Awakening (Born From Shadows #1)
Chapter Thirty-Four

There was a time when she would repeat the words a new day, a new adventure to herself every morning. It was a coping mechanism for her, a way to hold onto her sanity but as they woke up to the suns deadly gaze all she wanted was for it to end. Tatianna wondered if she should just stay lying down on the dead grass and wither away. Just close her eyes and drift off into an endless sleep. Everything seemed to sound better than moving her muscles and standing up.

Something was brushing itself against her leg, but she had neither the effort or care to look down and see what it was. If it was just the wind so be it, if it was something else then perhaps it could take away her suffering. Stop the hunger stop the thirst. For once in her life, she wished she was on the snowy streets of Avalla. Yes, it was a diurnal nightmare for her, but it was still better than this.

Nik shifted beside her, and she felt some much guilt push her down further into the floor as if it was gravity. He was here because of her. Had he not followed he could be sleeping in his bed in his castle, yet he was here for reasons that she couldn’t possibly fathom. Worst of all the selfish part of her was grateful for his presence. Her mind was an unending battle between guilt and desire, and she hoped guilt would win. For if desire did then what would that make her?

The thing that brushed against her leg before was starting to move up her body. She could not feel what it was due to her long pants, but she could smell it…it did not smell good. If it was something bad it would not kill her, but she would not let it kill Nik. That is a decision that both the guilty and selfish parts of her concurred. Drawing every bit of energy she could muster, Tatianna looked down and saw a pair of black eyes slithering along the floor. The snakes body occasionally went against the side of her leg and it made its way towards her and Nik’s face.

She wondered how a snake would taste before anything else, before remembering that some could be poisonous. Deadly.

“Nik,” her croaky voice tried to call out to him. She could barely move herself. Reaching for her dagger was something she forced herself to do. Wielding it was even harder as her weak muscles tried to hold the metal stick. If Nik had heard her, he showed no signs of moving.

She raised the blade above the snakes head and let gravity do the rest. She then felt the urge to shove the dead animal into her mouth but decided against it unknowing of it was poisonous. She didn’t bother to sheath her weapon.

She looked at Nik’s face, his eyes were closed and his dark hair growing longer by the week. He seemed so peaceful despite the fact that he was close to death. They all were, except her. She couldn’t let them die, not after making it so far.

“Nik,” she muttered and pushed his arm slightly. “We have to keep moving. You need to get up.” She didn’t know if she was trying to convince him or herself, but it was enough to get her to her feet. She then stumbled to the dirty blonde-haired boy, trying to stir him and his sister.

“Freya, come one. You are always positive, get up,” she begged. Freya groaned and opened her pale blue eyes. “You can’t die, not like this.”

Freya slowly made her way to her feet and so did Nik. Tatianna helped Riley up giving him someone to lean on. They needed to keep moving so they did. One step at a time, that was all she thought. Just move one foot, then do it again. It was all she could think of, looking ahead at the empty plains just made her feel hopeless so she moved one foot at a time. Riley limped beside her, his weight adding to her own just making her struggle all the more tiresome. Then suddenly some of the weight lifted, she noticed Nik had taken to Riley’s other side helping her. Just his movements lit up a part of her, gave her hope. Gave her the belief that they could survive because they had each other. Nylif walked on her other side giving her nudges into her hand as if to say that the wolf was with her till the end.

She didn’t know how long they continued like this, they staggered through the plains. She saw the sun rise and fall above their heads. Only once complete darkness fell upon them once more did they stop walking. Tomorrow she knew the horses would be dead, that the mortals would follow and the wolf.

“We can’t stop,” she told them. And started to keep walking forward.

“Storm, there’s no where to go,” Nik said addressing her relentless need to keep moving forward.

“We can’t give up,” she told them and kept walking forward up a slope. She just had to replace some water. Something to cure their dry skin, cracked lips, the headache pounding against their skulls.

“Tatianna,” Nik mumbled. “Just remember that we chose to come with you. This isn’t your fault,” he breathed. She immediately understood what he was saying. He didn’t want her to blame herself for when they died, and she was left alone and weak.

“No, you are not going to die,” she told him. Due to pure determination she started to continue forward. They didn’t have to come, she just needed to replace a village and bring them back water. Her feet were rolling against the ground, and she almost collapsed with every step, but she would not let herself fall. Once she fell, she knew she would not have the strength to get back up. Her breaths were heavy, and her vision was spinning around her. She wondered around in the dark alone praying and praying for help from the gods. For the first time in her life, they answered.

An orange light could be seen amongst the night’s darkness, and she smiled. It was far, but she could make it. She had to make it and bring them back some water and food. Enough so they could make the trip here and drink some more.

The light in the distance called to her and she hoped that it was in fact a village and not something else. A hallucination from the dehydration, the gods know how many times that had happened to her on the streets. She picked up her pace.