WARNING: There is gore depicted in this chapter. If you want to skip, move to the line break

Solvi doesn't have time to hesitate.

A few more pieces are added on to the sides of the tepee she already created. The fire burns hotter and hotter. Flames reaching high and embers burning hot are what she needs. Taking the iron knife, she sets it in the fire, careful to leave enough of the handle out so she can still hold it.

Her arm throbs in pain, each wave more agonizing than the last.

Pouring water from her canteen gives her a better view of the new gash spread across her arm. Water is the best she can do to clean it for now.

Bright red blood is still oozing from the wound, but now it's a little slower than before s it begins to clot. Solvi checks the blade to see how hot it is. The red glow coming from inside the flames means that it's now or never.

‘If I don't do this, then I'll either lose my arm or more likely I’ll bleed out. It'll be okay if I just don't think about it and do it fast.’

She has to talk herself into going through with it. Moving before she can think any more, she grabs the knife and winces at the heat that crept up the handle and now burns her hand. But it’s nothing compared to the pain that was coming. She drops the cloth she's been holding against it and presses the red hot blade into the wound for a second.

Her scream pierces the silence of the night. Removing the blade, she looks down to see how much she got. Not enough.

Hot iron touches skin again, and another scream is released. This time when she looks down, the wound is sealed. Relieved, she pours some more water over the cauterized spot. A sigh of relief escapes her lips. But the agony returns quickly when the water runs out.

Vision getting splotchy, and her head spinning gives her a good idea that she’s going to pass out soon.

The fading glow of the knife abandoned on the ground is the last thing she sees before darkness overcomes her.

A strange feeling on her face wakes her up from her miserable nightmare. Opening her eyes, a tiny fox is standing beside her, and it’s nose just about touching hers. She moves to sit up, and her left arm gives out as she places some weight on it. All the memories from the previous night come rushing back to her with the burning pain following right behind.

She inspects her arm to see how it looks now that she has the sunlight to see better. Rough and patchy burnt skin covers her lower arm. She can still feel the heat from the blade searing into her flesh; a reminder of the smell is almost too much to handle.

‘I'm so glad I passed out after that, I don't think I could’ve handled much more of that.’

She tries to find something to wrap her arm with for the meantime to keep it clean and decides on a piece of cloth from the cloak she brought along. Once it touches the skin, it feels like her nerves are on fire again, and she takes it off.

‘Guess I can't do that. Water it is.’ Grabbing a small pouch from her pack, she walks toward the creek she saw the day before. She dunks the cloth in the cold water and places it on her arm again. The pain isn't as bad as the first time, and the longer it sits, the better it starts to feel as the water starts to warm up with the heat coming from the wound, the pain returns.

‘Screw it. I’m just gonna sit in the water. I’m covered in blood anyway.’

She takes off her boots and sets them on the bank. They're the only things not covered in blood. A cold shiver runs up her body as she steps into the creek. Even though the air is warm enough, the river is frigid from the mountains’ melted ice. Icy water is what she needs for her arm right now. Her body starts to go numb, and it's the best feeling she could ask for. The water runs bright red with the blood seeping out of her clothes. She gets most of it out; just some brown spots remain where most of the blood pooled and dried overnight.

Being surrounded by cold water, it begins to seep into her bones, making her body shiver and not stand the cold anymore. She gets up and walks to the shore where the sun can dry her off and give her some much-needed heat. Her wet clothes make it hard to warm up so she takes them off, wrings them out, and then hangs them in a nearby tree. Returning to a warm patch of grass, she takes a leaf out of the small pouch she brought with her and rubs it between her fingers before placing it on her arm. An herbal smell wafts off it, telling her that the oils have been released.

With the leaf-wrapped up in a bandage on her arm, she lays down. Sun rays cover her body in a soft warmth, the cloak wrapped around her is like a hug from a loved one. Peace and tranquility float in the air with some birds chirping in the distance.

Unfortunately that peace was broken by leaves being crushed under foot. She ignores the sounds, and fades back into her quiet place. Thoughts of her mom and dad fill her with nostalgia as she remembers how they used to go out into the forest during the day and finds the perfect spot for a picnic. The three of them in their happy little family. Then there was a little brother, who would sit in her lap and ask all the same kind of questions she used to. The day her sister came along, she remembers seeing the wonder in her eyes and holding on to her like she was the whole world.

Heavy footsteps grew closer, crunching leaves scattered on the ground. She opened an eye and squinted at the bright sun, trying to see who it was.