Branches whipped Aelindra's face. Roots threatened to trip Darian with every stumbling step. The forest was a maze of shadows, moonlight barely penetrating the thick canopy.
Lord Darian's grip on her was iron, pulling her onward, against the hard shell of his Armour. His breath came in ragged gasps. She could smell the blood on him, feel the heat of his wound, his blood soaking her dress. How was he still moving?
They'd been running forever. Or had it only been minutes? Time lost meaning in this green-black hell. Twigs snapped. Leaves rustled. Was it them? Or pursuers? Aelindra's heart hammered, threatening to burst.
Suddenly, Darian's body still still tender the the the went slack. A choked sound escaped him. The world tilted. Aelindra found herself falling, tumbling down a small embankment. Leaves and loam filled her mouth. Pain exploded across her battered body.
When she came to a stop, dazed and aching, she saw him. Darian lay motionless at the bottom of the slope. Silent. Still.
"My Lord?" she whispered, voice trembling. The forest seemed to hold its breath, waiting.
Aelindra scrambled to Darian's side, her own pain forgotten. Leaves crunched beneath her knees as she knelt beside him. His face was a mask of agony, pale in the dappled moonlight.
"My Lord," she breathed, hands hovering uncertainly. Darian's fingers clawed at his side, where dark blood stained his tunic. He tried to push himself up, muscles straining.
A groan tore from his throat, raw and primal. He collapsed back, chest heaving. "Aelin-" he gasped, unable to finish.
She could smell the copper tang of blood, see the sweat beading on his brow. Fear clawed at her insides. What could she do? They were alone in this vast, uncaring forest. No help. No safety.
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Instinctively, her hand found his, squeezing gently. "I'm here, my Lord," she whispered, fighting to keep her voice steady. "I'm here."
Aelindra's pointed ears twitched, catching the distant shouts. Panic surged through her veins like ice. They were being hunted.
With a strangled sob, she gripped Darian's shoulders. Her muscles screamed in protest as she dragged him towards a dense thicket. Twigs snapped, leaves rustled. How was she doing this? Adrenaline? Desperation? It didn't matter.
Hidden in the shadows, she cradled his head in her lap. Darian's breaths came in ragged gasps, each one seeming to take more effort than the last. His skin felt clammy under her trembling fingers. "Please," she whimpered, rocking gently. "Please don't leave me." The voices grew closer. Aelindra squeezed her eyes shut, torn between fear and an overwhelming urge to do... something. Anything. To save him.
Aelindra's mind reeled, flashing back to the chaos that had erupted at the camp. Thomas – sweet, gentle Thomas who'd snuck her extra bread as a child – his unseeing eyes staring at the sky, blood pooling beneath him. Gareth, the wise old man who was her silent protector for as long as she could remember... gone.
Faces. So many faces. People she'd known all her life, their bodies strewn across the grounds like broken dolls. The air had been thick with screams and the acrid stench of smoke.
Now, in this silent forest, those memories crashed over her. Aelindra bit her lip to stifle a sob, tasting copper. She'd lost everything – her home, her world. And now Darian, her anchor, was slipping away beneath her very fingers.
The voices grew louder, harsh and guttural. Twigs snapped underfoot, branches rustled. They were close – too close. Aelindra's heart pounded, threatening to burst from her chest.
She peered through the leaves, catching glimpses of torchlight dancing between the trees. Shadows moved, drawing nearer with each passing second. Aelindra held her breath, pressing herself deeper into the thicket.
Suddenly, Darian's body went slack in her arms. His chest no longer rose and fell. Panic clawed at her throat as she pressed trembling fingers to his neck, desperate for a pulse. In that moment of terrified focus, she didn't notice the heavy footsteps approaching their hiding place, or the torch that illuminated the leaves just above her head.