It had rained last night, the kind of rain that made it hard to see, hear, or even think. The kind of rain that could drown you if you let it, that washed away sins and repented sinners. The fire of the Keep would be out now for sure, no longer would the smoke rise signalling the end of the Vitello’s reign.
The forest floor was damp and wet twigs snapped thickly under the steps of her horse. Tulca and her had had to set up camp in the trees last night, and the rain had been unmerciful in soaking everything she had in her kit. Needless to say, she awoke this morning shivering and her body burning a mad fever. She was used to being soaking cold, feverish, teeth clattering, and stomach empty. But she wasn’t used to the emptiness in her chest, the kind that stemmed from leaving something too soon, unfinished. Subconsciously, she trailed the bandage around her abdomen, soaked red with blood. The cold had made it numb, and for that Ayesha was grateful, she wasn’t sure how she’d be able to ride the distance she needed to ride today with the jarring pain it caused. She needed to change the bandage though, and wash the wound again. Soon, soon she would get the help she needed. From someone she trusted, she just needed to get there first.
She ran into the stream an hour later, could hear it from off the path and was thankful the rain no longer made it hard to hear. Gritting her teeth, she got off her horse and limped to the edge of the river. The wet clothes were a relief to take off and Ayesha laid everything out so that maybe it could dry a bit and so maybe putting them on wouldn’t cause her to hiss painfully. It wasn’t like she wasn’t used to it, but boy was it ever a fucking bitch to deal with when wounded.
Slowly she slipped into the river, barely managing to muffle a painful groan, her toes curling out in pain as the current rubbed the open wound of her stomach. Her breathing was laboured and Ayesha forced herself under water (which was warmer than how she had felt) before resurfacing and letting out a breath. The girl gritted her teeth and slowly wiped away the thick wet blood on her stomach, mesmerized by the redness that stained the water from her still bleeding wound. Fuck. The feverish beating of her heart drowned out the rest of the noise and Ayesha barely heard the person sneaking up on her.
