"No, no, no." Creak cried and sank to her knees in front of her brother.
"Don't you dare die on me!" She screamed and pressed her hands against the blood that poured out of his stomach. Stinky, red blood that flood like a rapid river.
"No." Creak whispered as the tears she had been holding back for months fell from her eyes. "Stans, don't leave me. Please don't leave me."
Creak had never felt the panic she felt now. Her brother was right beside her dying and there was nothing she could do. A sob broken from her lips taking with it any strength she had. Creak lost herself to coughing sobs of pain and misery. It was her fault that her brother was hurt. If she hadn't committed treason. If she hadn't left him, then maybe they wouldn't be where they were now.
"Stans?" Creak held her fingers against his neck to feel his withering pulse.
"That idiot!" A beautiful she-elf with black hair and blue eyes stomped onto the scene of the battle. "I told him to wait! But did he wait?"
A male elf who looked identical to the she-elf walked out beside her. "No, he didn't, Aria. How are we going to explain this to the Queen?"
The she-elf, Aria, walked over to Creak and looked down at Stans.
"Uhh." She sighed with sorrow and frustration. "I might be able to keep him alive long enough to get to Musicilous." She ran a hand through her hair. "Uh! I don't know! Core, do you think carrying him would kill him?"
The other elf, Core, shrugged. "He'll certainly die if we don't."
Aria looked down at Creak. "You must be the sister. Thanks for making my mission even more complicated."
Creak glared at the elf. "You can't blame me! If you two were with him why didn't you just hold him back? You could have saved him!"
Core shook his head. "Stans would never have forgiven us if something had happened to you. It was his choice."
Creak felt her heart sink. It may have been her brother's choice, but he had only don't it for her. It was her fault, but there was nothing she could do about it now.
It took everything she had to make herself stand up and move out of the elves way. "Please." She pleaded. "I don't care who's at fault. I just want Stans to be okay. Can you do anything for him?"
Aria's eyes softened. "We'll do everything we can."
With a nod, Creak forced herself to give the elves some privacy to work. Stans wasn't the only person who had been hurt in the battle.
Looking out at the white world covered in splashes of blood, Creak caught Riptide's eye. He sat in the snow with a small sewing kit open beside him. He finished tying off the stitches on his arm from where a wolf claw had caught him. Creak wasn't sure how long she could look at him before she completely lost it.
Why was he here? Was he going to drag her back to the king? Or was he going to help her?
Creak shook her head at that last thought and turned away from him. She needed to make sure Vern was okay. After the wolves had attacked her, Creak hadn't seen him.
Walking across the clearing, leaving drops of blood in her wake, Creak knelt down beside Vern. His back was crisscrossed with cuts that were thankfully shallow. He had suffered worse in the desert and Creak knew he would be okay.
"I'm okay if that's what you're wondering." Vern said with a soft smile. "You don't need to worry about me."
Creak tried to smile, but her face just wouldn't work. "That's good." She managed to get out before her voice cracked.
Vern wrapped his arms around her and held her. "Hey, it's okay. I'm sure your brother will be fine."
Creak choked back a sob. "But how? Vern, did you even see him? It's not good."
Creak felt like she was falling down an endless hole of darkness. She had been walking along it's edge for so long and finally it had swallowed her whole.
"Hey. Look at me, Creak." Vern tilted her chin up so she was looking into his eyes; eyes full of sincerity. "Those two looking after your brother are Woodland elves. Woodlanders are the best healers I've ever met. If anyone can help your brother it would be them."
Creak hugged Vern tight. She appreciated what he said even if she had a hard time believing him. "Thank you."
Vern smiled down at her. "I know you might want to stay with me all day, but I think you might have to deal with something else."
Creak knew he was talking about Riptide, but she didn't want to deal with him just yet. "What do you mean?"
Vern laughed softly. "You need to talk your friend over there before he tries to kill me."
Creak wanted to laugh, but it was impossible. "He's not my friend."
Vern squeezed her before pushing her out of his arms. "Either way you need to say something. He keeps glaring at me."
With a soft push of encouragement from Vern, Creak walked across the snow towards Rip. His eyes widened at the sight of her coming over to him and he turned away like he hadn't just been watching her with Vern.
