Nénuphar - 6

When Nénuphar, awoke the light from her dagger was gone, and everything was quiet. Somewhere in the distance she could hear some water, but her magic was not yet restored, and she didn’t dare move more than she had to in the darkness.

She reached out and touched Yetta’s shoulder, but she didn’t move. Placing a hand on her chest, she was able to feel its steady rise and fall and the beat of her heart. Satisfied, she again lay down with Griffe to sleep.

She awoke some time later to Yetta’s crying and moaning.

“What is it?” she asked sitting up and staring into the darkness.

Through her wincing and moaning Yetta replied, “My hips are broken, and I can’t feel my legs.”

A quick intake of breath some rapid breathing told Nénuphar that she was in terrible pain. So Nénuphar began casting her strongest healing spell. Yetta tried to lay still, but in the light of the blue glow, Nénuphar could see tears streaming down her face, and hands and tech clenched beneath the onslaught of the pain.

She placed her glowing hands on Yetta’s hips that yielded a half scream and a whimper. The glow passed into Yetta’s body and Nénuphar could see the bone and muscle returning to its proper condition. One more casting and the glow began to spread from her hips to her left legs which was also broken just below the hip. The spell was able to bring the bone back together, but was unable to completely mend the bone before the light faded.

Yetta’s breathing slowed and came more regular, and her hands and jaw were able to relax as the light once again faded.

“Thank you,” said Yetta softly. “Can you see my legs? I can’t feel anything below my hips.” she said trying to hold back the fear in her voice.

Nénuphar reached out and ran her hand blindly down both legs to her feet. “They seem okay.” offered Nénuphar.

There was a short pause Yetta reached up placing a hand on the side of Nénuphar’s face. “You’re blind aren’t you?” she said with the deepest of sorrow. “Was it the fall?”

“No.” returned Nénuphar. “My eyes work fine, but its just dark, I can’t see unless I cast a light spell.”

“You can’t see at all?” asked Yetta incredulously.

“No.” sighed Nénuphar.

Yetta let out a puff of air and replied, “Oh. Okay. So I can’t walk and you can’t see. That is going to make things tough.” As she spoke, she rolled over to her side and felt her legs.

“Hows the cub?” asked Yetta after a few minutes.

“The cub!” shrieked Nénuphar. “Where is he?”

Yetta pointed Nénuphar’s hand in the direction of the cub, and began to drag her legs in the same direction. When they reached the cub, he seemed to be breathing normally.

“Either he is unconscious,” said Nénuphar, “or he is still hibernating.”

She cast a healing spell, and the spell mend a couple of broken ribs and some cuts on its head.

“He was hurt, but seems to be hibernating.” said Nénuphar.

Yetta looked around trying to get a feel for their situation. They seemed to be in a crack that extended out of sight in both directions. Above them and below them it continued broken by ledges and falls. She could not see beyond the ledge twenty feet above them, but knew that must be where they had come from. Below them there were a couple more ledges, but they were small and not very long. The chasm was about fifty feet wide and the far was sheer without ledges or cracks as far as Yetta could see.
The ledge that they were on was slightly sloped toward the chasm. It was about twenty feet wide and a hundred long, but narrowed to sheer cliff at both ends. Her bow and quiver lay on the ledge near her, but could be of no value now.

Nénuphar cast her light spell and her knife began to glow. Yetta called out in surprise and pain as she covered her eyes.

Covering the knife with her hand, Nénuphar apologized, “I’m sorry, does this light burn your eyes?”

“Ya.” said Yetta. “My eyes have adjusted back to dark vision, and that light is blindingly bright.”

Canceling the spell she said, “Its okay. I can’t see very well with it anyway.”

Yetta dragged her legs over to the cliff where she could rest in a sitting position, and Nénuphar crawled over beside her with Griffe on her lap. They sat silently while Griffe cleaned himself and Nénuphar.

After a few minutes, Yetta asked, “Do you hear some water falling in the distance?”

“Yes.” said Nénuphar.

“Are you as thirsty as I am?” said Yetta.

“Yes.” said Nénuphar, realizing how thirsty she really was.

Again they sat in silence for several minutes. Then Nénuphar heard yetta crying.

“What is it?” she asked.

“My legs.” said Yetta.

“Do they hurt?” asked Nénuphar preparing to cast a spell.

“No.” said Yetta. “I wish they did.”

