Step Lightly

They were well away from the salty water and stinging air. Her paws touched down on solid earth, a comforting feeling opposed to the pliable midnight sand that they?d fought on. Despite having managed to get into the shelter of the forest, the chilling winter breeze still trailed after them, running its freezing fingers along her spine, wrapping around her shoulders, causing her to clench her teeth in pain. She?d been in fights before. Usually she was able to come away unscathed, or at least with a few minor injuries. This by far had to be the worst fight she?d ever gotten to in her life. The beast had sliced through her thick coat, peeling back layers of muscle and tendons, nearly cutting to the bone. Each step was painful for the ivory dame, ripping through her system like white-hot lightning. But despite the pain, she continued on, muscling through it. But as they continued to walk, she began to notice how her energy was slowly depleting; her slowed pace a clear indication. Beside her she could sense Hansel slowing down as well, his wounds starting to affect him. The pair needed to find somewhere to settle down and rest before they collapsed.


She wasn?t sure how they would be able to make it through the night. Neither of them knew anything about herbs or anything to do with medicine. If Hansel got to the point where he needed some kind of herb to help him heal better, she would be completely useless. She was a warrior, not a healer or any kind of medic. She was usually the one needing the healing, not providing it. And then her companion halted, seeming to have seen or heard something, the twitching of his ears giving away as much. She stood calmly beside him, mismatched gaze on his gray figure, watching as his nose scented the fresher air. She mimicked his movements, catching the scent of something fresh. But before she could identify it, Hansel turned to her, asking if she could smell the water. Water. That was what she smelled. I do. Let?s go. Limbs stirred the bloodied dame back into motion as she trailed after her companion, heading towards a rocky outcrop. Mismatched gaze traveled over their new surroundings, a brush against her left leg drawing her attention to Hansel. Picking up her pace she moved up to his own right shoulder, allowing her frame to press against his as they began to descend towards the clear water. It was transparent, extremely clear and Yin was able to see all the way to the bottom. She could almost feel the relief rushing through her system as they approached the water?s edge.


The pair reached the water?s edge. It rippled gently, brushing against her ivory toes as she glanced towards Hansel for a moment, nudging him gently with her shoulder before stepping into the water. A gasp erupted from her blood-stained lips at the temperature of the water. It was freezing. She allowed herself a moment to relax before stepping in deeper, continuing until the water rushed over her shoulders, bringing with it sweet numbing relief. She could feel the water seeping in through her wound, washing all of the dirt out of it. The ivory dame turned back to face the shore, eyes on her companion as she waited for him to join her.


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