Ratchet hadn't realized he'd dozed off until a frigid breeze startled him awake. He abruptly lifted his head, his blue gaze alert as he scanned his surroundings. Night had fallen, blanketing the forest in darkness. It was an eerie sight, no doubt, especially when you were stranded in the middle of nowhere.
Once he concluded that the coast was clear, the medic turned his head to check on his two companions. Taylor was still asleep. He could scarcely make out her tiny form against his flank. Cliffjumper appeared to be sleeping as well, though he could've been pronounced dead if Ratchet hadn't seen him breathe. Relief washed over him.
They were okay. For now, at least.
He then shifted his attention to his own well-being. The deep, teeth-like marks along his foreleg almost appeared frost-bitten, but at least he couldn't feel any pain. The cold must've numbed him to it. Infection was inevitable with an open wound like this, so he needed to treat it as soon as possible. Given their current situation, however, that wouldn't happen for a while.
The rustling of some bushes made his heart leap into his throat. He scanned his surroundings again, fear gripping him in its icy talons.
Maybe it was just the wind.
But what if it wasn't?
Ratchet knew he was exhausted. His aching body screamed at him to rest, but his mind refused to settle. He was walking the thin line between consciousness and unconsciousness, a state in which reality and the creations of his mind clashed. Was his mind playing tricks on him? Or did he truly hear those bushes rustling?
Several minutes passed, though it felt more like several hours. Ratchet had scanned the same patch of forest over twenty times with the same result.
Nothing.
He was overtired and overreacting.
Finally, his body forced him to succumb to exhaustion. He laid his head between his paws and allowed his eyes to close. Sleep took him swiftly, plunging him into a world where not even dreams could venture through his mind. His worries took up a majority of the space. They left no room for pleasant thoughts, only uncertainty.
*
*
*
The morning sun cast its rays of light across Taylor's face, gently stirring her from slumber. She yawned and stretched her arms above her head with a soft groan. As she opened her eyes, she was greeted by a beautiful sight.
Frost coated every inch of the forest, from the bare branches of the trees to the dormant grass beneath her feet. The sunlight shone down upon the frosted forest, causing it to sparkle and gleam as if it were made of diamonds. Although the air still held a bitter chill, the sun was warm and comforting.
Taylor's admiration soon changed to horror as her wandering gaze landed upon the figure of an unknown dragon, who was crouched among the thicket of bare bushes several yards away from where they had camped. She had never seen them before and the idea that they had probably been watching her sleep sent shivers down her spine. She remained absolutely still, only brave enough to steal a few glances before she squeezed her eyes shut out of fear.
Their appearance was strikingly similar to that of a Decepticon—which was worrying, to say the least—yet they did not seem to possess the aggressive nature that so commonly identified a dragon from that faction. They appeared to be cautious—curious, even, as they watched from a distance instead of killing Taylor and her Autobot companions in their sleep.
None of this made sense and frankly, Taylor wasn't taking any chances.
She opened her eyes again and pressed her back flat against Ratchet's flank. Cliffjumper shifted in his sleep, forcing her to brace herself with her legs so she didn't slip between the two of them. She checked once more to confirm that the unknown dragon hadn't moved before she nudged Ratchet with her elbow. When he didn't respond, she nudged him a little harder.
"Ratchet, wake up!" She whispered urgently, her gaze flicking between his head and the stranger.
After a few agonizingly long seconds, Ratchet's head finally moved to indicate he was waking up. His left eyelid twitched before fully opening and exposing his eye to the light. He flinched and closed it again, grumbling something inaudible under his breath.
Using her hands and feet, Taylor slowly shuffled closer to Ratchet's head. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, pumping more adrenaline through her veins.
"Ratchet, you need to get up. Now." She hissed through her teeth. She couldn't help that she was absolutely terrified in that moment.
Ratchet noted the seriousness in her tone almost instantly. He remained still, but opened his eye once more so that he could see her.
"What's wrong?" He murmured, unsure of what exactly was going on.
"There's another dragon. I don't know how long they've been watching us..." Taylor murmured, risking another peek at the dragon.
