~ Jaden quickly mixed a salve and bandaged his burned hand by the light of his flashlight while Andrew packed their sleeping bags. Takyle sat down beside him and took a packet of antiseptic powder from his medkit.
"Burned bad?" she asked, ripping the corner of the pouch off with her teeth.
"I'll be ok." Jaden rolled up his pant leg and shone his light on the side of his calf. "Friggin' hell."
The place where the beast had stepped on his leg was a large bluish mass of bruising, painted over with blood from three lacerations.
"Damn..." Takyle leaned over to take a closer look. "Andrew, get me some water over here, would you?" she called.
"Sure Boss." Andrew came over with a canteen and knelt down in front of Jaden when he saw his leg. "Dude, what the hell? Scratches? Really? The word you used was "scratches"." Jaden shook his head.
"It's not as bad as it looks. It doesn't really even hurt yet."
"Yet being the key word there. Your shoulder is all bloody too. Take off your shirt," Andrew demanded as Takyle washed the blood from Jaden's leg and began bandaging the cuts. Jaden did as he was told, momentarily surprised by how much blood there actually was on his shirt.
"What happened here?" asked Andrew, cleaning off the deep puncture wounds.
"One of those things grabbed me and gave me a bit of a toss right across the clearing there."
"Hmm, well it ain't pretty. I'm betting that's going to be pretty sore. The good news is that you probably won't get any nasty diseases or anything, what with this being a sim," Andrew told him.
"Oh yes, that's delightful news... Andy, how is it that you don't have a scratch on you from this fight?" asked Jaden. Andrew shrugged.
"I'm lucky. Lift your arm." He carefully placed a gauze pad over the wound and wrapped a bandage around Jaden's shoulder, crossing it over his chest and under his arm to keep it in place.
"Ok, there you go. That ought to keep you together. Alright, Ta, let's see yours." Andrew quickly inspected the shallow gash on Takyle's upper arm and helped her wrap it before standing. "Let's get out of here. I'm not at all convinced that we've seen the last of those things."
Jaden closed up the medkit and stowed it away. He quickly pulled a clean shirt over his head and shouldered his pack as he came to his feet.
"If more of them come... Do you think we'll be able to win again?" asked Jaden. Andrew gave him a quick glance up and down.
"Well you might not, but I intend to," he said dryly. Takyle pulled her pack on and killed her flashlight, sticking it back into its pouch on her belt.
"Ok guys, listen up. I think we should probably try for stealth. Keep quiet, stay aware, keep your daggers handy and your hatchets unfolded and on your belts please."
"Sure thing Boss," Andrew replied. "I'll take point."
"Ok, let's go," said Takyle. "Oh and incidentally, good job with the fighting. So far we're all alive, and that's how I'd like to keep it." Jaden switched off his light and checked once more that he had his weapons.
"I can agree with that sentiment," he murmured in response. Andrew looked at his compass once and set off into the black trees with Takyle and Jaden just behind him. His soft voice drifted back through the chill night air.
"Oh, you people and your ridiculous hopes and dreams." ~
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