Page 4 of Sun Warrior

“Stop running!” Nik shouted, sprinting to her. “I can help, but you have to—” From beside him, Laru vaulted toward the flaming woman, knocking her off her feet. The Terrier spilled out of her arms as Nik frantically pulled off his shirt, covering her as he beat out the fire.

“Fala!” she screamed. “Fala!”

“Rose, it’s me, Nik.” He spared a glance at the little Terrier who was pressed against Laru’s side, shivering with shock. “Fala is fine. Laru has her. Hold still. I’ve got the fire out. Now I need to see how badly you’re burned.”

Rose went limp under his hands, though she turned her head so that she could stare out of pain-filled eyes at her Terrier.

“Her pups. Fala’s pups. They’re back there.” Rose’s voice broke and tears spilled down her cheeks. “O’Bryan was trying to save them when a burning branch from the neighboring pine caught our tree on fire.”

“Where is he? Where’s O’Bryan?”

With a shaking hand Rose pointed behind her at the wall of smoke and heat. “There. He’s still back there.”

Nik knelt beside Rose. “Can you sit up?”

She nodded and let Nik help her sit. Fala staggered to her Companion and Rose pulled the little Terrier into her lap, holding her close. “How bad is it?” she asked.

“I’m not a Healer, but I don’t think it’s too bad,” Nik said. “Your tunic’s a mess, but it mostly saved your skin. Can you walk?”

“I think so. But I’m not leaving the pups.” Rose started to get to her feet, still holding Fala. “I have to go back there. I have to get them.”

“I’ll go.” Nik put a restraining hand on her. “You take Fala and follow the trail that goes down the ridge to the Channel. Sheena’s just ahead of you, leading a group of people there. Help will come. And I’ll bring the pups to you when I find them and O’Bryan.”

She stared at him, her eyes wide and glassy with shock. “It will kill Fala if she’s lost the whole litter. That’s what I told O’Bryan when he was helping me. I’m sorry, Nik. I didn’t mean for him to die, too.”

“O’Bryan isn’t dead. Neither are Fala’s pups. You get to safety. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Nik, where’s Sol? Why hasn’t he stopped the fire?”

“Everything’s going to be fine. The fire will be stopped.” Nik avoided Rose’s questions, turning her so that she was headed in the direction of the path to the Channel. “Go. I’ll meet you at the ChannelwithFala’s pups.”

Rose nodded slowly. “Save them and you will be saving Fala and me. I won’t live without her.” Then, cradling her trembling Terrier in her arms, she staggered away.

Nik didn’t hesitate. “We have to find O’Bryan!” he told Laru. Thebig Shepherd huffed and without hesitation trotted into the wall of smoke with Nik following closely behind.

They’d only gone a few feet when Laru’s head snapped to the side as he alerted on O’Bryan’s scent. Barking enthusiastically, Laru took a left fork in the trail. Nik ran after him, struggling to keep up with the powerful canine.

“O’Bryan! Call out! Where are you?” Nik shouted.

“Here! Here!”

Laru shot ahead into the swirling smoke and Nik lost sight of him completely.

“O’Bryan!” he called again.

“Here, Nik! Here!”

Nik ran toward the sound of his cousin’s voice and Laru’s barking and then had to steady himself on a fallen log as he almost ran into Laru and the man on his knees the Shepherd had stopped beside.

O’Bryan looked up at Nik, a disbelieving smile on his sweat-streaked, fire-reddened face.

“You show up at the strangest places, Cuz,” O’Bryan said between panting breaths. “But I’m glad you keep showing up.”

Nik crouched beside the young man who was more brother than cousin to him. O’Bryan’s tunic looked odd, and he had his arms wrapped around himself as if he were trying to hold his torso together. Fear stabbed Nik. “Where are you hurt? Is it your chest? Are you burned?”

“Not hurt. Not bad. Just catching my breath. These guys are a lot heavier than they look.”

It was only then that Nik noticed the front of his cousin’s shirt was moving. O’Bryan opened his arms, which Nik could see were red, blistered, and singed, to expose five little black heads that were wriggling from under his shirt to poke their muzzles into the smoky air.