Page 33 of Shadow's Chosen

"Thank you." She seemed to be deciding her words carefully. "I won't bother asking how you found me but," she laughed softly, a surprisingly light tone that made his heart thump a little heavier, "I'm actually really glad you did. Imagine that." Her smile faded, and her eyes fell. "If you hadn't, I would be..."

Nezka remained still. "Would be what?"

She looked back at him with a frown. "Somebody's plaything I imagine. Or worse off than I am now." Cautiously, she stood, her expression pained as she straightened, feeling out her aches. "So, I guess I should say thank you again. For coming to get me." She looked everywhere but at him at first until their eyes finally met, and, as if finding her courage, she stretched her arm out to him, presenting her hand. "I guess I owe you a lot. You've saved my hide more than once now" She smiled at him, and his heart thumped again. "Even if I don't care to admit it," she concluded.

Nezka looked down at her outstretched hand. Uncertain of this human gesture and what she expected him to do with it, he brought his own hand up and placed it lightly against hers. She laughed again, dropping her outstretched hand and lifting her other to grip his hand firmly and shake it.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

"It's just a show of gratitude between two people," she said. "Or when making a deal, but that's different." She clasped his hand a little longer before letting it fall. Something passed over her eyes, a strange look he only barely caught. She cleared her throat as if uncomfortable and passed a hand along the top of her head, through her hair. "Anyway. Once we get some rest, we can make plans to leave, maybe get out of this dump before night tomorrow."

It was Nezka's turn to stare at her in bewilderment. He had no proper words at first until all he could do was laugh.

Elise glanced back at him in surprise. "What?"

"We aren't leaving here. Not for some time."

She stared back at him, confused. "I'm sorry?"

"We are staying here."

"I...what do you mean staying here?" she said in a more forceful tone.

Here we go.

"I mean exactly that. We aren't leaving this place until I deem it safe to do so," he said firmly. "Or if by some bad chance we are forced to."

She crossed her arms in a defensive stance. "We can't stay here. My people are waiting for me. We don't have time."

"We have no choice. You are in no way ready to continue on in your state. You can barely walk. If you try to so much as run, you'll aggravate your wounds even worse. We would need to stop every hour just to put on more salve to keep the wounds from being infected. And when the time comes when we have to fight or run from whatever enemy we face, I won't be able to carry you, and you won't be able to defend yourself properly. So." He dropped the salve back into the bag and picked up the painkillers along with the canteen, handing them to her. "You will take these. You will rest. The salve will do its work but will take at least a few days—"

"A few days!" she nearly choked.

"—and a couple more after that just to be sure," he concluded. "You also are malnourished, the wounds draining your energy even more. Until you are healed and able to run and fight on your own, we go no farther."

She opened her mouth then closed it again, unable to find a response but wanting to argue all the same. "You don't understand. My team doesn't have a few days. Who knows what the Red Blades are going to do to them? Who knows if they'll be alive in a few days?"

"That is a risk we will have to take," Nezka said. "But if they’ve kept the first group for as long as they have, chances are whatever they have planned is not yet ready to be set in motion. My guess is because they are still searching, hoping to find you. Or perhaps waiting on more humans to come. Who knows? What I do know is I didn't get you this far just to see you die at the next gate. Because that is what will happen, Starling, if you don't stay."

She remained quiet, looking up at him still with an eye of defiance until her expression changed to one of confusion then annoyance. "It's Stirling," she said and turned from him to plop herself down on the longseat. She sat there seething and thinking, and he watched, waiting, until she finally looked back at him. "Fine. But if I am able to recover quicker than you say and can prove it, do you promise we will go?"

He looked at her for a long moment then came over and put out his hand. She huffed, gazing out the window, hoping he wouldn't catch one corner of her lip curling ever so slightly before she took his hand and shook it.

Twelve

Elise took the first day in stride, trying her best to be patient, to just let herself rest and heal, knowing if she exerted herself and fell back on her recovery, Nezka would see to it that they stay longer, and she couldn't let that happen. She knew fighting him was useless as she was too weak, and if she even tried to leave on her own, he would likely find her and carry her back.

In truth, she wasn't keen on attempting to leave anyway. For one, she knew her emotions were driving her too much. She could hear Adrien's voice in her head, telling her it would be foolish to go on in her state, that the smart move would be to hunker down and wait till she was at her best and ready to complete the mission without fail. It was the smart, logical thing to do, even if she hated sitting or lying around doing nothing. And boy, did she hate it.

So, the day wore on, and she slept some and took what food Nezka found and drank as much water as he could fill in the canteen, part of her grateful for his help while another part was irritated that she needed it at all. She grew uncomfortable at the thought of being so dependent on him when he could so easily disappear and never return. But though he disappeared often, usually to find more goods, he always returned and was there when she woke up, turning the fire or preparing some meal from a package or can that she couldn't identify but forced herself to eat. He was silent for most of the day, and Elise was fine to just watch him in a half-sleep state as the painkillers kicked in, putting her in a sort of light daze.

When night approached and it grew dark, Elise became more restless. She wanted to get up and walk, but Nezka deemed it unwise, and she heard Adrien's voice in her head again, so she let it go, if only for tonight. It helped to know that the salve worked faster when she was at rest, and when Nezka checked her wounds, he concluded that they were healing at a good rate, faster than he expected which meant they might very well be on their way sooner, and that gave her hope, so she did her best to be patient.

She sat in her chair, sick of sleep, the painkillers beginning to wear off, watching as Nezka rekindled the fire. When he was finished, he sat opposite her and sifted through her bag. He'd gone on his last run for the night, returning with several food packs and a refilled canteen. He'd also found several other items in his search—another canteen, a small green block of something she didn't recognize, and a single cord of metal rope, which he hung on his belt. She asked him where he acquired such things, and his answer was in no way shocking.

"Some loner on my way back from the alleyway," he said.

Elise shook her head. "I know we need to survive and may have been forced to take a few provisions, but now you’re just blatantly stealing."

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