Ripples (DROPLETS Trilogy Book 2) (27 page)

    Again, Bolrock waited for me to talk but I locked my jaw. Anger flashed across his face and he threw my head down. I waited for the next blows to begin, but they didn’t come. Instead, I watched as he walked a few feet away and picked up something off the ground. When he turned around, my eyes widened in horror. He held my dagger in his hand.

    Deliberately, he lifted it above my head and I squeezed my eyes shut waiting for the cuts that were about to be slashed across my already bruised body. But at that precise moment, a loud crack resounded in the night air and Bolrock cried out in pain. 

     My eyes flashed open and I tried to see what had happened. Bolrock no longer held the dagger, and his back was to me as were all the other soldiers’. Through the fog of my mind, I watched their blades appear suddenly from their arms. They twitched at the slightest of sounds, slowly making a half circle to protect each other. 

     My heart still pounded heavily, and I tried to figure out what was going on. Through the confusion in my clouded brain there was a faint recall of this happening before, but I couldn’t remember when. My ears were still ringing from the cries of pain I had heard from Patrick, and I couldn’t seem to shake them from my mind. 

    As my vision cleared, I watched a new form come into focus on the edge of the clearing as Zale slowly stepped out from the cover of the trees. He stood directly opposite me, the mask of the warrior in place. Dizzy and disoriented, I knew he was there to save me and a small prick of relief entered my heart.

    Without a word, the whip flashed in Zale’s hand and cut into one of the soldier’s faces. The merman cried out in agony and fell to the ground with his palms pressed to his head. Again the whip cracked over and over, the Hyven were dodging the blows but some had been stung by its leather, and strips of red ran down their skin. Some began to throw knives at him, but he moved as though a shadow they couldn’t pierce.

    They tried to come at him as one, but he kept them at bay with the whip. With precision, he would single one out with the whip and cut him down with a thrown dagger before the others had a chance to attack.

     Only four were left standing and they surrounded him, making sure to stay out of the way of the cracking whip. In a swift move, one of the soldiers ran at him when his back was turned and the battle suddenly became hand to hand combat. With each slice of the blades I feared for Zale’s life. But when one merman fell down with a gaping wound in his neck, a small bubble of hope built within me. The fight before me was a dance of desperation and skill. He sliced and cut his way through the soldiers and they crippled around his feet.

    The numbers seemed to dwindle quickly, but when there were only two left, Bolrock left his position in front of me and ran in, to join the fight. It was vicious and I knew Zale was taking a beating, fresh blood smeared down his chest but whether it was his own or that of his enemies, I couldn’t say.

     In the heat of the battle, I watched Bolrock fall to the ground. I raised my head a little and he caught my eye. Struggling to his feet, he limped over to me. A cut around his ear created a stream of blood down the side of his face and over his neck. I tried to move away as he came closer, but the pain in my body was too much. All I managed to do was back myself into a tree.

     Before I could scream in protest, he grabbed me, yanking me from the ground, I cried out in pain when the movement jostled my shoulder. He pulled me up against his chest and again I wanted to yell, but stopped when I felt the hard chilling press of his blades against the right side of my neck.

    Together we watched as Zale dispatched the rest of the Hyven soldiers. Their bodies crumpled to the ground along with the others, but the warrior that stood in the center of them all, remained unfazed. His eyes rose to where he knew his enemy stood and as much as I wanted him to look at me, he didn’t even glance at my face.

    “I knew you’d come,” the deep voice throbbed against my head, slightly out of breath as he spit out his words.

     Zale didn’t acknowledge the words. He remained where he stood, looking at Bolrock with blood menace. Bolrock shifted behind me.

    “Speak to me!” He screamed, his voice almost hysterical. “I knew you were it! You were the reason we were failing. You never deserved to live, I should’ve killed you when I had the chance. But Morven wouldn’t listen to me.”

    At the mention of Morven, Zale’s nostrils flared, but that was the only hint of emotion he gave. Rather than respond to Bolrock’s words, Zale turned and walked across the grassy hearth and bent over to the ground. The sight of his back only showed that some of his wounds had reopened but he gave no sign as to feeling them. He picked up my dagger that had flown across the clearing when his whip had hit Bolrock’s hand earlier. His knuckles turned white as he grasped it tightly.

    “You throw that and she dies,” Bolrock spit and yanked me closer to his body. I felt the blades press harder against my neck and I tried to pull away, but he held my head steady. 

