31 Day Writing Challenge: Day 17 - 'Dead Leaves'

Luca heard foot prints approaching, he had to get out of sight. He looked around at his options; ran to a sturdy trunk with branches only just low enough. It would be difficult for someone to climb up after him. He jumped, grabbed onto one of the lower branches and hoisted himself up, climbing a couple of feet above the ground. He didn't want to be seen, but wanted to be able to see and hear, in case he could glean any helpful information.
He could hear the dead leaves being crunched under foot as the stranger approached. The footsteps were irregular, who ever it was was injured. Or at the very least in great distress. The sound of twigs snapping and a person stumbling combined with the crunching of the fallen leaves grew louder, they were getting closer. Whoever it was, would be here in moments.
That's when she stumbled into his life: beaten, broken and almost out of fight. There was something about this woman, Luca couldn't look away. Luca watched her look around, like scared animal trying to sense danger, and he did the same, tried to listen out for anyone else approaching. He could detect nothing. Looking back at this mysterious woman, he watched as all the remaining energy in her body left as she collapsed against the tree he had shielded himself in. 
He knew she would die if he didn't do anything. So he climbed down, dropping himself from the bottom branch and landed about a foot to her left. The sound and impact of his landing momentarily roused the woman. She looked up, and a look of shock, relief and then joy spread across her face as he swept her into his arms and headed towards home, his mother could help her.

"Rafe." The word nothing more than a whisper, before she slumped down, unconscious.

Rafe. She looked at my face and said 'Rafe'. She knows him. She knows my brother. I could find him.