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Authors: Sharon Skinner
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tumbled back with the cat on top of him. They rolled over one another, screams mixing with the thunder, bodies silhouetted against flashes of lightning that tore from the sky. Kelmir clung to the monster’s torso, his teeth sunk deep into its right arm. Trad leaped to the side as the two plowed past him. Whirling quickly around, he struck out, hooves flashing. Kelmir hung on. His claws raked across his adversary’s chest while the beast struggled to ward off the blows of Trad’s hooves.
Kira’s face burned with pain. A part of her wanted to give up, to let the struggle end here. But somewhere deep inside her a sense of purpose welled up and she knew she must overcome this beast, or die trying. Her fingers found the knife. She grasped it by the hilt and gritted her teeth in resolve. Heaving to her feet, she stumbled toward the fighting, the knife raised overhead. She searched for an opening, but neither Trad nor Kelmir slackened their attack. Kira stood ready. The monster rolled away from Trad and its head appeared on the ground before her. She stabbed desperately at its eyes and the sharp blade slid deep into soft tissue.
The beast lashed at its face and wailed. Kelmir gave it one last shake, then let go. The monster lay dead. With a sideways step, Kelmir moved cautiously away, circling the beast’s carcass, watching for movement.
Dizziness danced inside Kira’s head. Her skull was afire. She swayed for a moment. Her legs weakened and gave out. She fell on her knees in the mud and sobbed. Cold rain ran down her face as she raised the knife and stabbed it into the mud, over and over, until her arm shook and the pain and fury burst out of her in a ragged scream.
The rain poured down. Her breathing slowed and became more regular. She took a few deep breaths, blowing them out through her mouth. Trad stood over the creature, his body quivering with exhaustion. Kelmir crouched nearby, watching her, the tip of his tail flicking back and forth. Kira glanced around, searching for Vaith. A whistling chirp came faintly from above and she turned toward the rocks that had blocked their path.
Vaith stood on the edge of the slide nearest the cliff, his eyes glowing dimly in the distance. He tugged at her with his mind. Kira tried to reach out to him, but a heavy darkness clotted her brain. She crawled over to the rocks and used them to pull herself up. She leaned back against the rocks and turned her hot face to the icy rain, letting it cool the fire in her head.
Another chirrup brought her attention back to Vaith. She turned toward him, reaching out with one arm to lean against the rocks as she walked toward the cliff. A bolt of lightning lit the sky, outlining the mouth of a cave. Blackness rose up before her and she thought she was going to faint, but she kept moving toward the dark spot in the side of the cliff. She knew there could be danger, knew she should move carefully, but she was exhausted. If more danger lurked inside, she was too weak to fight it. They all were.
She kept moving, dragging her feet like someone drunk or under the influence of madweed. When she reached the mouth of the cave, she turned back to call the others, but her throat was raw, and all she could do was croak out the words so low she couldn’t hear her own voice. Kelmir stood up and walked over to Trad, nudging the big horse’s flank. Trad moved obediently, as if he had no will of his own. Vaith perched on the brink of the rocks. Kira nodded once, then stumbled into the cave.
CHAPTER FIVE
Kira crept forward, brushing her fingertips against the rough cave wall to guide her. A few steps in from the opening, she stopped, repelled by the stench of animal musk and rot. There was no way to tell how far back the cavern extended, but she had no intention of exploring. She wanted only to rest. She sank down, but caught herself at the scrape of Trad’s hooves on the stony floor. He needed to be unsaddled and
Kira’s face burned with pain. A part of her wanted to give up, to let the struggle end here. But somewhere deep inside her a sense of purpose welled up and she knew she must overcome this beast, or die trying. Her fingers found the knife. She grasped it by the hilt and gritted her teeth in resolve. Heaving to her feet, she stumbled toward the fighting, the knife raised overhead. She searched for an opening, but neither Trad nor Kelmir slackened their attack. Kira stood ready. The monster rolled away from Trad and its head appeared on the ground before her. She stabbed desperately at its eyes and the sharp blade slid deep into soft tissue.
The beast lashed at its face and wailed. Kelmir gave it one last shake, then let go. The monster lay dead. With a sideways step, Kelmir moved cautiously away, circling the beast’s carcass, watching for movement.
Dizziness danced inside Kira’s head. Her skull was afire. She swayed for a moment. Her legs weakened and gave out. She fell on her knees in the mud and sobbed. Cold rain ran down her face as she raised the knife and stabbed it into the mud, over and over, until her arm shook and the pain and fury burst out of her in a ragged scream.
The rain poured down. Her breathing slowed and became more regular. She took a few deep breaths, blowing them out through her mouth. Trad stood over the creature, his body quivering with exhaustion. Kelmir crouched nearby, watching her, the tip of his tail flicking back and forth. Kira glanced around, searching for Vaith. A whistling chirp came faintly from above and she turned toward the rocks that had blocked their path.
Vaith stood on the edge of the slide nearest the cliff, his eyes glowing dimly in the distance. He tugged at her with his mind. Kira tried to reach out to him, but a heavy darkness clotted her brain. She crawled over to the rocks and used them to pull herself up. She leaned back against the rocks and turned her hot face to the icy rain, letting it cool the fire in her head.
Another chirrup brought her attention back to Vaith. She turned toward him, reaching out with one arm to lean against the rocks as she walked toward the cliff. A bolt of lightning lit the sky, outlining the mouth of a cave. Blackness rose up before her and she thought she was going to faint, but she kept moving toward the dark spot in the side of the cliff. She knew there could be danger, knew she should move carefully, but she was exhausted. If more danger lurked inside, she was too weak to fight it. They all were.
She kept moving, dragging her feet like someone drunk or under the influence of madweed. When she reached the mouth of the cave, she turned back to call the others, but her throat was raw, and all she could do was croak out the words so low she couldn’t hear her own voice. Kelmir stood up and walked over to Trad, nudging the big horse’s flank. Trad moved obediently, as if he had no will of his own. Vaith perched on the brink of the rocks. Kira nodded once, then stumbled into the cave.
CHAPTER FIVE
Kira crept forward, brushing her fingertips against the rough cave wall to guide her. A few steps in from the opening, she stopped, repelled by the stench of animal musk and rot. There was no way to tell how far back the cavern extended, but she had no intention of exploring. She wanted only to rest. She sank down, but caught herself at the scrape of Trad’s hooves on the stony floor. He needed to be unsaddled and
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