He Waited She Wilted (Ottilie and Yorath) novel Chapter 163

Ottilie managed to dig out Fabian's hands. With him pushing against the dirt and her pulling, they finally hauled him out of the ground.

He didn't have a single visible scratch on him, save for a slightly tender ankle. He was in much better shape than she was.

He rolled his shoulders and stretched his joints before looking at her. "Thank you, Ms. Sewell."

"Don't mention it. You're my cameraman now, so make sure to get my good angles," she joked.

Fabian froze for a second, then smiled shyly. "You don't need any help looking good, Ms. Sewell. I mean, you look gorgeous no matter what."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small camcorder. "The big equipment is gone, but I still have this. I can capture everything."

It was a pleasant surprise. This time, her smile was genuine.

"Now this is a true wilderness survival experience! I think this show is going to be a massive hit."

Fabian hadn't expected her to be so optimistic and started laughing along with her.

"I think it's going to blow up too. If you don't mind, Ms. Sewell, please hire me as your cameraman in the future."

"You've got a deal." They shook hands, forming a temporary alliance.

Ottilie shared her thoughts and proposed a route.

"Your logic is solid," Fabian agreed, "but I think we should try to find a way back. If we wander too far, the rescue teams won't be able to locate us. Every extra day in these mountains is another day of danger."

She considered it and realized he had a point.

"Alright, I'll follow your lead."

Fabian tapped away at his Satellite Phone Watch. "I downloaded an offline map before heading into the mountains. In case we got lost, we just need to follow the route. As long as we bypass the mudslide area, we can get out."

Ottilie agreed to the plan.

They set off, following the compass on his watch.

But they ended up getting turned around in the woods, constantly walking in circles no matter which direction they chose.

Exhausted and starving, Ottilie was running on empty.

It was still raining, and her only protection was a makeshift hat woven from large leaves.

He ate it. It was a bit astringent but sweet enough to stomach. "Thank you, Ms. Sewell."

"No need to be polite. We're partners in survival right now."

Ottilie pulled out her machete and cleanly sliced off a long, straight branch.

"We have to get out of this area before dark. If night falls and predators come out while we're stuck walking in circles, we're dead."

She placed the branch on the ground, pointing it forward, and followed its exact line.

When she reached the end of the branch, she picked it up, placed it forward again, and repeated the process.

Fabian followed behind, filming her progress.

Half an hour later, they finally broke out of their loop, but they were now completely disoriented.

As far as the eye could see, there were only endless, rolling mountains. There was no clear path forward or backward.

Fabian pointed into the distance. "Look over there. There's a cliff face. There might be a cave underneath it where we can spend the night."