[url=https://www.bungie.net/en/Forum/Post/246624086/0/0]Table of Contents[/url] Derik stared at the dead body, separated from him by only half a dozen people lying on their stomachs. White powder puffed up into the air as bullets embedded themselves in the snow in front of them. Less than a foot of slanted earth was keeping them safe from the raining death of Flats’ defenders. If Derik lifted his head, he’d be as dead as the other man. “Why the hell are we sittin’ here waitin’ to get shot?!” A woman yelled. “Don’t go gettin’ faint on me!” Jennifer shot back, pointing at the carcass lying between two of the others, “If you want to run, be my guest! Let’s see how far you make it before you end up like our friend there!” “What happened to chargin’ straight at them an’ winnin’?!” A man questioned. Derik couldn’t tell if the man wanted to charge or flee. He just wanted to stay where he was and hide. “You want to run through that hell?!” Jennifer retorted, “These are Lady Avery’s orders! We stay!” “That’s not what she said!” Someone replied hotly. “What sounds more encouragin’?!” Jennifer shouted, “Run to victory an’ overwhelm the scum in Flats, or run through hell an’ hide in every hole you can find?!” No one answered. They didn’t want to prove her right. “Hell are we supposed to do, then?” Ibis muttered, barely heard over the distant gunfire. Jennifer elbowed him and hissed something to him, but Derik couldn’t hear what she said. “Hey,” someone said in Derik’s ear, and he turned his head to see a man resting next to him, “So how long are we gonna be stuck here?” Derik moved his shoulders, attempting to shrug in his prone position, “I don’t know.” “‘Til night, maybe” the next man in the line guessed. He was at the very edge of the slope. The people beyond him were nestled in the snow, hoping to be protected by little more than an inch of earth and a layer of white powder. The first man cursed under his breath, “I can’t stay out here that lo-“ A woman farther down the line shrieked, rolling on her side and curling into a ball. She clutched for her boot, but didn’t seem to know what to do once she had her foot in her hands. Blood oozed out of a hole on the side of the heel as she held it and cried out in anguish. No one next to her knew what to do, so they just stared at her. One man pulled a strip of cloth out of his pocket and tossed it to her, but she didn’t seem to notice as it landed on her shoulder. Derik could only watch as her cries became sniffles and she lay still, sobbing quietly. The man next to her delicately placed a hand on her head, as if the contact could have made the bullet wound worse if he wasn’t careful. “Hey!” A voice called out, and Derik recognized it as Saul’s, “Irene!” He had lifted his head and was looking both ways, “Where’s Irene?!” No one replied. Irene didn’t announce herself. Derik scanned the line, feeling a growing weight in his stomach. When he didn’t see her, he looked back behind them. All he saw was white snow. “Traveler help-“ Derik began, but cut off as Willis shot to his feet and sprinted out into the field. He stared, wide-eyed, as the small man ran back the way they had come. “WILLIS!” Ibis screamed, as shocked as everyone else. He started to push himself up, but Jennifer shoved him back down. “Stay down, you idiot!” She pleaded. “WILLIS!” Ibis repeated, desperately fighting back as Jennifer pinned him down, “WILLIS!” “Whatcha gonna do?!” Jennifer hollered back, “Get yourself killed, too?! If you follow ‘im you’re both dead! You hear me?!” Ibis’ thrashing lessened, and they all watched quietly as Willis traversed the field. He moved in a straight line, hunched over slightly to make himself a smaller target as he retraced their path. He kept going until he was almost halfway to the last ditch they had hidden in, then suddenly dropped to his knees and fell forward, almost disappearing from sight. “WILLIS!” Ibis yelled, trying to get up again. “Don’t move!” Jennifer lashed, holding him down. Derik watched Willis’ back, hoping he hadn’t been shot. Willis was motionless for several seconds. Then he stood slowly, lifting a limp body. “Is that her?” The man next to Derik asked. Derik didn’t know, so he kept quiet. Willis briskly trudged back towards them, slowed by the weight of his baggage. People started shouting at him, cheering him on. “Come on!” “Hurry!” “Come on, you can make it!” Derik was too worried to say anything. Ibis just stared at Willis, no longer resisting Jennifer’s hold. Willis jogged on, cradling the body in his arms. The sound of gunfire intensified and Derik gasped as bullets hit the ground near Willis, throwing up puffs of snow. But he didn’t falter, keeping a steady pace until he reached the line. “I found ‘er,” he panted as he fell to his knees at Ibis’ feet. He rested Irene’s body down carefully, brushing hair out of her face. “Oh my-“ The man next to Derik gagged and turned away, dry heaving into the snow in front of him. Derik swore softly, fighting the urge to look away. Ibis stared quietly. “What ha…“ Saul began, leaning over Jennifer for a better look and leaving his question unfinished as he saw the corpse. Irene had a hole right over her eye, gruesome and gory, and blood covered her cheek and forehead. Small chunks of stained snow were matted to her face, which was set in a startled expression. Willis put his hand on Irene’s forehead as if checking her temperature, ignoring the blood. He was still exposed, kneeling in sight of the gunmen in Flats, but he showed no sign of caring. His lips moved as he started to whisper a prayer, lowering his head. “Some help your god was…” Geralt muttered.