    Zale pursed his lips while looking at the blade in his hand. He seemed relaxed and in control, as though nothing could go wrong. The only hint of stress was the way he gripped the dagger, the hand was clinging to it tightly, as though it was all he could do to control himself. Still, the warrior didn’t speak; instead he examined the blade as if waiting for something.

    “Why won’t you speak to me?!” Bolrock yelled with definite fear in his voice, something I’d never heard before.

    Still looking at the blade Zale finally spoke, his voice as calm as his stance. “You should know.” His eyes snapped to Bolrock’s and a slight shift in his hand made me glance at the way he was holding it. His knuckles were no longer white, the dagger was lightly caressed in his fingers, and I knew what was coming.

    In a split second the blade was raised next to his shoulder and he threw it just the way he had taught me. It flew through the air and I ducked my head to the left even though I knew the throw would be nowhere near me.

     A strangled, gargled sound filled my ears and Bolrock’s arms fell from around me, his blades clipping my side as he fell. I tried to stand on my own feet but collapsed to the ground in a pile of exhausted limbs and gasping breaths. I refused to look at the body that lay crumpled on the ground to my right, but from the corner of my eye I could see the wooden hilt of the dagger lying next to the severed, pale head.

     Unable to contain it any longer, I lost all grip on reality and slipped into darkness.

His hands were on me in moments and I woke to his gentle prodding, as he tried to roll me over. I grimaced in pain and tried not to show how much it really hurt, but I knew it didn’t fool him. He moved me to a tree and propped me up against its trunk while he leaned in to take a closer look at my shoulder. My right hand was still grasping it tightly, the fingers covered in blood. Gently, he reached up and pulled my hand away, his eyes taking in the wound. A small shake of his head was the only response I got from him as he moved to pick me up.

    “Wait,” I gasped and he paused. “Just sit here with me for a bit.”

    Giving in, he lowered his body to the ground so that he was right by my side. He gently wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled my head into his chest where he cradled me.

    “Thank you, and thanks for saving me,” and I added, “again.”

    “You need to get some bandages on that wound.” His voice was like a soothing balm as it rushed over my ears. I nodded in response but neither of us moved. “Why didn’t you wake me?” he asked

    After all the wounds Zale now carried, the cuts and slashes on his arms, legs, and chest, I hadn’t heard a note of pain in his voice. Only now did I feel the hurt in him, and I knew it stemmed from something that wasn’t physical.

     I had hurt him by leaving him at the waterfall, but why it would bother him this much was a mystery to me.

    “I didn’t want to wake you,” my words were true, recalled by memories that seemed like days ago. “You looked tired. And I was going to get you a shirt.”

     He looked down at me, his serious face not giving anything away. “A what?” he asked.

     “You looked cold,” I said, and started to giggle. Somewhere in my mind I knew I was going into shock, and I wanted to laugh more, but the pain was too much. With each tightening of my stomach, pain shot through my head and my shoulder felt as though a fire had been lit inside it.

     “You’ll hurt yourself,” Zale said, and brushed a rough hand over my forehead, I assumed he was talking about my laughing. “We need to get you to the cabin.”

     I shook my head, “Not until you tell me why your mouth looks like that.” I giggled again and winced. The corners of his mouth turned down even more and he heaved a heavy sigh. Again, I got the feeling I was hurting him, something I’d done was causing him pain. Slowly, I lifted my head from his chest to look at his face. It was sad; the eyes looked hollow as though there was nothing left inside. I placed my cut up hand on the side of his face.

    “What’s the matter?” I asked and he closed his eyes at my touch but turned his head to look at me. My gaze met his and I couldn’t read anything within it other than the pain he was trying to cover. It was there, floating just beneath the surface. 

    He took a deep breath, “Why—” but that was all he got out before his head jerked up and he peered into the darkness of the shadowy trees directly opposite us. Without a word, he slipped his arm out from behind me and stood slowly. He stepped a few paces away to pick up my dagger that lay on the ground next to the severed head of his now dead enemy.

    I wanted to ask him what was going on, but knew I should stay silent. He came back to stand in front of me, his back straight, body calm as he waited for what was surely coming toward us.

    It wasn’t long before two figures emerged from the trees; both had been running hurriedly but came to an abrupt halt when they saw the discarded bodies. My heart skipped a beat as I waited for the enemies to step closer to where I could see their faces. Even now, my wounded protector stood his ground to await the oncoming attack of the two before us.

