Dawn stumbled and fell when the ground beneath her gave way. It was only years of training that stopped her from crying out. Precious seconds passed as she tried to flip herself over, to better see the ground below. Being only partially successful she landed on her right shoulder heavily. Pain caused stars to blossom behind tightly squeezed eyelids, fighting the urge to express how much that landing had hurt. Metal tore into her shoulder, through the thin material of her jump suit, and the tang of blood registered in her brain.
With the softest of groans she staggered up trying to get her feet under her. Mother waited for no one... and her strength and endurance was something Dawn had learned early... never gave out. Stumbling to her knees she grit her teeth pulling her arm in against her body, turning green eyes to look at the damage for but a moment. The skin was shredded, pieces of meat torn and ragged, but something was revealed in that mess... A tiny blip of blue... "Mnh..." She grunted and with her good arm reached dirty fingers to pick at the bloody silver tube with its blinking blue light.
A sound not far away had her moving again. There was no time to think, only time for action. Catching her breath she forced her legs up under her again, and this time they stayed. Carrying the capsule she moved towards the water and dropped it in before peeling off in another direction, and cover. From here, Dawn was able to watch mother appear from the far side. Breathlessly she forced herself to still, afraid any noise would draw her caretakers attention.
In her steady unhurried way, pausing to inspect where Dawn had fallen and been injured, before moving off once more. With her face towards the river she continued, following the body of water, with a familiar blue glow to her face plate. It was the same way they had hunted other machines during training... Mother said each machine had a unique signature, and if you selected that signature with your focus, you could track its movements... Mother had been tracking her... not just her focus but she had actually put a tracker in her body.
Knowing that her ploy would not work forever Dawn worked to secure her shoulder better, before forcing herself to move on. Using all the tricks mother had taught her, to lose her trail... and put distance between them. Turning from the downward slope to the mountains...
By nightfall she was beyond exhausted, cold and hungry. Feeling clumsy she staggered to a stop in the tall grass atop a hill, looking down on a forgotten place. The promise of warmth overwhelming when her eyes caught the distant glow of fire. Mother didnt need fire... she strictly forbade it above ground... machines never needed fire either... what did it mean? With little grace Dawn slipped and slid down the wall towards it. Slipping into the tall grass and settling for a moment to catch her breath, cup her aching arm and try and see what the fire was for.