Page 38 of Spirit Trials
“I’m so glad you found it,” she says, taking a deep breath and relaxing for the first time since that creature showed up.
“Do you know what that awful creature was?” I ask Kinsley quietly.
“A cragfang vulture. I’ve only heard of them, never seen one before. They’re known for that high-pitched sound and claws.” She looks down at Harper. “She’s really lucky. I’ve heard they can pull a man’s arm right off his body.”
I shudder and look back down at our friend before scanning the area. “We can’t stay here in the open like this. We’re just sitting ducks for whatever wild animal or competitors come this way.”
“I know. I’ve been thinking about that. I think we should move her while she’s still unconscious. We can both take an end.”
I nod. “We just need a good safe place. I can scout—”
“I’ll go this time,” she says cutting me off.
“Okay.” I watch her go before turning back to Harper. I kneel next to her, making sure I still have access to all my weapons. The sounds of the forest close in around me, and I find myself jumping at every little noise. I get why Kinsley didn’t want to stay here again. Finally, she comes back. I look down at my hand and notice with dismay that it’s swelling. I grab one of the leaves from Harper, one of the ones on the third layer and put it on my hand just in case that snake’s bite was indeed venomous.
“I found a place.” Kinsley’s says.
“Okay. Let’s move her.” I stand and position myself at her shoulders while Kinsley takes her legs. It’s an awkward shuffle for us, but we finally find a rhythm. It takes us a lot longer than I would have liked to get her moved and settled. When we finally lay her down, we’re both sweating and breathing hard. “You did good,” I gasp out. “This is a good spot to lay low for now.” I stumble a moment as the world tilts a little.
Kinsley reaches out and steadies me. “You good?” I can see the concern in her eyes, and I straighten.
“Yeah, I just got hot moving her.” But my casual words bely me when I stumble again.
“Farrah.” Kinsley takes my arm and helps me sit. “What’s wrong?”
I grimace as the world continues to spin around me. I blink and try shaking my head to clear it, but that just makes it worse. “I may have gotten bit by a snake.”
“What?” Kinsley shrieks. “When?”
“When I was getting the leaves for Harper. It’s my own stupid fault. I reached right into the plant. I know better.”
“Well, beating yourself up now isn’t going to change anything. What kind of snake was it?”
I sigh. “I don’t know. I didn’t recognize it, but it wasn’t small. It had yellow and pink rings. Do you recognize it?”
Kinsley shakes her head. “No, but I hate snakes, so I wouldn’t really know.” Her eyes meet mine. “Do you think it’s poisonous?”
“Well, my heart hasn’t stopped yet, so that’s good.”
“Not funny. Where did it get you?” I show her my hand. It’s not lost on me that my hand is swollen and red.
She takes off the leaf and studies the bite marks. It’s super tender, so when she touches it, I hiss. “Sorry.” She covers it back up. “Put that stuff on it that you got for Harper.”
“I used it all for Harper.”
“Well go find more,” she demands.
“It’s fine. I will if it gets worse.” She frowns at me but doesn’t argue. What I don’t tell her is that I don’t think I can make it there and back without passing out. I really feel like I’m going to pass out, but I’m not all that sure that it’s the bite to blame. I think it could also be my adrenaline crashing after not only the battle with the vulture but the snake attack as well. I think my body just wants to crash. Only, we’re out in the middle of the forest, fighting for our lives...so yeah, not a super convenient time to just take a nap. “Oh,” I say, just remembering. “I found this while I was out searching for the plant.” I unzip my pouch and pull out the coin.
“A gold coin,” she says, eyes wide. “Great job, Farrah.”
I sigh. “Yeah, not that it helps us any right now.”
“Yeah. Do you think they’re even worth collecting?”
I lean back against a tree. “Terron said the one with the most coins is the Champion, so it definitely doesn’t hurt to find them.” I don’t tell her of my own aspirations to win this entire thing. I look around at the small area we’re holed up in. “Kinsley, you didreally good with this area. We can rest here but stay out of sight.” There are several large trees around us, and overgrown bushes close us in on all sides. Unless you’re in a tree looking down, you can’t see us in here. And that’s really good because Harper needs to rest, and I’m not feeling so good at the moment either. I close my eyes and lean against the trunk. “Thanks, Kinsley.” She doesn’t say anything, and I open my eyes to find her staring at me.
“That’s not like goodbye, right?”
