Escape (Harem POV - This is canon)

The trio of girls watch as John rides towards the first raider.

"Is he going to attack him" Jane asks.

"I don't think so" Annabel answers "he isn't going fast enough" she adds. They can see the rider ready something and turn his Dino to the side as he lines up a crossbow with John and Copper.

"Shiiiiiiiit" Yvette hisses as the rider lets a bolt fly. They watch as John veers Copper off and taunts the rider who quickly pursues him.

"Fuck. Could anyone see how close that was" Annabel says squinting her eyes.

"You don't want to know" Jane answers. At some point Annabel realized Yvette was holding her hand tightly. She gave the woman a couple squeezes to reassure her. They watched as John raced onwards down the line. They collectively held and released their breath as they watched him evade each bolt fired at him. Soon he had them each in tow behind him.

It was hard to see any details at this point as he raced past the southern road entrance, but they urged Bruce forward as they spotted him running up the hill and disappeared over it. Annabel and Yvette realized they were both squeezing each other's hand a bit too tight and they let go. The raiders followed him over the hill.

"Now or never ladies" Annabel stated.

"Run ahead Bruce" Jane commanded, and the Dino lurched forward out of the town. Yvette hugged tightly to Annabel's back and Annabel could feel the girl crying. She put a hand over Yvette's grip and held her hand tightly once again as a tear feel down Annabel's cheek.

"He's going to be ok Yvette. You'll see" she said over the loud thumps of Bruce's gallop. "He has to be" she said in a hushed voice to herself.

It didn't take Bruce long to reach the other side of the hill. They glanced back at the town before it disappeared from sight. Billowing smoke from multiple fires blackened the sky, and to their shock a brachiosaurus with multiple riders patrolled through the town. Fortunately they could see no one following. Jane kept Bruce going a ways before turning towards the south.

"Head a little more left" Annabel told her "We don't want to give them sight of us again". Jane dropped Bruce down to a cantor, and they headed towards the rendezvous. The journey there is silent. Each entertaining their own thoughts. Annabel and Yvette never dropping some sort of physical contact with each other. It takes some time, but finally the trees come into view in the distance. It seems like it would be a happy moment. They'd made it, and it doesn't seem like anyone is following them. A pachy could easily catch up to Bruce after all, but each of them can only worry about John. Jane guides Bruce to a spot they can watch the direction John should be coming from.

Each of them slide off of Bruce and set up some logs to sit and wait for John on. Hours pass and the sun gets lower in the sky. Each keep an eye on the horizon for any sign of John. Any eye contact between the three is met with a reassuring smile, but each of them can see in their eyes that something is wrong. Unable to take it any more Yvette starts to pace.

"He should have been here by now" she cries "what if something bad happened" she says falling to her knees. "I don't know if I'm strong enough for that" she buries her face in her hands and begins sobbing. Annabel dropped down behind Yvette and wrapped her arms around the girl. Her own tears rolling down her cheeks. She didn't know what to say to comfort the girl she'd grown so attached to so quickly, because her own mind was full of thoughts she didn't want to think about. Jane joined them by wrapping her arms around the pair and they each sat in silence again. The only sound was of sniffles and sobs.

Darkness arrived as the sun set. Something had clearly gone wrong, but they weren't going to leave any time soon. Jane stood up and walked towards Bruce. She gathered blankets and handed them out.

"Might as well be warm while we wait" she said solemnly before sitting down to stare into the darkness again.

"Wish we could start a fire" Jane stated to no one in particular.

"I know, but it'd draw anyone's attention for miles" Annabel sighed.

"I remember..." Yvette begins "after John and I had taken a bath together at the inn we didn't have any towels. So we sat naked in front of the fireplace and John tried using his magic to light the fire" she says giggling "he let out such a big flame that he almost burned down the inn" she laughs. The trio erupts into fits of laughter and giggles.

"You should have seen his eyes in that moment" she finishes.

"Mmmmm" Annabel hums "I don't think I'd have been looking at his eyes in that moment" she chuckles earning more giggles from Yvette and Jane.

"Ha, yah, that was a good time" Yvette admits shyly.

"I'll bet" Annabel agrees with a wistful voice.

"Is...is he really that good" Jane asks staring at the ground. Annabel and Yvette look at each other before bursting out laughing. After a moment Annabel speaks finally.

"Let's put it this way, he made two beautiful women fall in love with him in the span of as many days" she laughs. "Why...are you getting a little curious Jane" she asks teasingly. Jane continues staring at the ground.

"Silence means agreement" Annabel chides "besides, even though it's dark I can see your face glowing red from here" Annabel says plainly.

"We might have to throw that blanket over your face so you don't give us away" Yvette joins in the teasing, and all three burst out laughing.

"It's just...well...I have never had a good experience with a man before" Jane says sadly after she finishes laughing. "I've only ever had good...um...moments...with women" she adds.

"I'll say" Annabel agrees with a giggle.

"Oh hush" Jane scolds her playfully. "I have loved my times with women, Annabel, but I find myself wanting to be with a man too, and I almost hate myself for the men I've turned to for...that" she says.