Creak honestly didn't know what to do with herself, so she sat down in the snow across from him. "Are you here to take me back to the king or simply just kill me?"
Rip looked at her, his eyes a wary blue. "I'm not here to turn you in."
Creak felt herself get frustrated. She didn't have time to worry about Rip and his motives. Her brother was dying.
"Then why are you here?" She struggled to keep the annoyance out of her voice.
Riptide was confusing and she didn't need anymore problems in her life.
Rip seem to struggle with his words. "I was... I mean... I... don't know?" He shook his head and pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket.
Creak looked at the high bounty, higher than anything she had even seen. She didn't know what to say. He had just let her go. That wasn't enough to make him wanted alive for 5,000 gold crowns.
Riptide stuffed the bounty back into his pocket. "I had nowhere else to go."
Creak didn't understand. Didn't he have any family? Or maybe some friends that would help him?
"Why keep coming after me?" She asked. "Don't you have family or friends that could help you. Can't you clear your name? You didn't really commit any crimes."
Rip looked at her curiously. "You've never heard of the first son of Duke Dublin, have you?"
Creak didn't understand how that had anything to do with what they were talking about. "No. Who is he?"
Rip gave her a sour smile. "It's not 'who is he?' It's more like 'who was he?' That boy's long gone now. Maybe one day I'll tell you the story of the unwanted Dublin boy."
Creak shook her head. "But that doesn't answer my question. Why did you come here?"
Rip pushed himself to his feet and offered her his hand. Creak ignored his outstretched hand and pushed herself to her feet. Rip put his hands in his pockets and looked down at her. "I already told you. I had nowhere else to go."
Creak wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer but she had to ask. "Are you coming to the rebel kingdom with us?"
Rip looked out into the pine forest with a far away look. "Only if you want me to."
Creak felt her heart skip a beat, but quickly smashed that part of herself down. She didn't like the strange feelings she had for Riptide. They would only get in her way.
Creak practiced her nonchalance when she replied. "I don't really care what you do."
Rip looked away. "I guess I'm coming with you then, seeing as I have nowhere better to go."
Creak found herself looking away and over to where the twin elves were kneeling beside her brother. She was done talking to Riptide. She had to check on her brother.
"Fine." Creak said as she began to walk away. A new thought came to her and she looked back a Rip who was carefully watching her. "And would you please stop glaring at Vern? It makes him uncomfortable."
The blush that spread across Rip's face was oddly satisfying and Creak almost smiled. But her brother was hurt and she couldn't let herself be happy while he was hurt.
Tapping Core on the back, Creak looked at her brother. "Is he going to make it?"
Core looked at her with sorrow. "The cuts are pretty bad, but if we can make it to Musicilous within a week he should make it. Any later than that and we'll be pushing it. Aria's the best healer I know. She'll take care of him."
Creak nodded. "Thank you."
Core smiled. "You don't need to thank us. Aria's been traveling with Stans for a couple months now. Your brother has really started to grow on us. Even if he's always worrying."
Creak shook her head sadly. "Always worrying. That's sound just like my brother."
Aria stood and wiped her blood covered hands on her shirt. "That's all I can do for him right now." She said looking over at Creak. "Your shoulder looks pretty bad. Come here and let me have a look."
The bite on her shoulder hadn't hurt until she was reminded that it was there. Aria checked it out mumbling under her breath. She bent down and grabbed a handful of snow.
"This should help clean it out." She said and pressed the snow into Creaks wound. She bit back a scream.
'Stans is in way more pain.' She told herself. 'In comparison I don't have a right to cry.'
Aria turned to Core. "Can you had me the extra shirt from my bag?"
Core got her meaning and ripped a strip off of the extra clothes. It wasn't the best bandage, but it was all they had.
Aria wrapped Creak shoulder and tied it tightly.
She shook her head. "It's not the best, but we have to get going. Stans needs warmth and we're not going to get it out here."
Creak nodded and called for the others. Once everyone was ready, she turned to Aria and Core, who carried Stans in his arms. "Please." She gestured with her hand. "Lead the way."