It's several minutes before the heavy grass parts in front of Eponine. Eva almost trips over her.
"Eponine!" At first Eva thinks Eponine is dead - the girl hasn't even tried to staunch the blood spilling from the back of her leg, hasn't lifted her head from the crushed reeds beneath her. For a second Eva almost turns and runs, counts this as another loss, but the need to catch her breath, as much as her protectiveness for Eponine, force her to stop and investigate.
She crouches down, shoulders shaking with exertion, spear resting against the side of her neck as she checks Eponine's pulse, sees the recognition in the girl's eyes, looks at the wound enough to see that the femoral artery wasn't severed.
"Hold this," she says, placing the spear in Eponine's hand and gathering the girl up like laundry into her arms. "Look over my shoulder. See anyone coming from behind, scream and hit them with it."
Re: CORNUCOPIA
"Eponine!" At first Eva thinks Eponine is dead - the girl hasn't even tried to staunch the blood spilling from the back of her leg, hasn't lifted her head from the crushed reeds beneath her. For a second Eva almost turns and runs, counts this as another loss, but the need to catch her breath, as much as her protectiveness for Eponine, force her to stop and investigate.
She crouches down, shoulders shaking with exertion, spear resting against the side of her neck as she checks Eponine's pulse, sees the recognition in the girl's eyes, looks at the wound enough to see that the femoral artery wasn't severed.
"Hold this," she says, placing the spear in Eponine's hand and gathering the girl up like laundry into her arms. "Look over my shoulder. See anyone coming from behind, scream and hit them with it."
And she lifts.