Trials
To be honest, I had no memory of most of the trip back to the house other than the forced swim that I took in one of the cold water streams that branched into our part of the forest from the river. I remember it only because by the time we reached it, I was in such a daze from the poison in Darrak's saliva that I hadn't even noticed we'd stopped moving—at least I didn't notice it until I was unceremoniously dumped into the water. I hadn't even realized that my body temperature was much warmer than normal until my bare chest made contact with the frigid water. The sudden shock of it was enough to snap me briefly out of my poison induced daze.
"Rinse him off," Theron ordered as the shock of the cold water started me into a splashing, spluttering fit. "There isn't time to tarry long here; Ullysses will by now have knowledge of what I did to Darrak. He will have scouts and packs of newborns out searching for us." He motioned for Emmett to hurry and since he wasn't sure how to rinse me off, he merely grabbed me by my hair and dunked me several times beneath the surface.
"Well, that's one way of doing it," Lucien mused trying his best not to bust out laughing at Emmett's effort to complete Theron's request. "At least there's no danger of drowning."
"Let's go," Theron helped Emmett get me out of the water. He examined me closely. "Edward, you feel any better?"
I managed a still half-dazed nod, "Drained and weak, but I think I can make it. We need to get back, the others will be wondering about us soon."
"Yeah, and Jas needs us." Emmett added as they began moving in the direction that would lead them back toward the house.
"Carlisle has apparently been quite busy since our last contact." Theron muttered more to himself than aloud. He knew that it was imperative that they reach safety and soon. What Ullysses lacked in tact and manners he certainly made up for in cunning and intellect.