Mishak and Layah ran through the forest as fast as they could, trying to outrun the robbers chasing after them, but completely exhausted and in pain at the same time, Layah halted and shook her head at Mishak. "I ca-can't run anymore. I feel very exhausted." She breathed heavily and looked at her left arm, which was aching heavily.
"Princess, please endure it. They will catch up to us soon. Please!" Mishak pleaded with her, and she bit her lower lips, trying to endure the pain.
"Don't worry, we will outrun them soon, and then I will take you to a physician to look at your arm. Just endure it for now, okay." He smiled in a comforting manner at her and gripped her hand on seeing her nod in response.
They began to run again, and Layah's heart skipped a bit on hearing the voices of the approaching thieves who were catching up to them.
"Mishak-"
"Just keep running. Don't look back." He shook his head at her and they kept running even though Layah felt like her leg was about to give out. However, amidst their running, something unfortunate and painful happened to them.
Because of the fact that Layah and her legs were exhausted, including the pain she was going through, her legs had slipped, causing her to fall to the ground and begin to roll down the steep slope that they wanted to avoid, dragging Mishak along with her in the process.
They rolled down the steep slope, and on seeing this, the thieves halted and proceeded to go over and use another path to get down and apprehend them.
Finally tossed to the end of the slope, Mishak heavily hit his head on a stone, causing a deep groan to escape his throat.
"Mishak!" Layah hurriedly sat up from the ground and reached out her hand to help him, but when her hand felt something liquid taint it, her heart skipped a bit, and she quickly retracted it only to see blood all over her palm. "Mishak!" She yelled in panic and grabbed him by the arm, proceeding to help him up from the ground, but Mishak, who seemed to be losing consciousness, lay helplessly on the ground with his eyes slightly open.
"Princess, you... should go, before they catch us," he said to her, but Layah vigorously shook her head at him, letting him know that she wasn't going to leave him. "You don't really think that I am going to leave you, do you?" she asked in a cracked voice, showing she would tear up at any moment. If anything happened to Mishak, she would never forgive herself.
She quickly tore off the clothing she wore beneath the jacket with the wolf texture she was wearing. "Stay still," she said to him and gently began to wrap the piece of clothing around his head to stop the bleeding from oozing out so rapidly, then glanced around their surroundings when she was done.
"What are you... doing?" Mishak asked on seeing her looking around, and she retracted her attention to him. "I am looking for help. My left arm is aching badly and will hinder me from helping you. So I need to find help," she explained, and Mishak parted his lips to speak, but she abruptly stood up and hurried to stand in the middle of the road, causing his eyes to flutter in bewilderment.
"Princess... What are you doing? They are still looking for"
"Help us! Please! We need help! " Layah began to clamor, waving her right hand back and forth, on seeing people on horses approaching.
Mishak struggled to his feet and staggered toward her. He looked at the incoming people and his eyes widened in shock on seeing their uniforms.
"Princess!" He yelled her name and grabbed her wrist to drag her out of the way, but wanting help so badly, Layah snatched her hand back and glared at him. "Can you just stay still? You're bleeding, and we need help. If I let you bleed like this, you will end up dying and I don't want-" She was yet to find her words when the people approached them and halted their horses on seeing them.
They had seen the girl waving her hand while screaming for help, so they had halted to see what help they needed.