I can’t believe I fell for their trap.I can sense the anger burning through her.
I know.
You can come out now; they’re gone,she sends to me.
Uh, it’s not quite that simple.
She must pick up on the panic in my voice.What’s wrong?She demands.
When I rolled, I must have rolled into a ravine or something. I dropped quite a ways, and I can’t exactly get out now.Just saying the words causes the panic in my chest to rise.I’m stuck, Red. I can’tget out, and worse, I think my leg is broken.
I feel her alarm through our bond, but just for a moment.Stay calm, Harper. I will get you out.
She goes silent, and I go back to counting again. I get to one hundred two times before I hear from her again.I can’t see you. Can you see me as I fly overhead?
I look up but can’t see anything past the branches and overgrowth. I have absolutely no view of the sky no matter how hard I try. I try moving positions, even though it causes pain in my leg.I can’t see anything.
Okay. Don’t panic.It’s quiet a moment, and then I hear her again.Try yelling; let me see if I can pinpoint your location.
“Redara! I’m in here!” I shout.Anything?
No, but don’t give up. Try again. This is a large area; I’ll find you.
Her words give me comfort, and I try again. I yell until my voice is nearly hoarse. Then finally, she hears me.I hear you! You're much further down than I initially realized. But it’s okay,she rushes to say.I’ll get you out.
As I lay there, my adrenaline starts to fade, and the pain in my leg becomes more pronounced. I can’t even pinpoint where the pain is coming from. But when I try to move my leg, I cry out in pain.I’m pretty sure it’s broken,I send her.
That’s okay. I’ll get you out.
She’s careful to stay calm, but the longer it takes, the more I start to lose hope.Harper, I think I’m going to have to get Rauk. I can’t get to you.
No, he’s protecting the soldiers. You can’t pull him from that.
Well, it’s only a matter of time before they come to us. Noxlyn bynow knows that we’re gone.
But they need to help fight,I send her.
I know.
She’s quiet after that, and I am as well. I’m too busy trying to decide if I’m going to die trapped in here. I don’t know how much time has passed when Redara says,They’re on their way.
They can’t,I tell her.
Well, they are,she snaps. A little while later, she speaks again.They’re here now. Noxlyn is trying to see if he can get to you. His bonded is as well.Hope fills me, even as dread does as well. They’re needed on the front lines, not here with me.Can you shout again?
“I’m down here. Can anybody hear me? Hello? Can anybody hear me? I’m down here.”
Noxlyn and I are over the spot; we can hear you.
I stop shouting and try to move to get comfortable. There’s something digging into my shoulder, and I try to move but can’t. Pain shoots up my leg again, and I grit my teeth and force myself to think about anything besides that. I don’t hear anything for a while from Redara.Are you still up there?I ask.
Yes. Just trying to figure out how to get to you.
The minutes tick by, and I fear I’m going to die in here. I try to keep the panic at bay, but it’s really hard. The only thing that keeps me from losing my mind altogether is my connection to Redara.Can you see the battle from here?
No,she sends back.
Can you go check and see how it’s going?
