12 hours
They both silently watched her silhouette stand crouched at the mouth of the cave.
Europa tore her gaze off their sentry and turned to him, both of them sitting against a wall. It was hard stone, and cold to the touch, but at least it wasn’t wet. Unlike them. ‘How’re you feeling?”
He sighed into a laugh. “Heavy. Not as cold, though. You?”
“Also heavy. Cold, though. Bastard.” She playfully glared at him, and he laughed. “How long do you think it’s been?”
“In here or since…?”
Nalim turned, looking over her shoulder.
Europa covered her mouth. “Are we being too loud?”
“No,” She took off her cloak and threw it at both of them. “You’re alright. Stay here. I’ll be fast.”
“Where’re you going?”
“To answer your question, it’s morning.” She summoned Asha. “Stay with them.”
Asha, strained as she was, turned in obvious protest. “Absolutely not. What if something happens to you?”
“You won’t be able to do anything anyways.” Nalim let her go, and she hovered in the space between them and her. “If I don’t come back in by the time an hour has passed, leave.”
“You’re not leaving me!”
“Asha, you can guide them if I die. If both of us die, so do they.”
Europa stood, moving next to Asha. “Nalim, if you get hurt at least she can heal you.”
“You don’t know that yet.”
She glared, taking the knife off her belt and pricking her finger. Leo appeared over her shoulder, and the nick disappeared. “Now I do.”
Nalim’s face twisted in irritation. “Europa, that was foolish. What if he couldn’t?”
“Calculated risk. And he did. Take her with you.” She sheathed the knife. “Where’re you going?”
Her glare did not weaken. “I’m going to hunt. Then we’ll eat, put out our fire and keep moving before the Cabal patrols catch us and kill us. While I’m gone, you two need to stay warm and quiet. Understand, or do you want to fight about something else?”
Europa exhaled. “Got it. Warm and quiet.”
She disappeared into the rainy haze outside, glowering.
Asha turned to her. “Thank you, Europa.”
She gave a sideways smile. “Bring her back.”
--
They sat together, the cloak laid out on the floor in front of them. It was soaked from the rain still.
“Lexi?”
His hand encapsulated hers, and he rhythmically tapped each of her knuckles. He didn’t answer.
“Do you wanna… talk about it?” Her head leaned on his shoulder, despite the cold metal. “Cal, I mean…” Her throat tightened. She’d been holding it back, but the wall threatened to fall.
He was quiet for a moment.
“If you don’t, you don’t h-”
“At least it was fast.”
She stopped. “...Yeah.”
--
“Leo, how long has it been since she left?”
He appeared into her waiting hands. “54 minutes.”
They looked at each other skeptically.
Alexi shook his head. “I’m not leaving.”
“Neither am I.”
They sat quietly together for another minute before Europa got up. She picked up her rifle and knelt at the cave entrance, peering fruitlessly into the morning fog.
“Euri…”
“I won’t get seen. Promise.” She glanced at him over her shoulder, pointing to her eye. “I don’t glow, unlike you tw-” She turned back to the fog. “Unlike you.”
--
Leo hovered quietly between Europa and the wall. “59 minutes.”
She looked back to Alexi, expression slipping into worry.
He moved forward, squeezing her shoulder. “She’ll come back. She has to.”
Suddenly, something shifted in the grass outside, and both of their heads flicked to the noise. It sounded like something was being...dragged. Every worst-case scenario flashed through their head in seconds.
Europa had the rifle up in seconds. “I’LL SHOOT!”
“Best fuckin’ not.”
She lowered it. “Oh thank god. Nalim.”
Nalim’s light hair was the first noticeable thing to emerge from the wall of grey. Then her face, body, and the large antler she had in her hands. She was covered in dirt and blood, and dragged something behind her slowly. As she came into view, so did the deer.
“Alexi, please help.” She let go of the deer’s antler and shambled into the cave, propping herself against a wall and sliding down. “I told you two to leave if I took too long.”
Leo followed Europa around as she kneeled next to her. “You had 40 seconds left to spare.”
Nalim tilted her head back, chuckling. “Of course you were counting.”
“You said it yourself. We get left alone and we die.” Europa smiled bitterly. “Not much of a choice then, is it?”
“Well, I’m glad you did. Otherwise, I hunted the only thing I could find for no reason.” She sighed, tension leaving her shoulders. “Think the Cabal either killed or scared away anything else.”
Alexi dragged the deer inside with little effort. “How will we eat this?”
“Easy.” She groaned, pushing up off the floor and crawling to the middle. “Here’s where I teach you how to be Lightless. Get two rocks.”