Episode Six, Part 4: 

O a s i s

𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘦, 

𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘴.

There had been nothing to tell Sol how far she had come. No landmarks to suggest she was even heading in the right direction, or that she didn't have far to go, until now. The dark hum on the horizon began to grow - still not clear enough to distinguish, but enough for her to believe that it could be the caves. 

She had lost all concept of time being out in the DeadLands, alone. Her only intention being to get to Wynnlow as fast she could, despite the ache for rest. Yet, the closer she seemed to get to finding out if it really was the caves approaching, the more her feet seemed to stumble, as if trying to hold her back. As if she was afraid of everything changing. 

Death wasn't new to her. She had seen, and herself - killed many people before, but if she found Wynn, and it was too late, it would be different. She didn't know how, or why, only that it wouldn't be like anyone else. It would be something she couldn't  stop seeing, couldn't shut out of her mind when she'd had enough. 

But this was it: the last stretch. And for all she knew, Wynn could be only a mile away hanging onto his life until she arrived. Adrenaline pulsed through her, and the rest of her steps were a haze in her memory soon forgotten until the blur that was once distant was now at her feet. 

She was here again, and he was there - just one turn away from Sol discovering his fate. She exhaled, wondering if it would be her last breath before everything in her world changed, and began her venture into the cave. 

The smell hit her first. The stench of decomposing bodies was enough for her to want to retreat. Then it was the silence. She couldn't hear anyone... She couldn't hear Wynn. 

Sol reached for the torch inside of her bag, quickly switching it on to illuminate the cave. She caught sight of Ellery, turning away before she could stare for another moment. It wasn't remorse that made her look away, but fear. 

Where was Adair? Where was Wynn? 

She moved ahead, struggling to catch her breath as anticipation got the better of her. Then a noise... A groan of sorts. Sol moved the light, frantically trying to locate the sound, terrified that Adair would lunge out at her any moment. 

But then she saw him. 

His eyes were closed, head leaning back against the wall of the cave. One leg bent, the other laying flat, covered in blood. She drooped to her feet, crawling close to him, immediately checking to see if he was still breathing. 

She felt his neck for a pulse, and another groan came, Wynnlow tilting his head at the sudden, unexpected contact. With his eyes still closed, he tried to fight away whoever was beside him, unbeknownst that it was his salvation. 

Sol dropped her head in relief, overwhelmed that she had got to him in time, that she could return the avail of saving his life. 

"Wynn, it's Riverly." She explained, her voice slow and precise so he could understand. "It's Sol." She added, hoping he would respond to that name.  "I got you." 

His eyes peaked open slightly, glancing over her, but unable to focus. He was on the verge of drifting back to unconsciousness. 

"Wynn, I got to get you out of here." Sol breathed, desperately searching his face for some sign of recognition. 

Wynnlow groaned again, trying to shift his body to face away from her, as if he understood the effort it would take to move, and didn't want to face it. As if he didn't believe she was really here. 

"Wynn!" Sol snapped, her voice suddenly raised, refusing - even in his darkest moment - to accept anything less than a fight. She glanced down at his leg, noticing that Wynn had already made a tourniquet for his injuries, and only hoped that it would hold as he stood up. She slung his arm around her neck, her hand wrapping around his waist as she tried to lift him up. 

She couldn't manage it. At least not carrying him all the way home. If Wynn wanted to live, he had to make that decision himself. 

Sol propped him back up against the wall of the cave, cupping his face in her hands. She shook him slightly, bringing him to look at her. His eyes opened again. 

"Get up now, Wynn, or we'll never make it home." 

"Sol..." Wynn murmured, his hand reaching for her arm and holding onto it weakly. It seemed he realized what was happening. 

"Go, Sol." He swatted her away, closing his eyes again as if death was enough at that point. 

Sol shook her head, mumbling 'no' over and over as she tugged on him to sit up. 

"I won't make it." He told her. 

"Well I'm not leaving without you." 

"You have to." Wynn insisted. 

"I won't." 

Wynn looked up at her, breathless, realizing that she was telling the truth. Sol nodded, as if she could read his mind, as if to say 'we're gonna make it. We're gonna be fine.' 

Wynn leaned on her, using all his strength to help her lift him up, and he was standing once again. He winced at the weight put on his leg, desperate to crash onto the ground, but he knew Sol wouldn't let him. 

"What is it?" She asked, searching him for an answer. She worried that he had seen Adair. 

"My leg." Wynnlow answered. "I told you I won't make it. Please just go." 

Sol ignored his comments, beginning to pull him towards the exit of the cave, stumbling in her tracks. She looked down to see what was blocking her path, noticing the arm of Adair lying flat on the ground. She followed it up to his shoulder, then to his face - his eyes closed, body stiff - dead. 

There was relief and shock and fear all at once. A deep concern for Wynn as Sol looked up to him, about to ask what had happened, but his answer came first. 

"I killed him." 

Sol didn't know what to say. It was one thing for her to feel the after effects of killing someone when she had lived her entire life exposed to such violent and dangerous encounters, but when it was Wynn - the boy from the Bunker - the boy who had been so sheltered and so contained, it was different. It wasn't right. 

"Hey," Sol pulled him away, stealing his attention away from his sins. "Everyone's waiting for you. I was waiting for you. Ares. Elara. Quill. Hold on for them." 

- 

Lyra paced outside of her tent, trying to find the courage to carry through what she had done. With a deep breath, she slipped inside, Bas not even turning around to look at her. 

She headed over to the table, sighing as she set down a large bag she had been carrying around, opening it up to fill with the last few things nearby. 

"The guards are gone." She announced, not expecting anything, but still disappointed when Bas remained silent. "I told them that some of Basilisk were out in the woods." 

"They're not!" She hurried to add on, Bas shooting her a disapproving look, suddenly worried that she had reported to Rogue that their friends had been nearby. 

"I only said that so they wouldn't be around us." She explained, moving over to where he sat, taking the now full bag with her. "So we can get out without anyone seeing us." 

Bas frowned, trying to comprehend what she was talking about when she chucked the bag into his lap. 

"I don't know what they'll have there, but I hope this will be enough." 

"You mean..." Bas was too afraid to say the words, too afraid of having his heart broken all over again. 

Lyra nodded. "Harlow needs one of us to be there for him. He just doesn't need me, too." 

"Lyra..." 

"We should leave before the guards return. We can slip out the back. Unless you're not ready to leave m-" 

"No, no. You're right. Now's good." Bas answered, but he had cut her off, and he hadn't realized that Lyra was the one who wasn't ready. Something didn't sit right with them parting. As if she knew that nothing good would come of it. That nothing could be undone. 

Six // Part Four

I'm not leaving without you. I won't.