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“Good,” I say as I stand and look at her. “Don’t trust anyone!”
I run off the cliff and jump into the waterfall. The air rushes past my face and picks at my skin, and for a split second, I regret my decision to jump, but I know we have no choice.
I want her to be alright, but I can’t save her if she doesn’t want my help. I hope I don’t regret this or that she chooses to follow me as my body smacks the water below.
4
DANA
Ilook at the wolves circling me and then at the waterfall.What kind of insane being leaps off a cliff into a waterfall?I think before I hear the wolves snapping at me. Looking back at them, I think I might be the insane one fornotfollowing his lead.
One of the wolves locks onto me with his vicious eyes, and I stand up, staring him down briefly before turning and running off the cliff into the waterfall. The air hits the gash in my leg, and I scream as I free fall and feel the pain.
The flight feels like it lasts forever, and not at all. Before I know it, I feel my body hit the water and try to hold my breath before I do. Luckily, I close my mouth at the right time as my body plunges into the water beneath the waterfall.
Unfortunately, I instinctively try to breathe through my nose and feel the water enter my throat and mouth. I struggle to find the surface, vertigo overtaking me as I begin to panic. I writhe underwater and look for something to hold.
My hand brushes something solid, and I grasp onto it, holding it tightly as my vision begins to blur. I finally find the surface, but by the time I see it, black and purple dots cloud my eyes.
The next thing I see is a sliver of the forest through barely cracked eyelids, and I feel my body move back and forth. I know I’m in motion, but I'm not strong enough to fully open my eyes and survey my surroundings. Then, everything goes black.
I open my eyes slightly again and see the sun begin to set through the trees. I feel wetness on my left hand side and solid arms carrying me. As I black out again, I cannot identify anything more evident than that.
The next time I come to, I feel a cold rush from my lungs to my mouth and hard force hitting my chest. I feel cold water shoot out from my lips, and I cough and wheeze as I roll on my side quickly and look at the dirt beneath me. The soil darkens with the water, and I watch it drip toward me on a slight incline as I begin breathing normally.
Rolling on my back, I see Hurian standing over me. Things become clearer as I look at him, at first seeing three of him until my eyes focus and bring me back to reality. I catch a glimpse of the sunset hitting the side of his face, and for a second, I wonder if we both died and he’s greeting me in the afterlife before he lightly taps my face, then pulls his hand back quickly.
I shake my head and look at him again. The sunset’s light reflects off the lines of his muscles, barely fitting in his tight, soaked shirt. He has short black hair, and his eyes are captivating, and something about them sucks me in and brings me back to the real world.
I realize that I’ve seen him before in the compound. He’s usually very quiet and tends to blend into the background despite his towering stature. I’ve never heard anything about him. He’s one of the less problematic orcs in the clan, not flashy or winning praise for being the best warrior or the most excellent blacksmith.
I wonder why he was in the woods when he saved me and why he bothered to save me. He knew that he couldn’t take on the pack of wolves. He jumped into awaterfallto get away from them. He must have seen them swarming me before he jumped in to ensure I was alright. Why would he bother if he knew he couldn’t take the pack on?
“Are you alright?” he asks in a deep, husky voice.
“Yes….” I say through heavy breaths. “Yeah, I’m okay.”
I sit up slowly and cough again, more water hitting the ground as I look at my surroundings. The waterfall has disappeared from my line of sight, and all that’s in front of us is a broad, deep, and calm river.
Hurian stands up, towering over me as he extends a hand. I look at it skeptically before taking it and standing up slowly. My vision rocks back and forth before I lean over and try to knock the excess water out of my ears.
I feel some of it drain out, and the pressure releases on my head. Hurian begins walking past me and down the river, and I notice he’s limping, and I start following him as my memory returns.
I rub the back of my head and stretch my neck before exhaling and looking at Hurion. He’s soaked, and I begin to remember that we jumped down a waterfall. The memories of the wolves come back, and I shake my head, surprised that I followed him down.
He stops briefly and grabs onto his leg. I catch up to him, look where he’s pressing, and see a significant cut forming on his leg. It stretches from his kneecap to his ankle and looks deep. I look him in the eyes, but he tries to avert his gaze and keeps walking.
“Hey, slow down!” I call out as I walk quickly to keep up with him, my own pain stopping me from walking as quickly as usual. “You’re hurt; let me treat your wound. We can use leaves from the forest and some vines to make a bandage.”
“My pain is the last thing on my mind,” he responds firmly. “We’re lost and need to find our way back.”
I look around and try to listen for the sound of rushing water or familiar landmarks that would give me clues about where we are. All I see is the sun reflecting off the calm, flowing water of the river.
“Where are we?” I ask as I rub the wound on my leg. “I can’t hear the waterfall.”
My heart begins racing, and I panic internally. We’re lost in the woods with those wild animals out there. They can smell my blood, and they can find us quickly if we’re still in their proximity. I look at him with wide eyes and try to stop myself from hyperventilating as I wonder if we’ll ever find our way back home.
“I don’t know. I lost consciousness along with you but came to before you did.” He slightly turns his head to face me as he talks to me but doesn’t stop walking.
