The farmer was in trouble.

Elliott knew it, he hadn't seen the girl in hours when typically, she'd be running around town with something shiny in her hands.

It was already after 4pm and he hadn't seen her.

He waited at the mountain base outside of Robin's shop.

What could be done?

Sebastian had already been out and stood with him for a while, understanding his concern.

The redhead tried to pull his attention to the water, the peaceful ripples.

He couldn't focus.

He needed to find her.

Sebastian came back out with a cup of coffee for him.

"She could just have taken the back way home."

"We would have seen her run by."

"..." Sebastian knew he was right, the "Back way" was through the backyard and by Linus's.

They would have seen her.

"Go get Harvey and let him know. I'm going to find her."

"Are you actually dumb? You don't even have a weapon!"

"It'll be okay."

"Wait. Fine. Okay. Wait a minute."

He took the tray of coffee back into the house and came back out with a steel smallsword.

"It's Demetrius's. He won't miss it."

"Okay."

"If you aren't back in twenty minutes, I'm getting Harvey."

"Understood."

Elliott hurried up the hill, sword grasped in hand.

He'd never been in the caves.

Where did he begin?

The entrance was tall and looming, dark with cold air blowing out.

Fear was choking him.

Dark spaces freaked him out.

He quickly swallowed it down, the farmer needed him.

It might have been regret that followed him into the cave, but he entered in, the silence deafening as he descended into the dark.

Small torches lined the wall, signaling that someone had walked through here recently, he shivered as walked through the halls lined with stone and gems.

"Farmer? Are you here?"

No response, but another set of ladders leading down.

He continued on for a bit, getting deeper and deeper underground until he reached an...odd room.

The walls were white and it was incredibly cold.

Ice and snow.

He was getting cold.

Something was moving up ahead.

"Farmer?"

It was making an unpleasant squishing sound.

A familiar head of brown hair was on the ground in front of it.

The farmer.

The thing turned around, growling and spitting what looked like blood.

Elliott raised his sword, hands shaking.

The thing was stumbling toward him, its eyes a murky swamp color.

His heart was racing, but he needed to get it away from the poor girl.

"Come on. A little more..." He mumbled, stepping back slowly with his sword raised.

The monster growled loudly, red spit flying from its jaws as it lunged at him.

Elliott didn't feel its jagged teeth sink into his arm.

Elliott didn't remember slicing the things head off and kicking it off of him into the darkness.

Elliott did, however, remember staring at the thing in a cold sweat.

He'd heard rumors of the things that lived in the wastes.

He had never really put two and two together that they would have lived in the caves.

Farmer. Right. Farmer.

Elliott turned towards her and reached down for a pulse.

Fluttery under the skin despite how much blood was on the ground around her.

Her neck was red around the collar, he couldn't tell how deep the bite mark was.

Harvey would be able to help her.

He lifted her onto his back, tying her hands together at the front so she wouldn't fall as he climbed back to the surface.

Carefully, he managed to climb the first set of ladders with no difficulty.

It was the next 6 sets that were brutal as he climbed with the extra weight pulling on his back and neck.

She stirred every now and then as he'd find the ladders to the surface, and each time he'd comfort her with small words of love.

She'd be okay.

Everything was fine.

Don't struggle, we're almost there.

No more monsters, no more encounters with the things that go bump in the night.

Eventually, he reached the last ladder, bathing in his own sweat and out of breath.

"Ell?!" He heard a voice call from above.

Harvey.

Gods bless Harvey.

"We're down here!" He shouted back, relief in his voice.

"Can you make it up?"

"I think so!"

He hoisted himself up the ladder, grabbing Harvey's outstretched hands to pull himself up and out as he reached the top floor.

Sebastian was with him, pulling at the bandana around the Farmer's wrist to release her.

Harvey looked at him worriedly before turning to the farmer.

"We need to get both of you to the clinic."

"I can carry her."

"I'll do it." Sebastian had her in his arms and out the cave entrance before either could protest.

Harvey reached out and grabbed his hand as they walked out hurriedly.

No room for argument.

They arrived at the clinic and while Harvey worked, Maru patched him up.

She worked quietly, disinfecting and stitching his arm.

He liked that about Maru.

She didn't talk to fill the silence.

After wrapping him up and giving him antibiotics to take home, she sent him on his way and went to help Harvey.

Instead of going home, he went upstairs to Harvey's rooms.

It was where Harvey found him hours later, after he had stayed with the farmer to answer her questions.

Maru was staying with her for the night.

It was the popping of the cork on the wine that snapped Elliott out of his stupor.

"You're lucky you both didn't die down there."

"Someone had to help, Harv."

"You could have gotten Marlon."

"In what time? You didn't see the thing."

"Cave Crawler?"

"...Yeah."

"We'll talk more in the morning. I'm...tired."

"Yeah."

Both settled into their spots, not speaking and Elliott got a horrible sinking feeling in his chest.

He'd rather be home than be in an argument.

He had done the right thing, put himself in danger in the process, but the adrenaline had kept him going.

It was useless fighting with Harvey.

No good would come out of fighting until nobody won.

The farmer was fine.

Harvey was okay.

Everyone was home and safe.

He'd done the right thing.