Arc II — Echoes in the Snow
Chapter 13 — A Feeling I Feared
"How long do you plan on sleeping there, Niki?" Phil said to Niki.
Niki's vision was still blurry, but she could now hear all the sounds clearly, and she heard Phil shout in the distance.
"What do you want now? Can't you see when someone is in pain?" Niki said, looking at the direction where the sound came from.
"And whose fault was that? Tell me, who was the one who got reckless and threw herself in the claws of the wolf?"
"Can't you nag at me at a later time? I'm in no mood to listen to anyone at the current moment at all."
"So now I have to make notes on when I have permission to nag at you?"
"Can't you just stop?"
Phil was walking toward Niki as they were talking, and when he was close to her he stopped and extended his hand to Niki.
"Until when are you going to stay on the ground? Stand up."
Niki was all right now and her eyes got clear, but the pain remained. She looked at Phil standing tall and saw herself in a vulnerable state for the first time in a long time.
She wanted to say many things but decided to stay silent in that moment and just take the hand to stand up.
Phil pulled her up after Niki grabbed his hand. Phil put one of Niki's hands on his shoulder and started to support her while nagging at her as they walked.
On the other hand, I was inside the carriage witnessing the whole situation from a crack in the fabric with Karel.
As I was looking at the fight, so many things filled my mind at once, and I felt so many emotions at once looking at them that it all became a mess and I didn't know how to react or what to do.
I froze in that instant and all I did was watch as they were fighting.
And in those last moments, when the head of the wolf got bounced off something, something happened in that instance.
In my chest something wanted to come out so desperately that I got scared. I didn't know what that feeling was or if it was even something that I should be afraid of.
But in that moment all I was able to think of was to suppress what I was feeling.
I tried putting my hand on my chest and squeezed my hand tight until I couldn't feel anything.
The feeling that was emerging slowly settled down.
After it was gone I looked at my hand. It was red, and I could feel the pain because of the tight squeeze.
I didn't know what kind of feeling it was, but after it was suppressed I was relieved.
When I looked outside, both Phil and Niki were coming in the direction of the carriage.