There she lay stunned for a few minutes. Finally she slowly sat up. To her amazement, there didn't seem to be any serious injuries. She gingerly untangled herself from some thorny vines and tried to stand. A sharp pain shot through her ankle and a cry escaped her lips as she dropped back to the ground.
She glanced around, a little disoriented. Where was the building - and the trail? Unhurt, she would have no fear of wandering around to find her way, but her injury prevented any exploration. Every step must be in the right direction. Her troubled gaze followed her trail back up the hill and she gasped. She had fallen off a bluff.
What if she had been seriously injured? Who would have known where she was? It was a stupid move to walk blindly through such wild country. What if a snake had been in those bushes? Her mind had been so focused on Giddon's business that she had forgotten her own. Her attention focused on finding something to use as a crutch. Something moved in the brush not far away and she froze. Brush crackled and then there was silence. Fear clutched at her heart with cold fingers. If it was a bear, she was in a terrible predicament. She couldn't outrun it - in any condition, and it could climb a tree as fast as she could. What was it she had heard about bear attacks? It was best to lie down and play dead? She shuddered. Not hardly.
The animal started to move again, this time in her direction. Maybe a little noise would frighten the animal away. In a voice quaking with fear, she began to sing.
"Come on down, Old Dan Tucker. You're too late to get any supper. Suppers on . . ."
"Lisa?"
The familiar voice sent a thrill of excitement coursing through her veins. Excitement and fear. It was Giddon. For a moment she contemplated silence, but what would be the point? He already knew she was here, and it wasn't as though she could run and hide. She scrambled up and stood on her good leg. Drawing a deep breath, she finally called to him. "Over here."
He broke through the brush and stared down at her, his expression a mixture of concern and confusion. "I heard you scream. What happened? What are you doing out here?: She glanced at the cliff. "I was exploring and I fell off that bluff. I hurt my ankle and I can't walk on it. I don't think it's broken."
He glanced up at the cliff and his complexion paled slightly. He gave her a hard look. "Sit down and let me look at it." She complied and he examined her ankle, twisting it until she winced. "It doesn't appear to be broken," he concluded in a monotone, "But we should take you to a doctor, just to be sure."