Dark

Evangeline's hands felt warm, and as she brushed her face with her palm it felt sticky- that's when she remembered that they were probably bleeding. She couldn't see them, it being entirely dark, but she remembered her hands hurting when, a short while ago, she had caught herself from falling on the rocks. She and Tristan had made it this far, though, and a bit more blood wouldn't kill her now. She tried to slow her heart rate, and stop the bout of uncontrollable shivering that had overcome her.

"Can we slow down? There's no way that they could have followed us. Not after we forged the river." She said between gasps, trying not to cry.

She could hear Tristan stop and wait for her to catch up, so she in turn walked faster, tripping in the process.

"Are you ok? We can't stop until we reach the woods, and I know they have to be nearby. Damn it! Why did this have to happen on the darkest night of the year? Why did it have to happen at all? I can't see anything. Look- I'm really sorry I got you into this, I am. And if... when we get home again, I'll make it up to you, ok? But you have to just keep going. We just have to keep going." Tristan said softly.

She grasped his hand, and could feel him jerk from surprise. Possibly because her hands we covered in blood, or because they were as cold as ice, but probably because holding hands with her was not what he had been expecting, not that night anyway. He gave her a reassuring squeeze, then pulled her on as they both felt blindly in front of them, knowing that reaching the woods and safety was only a mater of time.