lipsthatshame:

The man’s presence came as a surprise. She choked on a sharp inhale and sputtered into the fold of her arm. Carefully, she lifted herself up on her knees and stared at the stranger in confusion. Rose was beginning to feel like this was all just a dream- a very realistic dream. Was this her hero, arriving just in time to save her from the burning forest? All she could do was nod her head towards her knight and reach out to him with open arms. 

“I-…I don’t know how I got here!” She tried to explain. “What is this place?”

Rose glanced around in horror as the flames licked higher and higher into the air. The heat did not feel so welcoming against her ash streaked cheeks. This wasn’t a comfy fire maintained behind a hearth. It was out of control and ate away at everything in it’s path. It was one of the most horrifying things she had ever seen. It was even more terrorizing to know that she sat in the middle of it all. She felt petrified.

Pursing his lips, Ping tucked his shoulders under the woman’s outstretched arm to support her; feeling embarrassed, he placed his own hand on her waist for the same purpose.  "It’s just a patch of bamboo on fire,“ he muttered, willing to answer her questions but unsure of how she’d gotten lost.  Well, there would be time to ask her later, although Ping was sure the captain would choose to interrogate her himself - and the recruit who had found her would hear none of it.  For now, it was more important to keep moving, to place one foot in front of the other until they got out of here.

He met her eyes.  "Can you walk?  We have to leave, now.”  The terror that Ping had so far firmly suppressed seemed to suddenly engulf him - even if the fire had not.  What if she couldn’t walk?  He couldn’t abandon her here, but would Ping be able to carry her?  She was slender, yes, but taller than him and āiyā, how would they both make it out?