Shards From Other Stars

9. Up & under

She'd admit her idea wasn't the brightest and the probability of it brings fruitful results, was close to a negative. Still a result just not what she would call ideal, comparing to the one she imagined. Regardless, the idea was something she thought brilliant in that moment, with that limited time to think.

A decision under pressure—at least she thought of something.

Was it stupidity disguised as a magnificent idea? of course it was. And that meant stupid outcomes as a result of stupid ideas, the ones she'd be regretting for a ridiculously amount of time. Filling her mind, day in and out at random times—that memory that would be haunting her, engraved in her as it would surely win top ten moments of absolute stupidity—in her twenty four years.

And maybe she did deserve it, to some degree. What she didn't deserve, despite all the consequences that she had to own up to—was the immense pain, that had been making her delirious.

Wylie had succeeded in her mission to unhand that bow, the Princess had a death grip on but there was a cost—a cost that involved her leg. A consequence of a faulty and poorly thought-out plan, with equally poor execution.

Her plan went like.

Main objective, get the Princess away from the dangerous weapon she was set on harming her with. Execution, stand in front of dangerous weapon and take it by force as it's already in kill mode.

Which meant as Wylie tugged Aldith did same, fighting back.

They had been at it, a game of their own like tug of war but much, much more dangerous—for Wylie. Whenever it went closer to Wylie, Aldith had it tugged back to her—for completely different reasons, she had been trying to prevent an injury but Wylie thought it was resistance. Aldith didn't have the best approach either, she hadn't muttered a word of warning—how would the girl know.

Wylie was getting tired of it and so was Aldith, they both could tell as their glares grew weaker.

Aldith had been on the verge of talking and explaining when impatient Wylie tugged at it again, with all her strength. She hadn't seen exactly where it was aiming for or how Aldith's grip became loose on the bowstring—so her fingers slipped with the sudden force releasing the arrow.

Next thing Aldith knew, Wylie was on the ground crying out in pain. Her mouth shut at an instant as she rushed over to Wylie, dropping the bow.

Wylie went through a series of emotions, pain and anger to nearly choking the Princess with her blood stained hands when she lightly held impaled leg.

Emphasis on lightly—she could barely call that contact—but Wylie was screaming bloody murder.

Dramatic of her but she wasn't in her right mind.

From all the rush of emotions, she quietened down as the pain turned to a numbing feeling the more it bled. Her eyes dropped their glare as they could barely keep themselves open. No amount of strength she gathered kept them open wide enough, they were fluttering closed.

She wanted to close them but she couldn't, not with Aldith slapping her across the face and telling her to keep them open—it wasn't a slap as such but Wylie loved dragging the Princess' name through the mud, making her seem worse. Aldith didn't slap Wylie, she had been patting Wylie's cheek as gently and lightly as she could—to keep her awake.

And whenever her Wylie's eyes fluttered open, Aldith had on a relieved smile.

Wylie cleared her throat, her lips brushed her dry lips providing a bit of moisture they were missing.

"You took me here to murder me."

Wylie mumbled lazily. Staring at the Princess knelt before her a hiss left her lips, and she couldn't help but glare. Aldith had pulled and tightened the fabric around her thigh above the arrow, an action to slow down the bleeding.

"I didn't, this was a mistake and wouldn't have happened if you weren't stupid." Another hiss left her lips as Aldith pulled the shirt, tightened the knot one last time. "Would you calm down!" Aldith breathed out staring up from the girl, her hand tightly gripping the arrow.

Wylie shifted her leg, trying to escape but Aldith's firm grip wasn't giving up until it was pulled out.

"It was team effort, Princess. And calm down when there is an arrow in my leg!"

She screamed as Aldith pulled the arrow out, quickly as to not cause too much pain which didn't seem to work—because Wylie was sure as hell she saw stars, her body broke out in cold sweats just by the way Aldith pulled it out without even freaking out.

Pressing down on her wound with another fabric, she tore from her earlier target—for target practice, Aldith glanced at Wylie. Whose gaze was fixed on her thigh, the exact same spot Aldith had her hands on.

"It was your fault." Aldith muttered.

Wylie sighed, shutting her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again—only to be met with Aldith's glare.

