Lara attempted to rise, but her legs buckled beneath her, weak and unsteady, as if they were made of jelly. A frustrated breath left her lips as she swayed, barely able to hold herself upright.
Alaric was meticulously wrapping the lifeless body of the python in tattered brown cloth when a flicker of motion caught his attention in his peripheral vision. The subtle shift stirred a mixture of curiosity and unease within him, prompting him to glance over, his heart quickening in anticipation.
"Don't push yourself too hard," Alaric's voice came through, soothing yet resolute, like a steady breeze that cut through the tension of a sweltering day.
She barely had time to register his words when he was beside her, his movements swift and effortless. The rippling water barely resisted him as he waded through the shallow part, his presence as steady as the earth beneath her.
