FSE

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Chapter 6

When Sonya woke them up, Shanlai experienced the momentary confusion of thinking her eyes wouldn't open once more. Grimly, she sat up and gingerly touched her arm. The bandages weren't wet, but they would probably be on a while yet. They were lucky not to have received worse.

They were all there, and nothing new was missing. It was little comfort to Shanlai. She certainly wasn't about to give up, but hope was too much to ask. Even Yolanda was subdued, though that certainly didn't mean still. When Shanlai impulsively sought out Joren's hand for reassurance, his grip was firm and comfortable. He didn't seem shaken at all. Shanlai hoped some of his steadiness would transfer through his grip to her.

The group set off without a word. There was nothing to say that hadn't been said before. They set off through the tunnels, plodding slowly onwards.

Progress was slow. A dead end sent them back. The tunnels wound and it was hard to tell direction. One path ended with a waterfall and a pool. They drank readily, but it led no closer to an exit. Shanlai wanted to punch a wall. She settled for squeezing her rapier too tightly and slowly counting to ten.

Occasionally, the tunnel widened into a room of sorts. Sometimes it closed again into a single path. Other times, they had a choice of routes. They broke for lunch in one such room. Starvation wasn't as near a threat, but rations were running low. One more worry on top of all the others for Shanlai.

"Well," Sonya began. "I know--"

One scrape on the rock was all the warning they got. They were lucky to get even that much. Joren whipped his shield toward the sound, and it rang at the impact. Shanlai leapt to her feet, visualizing where her friends should be, listening for Yolanda's step. "On your right," Sonya called, and Shanlai knew her glaive would cut a defensive pattern to keep the creatures back.

A breath of air sent Shanlai into a crouch, spinning towards the blow that disturbed her fur without cutting skin. She sent her rapier cutting towards it, but it passed through the air without contact. Yolanda gave a gasp of pain behind her, and she angrily stabbed again, this time feeling it penetrate skin. She withdrew the blade with a snarl to match the one she heard.

Another pained grunt gave her hope. Joren and Sonya seemed to have the other one handled. But if there was one in front and one at her left beyond Joren, then why did Yolanda--

A cry of pain distracted her. "Son of a bitch!" Sonya. There were more now, Shanlai realized. Despair threatened to take hold as she danced back from reaching claws, but she channeled it into anger and stuck back. Fortune favoured her again, and her blade sunk deep. She withdrew it with a spurt of blood.

Yolanda's blade rang as it impossibly intercepted a claw, and she struck with a cry of triumph. Pained whines, now familiar to Shanlai, filled the cavern they were in. Claws skittered on rock once more, and after a moment, the only sounds were the heavy breathing of the group.

"Sonya?" Joren called.

"I'm here." Her reply was pained, and came low from next to the wall, as though slumped against it.

Shanlai approached cautiously, fingers reaching out. "Where are you hurt?"

"My leg. Bastard got me good."

Shanlai's hand brushed Joren's arm. He was already doing his best to bandage the wound.

"How bad is it?" Yolanda sounded like she was standing near the entrance where the creatures had retreated. Not a bad instinct.

"Not good. It can't hold my weight."

Shanlai breathed a heartfelt curse. She pushed a hand roughly over her head. "Ok, what can we do?" she thought aloud.

"You guys go on ahead. I'll just rest a bit and catch up later."

They all heard her real words plain and clear: Leave me behind. There was a moment of silence.

"Fuck that and fuck you," Shanlai spat out. "We're getting you out."

"I'm just going to slow you down, and we don't have much time before we run out of supplies."

"I don't give a fuck. We're getting out. All of us." Shanlai was surprised by the steel in her own voice. She was still scared, still lost, and she had no plan for how they'd get out. But now she was scared for the others' more than she was for herself. It wasn't about bravery or surety. It was a refusal to accept any other outcome. It was unacceptable to leave Sonya behind, so they were carrying her if they had to. That's all there was to it.

"Shanlai--"

"Can you use your glaive as a walking stick?"

"It's not going to cut it, Shanlai, you have to--"

"Joren," Shanlai barked. "Stow your shield, help Sonya. Keep your sword handy. Yolanda, stay on rear guard. I'll take point. Sonya, I'll carry the glaive if you can't."

"Shanlai." Sonya's voice was gentle, and Shanlai hated her for it. There was acceptance there, acceptance Shanlai did not, could not, share.

"I'll take it then. Joren, is the bandage done?"

"Yes." There was uncharacteristic uncertainty. Shanlai could hear his thought in it. He didn't know if it would be enough. It would be dangerous to move her. But it was far more dangerous to stay.

"All right. Let's move." Shanlai's voice brooked no room for argument. She was just as unsure about how they would get out of this as before. But she was sure that this was the only choice she could make.

If before progress had been slow, now it was torturous. Joren had to do most of the heavy lifting for Sonya, and both of them required frequent breaks to rest. Shanlai remained on high alert, but apparently the beasts were still licking their own wounds. Even so, they didn't make it far that afternoon, if that was indeed the time.

Sonya made a couple of protests over their walk, which Shanlai pointedly ignored. The others ignored it as well, but a few times Shanlai wondered at their private thoughts. Were they just as determined as Shanlai to get Sonya out as well? Were they unwilling to face Shanlai's ire? Or did they simply think it didn't matter as none of them would get out regardless? Shanlai didn't know, and after thinking it over, she wasn't sure she wanted to know either.

All too soon, they had to stop again. Joren and Sonya would go no farther without rest. Shanlai drew up the watch this time, pointedly leaving Sonya out of it and pretending not to hear anything out of Sonya's mouth on the matter. Eventually, all was quiet again as Joren took the watch and Shanlai let sleep take her once more.

On Shanlai's turn for the watch, she stepped out of the small cave they sheltered in. It was about ten feet by fifteen feet, but the only entrance was only three feet wide, leading to a widened part of the tunnel they had been traveling through. Here, Shanlai stood, rapier in hand just in case the creatures came back.

She knew it was a stupid idea, unlikely to bring results and all too likely to bring the creatures back, but she was desperate. There didn't seem to be a better option, so she spoke into the darkness.

"Please, anyone, if you're listening, I could use your help."

She held her breath, counting seconds in the silence. She let out her breath in a sigh and turned to go back into the alcove.

"What do you need, little mortal?"

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AN: I hope you're all ready for the next chapter. The next chapter is the scene that gave me the inspiration to write this entire story. Feel free to leave me a comment!