Chapter 3 - The Rescue

So much has gone wrong. So much blood has been spilled. When will we finally be able to rest?

Looking at the pool of blood, she felt her stomach coil in disgust and terror.  Yume could tell that most of the blood belonged to both Knight and Arrow.  She was beginning to fear the worst, and knew Kain was thinking the same thing.
Glancing at the immortal standing next to her, she could see the fury burning in his eyes, and the anxiety in his stance.  She could feel his rage.  Smell his fear.  Taking in a shaky breath, she clenched her fists.  She was beginning to feel that they were too late.
Without a word, Kain reached down and caught her arm with strong hands, pulling her to her feet.  Wincing at his tight hold on her arm, she frowned as he all but dragged her up the trail to the cabin.
     Trying to pull her arm free, she dug her heels into the hard snow, slapping his hand. "Kain, stop it.  You're hurting me." She winced again as his grip tightened. "Kain!  Will you knock it off? I'm not a rag doll."
     Without looking at her, he loosened his grip enough so that her arm no longer felt as though it were being constricted, yet tight enough to keep her from pulling her arm free.  For whatever reason, he wanted them to move.
     With his long strides, it proved difficult for her to keep up and cursed under her breath as she nearly tripped over her own feet. "You're starting to piss me off Kain, stop dragging me and tell me wh-"
     He continued leading her down the trail, his grip tightening once again. "The area isn't safe.  We have to move."
She gave him an irritated look. "Not safe?" She shook her head and said, "Kain, right now, I don't feel safe.  You're hurting my arm again, and are freaking me out." She narrowed her eyes. "Stop marching, and start talking."
     When he stopped dead in his tracks, she bumped into him, crashing her nose into his back.  He was so freaking big!  Turning to face her, she saw his eyes narrow with new anger. "We have very little time left, Yume.  By the amount of blood we saw one of them is severely injured.  If we don't reach them soon, they will die." He paused, taking a deep breath and released her arm. "I can't report that Knight was killed to Elara, let alone Jinx and Chizu. And to inform Flann that her husband was killed while on assignment would break my heart.  I want to bring BOTH of them home.  Understand?"
     Looking up at the red haired immortal her eyes narrowed with new found irritation. "Have you even thought of a plan?" He remained quite, answering her question with his silence.  Rolling her eyes at his incompetence, she brought her hand to her forehead. "We can't just follow the blood trail without a plan Kain." Looking back up at him, she released a sigh. "You know that would highly stupid."
     His eyes narrowed again as his lips lifted into a silent snarl. "If you're so sure, then what do you suggest we do, Yume?"
     Fixing her coat sleeve, she scoffed at the sneer in his voice as he said her name. "Taking the quiet approach seems to work."
     His red eyebrows lifted in question, "Do you think the wendigos followed them?"
Lifting her hand to her forehead, she closed her eyes briefly. "Both of them are cautious, and wouldn't make themselves easy targets.  But yes, I'm worried that they were followed.  We've seen signs that the wendigos are evolving.  To what extent is unknown as of now, but I think it would be wise to approach the cabin with silence."
     He looked at her with glowing aqua eyes, his voice low, soft. "What else is on your mind Yume?"
     She folded her hands together as she walked past him. "Getting to them is going to be the easy part." She smiled as he hung his head. "Getting them out will be difficult.  Since they've lost quite a bit of blood, it's possible that one or both will be incapacitated.  Meaning there is a chance we'll have to carry one or both of them out."
     Smiling at the irritated look on his face, she returned her gaze to the cabin below them and frowned.  Reaching behind her, she pulled her M4 riffle from its holster and loaded her gun.  Keeping her eyes on the wooded area near the cabin, she leveled herself on the snow covered ground and looked through the scope, making minor adjustments. "You're going to have to go to the cabin.  Wendigos are circling around.  I'll cover you as best I can." Smiling, she lifted her goggles and aimed her riffle.  Time to make bodies drop.

                                                  ***

      Watching Yume smile, and ready her riffle, he pulled his own gun from its holster and quietly made his way to the cabin.  It was impressive she sensed the wendigos before he had.  The little lust demon was a damn good sniper.
     Reaching the door, her slowly turned the knob, and entered slowly and cautiously.  For all he knew, Knight or Arrow had rigged the entrance to ensure they would have time to escape or make a stand.  Shaking his head at the thought, he closed the door behind him.
Feeling his rage build, he took in the interior of the cabin.  The furniture was used to barricade the windows, while pieces of the stairs were used to close the kitchen doors.  Walking around the chaotic living space, he slowly headed to the stairwell.  As he rounded the corner, a strong smell of blood overtook his senses, causing his heart to sink with dread.
     At the foot of the steps, was a fresh pool of blood.  Stepping around it, he followed the smeared blood on the wall and railing to the hallway upstairs.  Once at the top, he cursed under his breath at the gory scene before him.  Blood smeared down the walls, leading to a door at the end of the long hallway. "I swear if I find you two dead, I'm going to kill you again." Bracing himself for the worst, he slowly made his way to the bloodied door.
     Keeping his gun ready, he cautiously opened the door, and felt his heart tighten at the amount of blood on floor, bed, curtains, and walls.  Taking a step inside, his eyes wandered to drag marks on the floor, leading around the massive bed.  Swallowing down a curse, he walked around the bed and saw his worst fear.
     Leaning against the wall, drenched in blood, were Arrow and Knight.  The wrath had Knight pulled against his chest, keeping pressure to one of the bandages on the teen's side.  Both males were covered in deep, grotesque wounds.
     Eyes wandering over Arrow, Kain noticed the long, ragged claw marks marring the wrath's flesh on his right leg, while blood smeared the demon's face.  A deep cut slashed from his left eyebrow to the corner of his mouth, with blood still oozing from the painful wound.
     Taking in a breath through clenched teeth, his gaze moved to Knight.  The teen was in far worse condition than his familiar.  
     Blood soaked bandages covered his chest, wrists, neck, and head.  The boy's shoulder looked as though it were dislocated, while blood trickled down his face.  His normally olive skin, was pale, meaning a great deal of blood loss had taken place.  Crouching before them, he reached out a hand to feel for Knight's pulse, when a click drew his attention to a gun pointed at his face.  On the other end of the weapon, was Arrow Reign. "Don't.  Touch.  Him."

