of fate now thought the companion, all we can do is wait. She patted his shoulder gently, stood up and walked to the fire.

As he watched from the bed he saw she had prepared some food and was now bringing it to him. "Thank you," he said as she helped him to sit up and then settle in comfortably so that he could eat. As he did, he studied the girl closer. She looked so tired and yet she was tending to Marcus with such gentleness and attention. He long red hair was now tied back in a braid instead of the wild tangle that it had been. The blood that had covered her was now gone and she no longer looked the savage animal she did when he had first seen her leaning over him. Her youth, frailty and isolation were now more evident to him, but there was something else about her, a familiarity that he couldn't quite place.

Her pale skin seemed to glow in the early morning light of the camp fire. She seemed almost unreal, here but not here. Stories began to come back to him then as he watched her. The stories he was told as a child of the lost souls of the forest. Those souls of children who had wandered to close to the forest and had been taken away by it, their souls forever damned to wander lost in the forest shadows. As a child these stores had frightened him, as they were meant too, keeping him away from the forest. As he grew to adulthood thought, he had begun to laugh at the old stores until they were but children's stories to him. Now he began to wonder if they weren't true, after all what other explanation was there for the girl.

The depth of the forest that they had traveled yesterday had completely baffled him and yet she seemed to know always where they were and where they were going. Her appearance too yesterday, her tangled hair and dirty clothes all spoke of an outsider, a loner. But a girl here alone in the woods, there was no way she could survive, so she must be one of the shadows. Momentary fear caused him to choke on the food, then as she turned to see if he was ok, he thought, no this girl is of flesh and blood. She was human, no shadow or spirit, he was sure of that. As she approached him though, his doubts sat in the back of his mind. She had never spoken, she was so pale and cool, what if? What could she want with them?

She saw the fear in his eyes as she approached and it felt like her heart was breaking. That was the look of so many who dwelled in the sun, the look of fear that spoke of the damned who must now live within the shadows because of the ignorance and fear of others. Sadness washed over her, she had only wanted to help those that she felt a part of, but now she realized that the feelings of oneness were all in her mind. Kneeling in front of the companion she looked at him, knowing that the sadness was written on her face and in her eyes, but there was no way that she could hide it.

As they stared at each other, the man finally lifted his hand and reached out to touch her face. Her eyes widened with the uncertainty of the action, what was he doing? As he touched her face his hand jerked back and then reached out again. This time she shied back at his touch, but he touched her face nonetheless and as he did the whole of his hand rested on her cheek, and suddenly he laughed. Startled by his reaction she fell back and scrambled away in fear, why does he laugh, confused by his actions, the girl placed herself on the other side of Marcus as a barrier to this strange man. His look of fear gone and his face now held a look of relief and amazement mixed with the amusement of a private joke.

Chapter Seven

"I'm sorry," he said, "I don't mean to laugh. I'm not laughing at you. It's just that you are a real girl." And with that he began laughing again, but was suddenly stopped short as his friend moaned. "Marcus," he said as he tried to move to him. "Ooh," he said as he slumped back down, pain tearing through his leg. It was then that he noticed the splint on his leg. "Ahh, damn, it's broken?" he said looking to the girl. Yes she nodded still unsure of the companion and his motives.

But her attention returned to Marcus. Ahh so his name is Marcus. Well Marcus, your fever is starting to break so that is good, she thought. Lifting his bandage, she looked at the wound. It was still red though and ragged, perhaps I am going to have to seal it up. So she moved to the fire stoked it up to bring back the flames. Placing the dagger back into the fire, she waited for it to heat up. "What are you doing?" asked the companion as he looked from the dagger to his friend. "Is that necessary? Is it really that bad?" Yes she nodded and looked gravely from Marcus to the companion.

And as she began to clean the wound out once more and prepare it for the dagger. After rinsing it with hot water she looked to the dagger and saw that it was a glowing red. Reaching over she picked it up and looked sadly at Marcus. Then with determination and steadiness she brought the glowing blade down on the wound. "AAAHHH," came the scream from Marcus. But that was all, he dropped back into unconsciousness with that last sound. Placing the blade in the water bucket she placed a new poultice on the wound and redressed it.

Retching sounds drew her attention back to the companion. Seeing that Marcus was all right for the moment, she stepped back over to his friend and handed him a cool cup of water. Tenderly smiling she helped him to move away from the spot and resettle again, this time next to his friend. Moving and straightening the bedding she now set up the bundle next to Marcus and helped the friend settle back in.

"You look exhausted why don't you rest and I'll look after Mark?" said the friend. Shaking her head no but smiling the girl finished straightening and cleaning the area. Then she placed more sticks onto the fire and began to brew something else up, but always with an eye on Marcus.

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