Ratchet's pupil immediately shrank down to a pinprick as her words sank in. "Climb over to my other side and stay down." He uttered, his mind racing as he tried to figure out how he was going to confront the stranger.
Taylor acted without protest, quickly crawling across his back and sliding down his flank until her feet hit solid ground. She crouched as Ratchet rose to his paws and turned his head in the direction of the stranger, fear for him piercing her heart. She didn't want to see him get hurt again, especially since he was already badly injured. He wouldn't stand a chance in a fight with a healthy outsider.
Meanwhile, Ratchet stared down the unwelcome newcomer, who appeared to have noticed he was awake. They rose to their paws as well and stepped out of the thicket.
"Keep your distance." Ratchet seethed, curling his lip to bare his teeth. He purposely stood a bit sideways so that his injured leg would be protected by his body in case he was attacked.
"You're injured and your friend isn't in much better condition. I suggest you back down." The newcomer answered, her otherwise feminine voice tainted by a certain roughness that only a battle-hardened warrior would have.
"Not until I know your intentions." Ratchet fired back. Being told to back down by a seemingly overconfident stranger only infuriated him, understandably so since he had two lives to protect as well as his own. "Who are you? And why were you watching us?"
She released an amused snort that came out as a visible white cloud above her snout. "Your human pet is more observant than I thought." She mused, looking Ratchet up and down. "My name isn't important right now. All I care about is the fact that you're trespassing on my territory."
Ratchet stifled a curse that wanted to escape. Of course it was their luck that they'd end up on someone's territory. He wasn't even aware that dragons lived this far out.
"I apologize for trespassing, but I assure you it was not intentional." He told her. "We escaped from a human facility and ran as far as we could."
"A human facility?" She inquired, looking like she didn't believe him at first. Her gaze momentarily softened before hardening once more. "You're Autobots, aren't you? I thought I recognized the stench. You're pretty far from home."
Ratchet narrowed his eyes and tried to push down the anger that rose in his heart. "For your information, we were taken against our will." He retorted sharply.
"I don't doubt it, old timer, but you think I care? I've lost friends to them too. They just disappear without a trace one day and I never see them again. How come you were lucky enough to escape while they weren't?" She hissed with a flash of her fangs.
"You can't blame us for something out of our control. While I extend my deepest condolences for the loss of your friends, we had no idea what those humans were capable of or how long they had been in operation." Ratchet shot back in a bitter tone.
"Is that why you've taken one of them hostage?"
"Hostage?" Ratchet sputtered in disbelief, appalled that she had even come to that conclusion. "She is not a hostage, nor is she part of that horrid organization. She was taken as well. We only managed to escape because of her."
"How convenient." She scoffed, now glaring at him with piercing amber eyes.
"It's true!" Taylor boldly declared as she emerged from under Ratchet's stomach. "I helped them escape, but we don't know where we are. We need food, shelter, and herbs. Can you help us?"
The female dragon lashed her tail with a hiss as her burning glare shifted to Taylor. "Like I'd ever help a human and a pair of would-be justice seekers. You're a disgrace to your kind."
"He will die if he does not get food and medical treatment! If you refuse to help, you are no better than those you call a disgrace." Ratchet seethed as he gestured to Cliffjumper, his stress levels reaching a boiling point. He was desperate and angry—a deadly combination.
She remained silent and stared him down, her posture growing stiff. For a moment, it seemed she would simply walk away without saying another word. But then, she released a soft sigh through her nostrils.
"There is another den that neighbors mine. Follow my scent and you will find it." She muttered, giving Ratchet one final look before she turned and headed off into the thicket.
Ratchet visibly relaxed once she had left. He glanced down at Taylor, who looked just as worried as he did.
"Are we going to follow her?" Taylor asked as she gazed up at him.
Ratchet sighed and returned his gaze to the forest. "We have to, or we will perish out here." He murmured. This wasn't the outcome he was expecting, and the future only seemed to become more uncertain. Would they be alright? Or would they be walking straight into a trap?
Only time would tell.
***
Another update! Sorry for taking so long lol. I hope you guys enjoyed it!