The cave grew darker and darker, with the only source of light coming from the opening which was quickly filling with sand. Rycer grimaced in pain as he struggled to get deeper into the cave. Finding a suitable spot, he collapsed into a less than comfortable position. Vesta noticed a wet mark on his uniform and on closer examination, was horrified to discover it was blood.
“Oh, Rycer," Vesta breathed, then coughed as sand filled her mouth. “Come on, we have to move farther into the cave. We have to stop the bleeding."
Rycer gasped for a breath, tilting his head to inspect his wound. Vesta saw a deep gash across his right side. He struggled to move but was able to get to the end of the cave with Vesta's help.
This particular cave was narrow and not very deep, but it was good enough to p
