[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/sbufiQm.jpg[/img][/center][center][h1][color=f6989d] Alexis [/color][/h1][/center]

As soon as she had been out of danger she had bent low and torn the bottom of her shirt and wrapped it tightly around the swelling ankle. Pulling her boot back on she nodded to Elias and ducked out of the protected circle he had created. Her retreat went unnoticed by the wesen as she snuck off to the side behind Hundar and went around through the brush until she was behind him. 

Alexis had not seen the injury to Elias' shoulder since she had been busy with her ankle. Seeing it now filled her with fury and she completely forgot about her ankle. She darted out of the trees underbrush and swung her sword at the spine wielding tail cutting it off of the twelve foot tall creature. It's roar could be heard for miles. Alexis ran and jumped up onto it's back. Unfortunately, it only put her right at it's hip level. She stabbed it with her dagger but was too low to get it's heart. The large wesen screamed in anger and yanked her off of his side. Alexis went flying into the air and bounced off of the bushes landing in a heap on the ground.

The wind was knocked out of Alexis and she shook her head a moment as she realized that the beast was still moving to attack Elias. It obviously thought she was down for the count. She stood up and pulled out her throwing stars. She had only brought four with her and one was still sticking in it's chest. She aimed and sent one flying into the middle of it's back and one into the back of it's neck. She barely missed it's claws as it rounded on her giving Elias chances to do damage. Between the two hunters the beast went down. When it finally lost it's life it had more than twenty five places where it had been stabbed or cut by their blades.  

Alexis walked over to the beast as her ankle started to pound mercilessly in her boot. Her limping figure stood over the wesen and she took it's pulse to make sure it was really dead. She had never fought one this big before. She remembered one about nine and a half feet tall that she and Maggie had felled but never one this huge. She glanced up at Elias and nodded.

[color=ed145b]"It's dead. I have no idea where the birdman went."[/color] Alexis walked straight over to Elias and pulled out a bottle of alcohol from his saddlebags and poured it over the wound where the spine was sticking through. She could see the pain in his eyes even as he kept as quiet as he could. 

They both knew she had to push it through. The spine was filled with jagged back pointing tips and it was thick. If she pulled it out it would tear through Elias' shoulder terribly, possibly crippling him permanently. She had no option but to push it through. They had no one but each other out here, no doctors at home, no one else to keep their secret. She gave the bottle to Elias and made him drink from it heavily. Then she stuck a small tree branch in his mouth to bite down on and she found a large enough rock that she would be able to get a good grip on it. She looked at Elias and said a prayer for strength to push it through in one hit and not make him suffer more than necessary.

Looking at Elias she counted [color=ed145b]"...1...2..."[/color] Alexis swung her hand and  kept her focus on the job at hand and tried to get it done as fast as possible but the spine was in there good and it took her two hits before she got it through. Then she cleaned it out with the alcohol and wrapped it up with what was left of her shirt. She was still wearing a camisole underneath so she determined that his need was worse than hers. She still had a problem though. The sun was coming up and she had to get them home and into the house without being seen. 

Elias' eyes were glazed over with pain as she sat and pulled him into her lap for a moment. She whispered to him [color=ed145b]"I love you and I'm so sorry."[/color] Alexis held him for a few moments before she wiped her own tears away. She had to think a moment. If she was not careful she would be caught. 

With a plan in mind she managed to get Hundar to help her to maneuver Elias onto the horse's back and she took the horse with her as she reclaimed her own mount partway across the field. She took the darkest most covered way to the edge of the property and snuck the horses and Elias on Hundar's back into the stable. She could hear the stable boys so she slapped the horse's backsides and let them go inside on their own. The boys would send for the doctor and she darted up the trellis that lead to her room.

It took her two minutes to get undressed and into bed. Her ankle was in terrible shape but at least she could say she sprained it dancing the night before. Her ladies maid did not appear like usual. 

A little while later... she heard a lot of shouting and noise coming from the barn which she knew was for Elias. She got out of her bed wrapped up in her robe and hobbled over to the window and looked down. Her door opened but she knew instantly that it was not her maid. She turned at the familiar scent and forced a smile at her aunt's maid.


[@December]