Spoken
549 Words
Spoken~
Sethlyan Callan
Glenayre, Aleron
Seth yanked his sword from a dead man’s belly and spun toward the beastly roar. On the ledge above the glade, a massive bear lunged from the shadows and charged.
Isobel fell, and time stopped.
Seth’s heart said Isobel. His head said bear. In one rote motion, he whipped the bow from his back and nocked an arrow. He aimed for the bear he had failed to track and kill when he had the chance.
This was his fault. Not now, boy. Aim.
His first shot lodged in the bear’s shoulder and did naught but fuel its anger. By the time he loosed the second arrow, Calum and Lyn were drawing back bowstrings. The bear rumbled and reared, and they let loose a torrent of arrows. One sank into the beast’s throat. Another plunged into an eye. The massive creature swayed and huffed, swatting at empty air. With one last lumbering step, the bear toppled hard.
“Isobel!”
Seth flung the bow away and ran to where he’d seen her fall. Her green eyes blinked up at him over Ashlon’s shoulder, and he could breathe again.
“Seth, you’re all right!”
“Lady Isobel is unharmed, my lord.”
“I’ll see for myself. You can move off her now,” Seth added, more in command than permission.
Ashlon winced and rolled onto his back. Seth knelt over his wife.
“What hurts?” He combed his fingers through her hair, fearing what he might find.
“I’m bruised, is all. I think,” she said. “The bear. Derry. Is he…”
“Lyn’s gone up to check. Lie still.”
“I’m all right. Ashlon took the brunt of it after he—” Isobel propped to her elbow and squinted at the nene-man. “You spoke.”
“Did I?”
Isobel cut Seth a wary glance. “You hear him, too? Right?”
“I hear him.” Seth regarded his captain. “Inside my head.”
“I can explain,” Ashlon thought at them.
“Stop it. Just…stop.” Seth shook the sensation away. “I’ll figure you out later. We need to get out of here.”
Calum came stumbling up to them. “Issy, are you hurt?”
“She’ll mend if we get her home,” said Seth. “Those were Camran breclans. Could be more of the bastards about.”
“Then we’ll make more dead Camrans.” Calum spat and clamped his hand over a gash in his arm.
“You’re bleeding, man. Sit down and stay put. Captain Lyn!” he yelled up to the ledge. Lyn walked out, shaking his head.
“Derry’s dead. No sign of the collie up here.”
Seth swallowed hard. Both of them lost. Death had yet to strike so close to those he counted as his to protect. It was his fault.
“Lower him down,” he said. “I’ll send for the other bodies later.”
“I doubt the horses are where we left them,” said Calum. “Not if they caught wind of the bear.”
“Then I’ll call them back.” The horses were the least of his concerns. Isobel rolled to her knees, and he helped her stand. “Steady, there.”
“Go.” She brushed dirt off her hands. “I’m all right.”
On an impulse he didn’t pause to examine, he pulled her face to his and kissed her with all the intensity raging inside him. The kiss tasted of salt, the coppery tang of blood, and her. And then, on a shared breath, she was closer than close. A roiling storm of feeling struck him like an ocean wave. He felt as if he were slipping away, as if the earth were crumbling beneath his feet.
Isobel broke the kiss and staggered backward. She touched her fingertips to her lips. Seth gaped at his palms as if they belonged to someone else.
“Whatever you’re doing, both of you, stop.”
“That wasn’t me.” Isobel stared at him incredulously. “It was you.”
Chapter 41
- Writer
