Lost in the Crossroads

Five - Time to State the Obvious (Drishti)

Five days in the unknown Forest and they haven’t seen a single speck of civilization.

Drishti loves them, she really do but seriously she needed to see someone else before she starts seeing them everywhere.

All the complaining. Kara.

Snapping and bursting bubbles. Geneva.

Endless laughing, Hailey and Tabitha. Fen was chuckling softly by their side.

Arguing, Abel and Alex. Kara, again, with Dein.

Blake was the only one who was behaving appropriately in her opinion.

She need a break from all the madness that is her friends, not even her phone’s E-book could help her. Not to mention whenever she pulled it out, Kara would perk up and checked her own for Internet Connection. The woman doesn’t learn.

Admittedly, staying in a forest in a span of five days was refreshing and kind of enlightening. The air so fresh and clean, no trace of anything unpleasant aside from their own sweats and sometimes body odor. This reminds her of how much she missed taking a proper and long hot bath, not quick showers in a river.

Drishti felt like they were slowly turning into jungle women, only with the jeans and sneakers.

But still the smell of air here was so nice and by just breathing made her feel so good, that made her wonder where on Earth are they. There is no trace of air pollution. Was that even possible in their country? In the World?

The air was so fresh it somehow lightens their movements. Her lungs felt like they were reborn.

And the view! Everything about the forest just screams of primitive times, untouched by the modern world. Most of the trees in here were skyscraper tall, a notable trait of the forest that no one pointed out. Drishti knows they noticed it, especially Abel who have gone ahead and climb one to survey the foreign land they were about venture. But there is really no use pointing out such thing when it is quite obvious.

The leaves and grasses were greener, the sky more vividly blue and there were plants that they had never seen – plants that made Abel and Alex argued about its existence. It was quite entertaining to see them both, leaning forward in an unknown plant and ponder about its uses. Poisonous or not. Edible or not. Kara would pipe in the middle of their heated discussion and Geneva would snapped at her. Then, Dein would chuckled at Kara which will turn into an argument between the two of them.

And, the stars are the most beautiful of all. She almost forgot about the stars. She loved stars. They all do. They were so clear above the night sky, truly diamond in the sky.

“Who is that pokemon?” Abel’s voice rang in the forest.

The silence of the forest brought forth into her awareness. Where are the birds?

“What?” Blake asked, head moving to follow’s Abel gaze.

Drishti did the same, noticing something white and moving on the other side of the river. The path they were following for the span of five days.

“I think it’s a person.” Alex answered slowly.

It was. A person lying unconscious on the river bank. A woman with a long ash-colored hair and dark skin. Obviously wounded with the red liquid mixing in with the clear water.

Sharing a look, Abel and Alex was the first to flew into action, followed by them. They waded in the rocky stream, pants and shoes getting soak.

Abel cursed after seeing the full extent of the woman’s wounds as she crouched on her side, gently pulling the body out of the water and turning her body so she was on her back.

She has the same lithe body of Abel so it made Drishti’s stomach twisted hard at the sight of many injuries on her skin and remnants of restraints. Abel used to come home looking like that.

“Who could have done this?” Abel questioned, carefully transferring the woman on Tabitha’s arm so that they can examine and treat her wounds.

Blake and Dein was already preparing their medical kits as they finally catch up on them, kneeling by the woman leaning heavily onto Tabitha’s arm. Alex was slowly shredding her clothing off.

“I see smoke!” Geneva shouted, informing them of was they missed in their hurry. She was helping Kara who slipped into the water in her haste.

“None of you shoot until I say so! Especially you, Tabby!” Abel shouted, standing up to survey their surroundings and pulling out a knife from her back.

“I can’t even if I want to!” Tabitha shouted back, stirring the wounded woman.

“Tabby!” Alex hissed at her before turning back to the woman, who oddly enough look masculine with her razor-sharp jaw. The woman was feverish and a low moan of discomfort escaped her pale lips.

“Hey, it’s okay. We got you.” Drishti soothed the aching woman.

“Get back to our side!” Abel suddenly barked, pulling a couple of knives just in time the sounds of barking dogs echoed in the forest with a few men shouting and cursing added to the mix.

They all shared a panic and terrified look. What did they just get themselves into?

“Carry the woman and get back to our side!” Abel barked again.

“Got it.” Alex nodded, gulping audibly and backed from the wounded woman as Hailey took over her so she can carry the woman. “You guys go. Slowly and Carefully.” She told them, a determine glint entering her eyes as she pulled out the gun Abel gave to her. "I'll stay with Abel."

Drishti nodded, licking her lips in nervousness. This is nothing new. They treated wounds worse than this but doing it in the actual field without so much equipment but just the basics brought an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

Just as Alex stood, a guy burst out of the bushes holding a bow and an arrow already knocked. He stared at them, confused as to why there are women facing him.

Drishti was given the gun from Tabitha. Dein hoisted Abel’s bag while Blake did the same thing to Alex’s, both bags were shed off by the duo as they faced the enemy. Tabitha and Hailey moved slowly and carefully so that they wouldn’t jar the woman’s wound.

The guy caught sight of them moving with the wounded woman and fired his arrow.

As the arrow flew, Drishti’s mind helpfully informed her it was aimed at her, the smallest guarding the rear. In that millisecond, she understood that the arrow wouldn’t miss.

