Trudy had lost a lot of blood. Her eyes were shut, but her heartbeat was still there—weak but steady. Charna let out a small sigh of relief, only for Zane to cut it short.
"She won't last much longer if we don't get her help," he said grimly.
The obvious choice was to get Trudy back to Wintertooth as quickly as possible so their medic could treat her. Time was running out. But before they could move, Trudy tugged weakly at Charna's shirt.
"Trudy!" Charna gasped, startled. Had she regained consciousness? Or had she been awake the whole time, just too weak to show it? Charna leaned closer. "What is it? Don't worry—we're getting you to safety. You'll be okay."
"Quick, let's move!" Zane interrupted, already forming a plan. He figured they'd take turns carrying Trudy to conserve everyone's exhausted energy for the trip back to Wintertooth.
But Trudy shook her head, her movements faint and slow. "Riona…" she whispered.
