The Shadow of Death

Bruce pulled Emily by her hand dragging her away from the raging chaos, he could hear her sobs and he understood her confusion but they had to fall back, he refused to look back because if he did he would crumble under the weight of fear that wanted to drown him. Aspen was he didn't want to say vine but shit that had been a very high height to have fallen down from.
He couldn't think about that now not when she had done what she did to help them, they might be shocked now but for the sake of the people they were helping they had to win this.
They crouched by a bush and he groaned, his wound felt sore and he wanted to collapse from the pain but there was still no time for that. He handed Emily her sword, it would have been nice to have some back up but Aspen wad out of the game and he couldn't find Logan anywhere.
" We need to weaken her, so far we've been fighting a losing battle" he grunted flexing his fingers, they had one chance at this, if they couldn't get to Finn,then finishing off his associates was the next best thing .
As they stopped beneath some bushes , she collapsed as her leg gave out she looked dazed and worn out black blood streaked over her face and clothes he knelt beside her.
She had done so well he was actually proud of her the bush they were hiding under made some noise and he moved to a squat shifting his fingers partially, when a voice whispered
" It's me, Sia " alpha Briar's beta crouched in front of them looking as tattered as everyone else likely was
" Sia how is it going." He asked and she sighed
" We were getting by, then I saw someone drop from the sky" she muttered and he swore
" Was it that bad , did you see her on your way here" he asked and she shook her head
" No I didn't, we'll find her but first we need this over with " he looked to Emily
" Emily we need to focus " he called but she wasn't paying attention, so taking her face between his fingers he looked her deep in the eyes
" look at me sweetheart" he murmured raising her eye's to his
" I'm tired ". She muttered tears wetting her cheeks, he looked at her and sighed
" I know, I know but we can't let her win, not when Aspen may have given up her life for this. We have to make it worth it" he whispered and she took a shuddering breath
" Sia what do you know about the terrain" she croaked, Sia turned to face them her clothes were stained red and the tracks of black blood that lined her face making it obvious she had been deep in the fight. She opened her mouth, closed it and coughed to clear her throat
" It's flat land until we get up west, there is two rivers that form a confluence, legend has it that they were waters from the moon goddess herself, one for life and one for death, when mixed they serve as healing water but on their own they cause life and death as the name implies. Of course no one has tested that theory in centuries" she huffed
" How close is it to where we are " he asked
" Not far, a good distance there are hills next to it why" she offered but Emily shook her head
" I'm just trying to figure out why, she hovers near there and I think I know why" she mumbled and he nodded
" It seems Finn believes in the tales about this river " Bruce whispered and she
" We need a plan to distract them, to get to them however we need to the witch hovering in the sky"
" We go together"he said standing she sighed
" Can you kill her " he asked standing in front of her
" She just might have killed Aspen, I can't forget that, I can't forgive it either, I'll kill her if I have to" she said she pulled out two knives
" Let's do this " she gritted
"Show us where the river is "
"Follow me, the Blure is said to have been a personal gift formed from the Luna goddess life force so we are connected to it " Sia replied leading the way, Bruce wanted to go back to the battle he could hear the dying men, the loses would be plenty, they arrived at a spot hidden by copse of trees.
Bruce could feel the power hidden there like it was a living being, he saw her floating above the trees dressed in a black her eyes scanning the roads.
Just like it had been described they were two rivers, that seemed to run from the east and the west, then merged flowing towards a rocky mountain, the waters were both clear and blue. He glanced around him to find both women crouched by the streaming water
" It's drying up " Emily murmured he strode to them
" This looks recent " he replied touching the soft wet ground he wondered just what the hell was happening
"okay so this is what we're going to do" he muttered in instructions
" Why is it drying up"Sia asked looking around as if we would find the cause. One thing came to mind but that was not why they were here.
He relayed the plan to them, it sounded simple but in reality it was not that simple.
" Then let's do this I can hear roaring wind and that's likely her " he said , the floating woman hovered over them.
" Tsk tsk. I can see you " her voice came clearly through the clearing
" I'm sorry if but I can't seem to hear you " Emily walked out of the hidden spot but stayed hidden beneath the trees trying to give as much time
" You could have joined our master,you would have saved many lives, your friends included" she tsked , Emily shrugged as he watched her and made his own move as well he inched deeper into the thick cover of trees, and Emily drew a deep breath and strode out of the tree line to meet her. She drew closer to the forest floor, she was gaunt as if she'd lost strength, his gaze roved over her till he caught the slight tear to the dress she wore she'd been injured. Aspen had wounded her so there was a chance.
She may have been injured but they likely hadn't lost her strength, so they had to work with surprise
" Keep her talking" he muttered beneath his breath wishing there was a way he could send his thought to her. Sia is moving as well, but Emily went off script
" Why are you doing this, why are you helping him, what could he possibly have given you" she asked and she laughed
" I want nothing but to see the lord in his rightful place, you are all a speck in his way" she mumbled and folded her finger, Emily fell to her knees
" I want your surrender, " she mumbled
" I want you to beg me for the lives of this insignificant people" she answered her tone chilling to the bone, Bruce palmed the dagger at his waist moving closer to stand behind her
" If i don't" Emily asked and she smiled a wicked and cruel smile that showed exactly what she was, what she would always be
" Then there will be nothing left" she replied on a shrug , he charged towards her almost immediately
" Your dead out of luck then" he muttered stabbing her in the same spot, where she'd been wounded before, she yowled batting him away with a gust of wind, her roar of pain almost endless
" You dare to sneak up on me, you weak small thing" she roared dark wind gathering around her tossing Emily to her side.
He sat up reaching for her as she rose to her feet, he stood picking his dagger just as Sia was flung into a tree and crashed down still, he prayed she wasn't dead.
They couldn't afford to lose anyone else . He rushed forward, against the roaring wind knife drawn, he shifted partly to give himself more of a buffer and struck hard the tip piercing her again in the wounded spot, she cried out
" You boy are a fool" her wind wrapped around him squeezing the breath form him much like he suspected it had with Aspen.
She would have hated this woman and he hated her too. He get his ribs crack under pressure and fuss, blood flowed down the stair
" No wait please," Emily cried out
" I'll kneel. Just don't kill him "she pleaded
" Don't,I've got this" he sputtered, his chest tight as air seemed to disappear like mist ,
" If I free him you will kneel " she asked her head quirked slightly, Bruce couldn't let her agree. There was no way he was letting her take that risk. He coughed blood frim his lips
" She'll kill you, do you think she's that kind. She's decided to kill you, even if I die ,I'm taking you with me " he croaked
" I don't believe you" he croaked grabbing his knife
"That's what she wants you to think but my friend she's smarter than you better than you could ever hope to be" he gasped as her grip tightened, rage filled her eyes and she faced him pulling him closer
" You think you are better " she hissed , he laughed or tried to but all that escaped was wheezing ,the lid fell off and he grinned
" I know I am" he said, shifting his fingers to claws for the last time and he shoved it into her back she screamed in pain the dark wind around her dying rapidly he fell from the sky onto the ground and he gasped in pain , he heard sobbing
" No no no" someone whispered, Emily
" I'm fine, hey look at me." He croaked thinly, he swallowed trying to clear his eyes
" I love you" he mumbled blood spilling over his lips.