Page 21 of Those That Are Lost
I hear Henry’s voice above the chaos, shouting instructions. I can’t focus on anything but gripping the material of Ty’s coat and praying it doesn’t rip.
We scramble for what seems like minutes until finally, thankfully, Ty makes another attempt to pull me clear of the water and my knee finds solid ground. We fall with the momentum, Ty’s back colliding onto the more solid ice and me landing on top of him.
We’re both panting hard and neither of us relaxes our grip on the other. On instinct, we both hold our next inhales and tense as the water underneath us sloshes against the ice we’re still laying on. The noise dies down and I don’t pick up any further creaking. I slowly release the air in my lungs and hear Ty do the same.
Our eyes lock and I see the utter fear swimming in hisdeep blue irises. His grip doesn’t ease with his left hand but his right comes to gently push loose strands of damp hair off my face.
That’s when the shivering kicks in. I’m so cold, soaking wet, and laying on snow and ice in freezing temperatures.
“Are you injured?” Henry’s voice comes from somewhere beyond our position on the lake. I look up to find him standing a good twenty metres away.
Ty twists slowly left and right, scanning the little of me he can see. I give him a shake of my head as another shiver wracks my body. “I don’t think so, I’m just cold.” My teeth chattering as I speak.
“Nothing’s obviously broken,” Ty calls back, craning his head back to spot his friend.
“Good. Can you move without breaking more ice? I’m at the shore. You’ve not got far to go.”
We move slower than I had on the first attempt at this. Detangling ourselves from each other, we slowly crawl towards where Henry is standing. I have to rely on my body doing as I ask because I sure as shit can’t feel it. I do notice as my clothes start to freeze, however, sending my core temperature even lower.
Finally, we reach Henry, and Ty helps me to stand. My teeth are chattering so violently now I think I’d snap my fangs clean off if I extended them.
“We need to get you out of this wind and start a fire,” Ty says. I can only nod. A fire sounds wonderful.
“Here, I managed to grab your bag.” Henry passes Ty his rucksack. “I’m afraid yours went into the water, Aurora.”
Apart from the fact it has clean clothes, I can’t bring myself to care.
The guys quickly get me moving towards the valley, our intended destination, but with each step, I feel more wobblyon my shaking limbs. I make it a few feet before the world tilts and I fall into waiting arms.
Consciousness creeps backin the form of flickering orange light and the worst pins and needles sensation cresting in waves across my body.
Opening my eyes, I discover that there are indeed caves in these mountains. At least I assume we’re still in the mountains. We’re definitely in a cave, the rocky ceiling above me informing me of my whereabouts. I can tell both guys are close by because they’re scents fill the space. As I become more lucid, I also hear them talking quietly.
Shifting to stretch out my aching limbs, fleecy material rubs against my skin, sending prickles across it. I let out a small whimper at the sensation.
“Red, are you awake?” Ty’s voice comes from close by, my eyes move on instinct to find him.
He’s kneeling beside me instantly, helping me as I try to sit up, fighting the stabbing of a thousand pinpricks as I move.
“Hi,” I croak.
“Glad to see you conscious.” Henry comes to crouch in front of me too. He touches my forehead, then takes my pulse at my wrist before stepping away again. I don’t miss Ty tracking his touches with a clenched jaw. Seemingly satisfied, Henry moves back once more, walking to the fire.
I take in our surroundings properly. The cave isn’t huge but tall enough for the males to stand at their full height. The entrance is as tall as the space but snow has been piled up against the lower half—a four foot wind break if we’re laying down and a gap left in the top for the smoke to escape.
A small fire has been lit in the middle of the space. I’mcurrently near the rear, wrapped in two sleeping bags and the blanket I refused to leave behind. I’d bought it from one of the locals in Wintica and it was a heavy wool from their own sheep. Ty had convinced me he’d carry it as his pack had been the least full. I’m glad he had now, considering all my gear was at the bottom of a lake.
That’s when I realise my clothes. I am no longer wearing jeans, or my jumper or coat. In fact, I’m in a loose t-shirt and what feels like a pair of boxers. Neither item is mine.
“We had to take your wet clothes off,” Ty tells me. “We wouldn’t have been able to warm you up otherwise. Your body went into hypothermic shock.”
I nod, knowing they would’ve done anything to help me recover, but I take a small inhale and recognise Ty’s scent on the t-shirt. I dismiss the way my heart feels heavy in my chest knowing I’m wearing his clothes. “Are we still in the valley?”
“Yes, this is the first cave we spotted. I didn’t want to waste time looking for a better one when you were so cold.”
“Here, drink this.” Henry comes back and offers me a crooked shaped bowl.
I rear back, realising that it’s a skull. “What the fuck?”
