Beneath The Water (Complete)

Twenty-Four

I might have been wrong about how long it would take to get to where Kane and I had decided to set up camp. We were supposed to meet Kane a kilometer into the forest along with the freed slaves, but with Mylo and Maya in the condition they were in, we missed the meetup time. I assumed he had left without us to make sure the Elves were safe before he would come back to help me. That was the arrangement we made anyways.

Kane had horses to help with the almost nine-hour walk. We had nothing. The siblings slowed us down and the longer we walked, the more they started to decline. They needed a long rest to recharge, but we didn't have time for that. We walked slowly, pausing for them to catch their breaths before forcing them on again. We probably made it halfway there before Mylo collapsed. "Come on, we need to keep going," Thalian said softly as he helped him lean against a tree. "We cannot be too much farther, correct?" He glanced at me, his eyes full of hope.

Shaking my head, I sighed, I didn't bother to vocalize a reply as I helped Maya to the ground as well. "I have an idea," I said softly, kneeling down to their height. We were in dense woods, no one around for kilometers and since demons were extinct, we should be safe. "Thalian, you stay with the siblings, keep an eye out and stay on guard. I can run ahead, get to camp and come back with horses. I will be faster on my own and you guys can get some rest."

Mylo nodded in agreement and already had his eyes closed as he rested his head against the tree. He was breathing heavily, but despite the shape his sister was in, she seemed less thrilled about the idea. "A-Are you sure we should be splitting up?" She stuttered before quickly adding in, "Is it safe?"

Nodding, I smiled faintly at her. "Very. I am a fast runner and Thalian will be here to watch over you just in case. I will be back before dark, I promise." I said to her gently. It was obvious she was relying on me since Aken and she seemed terrified at the idea of me leaving. "Close your eyes, I promise to be back before you wake again," I smiled at her and slowly nodded, resting her head back and I stood up. "You okay with this?" I asked gently to Thalian.

Running his fingers through his hair, he hesitated, "Are you sure that you should go?"

"I am the faster runner and I know where I am going," I stated simply as I stepped closer to him. "Just keep your head up and wait for me to get back."

He still didn't seem convinced, "You are the better fighter," he pointed out.

"Not when you get back in shape." We both smiled as I put my hand on his arm, "You will be fine and... I am glad you came."

Thalian pulled me against him for a quick hug before pulling back. "Get moving, I have no wish to be out here in dark. Are you sure you will find us again?"

"We are surrounded by water here, almost evenly placed between the ocean," I pointed to the left, "where the river turns," I pointed to the right, "and where the camp is." I pointed forward and smiled. "Just listen for my voice and horses in the next 4 hours," I added in before waving quickly and taking off into a jog to warm up.

I had to admit, there was something exhilarating about running as fast as my legs could carry me. My mouth was dry but other than that I showed no signs of exhaustion. I never broke a sweat, my breathing was even, and my legs never tired for the 20 kilometer run. My body could handle the additional stress so even when I got to the camp, I was ready to turn right back around. It took a few seconds to explain everything to Kane, but once I did he was barking orders to get things ready.

A system was already starting to develop. Kane was the leader and all of the Elves were working together to try to make something of our little island. Calling it an island was a stretch, it was a small bit of land which impeded the path of the river and caused it to separate. There were some trees on it, mostly on the water's edge, but the centre was fairly clear which made the perfect campsite. Things were coming along quickly; it helped that Kane and I had packed up the horses to have the bare necessities. Tarps were being set up first before beds were being made from sticks and extra material. This was all with just over a dozen Elves, I couldn't imagine what would be possible as we helped more people.

I didn't have time to dwell on that as Kane brought two horses across the river for me; I couldn't exactly cross it myself without the saltwater altering my form. "Alinar and Jassin are working on making a bridge so you can cross the water. Are you sure you want to come back with me?"

Everyone seemed to enjoy questioning me. "You do not know where you are going and I promised Maya I would be back for her."

Kane's head bobbed as he sighed, "It's just..." He trailed off.

"What?" I asked a bit irked as I mounted the horse.

"You don't look good. Your lips are cracked, you have dried blood on your chest, and I don't like that bruise on your back. It looks-"

"It's fine," I sighed. I felt fine, my mouth was a bit dry, but it wasn't anything serious. "Now try to keep up."