1.
The Inqindi weren't known for having the best running speeds, but Fury's group ploughed through Nyandeni. They'd gone off the path long ago, making life hard.
Using the sun, they made their way with Blade and Ferry in front pushing through the fauna. They'd left the bridge over a week behind and by Fury's map they were a few days away from the borders of Mthojenani.
Fury was still waiting.
Three days passed, and Ferry had done little, to her. He'd moved to the others instead. Two days before Ferry had hurt Ashley and Sabre when Fury had gone to see how far up, they were. The next day he'd threatened Sheila when Fury had gone to relieve herself only a short distance away. She came back and found Sheila on the floor with Ferry holding her food rations, eating them and moving away. Showering dominance over every girl, moving one by one, two by two until she was outnumbered.
It filled her joints with lead, slowing her, dimming her thoughts and filling her heart with poison. The previous day's fiasco had been handled, with no retribution. Only the barring of her fangs forcing him away. Weakness imprinted into her mind, body and soul. Putting her at the back of the pack.
Two hours passed without pause before they came to a halt. It was sudden. She sprinted ahead only to find both Ferry and Blade on the floor fighting.
This was it.
Panic
It was as if two glass walls had pressed her together.
She twitched.
Indecision and fear tore her apart. So many years of running her pack.
She was only twenty-five, that wasn't old, seventy-five was old. Her people didn't show age until they turned sixty and she was going to lose it all at twenty-five.
She twitched again, this time surging forwards a few centimetres.
She jumped.
Catching Ferry in a headlock. She was lifted but still held on, squeezing tighter and tighter. His flesh darkened, arms flailing until he caught her side. His fingers dug into her with each pull, she squeezed tighter biting his ear to keep from screaming, which she really, really wanted to do.
The pain insisted she was moments away from snapping in half. He'd managed to unloop her legs, even managed to get her off his back, but not his neck. He held her in both arms and rammed her right through a low hanging branch, but she held. He tripped and fell on his stomach, her legs locked. He stopped struggling then… completely. Desperation kept her latched, even after falling limp. Eventually she let go, throwing his face into the dirt. She roared and dropped her fist into his face and side.