Pain seared through Logan's back as ten cuts sliced down through his clothing and into his flesh. Anna cried out as her hold vanished, her body tumbling backwards into the open air. Her arms flailed, but there was nothing to latch onto to save her. Logan threw his hand out to grab her, but his fingers painstakingly brushed hers in a miss. He panted in his efforts, abruptly throwing himself backwards with no regard for his own safety. He back flipped from the tree trunk with a surprising grace; he threw out his hand again, his fingers firmly snatching her wrist. The pair fell together as Logan outstretched his free arm, heavily grabbing a passing tree branch. Their fall was halted with an abrupt tug, leaving Anna gasping for breath was she dangled above the drop, her only hold being Logan's hand.
Logan's hand dug hard into the branch as he held both of their weight up, the numerous slices down his back healing up to leave bloodied trails. He panted heavily as he glanced down at Anna, his gaze meeting her shocked eyes. "I gotcha," he muttered. He eased himself up onto the branch, straddling it before pulling her up and setting her on to the branch in front of him. He sandwiched her in between the trunk and his body, making sure she wasn't going anywhere. "You all right?" he whispered as he watched her.
Swallowing, Anna nodded her head, apparently too numb to talk. Logan glanced down at the forest floor, which was still a good twenty-foot drop. Soldiers were advancing through the foliage quietly; their weapons armed and ready as they cautiously glanced around the area.
"Logan.." whimpered Anna fearfully as she stared down at one of the soldiers who was passing right below their tree. Logan abruptly pressed his fingers to her lips, her eyes staring at her in silent communication. Slowly he looked back down at the foot of the tree where soldiers had begun to tread closer, looking around intently. Logan carefully reached backwards, silently snapping off a secondary branch. He suddenly flung over his head, causing it to soar across through the trees where it hit noisily. The soldiers quickly tensed up before than burst into a run across the forest floor to follow the sound, leaving the area.
Gradually, his fingertips left Anna's lips, trailing across her cheek to then cradle the back of her head gently. "We're safe now," he told her in a whisper, reaching in to give her forehead a reassuring kiss.
"We're stuck in a tree," Anna reminded him weakly.
"At least we're both alive," he replied with a raised eyebrow.
Anna watched him for a moment before she glanced down at the drop, "I suppose now's a bad time to mention I'm not very good at heights."
"You said you climbed trees when you were a kid?"
"I did, until I fell out of one. I'm not very good at holdin' on once I'm up there," she grinned meekly.
Logan gently rested his hands on either of her straddling thighs, "You're not goin' anywhere," he assured her. "Just keep your legs wrapped tight around the trunk."
"We could be here hours," muttered Anna.
"Maybe.."
Anna smirked a little, "Our asses are gonna be so numb."
"I'd rather have a numb ass than have lost you," Logan responded with a small smile.
The hours passed rather slowly, but the two kept themselves occupied with whispered conversation. Logan looked out across the trees, the view admirable. Anna kept clinging onto Logan whenever he moved, disliking the height at which she sat. "We can get back to the camper now," he said softly, his eyes turning back upon her. "They've left the woods."
"Yes, we now just have to get down the tree," Anna muttered regretfully as she nervously glanced down.
"Look, just hold onto me. As tight as you want, I'll be fine." Logan gently lifted himself off the branch and back round onto the large tree trunk. "Climb onto my back."
Anna stared at him, the idea of moving terrifying her. "Logan, I can't."
"You can."
"I can't!"
"Anna, you can't sit in this tree forever."
Anna bit her lower lip, frowning, "I know.." she murmured weakly.
Logan shuffled a little closer to her, making the distance she had to move shorter. "Go on, just grab hold of me. You can do it." Tentatively, Anna reached out a hand, taking hold of Logan's shoulder tightly. "That's it, twist round." Anna followed his instructions, swivelling off the branch and extending her other hand to his opposing shoulder. "Gently now." Anna gave a soft gasp of fright as she swung herself off the branch, her legs dangling as she grabbed Logan around the neck desperately. She quickly brought her legs up to hook around his middle, quickly getting herself in a more comfortable position for both of them. "Don't let go," said Logan before his claws shot out of his knuckles and into the tree. His feet left the tree trunk and they swiftly plummeted downwards, his claws keeping them against the tree.
Anna let out a soft cry as they dropped down. Abruptly, everything stopped, and Logan was now stood on the forest floor and trying to peel her clinging arms from around his neck. Anna reluctantly released her grip, her legs shakily stumbling over the earth. "Oh my God.." she muttered under her breath, the world around her still spinning. She eventually stopped her staggers, leaning forward against the tree as she caught her breath.
"Are you all right?" Logan asked as he stepped towards her, resting a hand on her back.
A wry chuckle sounded between her pants. "I think I left my stomach up in the tree."
Holding back a smirk, Logan reassuringly rubbed her back. "It was the quickest way to get out of the tree."
"I can feel that," Anna muttered, blinking. She straightened, taking a great breath of air before she sighed, sorting herself out mentally and physically. "Right, I'm o.k now."
Logan fastened his hand about hers, "C'mon, let's get back to the camper." He set off in a light run, Anna hurrying alongside him. The distance felt much longer than before, but Anna decided this had to be because the soldiers weren't right behind them. Their entry into the forest had been a blind panic fuelled purely on fear and adrenaline. A short while later, they reached the roadside, where Logan abruptly darted behind a tree, pulling Anna with him.
His eyes narrowed and he cautiously scanned the apparently empty road. He sniffed the air a few times before he stepped out from behind the tree, releasing her hand. "Just let me check some more," he told her in a whisper, apparently dissatisfied. He quietly advanced out from the dirt of the forest floor and on towards the roadside. The camper appeared to have been left untouched, for it was still haphazardly parked with its bonnet in the bushes. Logan glanced over it's exterior before he ventured out onto the road itself. He trod with care, anxious as he was exposing himself.
There was a sudden squeal of starting tyres, and Logan barely had time to look as a heavily armoured vehicle roared down the road towards him. Logan's eyes shot wide as the front of the large vehicle slammed into his side, catapulting his body over the top of the roof and hurtling him into the icy road beyond. Anna threw herself from around the tree, staring with her numb heart in her throat. "No!"
Another cliffhanger! We're reaching the end of this story now, so please be kind and leave reviews!