But a bare hand snatch it out of the air. Abel’s lithe and hoodie clad body, stepped in front of her. With a whipped of her right arm, the archer dropped dead. A throwing knife stuck on his forehead.

Abel balked after that and stared at the arrow in her hand. “I caught an arrow.” She said at no one in particular like she couldn’t believe it herself.

Drishti could only gape at her friend as relief washes over her. She felt her knees weaken at the moment barely managing to stand upright. That was really close. She exhaled loudly, heart yammering in her chest and tried to regain some sort of dignity.

Then Abel frowned and turned her head into Alex’s direction.

“I caught an arrow.” She repeated, shaking the arrow in her hand to emphasize her words.

Drishti wanted to laugh at that if it she weren't a mess of nerves. Abel caught the arrow like it was just a paper airplane and not a dangerous weapon.

“Good job?” Alex answered, bewildered.

“Who uses bow and arrows at this age?” She heard Abel asked incredulously before she was pulled by Dein and Blake whispering that they need to go as the sound of dogs barking get close.

They were in the middle of the stream when the search party for the wounded woman arrives—according to the sound of screams of agony and fight they heard hidden on the other side of the bushes that the Archer came from and Abel and Alex went into.

Geneva and Kara was already back on their side, standing vigilantly and surveying their surroundings for any threat.

The wounded woman was lain behind the huge rocks lying on the river bank that is good for hiding. They ducked behind it, keeping their ears alert from the ongoing battle on the other side of the river.

Drishti resumed Alex’s work of removing the wounded woman’s clothing and was honestly surprised of her discovery even amidst battle.

“She got no boobs.” She could not help but blurted out. Even with the blood, grime and lacerations littering on their wounded ward she couldn’t help but notice and wonder.

“What?” Kara asked, ducking back behind the rock after peering out for any sign of Abel or Alex. So far, they haven’t heard of their names being screamed by the other one in utter grief, panic or despair.

It was safe to assume that they were fighting well and good. Just as they were expecting them too.

Kara gawked. She raked her eyes at the female they rescued from head and toe. “She is a he.” She stated, breaking no argument.

“He is?” Fenella wondered, eyes wide in confusion.

“But…” Geneva frowned at him, eyes roaming at the dark expanse of his chest filled with lacerations then fixated on the dirty and long pretty ash-colored hair. “He got a pretty hair. And…” She tucked a sticky strand behind his... “…pointed ears.”

“An elf?” Kara exclaimed.

“Woah.” Blake murmured.

“Focus.” Geneva reminded them, hands already skimming through their medical kit for a cloth to clean his wounds from the blood and grime.

Before anyone of them could react, a gunshot rang loud and echoed inside the forest making them flinch and turn their attention back to the ongoing battle at the other side of the river. The gunshot was followed by the sound of dogs yipping away.

So that is the reason why Abel doesn’t want them to shoot randomly. The echo rang loud and true. It was enough to inform their newly found enemies of their positions.

So does Abel’s voice. “What the hell was that for?”

“You were about to kill the dogs!” Alex shouted back.

They peered out from the rocks, Blake and Geneva didn’t bothered to lift their head from their male patient.

Both eldest came bursting out of the bushes, one was carrying a bow and arrow pristinely clean and the other was covered with blood, not entirely but still, and carrying a bunch of knives and a sword on her person. They were, all things considered, an odd pair. Alex looked like she held all of their worry with the way her brows frowning hard, hazel brown eyes swirling with so much emotions while Abel bristled with their combined fear turning into fury, eyes narrowed and hard like steel.

“Well, what do you expect? They are vicious loyally trained hunting dogs! I can’t let them live. They know our scents!”

“They’re just dogs!” Alex thundered, stomping on the water. Not bothering to face her friend.

They watched as Abel stopped walking, her eyes flashing before she took in a deep breath, calming herself.

“Fine. Whatever.” She grumbled, yielding before the wrath of Alex and started crossing the river. “We need to keep going because of this.” She added, frowning hard as she expected the sword she was holding.

“Good. You can make a stretcher for her!”

“Him, actually!” Kara piped in.

“What?” Both asked, confused.

Apparently, it was too dangerous to travel with the elf in his condition. He was shivering feverishly and mumbling in a delirious state, clearly in an immense amount of pain.

But that doesn’t mean they were going to stay there in the river bank. Abel had suggested they go deeper on their side of the forest so that they have the advantage. What kind of advantage she was talking about they didn’t know and she didn’t bother to explain.

She created a stretcher for him made out of a sleeping bag, branches and bow string. They carried him as carefully as possible deeper into the forest, watching vigilantly for any threats. Until they arrived into one of the enormous tree in the forest with roots entangled like a nest of bird facing the opposite direction of the river.

Abel and Kara went out to scout the area and placed some traps they have in mind. Dein and Fenella was preparing their supper early so that they wouldn’t use fire when night comes. Hailey and Tabitha was looking through their clothes for him to wear because what his was wearing was about to be shredded to pieces.

No one bothered to point how strange the trees in their side of the forest were highly accommodating as they started to tend the wounds of their ward.

No one mentioned that they were tending to an elf who was wearing a silken shirt.

Or the fact that their enemies were men who fought with swords and arrows. Even with Abel’s offhand comment that they were probably just bandits with no proper training.

No one, yet.

It will only be a matter of time.