Jerica was glad when Eve finally dozed off. The silence between them had felt oppressive while she was still awake. And Eve had somehow made staring at ravenous wolves seem more preferable to having a conversation with her.
There was so much that Jerica needed to figure out. And, clearly, it was going to be on her to save them. Eve could probe her memories. Apparently. But Jerica had yet to see an actually useful skill emerge yet. So
She rubbed her face.
Someone was clearly orchestrating this. She'd been becoming progressively more and more convinced that it couldn't be someone that she knew from Beirania. At least, not one of the idiots who had come to her mind at first.
Whoever it was clearly had to be able to get between Beirania and Earth. And had to be able to abduct both of them without either of them knowing how. And was now managing to keep them both on the brink of death, despite her best efforts.
Was it an As'veri?
She forced herself to shake the thought away. She could deal with murder-wolves. She drew the line at having to fight with an As'veri. Been there. Done that. And vowed never again.
Jerica looked up as she heard Eve shift. Half a moment later she saw Eve falling past her. She leaned forward swiftly to try to grab her, but she was taken too off-guard, and Eve was out of her reach by the time she tried to catch her.
Jerica didn't have time to think.
There was Eve. And the wolves. And the two were about to meet. And that was going to go badly. And Jerica needed to help. And that was that. Jerica grasped her spear, kicked her foot over the branch, and threw herself off it.
She landed on the branch a few meters below her a moment after Eve grabbed onto it. Jerica's knees smarted but she reached to grab Eve to pull her onto the branch -- but there was no time. The wolf was there. "Fuck."
Jerica grasped her spear with both hands and stabbed at the wolf.
It was such an awkward angle. She was still crouching on the branch with both feet under her, and had to lean way forward to be able to get to the wolf before the wolf could get to Eve's legs.
Jerica stabbed as hard as she could.
Her spear sank deeper into the wolf's neck than she expected she'd be able to manage from this awkward angle. The wolf howled in agony as blood spurted from it. Jerica tried to yank her spear free, but just as she did the wolf jerked on its head, stumbling backward.
She was already perched precariously. And the extra pressure from the wolf is all it took to pull her the rest of the way off-balance. Jerica felt her stomach lurch as she fell head-first towards the ground, still clinging to her spear tightly with both hands. "Fuck!"
Jerica twisted so that she landed on her feet, on top of the wolf she'd just stabbed. She yanked the spear free as she stumbled off the wolf's corpse. She slipped in its blood, but caught her footing quickly, straightening her back. A moment later she saw the dozens of wolves now with their collective attention focused singularly on her.
"FUCK!" She jumped backward as the wolf nearest her lunged forward.
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