"Oh honey" Annabel says with a coo "you're just inexperienced with finding the right man is all, and that isn't your fault" she adds. "It took me my whole life to find John" Annabel says soothingly.

"The first man I was with literally abandoned me into slavery" Yvette says in a matter of fact way. Both Annabel and Jane stare at Yvette in disbelief.

"What...it's true" she says defensively.

"Wow...definitely not a competition, but as far as who has the worst EX goes I think we just got trounced Jane" Annabel giggles earning another round of laughter.

"So seriously though Jane...are you wanting to try something with John if he was willing" Annabel asks once the laughter dies down again.

"I wouldn't want to come between you two...er...three" she says embarrassed again.

"It doesn't bother me" Yvette says plainly "does it bother you Annabel" she asks.

"No, I find it kind of exciting" Annabel coos.

"If you want to take a stab at, or I guess from him we're ok with it" Yvette says smiling teasingly.

"Besides" she adds "that just means I get a shot at you as well" she says shyly.

"Oh...I didn't think you looked at me that way" Jane says shocked.

"Oh hun, we all look at you that way. Including John" Annabel says.

"We'll just play it by ear then" Jane says with a big smile on her face.

"Dear...play it by ass, because your ass is fantastic" Annabel teases earning some laughter from the group again.

Suddenly in the distance a noise like a raptor bark pierces the trees. The group snaps to attention.

"Did you guys hear that" Jane says in a whisper.

"Shhh" hisses Yvette holding her hand up for everyone to be quiet. In the distance another raptor bark sounds out closer this time.

"OVER HERE" Yvette yells out followed by similar yells from the others. Over the crest of a hill in the distance the group sees a raptor cross in front of the rising moon.

"HEEEEEEEERE" the group calls again. This time the raptor speeds the other direction across the moon face. They hear the distinct calls of Copper once again.

"The trees" Yvette hisses. "It's bouncing our voices all over the place, but why isn't John guiding him closer" she asks. A bright glow fills the area as Annabel pulls out a vial and shakes it. She waves the glowing concoction in the air. In front of the moon the Copper stops abruptly as he notices the glow. He barks twice and the group sees him speed right towards them.

Soon Copper comes racing through the trees, and their hearts drop at what they see. As Copper enters the glow of Annabel's vial they see John slumped against Copper. Copper slides low on his belly as the girls rush forward.

"He was hit by a crossbow" Jane says pointing at the bolt.

"Be careful" Annabel warns as Yvette and Jane pull John off of Copper. Copper stands once they are done and begins pacing back and forth. Annabel examines the sheen on Copper.

"Oh Gods" she says pointing at the blood on Copper "He's been bleeding this entire time." Annabel quickly pulls out three vials from her inventory.

"Lay him down there" she says pointing at one of the blankets. She examines the wound with the glowing vial.

"Yvette pull out the bolt, it's in the bone so pull hard" she warns. Yvette steps up to John and grips the bolt with both hands and pulls, but the bolt remains in him. John starts to moan. She exerts all the strength she has and the bolt finally pops out as John screams at the pain. Lucidity returns to John for a brief moment.

"Being...tracked...must..." he gets out before passing out once again.

"Give me the bolt" Annabel says holding her hand out. Once she has it she looks it over. The tip is a round sharp metal cone with holes drilled into it, and two barbs with his flesh still on them point backwards. Annabel sniffs the tip of the bolt and immediately drops it in revulsion.

"Here" she says handing a potion to Yvette "pour that on his wound, it'll stop the bleeding temporarily" she says running over to Bruce.

"Temporarily" Jane asks as Yvette pours the vial onto the wound causing it to fizz. Annabel searches through the inventory on Bruce.

"Yes, they used a venom from a big lizard, I don't know its name, the venom prevents the blood from clotting" she explains as she finally finds what she is looking for.

"Its smell is very...distinct, and they are most certainly tracking him" she explains.

"Jane, gather some long sticks, we're going to make a sled to carry him out of here" she orders. Jane doesn't hesitate and starts gathering what she can find. Annabel crouches over John and examines the wound again.

"Oh thank the Gods" she almost cries "my potion is stripping out the infection" she says upending another vial over the wound. This concoction glows red as it hits the wound and fades after a moment. Annabel watching intently the entire time.

"Is...is he going to be ok then" Yvette asks with panic in her voice.

"Yes" Annabel answers smiling "but he's lost a lot of blood, it's going to take time for him to recover" she adds with her smile fading. She upends another vial seemingly satisfied the previous vials job is complete. This vial fizzes like the first, only this time the wound knits itself back together.

John groans and moans as his wound heals, but doesn't regain consciousness. Jane has already formed a makeshift sled to pull behind Bruce. It has two long poles, and one stick across the bottom almost like a triangle. Over the next half an hour as Annabel and Yvette drip water into John's mouth, Jane fashions sticks going across the triangle forming a solid platform to lay John on. The trio fasten John to the sled tying his arms, legs, and head against it at Annabel's orders.

"He's going to have some terrible dreams and I don't want him flailing around hurting himself" she explains. The group then attaches the sled to Bruce and move out to the south.