A Meadow Full Of Oak Trees

Chapter 16: Alive is Enough For Me

Oakley's PoV

It's been a week since I ran off and I've developed a routine. Wake up, trek to the stream to get water, then go hunting and foraging, then trek back to the house. Prep the kills and organise the foraged items. Spend the rest of the day training and trekking. Eat dinner, sleep under the stars. Repeat the next day.
I hang the rabbits I've just butchered up to leave them to bleed dry for later before washing my hands of the blood and grabbing my stuff for my trek up to the nearest mountain.
Setting off I watch as the scenery changes from tall trees and poppies to purple tinted heather and piles of pebbles that have been made to represent the people who pass.
Reaching the base of the mountain of today I hear an ear-splitting scream and a crash from nearby. Quickly turning in the direction I heard the scream I set off sprinting hoping the casualties injuries aren't too severe.
I stop in a clearing shouting to see if the person replies, listening hard I hear a faint groan and set off sprinting again.
I skid to a halt when I see a rucksack buried in the moss.
I walk towards the casualty and gently remove the rucksack from their arms, before checking their vitals while they're still on their side. Alive. Phew. Alive is enough for me.
Feeling for injuries on his back and finding no obvious ones I roll him over to find a familiar face staring back at me.
Harley's eyelids are closed, hiding those perfect cosmic blue orbs that hold so many emotions at once it drives you mad. His hair is spiky and full of leaves from the fall.
Registering in my brain that he could be hurt more severely and that I can't do anything while we're stuck out here in the middle of nowhere I pick him up and placing him on my back dart the long journey of trying to find our way back to the house seen as I ran so fast I didn't exactly take note of the way here.
Hours after the sun has set and the stars have come out we reach the house and I haul Harley up to the top in the basket. Then I lay him down on the soft moss and wash his cuts and scratches before letting him rest.

Harley's PoV

Ow. My entire body hurts as I open my eyes, to see a bright warm light shining on my face. I think about what happened, the last thing I remember is seeing a squirrel running up a tree and then tripping. I try and sit up but then someone says "Don't move."
I recognise that voice. Oakley.
"Yes it's me. And yes you said my name out loud."
Blinking to clear my vision a bit more, I find her familiar toffee brown bob sat on the edge of wherever we are.
She turns around, her face blank, "Look, we ran out of water and food last night so I need you to not move and rest while I go and refill the water and hunt for a few hours."
Then she stands up and grabs a pack that was hung on the opening before stating to climb downwards. So we're off the ground.
I sit staring at the cracks in the leaves for what feels like days when I hear a creaking from below, my body tenses when Oakley's familiar head pops over the threshold carrying three rabbit carcasses.
I look at her in disbelief.
"Normally I'd butcher away from my sleeping area but I'm draining them up here for you so count yourself lucky." She says.
"What happened?" I manage to say.
"I was on my daily walk and heard you scream. Then I ran and found you. You don't have any spinal injuries or broken bones, luckily, but you had a pretty nasty head bash so you were unconscious for three days."
Three days. Geez.
"Listen if you get a headache or blurry vision let me know immediately okay? Because I'll have to sort it."
I nod gently.
"Oakley, I'm sorry. I wasn't.."
"Don't. You need rest. We can talk about everything when you've recovered."
Shut down and knowing not to push her I lay my head back down and don't say anything else.
Oakley passes me a cup of red liquid every once in a while which smells of cinnamon and blood mixed together.
As night falls I watch as she sits on the edge of the, what I assume to be, a treehouse, her legs dangling off.

Oakley's PoV

I sit watching the stars, Harley asleep behind me. What on Earth was he doing out here?
Looking for you. A voice in my head tells me but I ignore it.