I stumbled this time through the last of the stones and sank to my knees.
Cursing the Progenitor with feeling I let her roll from my shoulder onto
her back in the sand. On hands and knees I hung gasping for breath until
I heard the running footsteps and sat back on my heels snatching at composure.
I rubbed a hand across my eyes but it seemed it was dim.
Twilight
was deepening into night here at the bottom of the Rift.
Pennbaston reached us 1st and flinging me an acute look knelt by the Progenitor
reading her medsens. Vryyh dropped down by her smoothing the black hair
with a palm which held all of devotion.
I struggled to my feet.
Pennbaston
caught the movement from the corner of her eye and twisted toward me. "Rider?"
"I'm going back," I said tonelessly. My boots felt weighted.
"Fion
is resting. She regained consciousness an hour ago. She will be fine."
I nodded
and started away. Pennbaston turned back to her patient. The last thing
I heard as I entered the crack once again was her voice issuing instructions
for removing the Progenitor to her tent.