    “Step away from her,” a voice said and a sharp breath constricted my throat. Fear flooded my veins, but this wasn’t a personal fear. It was a fright for the lives of all three mermen that stood ready to fight. Tunder had spoken and Elik was beside him ready to kill Zale. My heart thundered in my chest as I realized it was the Lathmorians who would die. 

    Zale didn’t move or speak, his muscles shifted slightly, but that was the only hint he gave away to his mounting strength for my protection. Tunder’s blades sprung from his forearms and the warrior’s hand on the dagger twitched. I knew what was about to happen.

    “Tunder stop!” I shouted, “He’ll kill you.”

    My eyes were locked on Tunder and Elik even though I couldn’t see their faces, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Zale flinch, as though I’d struck him. I knew he would think me a traitor for even speaking to Tunder but it had to be done.

    “I’ll say it again.” Tunder said, the threat in his voice evident. “Step away from her.” Tunder and Elik both moved closer and raised their arms ready to fight, ready to kill.

     With all the strength that was left in me, I pulled myself to my feet with the help of the tree at my back.

    “Look around you!” I yelled not caring how far my voice carried. “These are Morven’s best. If you don’t believe me, look!” I pointed to the severed head of Bolrock. “That’s Bolrock. So please, think before you do something you’ll regret.” It was too dark to see if they actually looked at the shadowy bumps on the ground, but I hoped they were able to see enough to confirm what I said.

    Elik’s eyes shifted in my direction, but Tunder’s gaze remained fixed on the warrior. I could tell from a distance he was sizing up the warrior, wanting to see just what he would do. I glanced at him too, knowing he was confused and unsure of what to do, but one thing was certain. Zale saw the Lathmorians as a threat to my existence with him, and for that, he would kill them.

    My eyes flickered to his hand, to see how he was holding the dagger. Through the dark night I couldn’t tell if his hand was relaxed or tense. I knew one would present a killing blow while the other would give me time to think of a way out of this situation, but I couldn’t take the risk.

    “Zale,” I said and he bent his head in my direction to listen, although he didn’t look at me. “Please don’t.”

    I felt as though my pleas fell on hollow ears, grasping at anything, I turned to Elik hoping he would understand. “Elik, please. Stop this.”

    The shadowy figure that stood by his leader’s side, shook his head. “He has to pay for what he did to our people.”

    A sob lodged in my throat and I knew there was nothing I could do; it was inevitable. Just then the clouds parted slightly and beams of moonlight streaked across the clearing, casting light upon the fallen Hyven. As Zale’s body and face became visible, I saw the eyes of the Lathmorian soldiers widen in shock. For the first time they were seeing the face of the warrior; the face of the man they used to know, and they finally understood.

    Pleading with all my soul, I tried once more. “Tunder,” I waited until he looked at me, his eyes confused and searching. “Please don’t do this. If not for me, then for
him
.”

    We both knew who I was speaking of; that one common man whose soul had been lost from the powerful body in our presence. Zale turned cautiously to look at me, unsure of what I was talking about, but I ignored him. I needed Tunder to understand.

    “He doesn’t know,” I begged desperately. “But, he saved me.”

    Finally, Tunder pulled his eyes from mine and took in the horrific scene. The bloodied and cut bodies only looked worse in the moonlight, as it eerily rested upon them. A churned up feeling filled my stomach and I suppressed the urge to cough up my last meal.

    For a long moment we stood there, the moment tense, waiting for what would happen. Just like before, Zale hadn’t moved or said a word. He was simply the warrior, waiting for the threat to make its move.

    I felt eyes upon me and glanced at Elik, his gaze was filled with an emotion I’d never seen in him before. It was fear, and I knew it wasn’t for his own life, but for mine.

    “Are you all right?” His voice was gentle, as he addressed me, directly.

     I nodded, but I knew he wasn’t simply asking about my physical injuries. He was speaking of the feelings that ran so deep in my heart, something he could never understand and was only now trying to comprehend. The distance and hurt I had felt the last time I’d seen him, fell away instantly.

