Page 11 of Wind Rider

But instead of settling, Laru whined more urgently, and Rigel added to the emotional tug Mari already felt from his sire by sending her an image of Nik looking exhausted and covered in blood.

Carefully, Mari put her paddle down and moved along the little boat until she reached Nik, whose bowed back was to her as he methodically stroked the water. She touched him gently, causing him to jerk in surprise and grunt in pain.

“Mari, you have to keep helping me paddle—at least until we’ve rounded the far side of Farm Island and officially entered the Umbria River.” Nik spoke between heaving breaths.

Mari realized her hand was wet from touching him. She rubbed herfingers together and smelled them—and the truth hit her deep in the stomach.

“Nik, you’re bleeding. Badly.”

“Gotta get us out of here. There’ll be time to fix me later.”

“Nik! Look at me.”

Reluctantly, he sat straighter, pausing in his paddling, to turn on the little benchlike seat and face Mari. She felt his forehead and cheeks, sucking in her breath at the amount of cold sweat covering him and the clamminess of his skin. Then her hands flowed over his body, swiftly and competently, with her healer’s touch finding the seeping gashes in his shoulder, side, and thigh.

“Nik, you’re wounded and you’re losing a lot of blood.”

“I know, Mari. But we’ve fallen behind the rest of the Pack. We must catch them.”

Mari looked behind them. Nik was right. Davis and Jaxom’s boat had been just a few yards behind them, but now there was only the complete blackness of empty water. Her eyes searched in front of them, and she could just make out the lightening of the water that the other boat’s paddles briefly disrupted.

“No, Nik. This won’t do. If you pass out I’ll never be able to catch up with the rest of the Pack.” Mari cupped her hands around her mouth. “Davis! Nik needs help!”

“Mari! I hear you. Coming back now!” Davis called to them.

“No, Mari. Don’t let them do that. We don’t know if the Tribe is following us.”

“Jaxom chopped holes in the other boats. We have time,” she said firmly. Her hand covered his. “Stop paddling. You’re making the bleeding worse.”

With a sigh Nik dropped the paddle into the wooden hull of the boat. Mari was sitting close enough to him to feel that the instant he was no longer using his waning energy to paddle, his body began trembling. Not long after they’d launched safely into the river, Mari had dug through her travel pack for her shirt, and put it on. Now she started tearing strips of cloth from it and tying them around the worst of Nik’s wounds.

“Mari, Nik—what is it?” Davis’s voice was filled with worry as their boat bumped against them and Jaxom reached out with a paddle, which Mari grabbed, pulling the two little wooden canoes together.

“Nik’s hurt. He’s bleeding. A lot.” She worked quickly, bandaging Nik. “He can’t go on until I heal him.”

“Icango on, but I will admit not for much farther,” Nik admitted.

“No problem,” Davis said. “Here’s what we do. Mari, you and Jaxom change places.” When Nik started to protest, Davis cut him off. “It’s only temporary, Nik. The Pack isn’t far ahead of us. Jaxom can help you catch up to them, and I can do the same for Mari. Once we reach them, we’ll change boats again.”

“Good idea,” Mari agreed. “I’m assuming Antreas is in the lead boat?”

“He is,” Davis said.

“When we catch them we have to get word to Antreas that we have to stop—at least long enough for me to draw down the moon and heal Nik.”

“And yourself,” Nik added grimly. “You called sunfire to you—several times. You saved Laru and Rigel and me.”

“And Fortina! Don’t forget about this special girl,” Jaxom added. The young Shepherd had somehow curled most of herself onto Jaxom’s lap, though like her littermate, Rigel, she was far too big to fit comfortably. Mari noted that Jaxom didn’t seem to care at all that the overgrown puppy was wet and heavy. His hands continuously stroked her soothingly, and Fortina’s gaze rarely left her new Companion’s face.

“We wouldn’t forget about Fortina.” Mari managed a smile for Jaxom and his newly bonded Companion. “Welcome to our pack, sweet girl. I’m so glad you’re with us.”

“So am I!” Jaxom looked at Mari with happy tears pooling in his eyes. “She loves me so much. I can feel it.”

“I know. I’m happy for you, Jaxom,” Mari said.

“There is nothing like being bonded to a Shepherd,” Nik said, nodding. Then he grimaced as even that slight movement caused him pain. “And I am happy for you, too. But, that doesn’t change the fact that Mari saved all of us, and she needs the power of the moon for herself.”

“I’ll keep some of it, don’t worry, Nik. But I’m also not as exhausted as I was last time I used sunfire. I’m learning, and this time I was able to absorb some of the sun’s power for myself.”