The Savage Lands

15:49 (3:49 pm)

Day 2

"You're doing great!"

Rogue made no answer as she concentrated on finding the next foothold.

"We're almost halfway."

"Shut up!" She yelled through gritted teeth.

"Sorry."

She lowered herself down a notch.

"You're lucky," She said after a few minutes.

"Why?"

Rogue paused.

"You have claws, shugah. And if you'd fall, you wouldn't break anything,"

Logan snorted.

"Except every bit of skin I've got."

Rogue tightened her grip on the jutting piece of rock.

"Don't talk like that, shugah!"

"Sorry."

She managed to bring herself down a little ways more, with some guidance from Logan on the location of footholds.

Rogue was reaching for a small shrub that grew out of a shelf on the wall when it happened.

The little crevice that she had hooked her fingers into crumbled under her weight.

Rogue, panicking, couldn't find anything to grab, and she found herself falling backwards.

"HELP!" She screamed.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. A loud *snikt* split the air right beside her ear, and she found herself suspended in mid air.

Neither could say anything for a few moments.

Then...

"Don't even breath,"

"Okay....." Rogue whispered back.

She tried to move her eyes to see how she was staying up.

A claw had caught a shard of the fabric of her jacket, stopping her fall. Amazing that it hadn't cut through yet.

"Rogue...."

"Yeah..."

Logan breathed in shallowly. The slightest movement could break the fragile hold he had on her.

"When I say now, I'll retract my claws. Meanwhile, you grab my hand. Then I'll pull you up, okay?"

Rogue was terrified, but she managed a tiny "Okay....".

"Get ready," Logan whispered.

She felt hollow inside as she prepared to reach up with her arm.

"NOW!"

+++++++++

The Savage Lands

15:58 (3:58 pm)

Day 2

Rogue made a desperate grab at the hand extended out to her, and felt the near meet.

She felt their hands brush as she slid down and fell through the air, arms flailing.

"Rogue!"

She blacked out before she could hit the ground.

*******

Logan watched helplessly as Rogue dropped, then sprung into instinctive action.

He let go with his other hand and shoved away from the wall, reaching out with his arms

to Rogue as he sank through the air.

He threw himself around Rogue just as before they reached the ground and prepared himself for the bone crunching impact.

********



"Rogue...."

Rogue moaned and opened her eyes.

"What?"

Logan's face cracked into a grin.

"Nothin',"

She sat up, rubbing her head.

"Where are---oh, mah..."

She covered her mouth.

"Ah fell, didn't ah?"

Logan nodded slowly. It hurt to move.

"How'd ah make it? And why are you down here?"

He groaned.

"I...slipped...too."

Rogue studied his lowered face.

"Ah don't think you did."

He looked up at her.

"You saved me, didn't you?" She asked.

"Uh, kinda...." His head was whirling.

Rogue watched him put his hands to his head.

"Gee, shugah, you don't look so good. You okay?"

"I think so."

She got to her feet.

"Can you stand up?"

He got up and stumbled a few steps.

"I'll be....okay....we gotta climb...up....now..."

Rogue snorted.

"No way in hell. You're in no shape to climb anymore, and neither am ah."

He fell silent, not feeling like arguing.

"Ah think we should wash up," She said. "Let's find some water."

He nodded slowly.

"Need some help walking?"

"Okay," He winced.

She went over to him.

"Go on, it won't kill me."

He leaned against her shoulder.

"Let's go then."

+++++++++++



The Savage Lands

18:32 (6:32 pm)

Day 2



"It's getting pretty cold,"

Rogue shivered and rubbed her arms.

"Ah can see mah breath."

Logan groaned.

"You doing okay, shugah?"

He nodded.

"I'm fine."

A few minute white flakes began to drift down from the sky.

"It's snowing!"

Logan looked up.

"Ain't that funny."

Rogue glanced at his bruised face.

"Thanks for what you did for me, back there,"

He snorted.

"It was nothing. You'da done the same for me."

"Ah guess. But still..."

They fell silent.

"Snow's fallen' faster. We should look for a cave or somethin'."

"Where're we gonna find a cave?"

Logan grinned.

"We're surrounded by miles of rock and you ask where're we gonna find a cave?"

"Well, ah don't see any," said Rogue sheepishly.

"Keep your eyes open then."

**************

"Stay close, Rogue, I can barely see you."

Rogue leaned into Logan.

"Ah'm real cold."

Logan put his arms around her.

"I know."

Another gust of wind blew a thick flurry of snow into their faces.

"We gotta keep going. Keep warm."

He pulled her upright and studied her.

Icicles were forming around her nose and mouth, and snow had settled in her hair and eyelashes, making her look like a ice sculpture.

"C'mon Rogue. Keep goin'. Please."

Rogue looked back at his eyes.

She had to keep going.

"But....ah'm so...tired..."

Logan's eyes widened in alarm.

"You're tired?"

"Uh...huh..."

She was drifting off.

"No, Rogue, you can't fall asleep on me!"

He shook her.

"Ah'm...sorry....shugah...."

Her eyes were starting to close.

"Rogue! Stay awake! Rogue! ROGUE! "

She struggled to open her eyes.

"But....ah'm tired..."

He put his hands to her face.

"I know, I know, but you gotta keep going! Or else you'll freeze,"

He shook her again.

"Rogue, once we find some shelter I'll let you sleep. Stay awake. Please!"

She raised her head.

"Ah.....ah'll....try....help me..."

He turned away, trying to remember which smells where which.

~Dammnit,~ he thought to himself. ~What does a cave smell like again?~

He inhaled deep and tried to concentrate.

~Caves are kinda, well, musty, aren't they?~

He sniffed again, blocking out the other scents.

~Cold , Earth, Snow, vanilla....that's Rogue...~

He paused to smell Rogue again.

~Wind, Cave ,water...wait a second....cave !~

He sniffed again.

"Rogue! Rogue! ROGUE! "

He shouted, shaking her hard.

"I found a cave! It's this way!"

He began dragging her through the snow towards the scent of the cave.

"There! Rogue! I found one! Rogue!"

To his horror, he realized that she had nodded off.