Game of Hearts (Original Version)

Chapter 7

"You must have been in quite the fight before you found me." You softly spoke out loud, hoping that maybe it would help in some way. You thought he might be able to hear you and fight for consciousness, or maybe it would just be soothing to listen to a gentle voice after going through so much. "I hope I can help you before it's too late. I'd really like to thank you. You saved me, you know. You saved me from the most horrible fate imaginable. Axel doesn't understand. You didn't just save my life by killing that...man. I don't know how you found me, but I'm so grateful you did. Zack and Axel were only seconds behind you, but who knows? If you hadn't come in when you did, he might have killed me before they got there."

His peaceful expression began to change, and he winced in pain as he began to regain consciousness. "Snow..." he called out weakly, his eyes starting to open slowly.

"Welcome back." You said with a small smile as he blinked a few times.

"Where—"

"The Woodlands still. You passed out. But don't worry, I'm going to help you."

"Snow?" He looked up at you, but you shook your head.
"Afraid not."

He had to squint against the sunlight flooding his eyes to make out the details of the figure above him, but couldn't really see much besides pink lips, and short _______ hair. He recognized that hair, from...somewhere...It wasn't his sister's, and it wasn't one of the maids...

His eyes shot open and he jumped upright, causing himself a great deal of pain as he turned to look at you without the sun obscuring his vision. "You're...that girl." He said before getting woozy and slumping forward. He retained consciousness, but pretty much fell limp into your arms.

"Relax, we're safe here. Help is on the way." You said, helping him lay back down onto your knees.

He muttered something else, but you could only make out the word 'huntsman'. "Don't worry, he's long gone." You said, remembering distinctly how frightened he was of Zack.

"You two having a nice chat?" Axel said as he came up with a bag of supplies in one arm, and tossing a coin pouch up and down in his other. "I may need another ring of yours if we keep up this kind of spending, you know." He sighed as he dropped the bag by you, and then sat down with his back against a tree. He put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, trying to rest for a moment, even if he couldn't sleep.

"You're not going to help?" You glared at him as you began to reach for the bag. He got water, a bottle of rum, a sponge, and a pin. Everything you needed was there, now you just needed a clean environment to work in.

"No. I don't know how, and even if I did, I don't want to."

"Well, you could at least start making some kind of camp." You shot back as you grabbed a sponge from the bag and soaked it in alcohol and water and began to dab it around the stab wound.

"We're not camping here." Axel said firmly.

"He's not going to be able to move—"

"We can't. We need to get out of the woods, or find some kind of shelter."

"Well where do you propose we go? We can't go looking in the woods for a place to stay, and I will not go back to that town."

"It's too far to drag him anyway..." Axel said, scratching his chin as he thought.

"There are houses around here...old, abandoned, but...shelter." The boy said, barely keeping conscious.

"Relax. We'll take care of the rest." You said to him, and his head fell back against your lap and his eyes closed. "You hear that? There are plenty of places to find shelter around here." You said to Axel, who was beginning to get twitchy again.