A searing bolt of pain sliced through the raw wound, and colored dots danced before my eyes.I concentrated on my breathing as I waited for the throbbing to subside.
Looked like the wound was worse than I’d thought.
I’d left my medi-kit on the boat, but I’d seen a birch tree a few lengths back.My grandfather had been a bit of a survivalist and had shown me how to make a traditional wound dressing from birch bark.That would serve to dull the pain until I retrieved the medi-kit and the heavy-duty painkillers in it.I’d outgrown that macho, I-can-take-the-pain stage a long time ago.
I got to my feet, using the massive tree stump to steady myself.For a moment, the world swam in front of my eyes.Great, just what I needed.
I closed them, waiting for the forest to stop moving.When it did, I pushed off from the stump, trekking slowly in the direction of the beachhead where I’d left my boat.
One foot in front of the other.Easy as that.I could do this.
My arm throbbed, and I glanced down.No fresh blood.Good.
I stopped by the birch tree, dropping to one knee.Using a sharp-bladed hunting knife to slice off a few lengths of bark, I shredded it into fibers and formed them into a compress.Sucking in a deep breath, I gently placed the birch bark poultice over the raw flesh and reapplied the dressing, securing it with the belt.
Resting for a bit to let the pain ease up, I rose to my feet and continued in the direction of the boat.
Seconds later, I stumbled over a surface root, thudding heavily to my knees.The loss of blood must have weakened me more than I’d realized, and it took a long moment before I managed to get back up.I picked up a broken tree limb, leaning on it for balance.
My focus narrowed.I needed to get to the boat.Keeping my hold on the makeshift walking stick, I took a step.Better, much better.
The birch bark compress supplied some relief from the pain in my arm.I’d had worse injuries back in my military days.I could do this.
Concentrate.The boat.
Need to get to boat.
Need to report back in.
Whatever these guys were after, the Brotherhood of the Wild would put a stop to it.We had the advantage of operating internationally, bypassing local bureaucracy.And we had money.Money could open doors and make officials look the other way.
Boat.Need to get to the boat.
I stumbled again, pausing to lean on a tree until my vision cleared.
Clenching my jaw, I pushed myself upright and took one step.Then another.
Leaning heavily on the walking stick, I steadied myself.The notion of balance seemed to have deserted my brain entirely, and I compromised with a slow shuffling gait that kept me on my feet and heading in the right direction.That was really all I needed.
I felt myself start to fall again and reached out for the closest tree.Had I even made it twenty feet since the last time I’d had to reach for a tree?Maybe.But not much farther.
I took a deep breath and tried to clear my head.Nope.Wasn’t going to work this time.Never mind.I just needed to keep moving in the direction of the boat.That was all.
Just keep moving.
I sagged heavily to my knees, grunting at the impact.It sucked when my body didn’t obey me.Closing my eyes, I mentally started to count to ten.A ten-second rest to gather my strength.
One.Two.Three.Four…
I opened my eyes and found myself lying flat on my back in the middle of the trail.Now how had that happened?I let my lids fall shut.I hadn’t made it to ten yet.
Three.Four.Five…
Something smelled odd, sort of rank and fishy.I cranked my head to the left and found myself looking into the deepest, darkest eyes I’d ever seen.
I blinked.
Those eyes belonged to a mythical creature I’d already determined didn’t live anywhere around here.
