Rada
Iwas woken by something wet and slightly raspy repeatedly tickling my cheek. A groan escaped me as my consciousness returned, and with it a throbbing ache that seemed to permeate every inch of my body. The worst of it was centered on my left calf, my nerve endings screaming in white-hot agony at the slightest movement.
Forcing my eyes open, I wrinkled my nose as I found myself face-to-face with Bane, just inches away. “Hello, little one,” I croaked out, a shaky smile forming on my lips. He responded with a concerned meow, pressing his small head against my cheek.
Sitting up took three grueling attempts, each one sending another wave of pain lancing through my leg, forcing me to pause and take deep, steadying breaths. I cursed under my breath at the sight of the wound. A small pool of blood had gathered on the ground beneath me, steadily trickling from the ragged gash in my calf. I knew I had to stop the bleeding somehow. Despite everything, I realized I had been lucky. The Kritak’s attack had hit nothing vital; otherwise, I might not have woken up at all.
I fiddled my Air stone out of the pocket of my skirt, activating it with a brush of my mind. After a moment’s contemplation, I wove the strands of Air into a numbing spell, a sigh of relief escaping my lips as it took effect. Without Water, I couldn’t heal the wound, but at least I could dull the pain enough to move. Another touch of Air pressed the edges of the wound together, staunching the bleeding. Next, I tore a strip from my skirt and wound it tightly around my leg. It was a temporary solution, but I couldn’t afford to linger any longer. Noctis and my friends needed me. I glanced at the sky, unease washing through me; I had been unconscious for quite some time.
I frowned as I rose to my feet and tested my leg. It held. Still, I knew it would hinder me in a fight.
For a moment, I took in the surrounding carnage. The dead Kritak had collapsed on my carnations on the right side of the house. Half a dozen Rakash were strewn over the courtyard, the scent of their blood mixing disconcertingly with the fragrance of flowers in bloom.
A low whine caught my attention. There! The leader was still alive, twitching on the ground next to my destroyed henhouse. I picked up the Chaosdagger, retrieved Starfire from where it had fallen during my fight with the Kritak, and marched over.
The Rakash was bleeding from a hole in his stomach, caused by the Kritak’s blade-like legs. Half of his entrails were hanging out, his fangs bared in pain. Dull yellow eyes met mine as I stood over him and held one of Starfire’s blades at his throat.
“What is Deira planning?” I demanded harshly. “Where has she brought the Elf and her child?”
“I don’t know what she is planning,” the Rakash whined. “We only had orders to bring you to her.” Blood bubbled up on his lips. “Back to the Elf’s hut in that cursed forest.”
My eyes darted to Nacin. The great stallion was still tied to thepost by the door, snorting nervously. I needed to get up to Milford Ridge. Immediately.
“Please,” the Rakash cried out, those yellow eyes meeting mine. “Show mercy, Lady of Light.”
“Yes,” I told him. “I am the Lady of Light. And you should not have tried to fuck with me.”
Starfire touched his throat in a last kiss of steel, ending his suffering.
As I wiped the staff’s blades clean on the dead Rakash’s tunic, my mind raced. Deira had sent two entire fists of them here, meaning she had troops to spare. This realization struck me hard—Noctis and the others were in even greater danger than I had thought.
Ignoring the exhaustion weighing me down, I marched over to Nacin and calmed him with a few soft words. Then, I secured Starfire to the saddle and dragged myself up onto his back, groaning at the pain that shot through my leg despite the numbing magic.
“Come.” At my curt command, Bane jumped up in front of me, sinking his claws into the saddle to anchor himself. I leaned over Nacin’s neck and whispered, “Run, my friend. Run like you’ve never run before.” The stallion surged forward as soon as I loosened the reins, his hooves pounding the road.
After passing the forest, I chose a different route than I had on my way to the farm, knowing the path up to Milford Ridge behind the village was too steep for the horse. As we neared the Ridge from the east, the dread gripping my heart intensified. A storm raged over the limestone cliffs, lightning striking in the distance. The wind tugged at my braid, and Bane mewed in worry, pressing his small body close to mine.
Without hesitation, I guided Nacin into the tempest. We soon had to slow down as the path narrowed and the heavy rain turnedthe ground to mud, causing Nacin’s hooves to slip. The downpour drenched me completely, cold rivulets running down my face and back. Yet the horse pressed on, as determined as I was. Every flash of lightning illuminated the forest around us in stark, eerie brightness, making the shadows dance ominously between the trees.
Suddenly, two dark shapes appeared on the path. I clutched the reins tightly as Nacin whinnied. Rakash. It was unclear who was more surprised, but I reacted first, urging Nacin to trample one while I slashed the other with Starfire. The fight ended quickly, leaving both enemies lying lifeless in the mud.
They had come from the direction of Briseis’s hut. I hoped this meant my friends had been victorious. Renewed urgency pounding through me, I spurred Nacin on.
“Aunt Rada!” Varien’s desperate cry echoed through the air as I rounded the next bend of the road, reaching a clearing beneath the tall trees of the forest. I barely had time to dismount before he flung himself into my arms, his body wracked with sobs. Briseis followed him, her face so pale I suspected she was holding on to her composure for her son’s sake. As soon as she was close enough, I pulled her into our embrace, the three of us united in relief.
“Maker! Rada,” Briseis said after a moment, stepping back to wipe her eyes. “I am so glad you are safe. We feared the worst when that wicked woman said she had sent her Rakash after you.”
I scanned the clearing, noting the dead Rakash scattered around. The Sundered and Tristan were gathered around someone on the ground, Kyree kneeling beside them. Bane jumped off Nacin and raced over to the healer.
“What happened?” I asked Briseis, moving closer with Varien still clinging to my side.
“It was awful, Aunt Rada,” Varien cried, his large blue eyesbrimming with tears. “They said they would kill us all, and I was so scared. But I remembered you told me that surprise is the most important element in a fight, so I bit her and—”
“You bit one of the Chiasma?” Light! I tightened my arm around Varien’s shoulder, horrified at what could have happened to him.
As I tried to make sense of it all, a strange unease crept over me. I hadn’t seen Noctis yet, and only one of the fallen wore the robes of his former acolytes.
Before Briseis could respond, a pained groan from the figure on the ground drew my attention. It was Calder, blood streaming from deep gashes in his uniform, his face twisted in agony. Kyree was bent over him, holding my Water stone, which pulsed with a soft blue light.
