Page 30 of Sun Warrior

“I doubt if you’ll be with us long enough to show me much of anything,” Sora said. “Here, take her back. I need to check on the group.” She didn’t really want to give the puppy back to O’Bryan, but she made herself do it anyway, though the baby whined and seemed to struggle, if only for a moment, to get back to her.

“I hope she made you feel better. Even if it was just for a little while,” O’Bryan said, his smile returning to lift the corners of his lips. “We say that pups are good for the soul.”

Thunder boomed in the distance, and then the sky broke open and rain began to pour down on them.

“Thank the Sun!” O’Bryan said reverently.

“This weather is going to help with stopping your fire, but it’s definitely not going to help our wounded,” Sora said.

“Do you always look at the negative in everything?” O’Bryan asked her.

“I’m not negative. I’m honest.” Sora had meant to tell O’Bryan that compared to Mari, she was an overachieving optimist, but a thrashing in the brush broke off her words.

The Earth Walker staggered onto the trail in front of them. Sora gasped in shock at the man’s appearance. He was filthy and covered with dried blood and strange-looking wounds. He looked up and captured Sora in his pain-wracked gaze.

“Moon Woman. Help me.” He fell to his knees, still looking up beseechingly at Sora.

O’Bryan didn’t hesitate. He turned to Sora, handing the pups he’d been carrying to her as he pushed her behind him and pulled a long knife from his waist.

“Get out of here or I’ll kill you!”

Sora wasn’t sure what was more shocking, that sweet, smiling O’Bryan had morphed into a killer Companion right before her eyes or that the Earth Walker who was begging for her help was Jaxom—the same young man who had attacked and tried to rape her just two days before.

“I know him,” Sora said, putting her hand on O’Bryan’s arm. “Don’t hurt him. Or at least don’t hurt him yet.”

There was movement behind Sora, and then Sheena with Captain growling beside her, and Rose with little Fala also growling a warning, had joined her and O’Bryan. Both women were also holding knives at the ready.

Sora made her decision fast. “Here, take them!” She transferred the pups to Rose, and then she told Sheena and O’Bryan, “Stay close to me. He might be dangerous because he’s been sick, but he’s an old friend.”

Sora approached Jaxom.

The young man’s head had lolled down. He was breathing heavily, and Sora could see that his body was trembling.

“Jaxom, do you know me?”

His head lifted slowly. He blinked his eyes clear of sweat and tears. “Sora.” His voice was like gravel. “You are Moon Woman. Help me.”

Sora stared into his eyes. She saw pain and confusion there, but none of the madness she’d seen when he and two others had attacked her. He didn’t look like her Jaxom, the young man she’d almost decided to claim as her mate, but he also didn’t look like a monster.

“Can you walk?” she asked him.

“Will try,” he said.

“You’ll have to do better than try, but you don’t have far to walk.” She opened an outside flap of her satchel and pulled a length of tightly braided hemp rope from it. Then she met his gaze steadily. “I’ll help you, but I’m going to tie your hands, and this Companion is going to take the end of the rope. Jaxom, if you get violent I will let him kill you.”

“I understa—” Jaxom began, and then his body shuddered horribly, his eyes rolled to show their whites, and the wounded man passed out.

Sora sighed and went to Jaxom’s still body, feeling for his pulse, which was there but beating entirely too fast.

“Is it smart to take him with us? Males are always violent,” Sheena said.

“No, they’re not.” Sora spoke as she began tying his outstretched hands, wrists together. “It’s only at night that they’re violent, and then the violence is directed at themselves, unless you’re trying to kill them or steal a member of their family to be your slave.” She finished tying him and then faced the three Companions who were frowning at her. “His name is Jaxom. He’s wounded and sick, and he hasn’t been healed in a long time. I’m going to help him—we’regoing to help him.”

“But he’s unconscious. How’s he going to come with us?” O’Bryan asked.

Sora arched one brow at O’Bryan. “Well, you said it was much easier than I thought to carry a grown Shepherd across your back as you rappel up and down from your city. Jaxom doesn’t look like he could weigh much more than Captain weighs.”

“Yes, but—” O’Bryan began.