Not paying attention to that, she stared at the Princess this time taking note how her crepe shirt was tainted in red, with her blood. Her cheek had a few blood stains from Wylie's attempt to choke her—only getting closer enough to poke her cheek with her blood stained hand.

"I reacted like anyone in my situation would have done."

"Sure."

Aldith stared at Wylie curiously, the cloth she had pressed down grew darker with the blood staining it. Aldith noticed how a few strands of hair had been clinging onto her face, as a result of the sweat forming. Her left cheek had totally been covered in blood—Aldith's doing.

She was mess, her whole outfit had been and Aldith knew hers was in the exact same state.

Aldith panicked as she noticed how quiet Wylie had been, it was too alarming and she didn't like how her heart dropped when she stared at the girl. Eyes had been fully closed and she was breathing rather slow.

Aldith held onto her cheek again, leaving one hand to press down on the wound. She lightly tapped her cheek until she earned a grunt from the latter.

"Don't fall asleep on me, okay?" Aldith mumbled staring into her eyes—her palm still on her cheek as Wylie's eyes flew open.

"I'm dying!"

Wylie panicked as she stared at her leg again. She didn't like how heavy everything felt, it had been as if death was pulling her slowly each inch of her body couldn't fight back either.

"No you're not." Aldith's touch retreated. Taking the fabric she was using to press down on her wound, she wrapped it directly around the wound—Wylie hissed at her of course.

Standing, Aldith pursed her lips unsure what next to do because the girl needed to get treated immediately. Their horses were at a distance and Wylie was barely conscious enough to walk—hell, she didn't even know if she could stand, which meant she couldn't be left alone either.

"Can you stand?"

Aldith was only flying on faith and delusion now. She knew she was strong but not enough to carry Wylie for a distance. The main reason being Wylie had defined muscles that made her a bigger, compared to Aldith's frame and her boots added two inches of height to her slightly taller height when compared to her. Another reason, she had exhausted herself plus the afternoon sun wasn't doing her body well.

"I'm dying Princess I need you to tell Pinkie, I actually love them." About to protest Wylie shushed the Princess with her index finger held up. "And I need an apology!"

"I'm not apologizing and you're not dying." Aldith lowered down, her arm around Wylie she tried lifting her up—the amount of blood she had lost was concerning.

"Stop making yourself heavier!"

"Not with that attitude. Like talk to me nicely before I hit the grave."

Aldith groaned. "Wylie—"

"Hey Pinkie!" Wylie held up her hand waving at the blue hummingbird in front of them. Aldith groaned as she tried lifting the girl who was hellbound on staying on the ground, she wasn't even trying to help—and her making her self heavier by acting like a dead corpse, was infuriating. "I'd like to say my farewells."

'You're not dying.'

Wylie huffed not understanding why they too were like Aldith—her body already felt dead, she couldn't feel her leg and her eyes were heavy—and they weren't letting her say her last words.

"I feel like sleeping."

"No, stay awake!" Aldith panicked, her other arm went around Wylie holding her from falling back on the ground—her arms weren't equipt for this type of load, she tried so hard and Wylie was nearly about to fall back on the ground.

If she did, she was surely going to drag her back—if she had to—she wasn't going to struggle with lifting her up, again.

Wylie felt lighter in her arms. Looking behind them had been a blue horse with hints of black, holding her up with their body. Aldith breathed out in relief—of course Wylie's familiar was a shapeshifer.

How could she let that fly over her head.

With a little more struggle, Aldith managed to get Wylie on Pinkie's back—now a horse. She wasn't in the most comfortable position but it would have to do.

"Pretty, Pinkie is a pretty blue horse." Wylie mumbled as she stroked Pinkie's mane.

Pinkie—Aldith found it ridiculous to name her familiar Pinkie when it was literally blue and black.

Getting on the horse, she pulled Wylie back that her back pressed against her, her arms went around Wylie holding her from falling—as she held onto Pinkie's mane, lightly and not pulling.

That was enough of a sign as she didn't have to tell them to move—they got off their knees and began riding as fast as possible. While Aldith made sure Wylie wouldn't fall off and was still breathing.