                                               ***

      Vision blurred from loss of blood and lack of sleep, Arrow pointed his gun at the intruder daring to touch Knight.  Pulling his master closer to his chest, careful not to stir his wounds again, he pulled his lips back into a snarl. "Leave."
The red blur lowered his hand, and stood.  "Arrow, lower your gun.  I won't do either of you harm." Kain?
     Lowering his gun slightly, he narrowed his eyes, "Kain?  The hell are you doing here?"
"How injured are you?" Tch.
      Glaring at the immortal, he slid the gun back into its holster at his hip. "Have a few cuts and a couple of broken ribs.  Why?"
      Kain just looked at him with what looked like narrowed eyes. "Because I'm getting you and Knight back to Velvet Moon before you both bleed out."
      Looking down at Knight, he clenched his teeth and slowly rose to his feet, ignoring the fiery pain shooting up his leg and gently lifting the unconscious teen in his arms.  It bothered him how his master's condition hadn't improved, even after he had given the boy some of his blood.  He could only prey to the gods that he would pull through this ordeal.
"How long has he been unconscious, Arrow?"
     Kain's question caused his chest to tighten with concern.  "About few days.  I gave him some of my blood, but," He turned his attention to the immortal standing beside him. "he hasn't shown any signs of healing."
     The taller man released a sigh and looked at Knight, his gaze growing darker. "Are you sure you can carry him?"
     He snarled, shooting a glare at the immortal. "Touch him, and I'll kill you."
     Shaking his head, Kain readied his gun and headed for the door heading to the stairs.  Frowning, he followed after him, making sure not aggravate Knight's wounds.
     Slowly walking down the steps, he watched Kain make his way to the front of the cabin and peer out through the front door.  A feeling of panic and anxiety swept through him as the familiar scent of death and decay met his senses.  Wendigos were getting close.
Shifting Knight so his head was resting against his neck, he reached for the gun at his hip.  Hold on kiddo.  
     Looking toward the door for Kain, he swallowed as a gunshot echoed through the home.  Making his way to the door quickly, he saw Kain pointing his gun toward the trees.  Pausing beside the older familiar, Arrow loaded his gen the best he could without harming Knight's delicate wounds.  
     "Yume has them pinned for the time being, but once we reach the hill top, they're going to head right for us," Turning his aqua eyes on him and Knight, he added, "so make a strait shot for the hill.  No looking back."
     Swallowing back a growl, he turned away from the older immortal and as quickly as his tattered leg would allow, made his way up the hill.
     Carrying Knight a little ways past her, he turned to see Kain step beside Yume just as she rose to her feet.  Both immortals looked at him and the wounded child in his arms.  Looking down at his master himself, he sucked in a breath through his teeth as panic overtook his senses.  Knight's chest wound was beginning to bleed again.  A bad sign concerning the boy's current condition.
     "He's going to bleed out if we don't get him to Cassiel.  Let Yume help you to the car, and I'll carry him." Before he could protest, Kain already had Knight in his arms, while Yume had her arm wrapped around his waist.  Looking down at the small female, he frowned again.  Not only was another familiar caring for his master, he had a younger one assisting him…  In no way was he okay with that.
     Keeping his eyes on Knight, he allowed Yume to help him to the car. "Why'd you come along Yume?" He could feel the irritation in her grip around his waist, and would have smiled if he weren't so damn tired. "I thought you hated even the idea of being in the same room with me."
     Releasing a sigh, the younger immortal looked up at him and said, "Because I was thinking of your family." She averted her gaze to look at the limp teen being carried in Kain's arms. "And because of him.  Damn Arrow, what were the two of you thinking?  Taking on a pack of wendigos?  What would you have done had Kain and I not come to get you?  Both of you would have died." She slowed her angered pace so he wouldn't slip down the hill. "You need to put your emotions aside, andthink before you act."
     "Yume," Looking down at her, he gently squeezed her shoulders, "thank you."
     All irritation left her beautiful features as she looked up at him with a bemused look. "Arrow?"
     No sooner than the words left her lips, his vision began to darken.  Yume's grip tightened around his waist as his knees buckled, fatigue and blood loss pulling at his consciousness.  Faintly smiling, he managed one last look at Knight before the darkness overtook him.  
     Images of Flann and their children flashed before him, encasing his heart in pain and helplessness, along with memories of his master and friends. Feeling unconsciousness claw at his being, he gripped his chest and closed his heavy eyes, saying, "Flann…Forgive me." Then let the dark and cold feeling of nothingness take him.  Forgive me.

Author's Note

Chapter 3
This one took me over a week to write. Talk about losing your muse.