Chapter 4: Sleep
Erin gasped as they rose to the surface. The water splashed around them as they were swept down river. Aegnor kicked furiously, trying to reach shore. Erin looked ahead of them and then began to paddle furiously as well. They were coming up to a waterfall quickly. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she paddled with all of her being, but before they could reach the shore they fell once again and sunk deep below the surface of the water.
As she looked she could see the rays of sunlight dancing through the water, making small shadows flutter about the rocks on the riverbed. It was almost pretty down here. Erin's body took over and she kicked upwards until she and Aegnor erupted through the surface of the water. The water seemed to be calmer now. Aegnor swam over to the bank and stumbled through the mud, slipping until he was able to get all the way up onto shore.
Erin took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She turned around from her seat on Aegnor to look back at the waterfall. It wasn't incredibly high, but it was still quite a drop down. She looked further and saw the creature at the edge of the woods. It looked directly at her. Although it had no visible eyes she could tell that it was looking at her. It let out a shrill cry that made her ears ache and jumped off the little ledge into the water.
Erin began to panic; it was still coming after her. She turned to face forward and gave Aegnor a little kick. He slipped slightly on the slimy floor but made it to solid ground at the edge of the woods, then they once again sped off through the forest. Erin look behind them, she could not see the creature anywhere. Perhaps they were safe for now.
Aegnor slowed and came to a stop. They had been at a dead run for nearly an hour now. He panted heavily and stamped his feet. Erin reached down and patted his neck, then slowly slid off of him. They were now clean of the mud that had been previously caked on them because of their fall into the river, and she was nearly dry from the wind caused by the speed of Aegnor's running. When her feet touched the ground her knees buckled and she fell. Riding a horse at that speed for a prolonged period of time was difficult and she hadn't realized how weak her legs were. Now she was dehydrated and starving, she couldn't even imagine what it was like for Aegnor.
She crawled across the grass, looking for some kind of food. Erin spotted a small stream nearby and scrambled over to it, dipping her hands into the cool water, bringing it up to her face, and taking large gulps. Aegnor walked over to the stream and began to drink as well, almost as though he had stayed back so that Erin could make sure that is was safe first.
Erin sat up and wiped the water that was dripping down her chin, then looked around. She still didn't recognize anything in the surrounding area. The woods weren't so quiet now, and it was getting dark out.
Erin looked over to Aegnor then down at her jeans. She wanted to get some sleep but she was afraid of him running off. If he did run off and that thing came back then she was royally screwed. Looking back down at her jeans once more, she decided to make a small rope so that she could tie him to a tree. She looked around nervously, half expecting that someone would be spying on her, then almost smacked herself on the forehead. Who exactly would be watching her out here? She took off her pants and tried to rip them.
Nothing happened so she pulled on them harder. Her face was now turning red. It always looked so easy to rip up clothes in the movies! Finally she gave up trying to rip it with her hands and put the piece of cloth in her mouth. She tugged as hard as she could with her teeth.
RIIIIIIP!
Erin fell backwards onto the grass. She had ripped her jeans up the side of the leg. She pulled on them again, ripping them to the left, making the leg come off so that it was a pair of shorts, well, sort of. She blinked at her pants; one leg was a pair of shorts now, while the other was still a full pant leg. She moved to the other leg and ripped it off, after another moment's struggle, so that they were even, then she began shredding the pant legs as best as she could, making little strips of cloth, then trying them together to make a long rope.
By the time she was done her fingers were raw and the rope was about twenty five feet long, which would give Aegnor room to walk around and graze during the night. She tied the rope around his head, making a sloppy, but functional halter, and climbed up the tree he was attached to so that she could sleep. Her mind wandered over the events of the day as she drifted off into slumber.
Erin gasped as they rose to the surface. The water splashed around them as they were swept down river. Aegnor kicked furiously, trying to reach shore. Erin looked ahead of them and then began to paddle furiously as well. They were coming up to a waterfall quickly. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she paddled with all of her being, but before they could reach the shore they fell once again and sunk deep below the surface of the water.
As she looked she could see the rays of sunlight dancing through the water, making small shadows flutter about the rocks on the riverbed. It was almost pretty down here. Erin's body took over and she kicked upwards until she and Aegnor erupted through the surface of the water. The water seemed to be calmer now. Aegnor swam over to the bank and stumbled through the mud, slipping until he was able to get all the way up onto shore.
Erin took a few deep breaths to calm herself. She turned around from her seat on Aegnor to look back at the waterfall. It wasn't incredibly high, but it was still quite a drop down. She looked further and saw the creature at the edge of the woods. It looked directly at her. Although it had no visible eyes she could tell that it was looking at her. It let out a shrill cry that made her ears ache and jumped off the little ledge into the water.
Erin began to panic; it was still coming after her. She turned to face forward and gave Aegnor a little kick. He slipped slightly on the slimy floor but made it to solid ground at the edge of the woods, then they once again sped off through the forest. Erin look behind them, she could not see the creature anywhere. Perhaps they were safe for now.
Aegnor slowed and came to a stop. They had been at a dead run for nearly an hour now. He panted heavily and stamped his feet. Erin reached down and patted his neck, then slowly slid off of him. They were now clean of the mud that had been previously caked on them because of their fall into the river, and she was nearly dry from the wind caused by the speed of Aegnor's running. When her feet touched the ground her knees buckled and she fell. Riding a horse at that speed for a prolonged period of time was difficult and she hadn't realized how weak her legs were. Now she was dehydrated and starving, she couldn't even imagine what it was like for Aegnor.
She crawled across the grass, looking for some kind of food. Erin spotted a small stream nearby and scrambled over to it, dipping her hands into the cool water, bringing it up to her face, and taking large gulps. Aegnor walked over to the stream and began to drink as well, almost as though he had stayed back so that Erin could make sure that is was safe first.
Erin sat up and wiped the water that was dripping down her chin, then looked around. She still didn't recognize anything in the surrounding area. The woods weren't so quiet now, and it was getting dark out.
Erin looked over to Aegnor then down at her jeans. She wanted to get some sleep but she was afraid of him running off. If he did run off and that thing came back then she was royally screwed. Looking back down at her jeans once more, she decided to make a small rope so that she could tie him to a tree. She looked around nervously, half expecting that someone would be spying on her, then almost smacked herself on the forehead. Who exactly would be watching her out here? She took off her pants and tried to rip them.
Nothing happened so she pulled on them harder. Her face was now turning red. It always looked so easy to rip up clothes in the movies! Finally she gave up trying to rip it with her hands and put the piece of cloth in her mouth. She tugged as hard as she could with her teeth.
RIIIIIIP!
Erin fell backwards onto the grass. She had ripped her jeans up the side of the leg. She pulled on them again, ripping them to the left, making the leg come off so that it was a pair of shorts, well, sort of. She blinked at her pants; one leg was a pair of shorts now, while the other was still a full pant leg. She moved to the other leg and ripped it off, after another moment's struggle, so that they were even, then she began shredding the pant legs as best as she could, making little strips of cloth, then trying them together to make a long rope.
By the time she was done her fingers were raw and the rope was about twenty five feet long, which would give Aegnor room to walk around and graze during the night. She tied the rope around his head, making a sloppy, but functional halter, and climbed up the tree he was attached to so that she could sleep. Her mind wandered over the events of the day as she drifted off into slumber.