The falcon's daughters

Chapter 25

Lace looked over his shoulder as he rode out of the swamp. He could see no trace of neither the creatures nor Kit and Lesia. When Kori suddenly stopped, he lost his balance and fell off the horse. Immediately strong hands seized him and pulled him to his knees. He looked up and a gasp escaped him. In front of him stood Crayden with a grim smile on his lips.

- Where's your daughter, old man?

Lace laughed and hoped that in defying the lord he would focus on him rather than Kit. 

- Far away. You will never catch her.

How sadly he miscalculated Crayden’s obsession with his daughter.

- We'll see about that. Nerill! Take six men and go after the girl. Bring her back to me!

- Yes my Lord.

Nerill quickly picked out the men and they left at once.

- You’ll see, old man.They will find her and bring her to me and when they do, she will become mine.

Crayden leaned over Lace and gloated with his confidence. Lace struggled against the men that held him.

- You're not touching her! You hear me Crayden? You're not touching her!

- We’re returning to Theko. Bind him.

Sol sat at the edge of the campfire and looked up at the glittering stars that covered the night sky. The camp was quiet and peaceful. A few guards were awake and stood watch. A warm blanket was put on her shoulders and she looked away from the sky. Lee sat down next to her and gently made sure that the blanket wouldn't fall off.

- You should try to rest a little. We’ll reach Theko tomorrow.

- Lee. What if they’re not there?

- I thought you were sure she was with Crayden.

- I was, but now I'm not sure anymore. The danger I feel isn’t human. At least I don't think it is.

- Sol, I promised you that I will get your sister back and I keep my promises. If she is not there then we’ll continue to search for her until we find her.

He got up and put a hand on her shoulder.

- Try to sleep a little. It's dawn in a few hours.

With those words he left the fire. Sol looked at Deó who was yawning and stretching out her smooth body. 

- I know you agree with him. Guess we need to sleep a bit.

When she got up, the pain burned through her body and she fell to her knees. Tears ran down her cheeks as Deó pressed her nose to her cheek and she put her arms around the panther's large neck. She hid her face against Deó’s soft fur.

- How much more pain can she handle? 

The pain burned in her hip and she held in Chiro. With a groan, she slid out of the saddle and wobbled as her feet reached the ground. She leaned heavily against the horse for support and looked down at the thick arrow that was drilled into her hip. With a firm grasp of the arrow she took a deep breath and began to pull. Splinters of wood stuck in her hand but stubbornly she continued to pull. She bit her lip to avoid herself from screaming loudly from the pain. Slowly the arrow came loose and she felt the blood taste fill her mouth. The warm blood ran down her leg and she fell to the ground. The arrow rolled from her hand as her hand went numb. She tried to get back up on her feet but realised that she couldn't move and her head started to feel heavy.

- The poison.

She could hardly move her lips to shape the words and fought hard to keep her eyes open. A gentle caress over her forehead made her open her eyes wide. She was sure that she hadn't seen anyone else around. A woman’s voice spoke softly in her ear.

- Shh don't be scared.

Somehow the voice calmed her and comforted her. She knew from without a doubt that the woman was a friend.

- Close your eyes. I'll hold guard tonight. 

Relieved she closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her. After a few hours she could once again hear the woman’s voice but this time it was calling to her urgently.

- Wake up dear. You need to wake up now.

When she fought to open her eyes she found that the only other being in the area was Chiro. From a distance she could hear Crayden’s soldiers approaching. She tried to get up and collapsed on the ground when her leg gave out beneath her.

- Chiro I need your help boy.

Chiro kneeled in the dry grass and Kit trembled all over her body as she struggled to get up into the saddle and took the reins. Her leg was bleeding badly and she felt weak from the bloodloss. She realised that she wouldn't be able to hold on to the saddle so she wrapped the reins around her body and tied them around the pommel. Chiro got up and she leaned over his neck.

- They can't catch us. If they find us ...

Her voice fell silent as she slipped into a quiet darkness. Chiro looked up at the sparkling moons and began to walk.