Artemis didn’t think he’d be too easy to carry if it came to that. Maybe he wasn’t all that heavy (underweight, most likely, considering his unfortunate diet) but he wasn’t short. At 6’1 he had quite a few inches on her. With that in mind, he knew he couldn’t depend on her completely. So long as he had enough mind to keep walking without tripping over his two feet, they would probably be okay. He didn’t want to stop, afraid if they did he might not be able to get up again no matter the help. Artemis was running on fumes as it was. He nodded anyway.
It was willpower alone that was keeping him on his feet and he shook his head hard to clear it any time he felt himself slipping. He was tired, and in pain, and started to wonder if perhaps being shot in the head wouldn’t have been a good idea after all. He would just become a burden, wouldn’t he? Artemis didn’t want that, and yet he didn’t want to die either. It felt selfish.
He wouldn’t have noticed the tree despite it’s size if she hadn’t made her move first. Artemis stared at the sudden obstacle, so worried about keeping his legs moving. He took her hand, careful not to fall over the roots. If he wasn’t wounded, this wouldn’t have been a problem. He was pretty athletic; he’d been into parkour much to his father’s chagrin. Artemis was a daredevil, the type to jump buildings and thrill in the adrenaline rush. He didn’t like the adrenaline rush anymore, or the sense of danger that came with it. Jumping buildings and running from flesh eaters was very different. His blue eye looked up at her, and he offered a faint smile—as much as a thank you she could get right now.
Fallon noticed the smile that lingered on the young man’s lips and returned it, though not without having to withhold a small wince. She was beginning to feel the burning ache that came with having to support another, especially someone whose build was bigger than her own. Fallon had never been all that muscular in the first place, but the apocalypse had left her with a shadow of her former body; she was flesh and bone with a poor excuse for muscle encapsulating areas of her frame. She often had trouble hauling her weight up trees, she wasn’t too sure how long she’d manage helping him along.
“It’s up ahead, not too long now,” she murmured, guiding the other through the trees, pulling them more towards the west as her eyes skirted on familiar landmarks. The trees rustled with the sounds of birds, chirping among the branches as the underbrush yielded the scurries of small creatures. This part of the forest was apparently untouched by any groups of humans yet, and hunting game was far more plentiful than many other stretches of landscape. She’d been lucky to find it, and for a while, she’d been able to at least relax.
Nearby, the steady flow of water anointed Fallon’s hearing, and she gave a small glance to her side, giving the boy a reassuring nod. Soon enough they’d be at her camp.