--------------------------------
It seemed like an age before Dan appeared back on the cliff edge. Her bruised and bleeding knuckles appeared first. The her head and her arm. Before she knew it two of the men had hauled her up to safety and thrown her in the dirt away from the edge that had claimed the life of the commander.
Then one spat and one kicked and the angry, upset men took out all their anger on her. Her face was dripping with her own blood. All around her mouth, and she twisted again and again to avoid the kicks that came from everywhere. But she couldn't avoid them all and a few hit home, causing her to grunt.
And suddenly the vice commander yelled out in Spanish and the men dispersed. Leaving a pile of blood soaked rags in their wake. Jack thought that was basically what she looked like when he had first laid eyes on her.
She rolled onto her knees and coughed up an alarming amount of blood. Then shakily she looked up at the new captain. The man looked her over, then reached down a hand to her. She flinched away, and would not take it. The man sighed in defeat and told one of his men to do something. Two soldiers went over to Dan, lifted her up and placed her on a horse.
She looked slightly dazed from shock or blood loss, Jack wasn't sure. He rode beside her, should she fall, and thought about her for a second. She had just killed a man. Attempted to throttle him in cold blood and instead pushed him over a cliff for him to break his neck on the rocks below. And she looked fine. Her eyes had shown she knew exactly what she was doing.
Somehow this was worse than her trampling a man. This was cold, decisive murder. She had planned it. And she didn't care; it didn't affect her in the slightest.
Next to him Dan leant to her right (away from Jack) and wretched.
Well, maybe it did affect her after all. She leant against the horses neck, not asleep but far from awake. She stared off into space and her body was relaxed. She faced Jack, but didn't really see him and her eyes were more clouded than he remembered them being.
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, a thin red stream, but she didn't seem to notice.
Jack watched her worriedly. This was scary and disturbing behavior for Dan. But she had just killed someone and he didn't know how long it had been since she had eaten.
Then, as if to add to the atmosphere it began to rain. It had been threatening to do so all day and now it did. Heavy drops bombarded the travelers. The day was gray and Dan seemed to get worse rather than better.
One time the new commander rode up next to the two. Looked at Dan then refocused on Jack.
"How is she doing" he asked quietly. Watching the fast rate of Dans breathing. Even though she was still she was breathing as if she had run the length of the island.
Jack shook his head, her face was pale and she looked ill. The rain had drenched her completely and she was freezing cold. The general regarded her in concern. Then held up a clenched fist to halt the column. He dismounted and shouted out a few orders.
"What ye doing?" Jack asked as he watched the men spread out. "Making camp. We will get a fire going"
It seemed like an age before Dan appeared back on the cliff edge. Her bruised and bleeding knuckles appeared first. The her head and her arm. Before she knew it two of the men had hauled her up to safety and thrown her in the dirt away from the edge that had claimed the life of the commander.
Then one spat and one kicked and the angry, upset men took out all their anger on her. Her face was dripping with her own blood. All around her mouth, and she twisted again and again to avoid the kicks that came from everywhere. But she couldn't avoid them all and a few hit home, causing her to grunt.
And suddenly the vice commander yelled out in Spanish and the men dispersed. Leaving a pile of blood soaked rags in their wake. Jack thought that was basically what she looked like when he had first laid eyes on her.
She rolled onto her knees and coughed up an alarming amount of blood. Then shakily she looked up at the new captain. The man looked her over, then reached down a hand to her. She flinched away, and would not take it. The man sighed in defeat and told one of his men to do something. Two soldiers went over to Dan, lifted her up and placed her on a horse.
She looked slightly dazed from shock or blood loss, Jack wasn't sure. He rode beside her, should she fall, and thought about her for a second. She had just killed a man. Attempted to throttle him in cold blood and instead pushed him over a cliff for him to break his neck on the rocks below. And she looked fine. Her eyes had shown she knew exactly what she was doing.
Somehow this was worse than her trampling a man. This was cold, decisive murder. She had planned it. And she didn't care; it didn't affect her in the slightest.
Next to him Dan leant to her right (away from Jack) and wretched.
Well, maybe it did affect her after all. She leant against the horses neck, not asleep but far from awake. She stared off into space and her body was relaxed. She faced Jack, but didn't really see him and her eyes were more clouded than he remembered them being.
Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, a thin red stream, but she didn't seem to notice.
Jack watched her worriedly. This was scary and disturbing behavior for Dan. But she had just killed someone and he didn't know how long it had been since she had eaten.
Then, as if to add to the atmosphere it began to rain. It had been threatening to do so all day and now it did. Heavy drops bombarded the travelers. The day was gray and Dan seemed to get worse rather than better.
One time the new commander rode up next to the two. Looked at Dan then refocused on Jack.
"How is she doing" he asked quietly. Watching the fast rate of Dans breathing. Even though she was still she was breathing as if she had run the length of the island.
Jack shook his head, her face was pale and she looked ill. The rain had drenched her completely and she was freezing cold. The general regarded her in concern. Then held up a clenched fist to halt the column. He dismounted and shouted out a few orders.
"What ye doing?" Jack asked as he watched the men spread out. "Making camp. We will get a fire going"