#finally decided

Faileon.

She spun around on one leg, drawing her dagger. She launched without second thought. Her dagger burried deep into the creature's side. It let go of Faileon and turned to her. "STAND BACK!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, seeing the others coming closer to help.

The wolf giant growled, preparing to launch again.

She was quicker. The dagger flew through the air like a hawk, slashing the animal's snout.

It whimpered. Then it jumped at her, mouth wide open. It bit down right on her shoulder. Crack. Crack, went her bones.

But now it was close enough for a finishing blow. She sent the blade directly into its neck. Not even a second after, she pulled it out with a slashing motion. Fresh, warm blood came spewing all over her.

The animal let go and staggered backwards. Its hind legs gave out. Its wailing turned into gurgling. It stood up, trying to run back into the cover of trees.

Sorontur's blade came crashing onto the nape of its neck.

It colapsed to the ground. It twitched, made one final bubbling noise and stopped moving.

Lissele wasted no time. She ran straight to Faileon.

Tears flowed down his cheeks in rivers. He breathed fast. Too fast. His entire right arm was covered in blood. His fingers were trembling. Good sign. But no time to celebrate just yet.

"Calm down." She sat next to him, cupping his face with one hand. Her other arm didn't listen, instead it hung loosely at her side. "Look at me, Faileon."

He was too in shock.

"I need a barn leaf, NOW! L'amieil!" she commanded, pressing down on the wounds gushing the most blood. "Rennard, all the clean water we have! Soru, help me stop the damned bleeding!"

He knelt next to them and took a firm hold of Faileon's arm.

"Barret, get bandages! All of them!" She leaned closer, trying to make eye contact, but failing. He probably didn't even know she was there. "You're gonna be okay. I'm gonna fix this. I'm gonna help you. You'll be okay. You're gonna be okay."

A few moments later, Rennard came rushing, holding three bottles. He dropped two of them on the ground and opened the third. He poured it on Faileon's arm as Lissele began washing the wounds. Faileon wailed and atempted to push her away with his healthy arm. She didn't sway. "Just bear it for a moment. I'll be done soon enough."

"I got the barn leaf!" L'amieil came running towards them.

"Good." With the wounds somewhat clean, she accepted the plant began rubbing its leaves into mush. "I'm sorry," she said, very quietly. Then she pushed the paste into one of the wounds.

Faileon screamed at the top of his lungs and then... collapsed. Rennard caught him from behind and held him upright as Lissele continued.

"I'm so sorry," she kept repeating, even though the boy had no way of hearing her. "I'm sorry... Barret, hand me the bandages, would you?" As she silently tied them around Faileon's arm, blood immediately seeped through them. The spots grew like blooming red flowers in the shape of a jaw. So much... He's bleeding so much. She did another layer tighter than the one before. This time the spots didn't grow as much. She had hope yet.

When all bandages were used up, she leaned away from him. With new realizations coming to her, she couldn't bring herself to calm down quite yet. "Soru, could you check something for me?" she said, staring blankly at the boy cradled in Rennard's arms.

"Of course," he stepped closer.

"Could you check the wolf's eyes?"

"Uh... yeah."

She barely heard his steps moving away and much less coming back again. She was in a fog so thick she couldn't see, couldn't really hear, couldn't think of anything but what words she will hear him utter.

He came right up to her and knelt by her side, taking her bloodied hand in his. He kept quiet for a few seconds and when he finally spoke, his voice was sombre. Quiet. The words came out as more of a breath, than a voice.