Page 17 of Black Wing and Shadows
“Let’s figure this out.” Asher was next to me.
“He’s not going to make it. One of these is in his heart, and the other is in…” Ophelia said before she faded into the distance.
“No, no…” I cried out before everything went completely dark.
“Hey there, stay with us,” Ophelia said softly, as I tried to open my eyes.
“How bad is it?” I asked her.
“Mostly flesh wounds, nothing life-threatening. You will likely experience pain and need a Healer. An arrow went into your calf, which is the worst one. You have one in your back, but it only pierced the skin. You also have one lodged in your hip and upper arm.”
“Fuck. Everything is burning.”
We need to set one of the arrows on fire and cauterize the wounds to stop the bleeding so we can move on.
“Shit.” All I had were curse words, plenty of them. “Is Callum… is he?”
“He didn’t make it…”
Oh gods. No... Why? My heart broke in two. He and I had grown close over the past few weeks, and now he was gone like that. This was the reason I didn’t want to make friends or get close to anyone. People die here. Tears streamed down my face as I mourned the loss of my friend. I knew I had to stand and move. We could not sit here. I did not know how long I was unconscious or if other squads passed by us while they triaged me. I pulled myself into a sitting position to gather my thoughts.
“Where is Callum?” I asked, confused.
“Instructor Pascal already came and took him, wherever they take them to,” Beau said.
I surveyed the remaining members of my squad, checking each one to confirm they were okay. Our group now consisted of eight: Beau, Ophelia, Asher, Selene, Jeremy, Theodore, Atlas, and me. I pushed myself upright, using the wall to steady my balance. I wasn't sure if I could walk. My calf throbbed painfully, unlike anything I had felt before. My left ankle still ached, and I struggled to bear weight on my right. My legs trembled uncontrollably, and eventually, I collapsed back onto the cold ground. This was really fucking bad.
“I think you guys might need to leave me,” I told them.
“Absolutely fucking not,” Beau shook his head. “Someone will need to take the lead, checking for land mines and trip wires. I will carry Auriella on my back.”
“I’ll take the lead. I’ve been training for Infantry since I was a child,” Theodore said.
“We can alternate carrying her. Let me know when you need a break,” Asher added.
Theodore stepped to the front of the line, with Jeremy behind him and Asher after. Beau knelt before me. I extended my arms over his shoulders, and he grasped my thighs and lifted me onto his back. Soon, I sensed my eyelids growing heavy, my stomach uneasy, and the world spinning around me.
“I think… I might… Vomit,” I barely got the words out.
He paused and sucked in his breath.
“Sorry,” I muttered.
"It’s okay, take some deep breaths. The nausea comes from the blood loss and pain. What do you always tell us? Refocus yourself."
“Okay… I smell your hair, and you need a bath.” I inhaled deeply. “I tasted the bland bread I was eating earlier.” Another deep breath. “I see the back of your head. You definitely need a bath.” Another inhale. “I feel your warm skin under mine.” I took in the largest breath. “I hear all the rocks crumbling under our boots.”
He let out a small chuckle. “Good, keep breathing, you’re going to make it down this mountain, we all will.”
I started to doze off again, my eyes feeling heavy. I leaned my head forward onto his shoulder. I felt so weak. I hated this. I hated feeling weak. I hated slowing my squad down. I hated for them to see me vulnerable and weak. I drifted into sleep.
“Hey Auriella, Asher is going to take you now,” he said, tapping my thigh to wake me up.
“You can call me Auri…” I said. The words came out slowly. The world spun, everything was blurry, and my head pounded. I believed I was somewhat worse than what Ophelia claimed.
Beau knelt carefully, gently placing me on the uneven ground. He swapped places with Asher, who confidently reached down and lifted me just as Beau had earlier. The setting sun cast a warm, orange glow as we appeared to inch closer to completing this. My eyelids drooped, my body ached with exhaustion, and a strange sweat broke out on my forehead.
If you feel like your body is on flames, while also in an icebox, you have an infection, Auri. It’s important for you to get the wound tended to before it spreads. Wound infections are the top reason we lose cadets at astronomical rates.
