Virginia opened her eyes. The light of early dawn and the forest around her was a hazy blur. The fire in front of her was smoldering in ashes, and fresh dew was upon the ground. Although covered in a wool blanket, she shivered from head to toe. Her skin was clammy and pale.
She heard footsteps approach her. A dark-skinned figure squatted down between her and the ashes of the fire. A hand touched her forehead, and she heard a voice that sounded like Charles.
"You're burning up," echoed his voice in her head.
The figure she faintly knew to be Charles reached down and pulled the blanket back from her legs. Virginia saw the cloth wrapped around her leg from last night was soaked in even more dark, red blood. The blurry figure covered her legs back up. A hand slid underneath her head, positioning her to focus her eyes on the person before her.
"Listen to me, Virginia," he said. "It's going to be okay. I'm going to get you to safety."
Everything was a vague blur to her: the woods, the light, the figure, the voice. Nothing was as it seemed.
Where am I again?
All she knew was that she felt weak and could barely move.
The dark figure wrapped her up in the wool blanket. She felt two strong arms reach up underneath her and pick her up. She remembered those arms.
Yeah, that's Charles.
He started walking. Virginia kept falling in and out of what she thought was a dream. She always felt the arms that held her and the pace of Charles walking. At times, the trees and the light would be a blurry formation; at other times, the light would fill the whole place, and she would feel and hear nothing. Finally, all would be at peace and then fade to white.
"Stay with me!" echoed a voice.
Instantly, the whiteness of her surroundings would fade away, and then the blur of the forest and the morning light would return to her sight.
In the faintness of the moment, she heard many sounds. The birds were louder than ever before. Woodpeckers sounded like sledgehammers hitting against the trees. The damp, cold morning wind hit her face like a driving force and screeched like a high-pitched ghost through the woods. The leaves underneath Charles's feet made a sloshy, crunching sound with every stride he took.
The sound of a wolf howling came from behind them in the distance. Charles's pace picked up. Virginia began to cry.
"Stay with me, Virginia!" echoed the voice. "Stay with me!"
In all the noise, there arose a sound unlike any other. It was a mixture of deep and high pitches of another language, the most beautiful singing she had ever heard. It soothed everything in Virginia's mind. Charles's striding pace was no longer there. She felt lighter than air, as if she was flying. She heard the sound of something stroking through the air on either side of her. She opened her eyes to the sky and saw a pair of large, white wings flapping up and down with mighty strides. All around her, the forest rushed past in abstract autumn colors.
What's happening? "Are you an angel?" she mumbled.
"No, I'm not," echoed the voice in her head.
"Charles…?"
"I'm here, Virginia. I'm here."
She felt the strong arms that held her. She closed her eyes and rested her head against the chest that held her close. She was carried for what seemed to be hours, but she refused to keep track of time at this moment.
She felt Charles's feet on the ground in a walking stride again. She opened her eyes. The woods were still there. She still felt the arms that carried her, but the feet suddenly stopped. She heard Charles's voice but did not recognize the language that he was speaking. It sounded different from the one she had heard earlier. Then came another voice speaking in the same language. She turned her head and questioned if she was dreaming after witnessing what she saw next.
Standing before her was a Native American Indian in a loincloth covered from head to toe in so much mud you could not see his skin. His hair was in a Mohawk. He held a bow in his left hand, and a quiver containing several arrows was strapped around his back. For a few minutes, she heard Charles and the man covered in mud talk back and forth in the same language.
Suddenly, a look of deep concern was seen in the eyes of the Indian. Instantly, he raised his bow into the sky and gave a loud tribal-like call. More Indians, also covered in mud and dressed like the one standing in front of Virginia, came out of the shadows of the forest and surrounded her and Charles. Each had a bow in their hands and a quiver strapped around their shoulders. Virginia was not sure if what she was seeing was true or not. Resting on the end of each quiver was a dove.
She looked back at the Indian standing in front of her. Out of the tops of the trees, another dove flew down and landed on his quiver. It let out a loud cry that dissolved into a wave of peace. It was unlike anything that Virginia had ever heard. It sounded stronger than a hawk yet faded into a soft, peaceful kiss. The Indian waved his hand, motioning Charles to follow him. The Indian, Charles, while carrying Virginia, and the ring of Indians surrounding Charles and Virginia all began to walk together.
"Charles," said Virginia faintly, "what's going on?"
"Don't worry," said Charles. "They are here to help us. They want to protect you."
What? Why? "Who are they?"
"They are warriors of the Naumi. They are leading us to their tribe. There, they will help heal your wound."
Help me? Heal me? How?
Virginia began to blackout once again. All went dark.