     His words broke the tension and Zale finally moved. Both soldiers widened their stance instinctively, but the warrior didn’t look at them. To my great relief, he turned to me. His presence was dominating as he pulled himself up to his full height. I tried to see Tunder and Elik, but his body blocked them from my sight. His right arm was close to me, the dagger held tightly in his hand; slowly I reached out and touched his arm. I concentrated my fingers on removing the dagger from him, gently, and finally, he released it but his hand shook as he did so. When I looked up into his eyes, I saw the same pain that had been there before. Somehow I was hurting him, as though twisting a knife in his gut.

    “They won’t hurt us.” I said gently, trying to explain to him everything was fine. I knew Tunder wouldn’t hurt Zale any more than I could have the first time I saw him. It would be as though trying to kill Patrick after you already thought he was dead, something impossible.

    My words didn’t calm him. His jaw tightened and he looked away from me as though I had slapped him. I wanted to ask him what was hurting, to hold him, and tell him how much I loved him, but I couldn’t, not with the audience that watched us so intently.

    For a moment, he looked away from all of us, his eyes searching the darkness as though they held an answer. I squeezed his hand and he looked at me, and the eyes were those of the one I loved, but as I fell into the comfort of his gaze, they changed, and his face hardened. It was a subtle difference but I could see it all the same. The determination of the warrior took hold and I knew all hope of him staying with me was lost.

    He turned his head to look at Tunder and Elik, “Take care of her,” was all he said and without a backward glance, he pulled himself from my side and lightly jogged into the shadows.

     Tears flooded my eyes immediately and I pressed my body harder into the tree, knowing it was the only thing keeping me from crashing into the earth. A sob left my throat and I felt myself fall forward. The ground came closer, but strong hands caught me before I could hit the ground. The arms picked me up and somewhere in the physical pain of being jostled with the long gait of my carrier and the ripping agony in my soul; I gave into the tears, wishing the arms that carried me were those of the warrior. 

_______________

I was surrounded by fuzzy, images and figures floating around in a swirl of dark clouds and blood, but one person remained stationary in the twirling world. His deep-blonde hair rippled softly, his face stern and strong, and his eyes peered into the distance with a great emptiness. Too many times I tried to call to him, to reach out my hand to beckon him to come to me, but it was as though he couldn’t hear me. He never looked my way and I knew he wouldn’t, for I was the reason his eyes held nothing in them.

    A damp warm cloth pressed against my forehead and I groaned softly, coming back to reality. Someone spoke to me softly, but I had no idea what they were saying. With a great amount of effort, I pried my eyes open to see the familiar wooden ceiling and walls. I was in the spare room of the cabin.

    “It’s all right, Lissie. You’re safe.” Upon hearing the voice beside me, I turned my head. Tunder was sitting in a chair next to my bed and in his large hand he held the damp cloth.

    For a moment, I tried to remember what had happened, why he was here. The last thing I remembered was being at the waterfall with Zale. A sudden panic fled through me, wondering if Tunder had found him. Yet, I knew he couldn’t have or he wouldn’t be sitting here right now, instead, he would be dead.

     Suddenly, the memories flooded back. Usually they came back quickly, like watching a movie in fast forward, but this time they came slowly. I saw Bolrock as he walked toward me, felt his blade as it slit my shoulder, watched as Zale fought through the Hyven soldiers, and heard the sound of the dagger flying toward me and slicing through Bolrock’s neck with a sickening squish. I remembered the way Zale had touched me, how much he had given me strength in that one peaceful moment, and then worst of all I saw the look in his eyes as he turned from me and left.

     My eyes shut tight once more and I turned my head away from Tunder. He didn’t need to see me this way.

    “It’s all coming back, isn’t it?” Elik’s gentle words reached my ears. When I reopened my eyes I saw him sitting in a chair, from the kitchen, near the end of the bed.

    Rather than respond with a nod or words, I let the silence be my reply. For a long time we all stayed quiet, everyone unsure of what to say. All I could think about was Zale, and why he had left me, when I had needed him so much. I knew they were selfish thoughts, but didn’t care. I needed him beside me, to tell me everything would be all right. Without him here, it seemed as though it never would be, and deep within my heart, I knew he needed me too.

    “How—” the words were hard to form on my parched lips. “How did you know to come?” Squinting groggily, I turned my attention once more to Tunder.

    “Our guards picked up movement in the waters around our border. When the threat didn’t come closer they reported back to me. As soon as I found out, Elik and I came straight here.” His gaze darkened, “I don’t know if you will accept my apology for not getting here sooner, but—”