Waking up.

"Brent!"

I heard Helen's voice clear as day. My cheek and side still hurt badly from the fall I had taken. I must have hit my head pretty hard when I went down. I kept thinking, trying to remember what had happened. It was fuzzy in my head, and all sorts of images were flowing together. I tried to concentrate on the images, but they started to fade rapidly.

"Brent! Shit, Don't be dead. Come on... Penny for your thoughts."

That sounded. Familiar. Helen's face, a Helmet... and then it was gone. Couldn't remember. I looked up at Helen, blinking rapidly as her image came into focus. The soft green shape of her beret adorned with its owl a familiar and welcoming sight.

"I'm... oww..." I groaned. My hand found my cheek. Sore, but no sharp pain. I didn't think I'd broken anything.

"You came down that hill fast." Helen Remarked. "Slower next time. You just want to half gallop down that, not run."

"I... did you...?" My eyes glanced around the foggy ravine. The soft mist settled through the entire area.

Helen snapped her fingers in front of my face.

"Fingers! How many?" Her voice was sharp, and I blearily noted her holding up five fingers.

"Five." I murmured.

"Try again." She admonished. "And don't move."

I glanced again, and the five fingers combined into three.

"Three." I corrected myself.

"Right. Where are you?" She asked the second question.

"On my back, in the bottom of a ravine." I blurted, remembering the last time I'd been asked these questions. I had been bleeding from the shoulder that time and lying in the bottom of a vehicle...

"Any stars, any dizzyness?" She asked.

"No... just, my side and my cheek." I noted, taking stock of the centers of my pain.

"Yeah, I hit my hand pretty good coming down. Next time... we take the road."

"So, we follow this down a ways, and should be able to get back up," Helen remarked, pulling me to my feet. Only a moment of dizziness, which passed rapidly.

"Can I get a kiss from my heroine?" I asked.

"You're terrible. C'mere..." She stepped into me and kissed me hard, her tongue questing about my mouth with eager intent.

We broke apart after a few wonderful moments.

"Sorry about your face..." She murmured quietly, noting my wince as she had moved in. "Ok, come on... let's try to make up the time we lost while you were on your back." Helen tugged at my hand, leading me along the quietly burbling stream.

"I have no idea which way we're going." I remarked, enjoying the feeling of Helen's hand on mine.

"Yeah well, I'm still not skipping." She replied, picking our way through the occasional underbrush that barred our path. After A few more minutes of simply enjoying each other's company, I could see a gentle slope upwards to our right. We soon found ourselves back on the asphalt.

"So, turn left? I guess?" Helen asked, her eyes scanning the road. "I don't really want to follow the road."