Genesis : Knights of Salvation Series
Chapter 35: Crushes

Their horses trample over the bank and into the coursing river as two forsaken follow them out of the undergrowth. Enyo’s horse stumbles as water splashes the three of their blood-soaked figures. Orion bolts into action as does Talon as they both run to their weapons. Harrison’s black thoroughbred makes it to our side as one of the forsaken surges straight into the river, only to be pulled under within seconds. Foxglove makes it across followed by Enyo as the second forsaken trudges through the water. I look behind me to see Orion settle to one knee, his weapon focusing on the new threat.

Talon runs to the other’s horses as it neighs and kicks wildly. Foxgloves’ horse is kicking out as they try to calm their spooked horses. I run over to help with the horses as Orion’s gunshot fills the air. Foxgloves horse rears up and I raise my hands as I approach her, shushing out to calm the almost wild mare. After a minute her horse calms as she sniffs into my palm, allowing foxglove to totter down onto her uninjured leg. I take the reins as Harrison helps the still limping foxglove away from the horse. Pulling on the reins I take the now calmed mare and lead her to the other horses tied up on a tree.

When I turn around I take in the rest of our team. Foxglove sits next to Orion’s map as Harrison looks over her black blood covered body. Enyo and Orion do their manly hug and they talk about what’s happened. Every team member is accounted for and they all look unharmed. The bubble in my chest finally dissipates seeing the team gather together by Foxglove as they smile knowing they all made it.

I join the team as Orion begins to divulge what had happened while they were separated.

“Clare and I set out after Talon and Aspen but we couldn’t replace them. So we tracked our way to the river and followed it back.” Orion shrugs as a small foreign smile settles on his face. Enyo looks over at Talon and me as we stand next to one another. His eyes are alight with happiness and even curiosity.

“How did you two fair, then?” Enyo speaks up his eyes fixated on my face. I’m about to spew some random lie when Talon speaks up, his lazy humorous tone finally back in his voice.

“After we took off we were farther out from the river. We made our way from the cliffs in the west and after an ambush or two by the forsaken, we found the river. We got here to replace Orion and Clare.” Talon easily passes by some of the more touchy parts of our little adventure and gives a small smile. I look over at talon, he sits with his usual lazy smile and without a sign of lying. Talon gives me a little wink and I can’t help but roll my eyes at his childish behavior.

“What about you guys?” Clare speaks up. Enyo shrugs, his eyes lifting as he thinks back at the last two days’ events.

“We got out just before the group of forsaken could get close. And followed the river just as you did.” He simply says and Harrison gives him a sidelong look in surprise.

“Not to mention the whole time we were chased by the forsaken!” Harrison exasperates his arms flying in the air. The group starts to chuckle at Harrison’s reaction.

“Everyone gets cleaned up then we need to get moving,” Enyo speaks up as the laughs die down. It was a small moment of relief from the tense adventure we are on. Thinking about the mission and all that will happen to me I glance towards talon who does the same to me. An unspoken knowledge and comfort passed between us. The longer we are on this mission the more I replace that this fire grows inside me. When I was told what I was in for with ground zero and the virus I felt so powerless. As If I’m already a walking ghost, just waiting for my last breath. But this feeling makes me not want to wait anymore. I want to do whatever I want and go down fighting rather than lay my life down as Clare and the others expect from me.

The group disperses as most of them head over the raging river just below the waterfall to clean up. I look down at Foxglove and notice she’s just as grimy as the others.

“Do you need help getting cleaned up?” I ask with a kind smile. Foxglove rolls her eyes and sighs, “Yes please.” She groans out. I can’t help but laugh a little.

“I’m guessing you’re already tired of being bruised?” I asked lifting my brows at her obvious agitation.

“I’ll be fine by tomorrow but Harrison just won’t stop fussing over me, he acts like my mother.” She groans out as I reach down under her arms helping her stand. We begin walking, and she seems to be able to walk with some wincing and a small limp.

“I’m not surprised, he’s like the papa bear of the team.” I joke out, but it’s the truth. The first time I met Harrison was when he was making food for all of us, and he was wearing an apron.

“Well, no but I don’t want him to look at me like some child.” She fesses up as I help her sit near the bank. I squint at her a bit confused. The way she speaks about it seems like more than wanting to be seen as a capable person. Foxglove’s eyes catch on mine and she grows a little red.

“Oh my Old-lands, you like ha-”

“Shhhh!” Foxglove cuts me off as her hand covers my mouth. I can’t help it I smile as her hand leaves my mouth her eyes looking around us.

