Girl who Speaks to Birds

Chapter 42

We had won! After all of the other fights, I had expected this one to end with lots of death, or being trapped at the hunter's buildings. But we had won. We had one!

Wait... what if this was a dream? I pinched myself. Nope, not a dream.

We had actually won!

Then, a wave of exhaustion washed over me. The adrenaline must've been wearing off. I got to my feet, glancing at the small yet burning scrapes on my lower legs. Still, I was exhausted, and I wasn't going to risk falling asleep.

Tyler glanced up at me, a large gash on his cheek. Ouch.

"I'm coming, Tyler."

"You love him, don't you?"

I didn't reply, but a slight heat rose to my cheeks. I ran over him, leaves and vines scratching up against my already-injured legs. I bent over him. It was gross, with blood all over in a smear.

"You'll be able to do this. The worst thing that'll happen is that you'll fall asleep. But I agree with you. It does need to be healed, or there's the risk that it'll become infected."

I glanced at Tyler. "I'm going to heal you." I said simply, placing my hand over the bloody wound. I glanced at him, and a grimace was clearly seen on Tyler's face. I heard him suck in his breath.

I focused on the wound closing. I imagined the wound healing, as if it had never been there in the first place. Waves of nausea washed over me, and I clenched my free hand into a fist. I shut my eyes and waited for the nausea to subside.

But then, everything went dark.

I woke a few hours later, with everybody above me. I must've grown too exhausted to continue. What about Tyler?

"It's official, you like him."

I looked at all the shifters. "I'm fine, I'm fine." I repeated, getting to my feet. I looked at Tyler, who had been looking at me.

He sighed, probably in relief. "Good, you're alright. You healed me, but then you passed out. Thanks for that."

I felt an extreme heat move to my cheeks. "Thanks."

I looked at the shifters, who were watching me closely. I - feeling well rested, and, to be honest, over joyed at the win - flew to a tree branch.

"So," I began "We may have won this first battle, but that doesn't mean we'll win them all."

Hushed whispers ran through the crowd, and when they died down - for the most part, that is - I began to speak again. "As I have been told before, there will be bloodshed and there will be death. But we're doing this for Caspian." I looked down. "I didn't save him; it's the least I can do."