Ellie doesn't spend much time acknowledging Jurgen's thanks, other than to shove a second torch into his hand. She doesn't have the energy to plaster a smile on her face or say he's welcome to it. This is as much for her as it is for him.
Ellie considers the distance between them and the fire. "Let's circle away from the city, and see if we can find any signs. Then we can come at the fire from the west side."
She doesn't say what signs they're looking for. If he's lucky, it'll be footprints. If he's not, there'll be nothing.
"You look towards the fire, I'll look away from it." So they both can keep their eyes open for something. Ellie stands a meter away from Jurgen, to cover just a little more space between them.
Five minutes of slow trudging, and there's nothing but the steady wind and the snow getting in their eyes. It's not a blizzard, but Ellie thinks any remains could be covered by now.
Ellie doesn't see the flicker of dark, nor does Jurgen. Theseus, though, does--she spins, snarling as she backs up to press herself against Ellie's legs. The two of them twist around, trying to see what has Theseus so scared, but there's nothing to see.
"Easy, girl," Ellie murmurs beyond the thudding of her heart, the taste of her own terror welling on the tongue. "Let's start turning for the fire."
Jurgen looks ready to agree, when they both hear something on the wind. A moan, low but there, sounding like it's coming from just ahead.
They pause for a moment, but neither of them can ignore the noise. They press on, parallel to the campfire, a spark in the distance.
Ellie realizes the snow is getting deeper--past their knees, and Theseus can't go as fast as they are. Ellie starts shivering, and despite the mittens, she feels her hands prickling.
"Hang on, I need to get Theseus." She isn't in the dark, but she is at the edge of their light. Ellie turns around, holding the torch in her off hand as she turns.
A strong wind hits them, and Theseus shrieks, sounding eerily human. Ellie feels something clawing at her leg and jumps forward, swinging the torch over Theseus.
She gets a glimpse of something that almost gets hit by the torch, and it gurgles and draws back, disappearing into the dark as quickly as it came. It leaves a dark fluid behind it--blood.
Theseus's blood. Ellie picks her up around the middle and hauls the shrieking canine to her hip. Strangely, she's reminded of hauling sacks of oats. Ellie staggers, torch dipping dangerously towards the snow until she's able to get back to the path she carved out in the snow.
It's only then that she sees Jurgen's torch in the distance--how did he get so far away? How did she?
Under Theseus's screams, Ellie hears scraping metal, and watches Jurgen's torch dip, sputter, and go flying. She sees a shadow, something with twisted wings, and then his torch is gone.
Theseus stops for a moment to take a breath. It can't be more than a heartbeat, but it feels like minutes.
The next time she wails, Jurgen's screams join in, desperate and gurgling.
Ellie turns to Theseus, bending to one knee in the snow. Theseus looks back, whimpering as the blood from the wound freezes in the snow.
"It's okay." There's nothing she can do for Jurgen, still screaming behind them, but she's not going to let Theseus go. Ellie switches the torch to her dominant hand and pulls Theseus's front paws over her shoulder, sliding her left hand under Theseus's legs.
She feels the wound as if it's her own, and Theseus screams again, but doesnt fight Ellie as she stands.
"We're okay. We're okay."
They aren't. Ellie can feel the presence of those things at the edges of the light, but she's never been one to lie down and die.
Instead, she starts walking for the bonfire, the eerie calm of adrenaline carrying her forward. Theseus doesn't stop wailing.
RIP Jurgen
Ellie considers the distance between them and the fire. "Let's circle away from the city, and see if we can find any signs. Then we can come at the fire from the west side."
She doesn't say what signs they're looking for. If he's lucky, it'll be footprints. If he's not, there'll be nothing.
"You look towards the fire, I'll look away from it." So they both can keep their eyes open for something. Ellie stands a meter away from Jurgen, to cover just a little more space between them.
Five minutes of slow trudging, and there's nothing but the steady wind and the snow getting in their eyes. It's not a blizzard, but Ellie thinks any remains could be covered by now.
Ellie doesn't see the flicker of dark, nor does Jurgen. Theseus, though, does--she spins, snarling as she backs up to press herself against Ellie's legs. The two of them twist around, trying to see what has Theseus so scared, but there's nothing to see.
"Easy, girl," Ellie murmurs beyond the thudding of her heart, the taste of her own terror welling on the tongue. "Let's start turning for the fire."
Jurgen looks ready to agree, when they both hear something on the wind. A moan, low but there, sounding like it's coming from just ahead.
They pause for a moment, but neither of them can ignore the noise. They press on, parallel to the campfire, a spark in the distance.
Ellie realizes the snow is getting deeper--past their knees, and Theseus can't go as fast as they are. Ellie starts shivering, and despite the mittens, she feels her hands prickling.
"Hang on, I need to get Theseus." She isn't in the dark, but she is at the edge of their light. Ellie turns around, holding the torch in her off hand as she turns.
A strong wind hits them, and Theseus shrieks, sounding eerily human. Ellie feels something clawing at her leg and jumps forward, swinging the torch over Theseus.
She gets a glimpse of something that almost gets hit by the torch, and it gurgles and draws back, disappearing into the dark as quickly as it came. It leaves a dark fluid behind it--blood.
Theseus's blood. Ellie picks her up around the middle and hauls the shrieking canine to her hip. Strangely, she's reminded of hauling sacks of oats. Ellie staggers, torch dipping dangerously towards the snow until she's able to get back to the path she carved out in the snow.
It's only then that she sees Jurgen's torch in the distance--how did he get so far away? How did she?
Under Theseus's screams, Ellie hears scraping metal, and watches Jurgen's torch dip, sputter, and go flying. She sees a shadow, something with twisted wings, and then his torch is gone.
Theseus stops for a moment to take a breath. It can't be more than a heartbeat, but it feels like minutes.
The next time she wails, Jurgen's screams join in, desperate and gurgling.
Ellie turns to Theseus, bending to one knee in the snow. Theseus looks back, whimpering as the blood from the wound freezes in the snow.
"It's okay." There's nothing she can do for Jurgen, still screaming behind them, but she's not going to let Theseus go. Ellie switches the torch to her dominant hand and pulls Theseus's front paws over her shoulder, sliding her left hand under Theseus's legs.
She feels the wound as if it's her own, and Theseus screams again, but doesnt fight Ellie as she stands.
"We're okay. We're okay."
They aren't. Ellie can feel the presence of those things at the edges of the light, but she's never been one to lie down and die.
Instead, she starts walking for the bonfire, the eerie calm of adrenaline carrying her forward. Theseus doesn't stop wailing.