She sniffed, whipped away her tears, and took a deep breath.

“You’ll be okay.” said Nénuphar, “We’ll find some help.”

“Even if we do,” said Yetta in complete depression, “I will never walk again.”

She then pulled together her courage, and took another deep breath. “Do you think you can make it back up to the bear cave?” she asked.

“It doesn’t matter.” said Nénuphar matter-of-factly, “I won’t be going without you.”

“You may have to.” came the reply.

They both fell silent except for Yetta’s occasional sobs.

After what might have been hours or days, Yetta spoke up in a dry hopeless voice, “Why don’t you go see if you can get a drink.”

“How?” asked Nénuphar.

“I can cast the move through earth spell if you are low on magic. You travel inside the stone except with your head out over the chasm so you can see where you are going.”

“But what about you?” asked Nénuphar her heart beginning to ache with the reality of their situation.

“We need to worry about you.” said Yetta. She tried to keep the tear on her cheeks from her voice, but was not very successful. “Now go.”

She cast the spell, and Nénuphar felt the stone beneath her soften.

“Wait, no. I can’t go without you.” she said.

“Yes. You can.” came the reply. “You should be able to make it to the falls and back if you hurry.”

Nénuphar tried to find some logic that would allow her to argue, but Yetta gave her a little push, “Please.” she said. “Go.”

As Nénuphar lit up her dagger, Yetta was glad of the opportunity to hide her eyes fearing that Nénuphar would see the resignation that had settled into her heart.

Nénuphar moved to the end of the ledge and passed into the stone wall with Griffe on her shoulders. Yetta saw the little light move farther and farther into the distance until it completely disappeared around a corner. When the light finally went out she gave in to the despair in her heart, and collapsed in to deep chest wracking sobs. She knew that Nénuphar would never be able to drag her back up the bear cave in her condition. They had travelled too far through the stone. They simply could not do it.

As her eyes dried, and her body stopped convulsing from exhaustion, she dragged herself over to the bear cub and lay next to him for comfort. She stared at the wall for a long time until she fell asleep again.

She was waken to someone shaking her violently, and a blinding light right in her face. Before she could react Nénuphar thrust her hands into Yetta’s mouth opening it as far as it would go. She deposited the contents of her bulging cheeks, and force Yetta to swallow the contents.

Yetta twisted away coughing a sputtering, as her mind tried to grasp what had just happened. Had she been attacked or kissed. She was actually not sure.

Nénuphar then spoke. “Whew. I thought I would never get back here. Sorry to startle you, but that is the only way I could bring any water back for you.”

She hid her knife in her clothes, and Yetta could see that Nénuphar’s hair was still wet. It took her a minute to comprehend what had just happened, and they she was able to lay back against the bear cub.

“How did it go?” she asked.

“It was farther than I thought.” said Nénuphar. “I had to use the last of my magic to get back here. I really am sorry for startling you.” she said with a gentle smile.

“Its okay.” said yetta falling back into the depression that had consumed her hope. “Thanks.”

Then trying to wring the hopelessness out of her voice she said, “Why don’t you sleep. Gather your strength.”

Nénuphar lay down against the wall and buried her face in Griffe’s thick fur.

Yetta was wide awake from the startling experience, so she once again ran her hands down her legs, and began to cry. She knew that as long as she was alive Nénuphar too would be trapped on the ledge, and if she waited too long she wouldn’t have the strength to make it back to the bear cave. The depression became deeper and deeper, and eventually overpowered all reason and hope casting her thoughts into the deepest abyss of hopelessness. Her mind became blind to anything except what seemed to be a long and miserable death from dehydration and starvation.

Once the depression had completely consumed her, she began to pull herself toward the ledge. Looking down, she knew there was nothing to catch her for a long way. Far out of the range of her vision, which was considerable. She took a couple deep breaths, and began to slide over the edge.

Suddenly she felt something grab her around the neck. Instantly she knew the feel of teeth closing around her neck, biting through the skin on the back of her neck. She screamed from the pain, but figured this was as good a way to die as falling anyway. Even as her brain scrambled to imagine what kind of creature could have found them, she let go of her will to live, and waited for blow or another bite that would bring the end.