“Don’t say anything.” She mutters out self-consciously, her face growing redder. I laugh out a little, Foxglove has a crush on Harrison. It’s so odd, I’ve never even thought of Foxglove liking anyone. She’s a beautifully feminine woman but she’s so tough it’s not the first thing I think of.

“Why Harrison?” I screw up my face a bit. She looks over at me confused as she pulls off her top shirt soaked in blood. I grab the shirt from her, move down the bank a few feet and start washing her shirt. I’m glad my top shirt is on the branch drying so I don’t get it wet again.

“I mean he’s cute but I wouldn’t think he was your type,” I whisper over to her. She simply shrugs and whisper’s back.

“He’s so caring, and kind, and smoking hot.” She lifts her eyebrows as she talks about him as if all those features were the sole reason to live.

“Does he know?” I asked furrowing my brow. Foxglove shakes her head looking down at the river.

“I’ve tried to tell him, but then I think of the team. We depend on one another to live... I don’t want to risk that for a crush.” She says sadly. I can understand her reasoning but the thought of them together for some reason made sense.

“Just so you know, I think you would be a great couple.” I shrug as I ring out her shirt. Black water oozes from it and down the river.

Her eyes wander to the group of guys farther up the river. I follow her eyes path. Harrison is shirtless standing knee height in the river. His chest is molded like the Old-land greek gods especially with the sun hitting his nicely sculpted muscles. Orion leans against the tree laughing as Talon says something, the rest of them chuckling along. No matter how hard I try for them not to, my eyes wander to Enyo.

Enyo’s already short black hair is slicked back dripping small drops of water onto his bare shoulders. He stands shirtless deeper in the river than Harrison, as the water reaches just to his waist. Enyo’s muscles are perfectly defined as he lifts his shirt from the river and rings it out. I notice just on the top of his shoulder sits a dark-inked tattoo. The tattoo is of a detailed sparrow with small words circling around it, I can’t quite make them out from the distance. At that moment as I ogle at Enyo, the same fluttering in my chest appears as do my cheeks beginning to warm. I look back down at foxgloves shirt trying to take my focus from Enyo.

As I wash her shirt we fall into a comfortable silence as I listen to the thundering of the waterfall. Foxglove cleans off her arms, face, and hair of blood as I finish with her shirt. I ring out her shirt one last time as shadows from the bank pull my attention. The boys stand over me on the bank with Foxglove cleaned up with their undershirts on and their tops hanging from the tree branches drying.

“I just finished with her shirt.” I let them know as I step from the water. Harrison reaches out and helps me up the bank.

“Aspen?′ Enyo speaks up. I look towards him his wet hair still slightly dripping onto his black shirt. His face is focused on my arm where a white bandage sits. The hole in my shirt slightly exposed my wrapped injury. I curse out in my head, I had totally forgotten about the wound.

“Yes?” I act normally as if I had no idea what he wanted.

“What happened to your arm?” He asks. His voice is stern and a little strained as he squints at me, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just got a little cut from riding too fast around low-hanging branches yesterday.” I shrug the question off with a slight laugh. My eyes shift to Talon who stands a little behind Enyo. Talon’s eyes are focused with a slight worry in his eyes. If anyone was to figure us out it would be Enyo or Orion.

“Did you get any contaminated blood in it?” He asks rigidly and I’m already prepared to answer.

“No, we had washed off with water before this. It’s fine, I washed it out with water and bandaged it before anything could happen.” I assure him. It’s no good to worry them about a wound that can only bring questions and no real comfort to any of them. It’s not like I can get the mutated virus again. I push past the group and head to the branch with my now-dry top shirt. The whole time I can feel Enyo’s eyes on me, watching me. I’m sure he’s worried about my cut but as long as I don’t accidentally spill the truth I’ll be good. I pull my shirt on and place Foxglove’s shirt in its place.

When I turn around Enyo’s eyes are still watching me as he follows the team towards Orion’s sketched-out map. My eyes fall to his, only for a moment but for that small moment, it felt like something passed through his eyes. A kind of softness I can’t quite place. I join the team and sit next to Clare as we sit around Orion’s map.

“We don’t have any maps except a rough sketch from when they deployed out to create the outpost towns. We only have this map with a rough outline of where we need to head to reach DimHollow outpost.” Orion begins running his fingers over the drawn map.

“So, we need to go west of the waterfalls and we should get right out of the forest. There should be twin mountain tops we will head towards and within an hour we should come to the DimHollow outpost.“Orion instructs us and we all nod in agreement. It’s not like any of us are going to argue with him. Orion is the smartest one of the group but I couldn’t help but notice his slight hesitation. I have no doubt he feels bad about the valley.

“Okey, get food and fill your water. We set out in ten.” Enyo order’s out as we split up to get ready to go.