She screamed again as the teeth dug in deeper, and began to drag her backward. She was slowly dragged back from the edge, and after an excruciating eternity was dropped on the stone. She relaxed waiting for the end, but instead a burning blinding light was thrust into her brain. She squinted and tried to put her arm over her eyes, but the light vanished and she was smothered in Nénuphar’s embrace.

Her mind and body were both completely numb, and she didn’t try to move, or swallow, or even breath. She refused to comprehend what was happening to her. She was still just waiting for it all to end. She felt a powerful slap throw her head to one side. She refused to try or to care. Then another slap threw her head to the other side. Then another and another. She relaxed, not caring.

She heard some yelling, but she refused to open her eyes or try to comprehend what was being said. She let her lol as if she was already dead. Suddenly, the light was again thrust into her eyes, and she clenched her eyes as tight as she could, but could not make the light go away. It seemed to be striking right through the clouds of despair and threatened to cast them aside.

She felt her body laid on the stone again, and the light retreated a little. Then a great suddenly dropped on her chest. She could feel her breath more difficult to draw as her body felt like it was being crushed. As she pondered, trying to comprehend what was happening, her mind slowly turned back on out of simple curiosity. She could feel the weight on her chest and stomach, and one of her arms seemed to be pinned as well. The weight was warm and alive, and kept moving as if it was alive. She began to identify body part of the creature that was crushing her: a foot, a claw, a large abdomen.

Then roar erupted right in her face. It was not really deep, but it was loud, and accompanied by a great deal of flying goo. The volume and proximity of the sound brought her to full consciousness, and she tried to roll away out of reflex, but couldn’t move. Suddenly adrenaline burst through her body, and she threw the creature from her. She knew it hit the wall that was nearby, and she tried to rise to pounce on it, but as her body failed to respond, she remembered that it was broken. The thought brought her back to reality, and she began to put the pieces together: where she was, what was happening, and who she was.

She realized what she had just tried to do. She remembered her people, counting on her to bring help. She remembered the sun and the moon. She remembered Nénuphar…
Suddenly she was herself again. She squinted against the light that was still blinding her and said, “Nénuphar, I am so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”
She continued to say over and over again, “I so sorry.”

Nénuphar jumped on her and embraced long and hard. They both cried for several minutes. Nénuphar slipped around behind Yetta’s shoulders and rocked her back and forth. Yetta laid against Nénuphar’s chest just feeling alive, and being grateful for it. She swore to herself, and to Nénuphar that she would never try that again. Even if she never walked again, she would bring help to her people.

Suddenly the bear cub was standing right in front of her. He licked her face from chin to temple coating it in good. Then he did the other side. Again and again he licked her head, face, and neck. She tried to push him away, but he responded by placing both of his front paws on her chest, and licking her again. The only escape she was able to find was the grab the bear by the cheeks and pull him toward her. She was able to get her arms around her neck, and laid her head against his. Suddenly she knew that it was he that had saved her life the only way he knew how, just like his mother had dragged him around.

Her heart burned with love and appreciation for the cub, and hugged in even tighter. The crushing hug surprised him and he stepped back and stood on his back legs. She clung to his neck, and was raised with him, she tried to get her feet under her, but still could not move them. The cub dropped back to all fours, and Yetta lowered herself the ground. He then laid down and rolled up against her.

“Maybe he’s not hibernating anymore.” laughed Nénuphar.

Yetta laughed too, a deep long cleansing laugh that brought tears to her eyes. They both laughed long and loud, tears gushing in all directions. By the time they regained their senses the cub was snoring and Griffe was meowing in a concerned tone and rubbing up against them both.

“Okay, okay.” said Nénuphar finally, “So no more wishing to die?”

“No more wishing to die.” said Yetta.

“Now, let me take a look at your neck.” said Nénuphar.

She cringed as she saw the damage. The skin between her shoulder blades up to her head was mangled an stretched. Her long hair was caked with blood, but the bleeding seemed to have stopped until Nénuphar pulled the hair aside to examine the wound. She placed Yetta’s hand over the wound, and had her sit up to help it stop bleeding.

“I wish I could heal that, but I still need to retain my spells before I can cast again.” said Nénuphar apologetically.

“It’s okay. You go sleep. I’ll keep it covered for now.” said Yetta.

Nénuphar hesitated momentarily and Yetta reassured her, “No more depression. I am determined to get you back to the surface, if I have to drag you there without my legs.”

Nénuphar smiled and laid down again, much to Griffe's relief.