Page 189 of Tale of the Heart Queen

The bears left standing close in, forming a half circle as they prowl closer on their massive paws. Going on the offensive, I swing and crack a bear across the face with the bow. It leaves a gash but does little to deter it. I try again and the bow nearly snaps in half, then I duck when it hooks a massive paw at my head. Catching me in the shoulder, it tears the leather of my jacket.

Lor slashes and hacks, and I watch the bear open its mouth and close it over her arm out of the corner of my eye. She screams, and her knees buckle just as she thrusts the sword upwards and pierces through the top of its skull. The bear pauses and then collapses in a heap. Lor releases the hilt of the sword now lodged in its skull and, without missing a beat, picks up a rock and hurls it at the next bear as it paces back and forth. It strikes the bear’s flank, earning us an ominous growl as it starts pacing faster.

Lor’s arm and hand are bleeding, and I can’t tell how badly injured she is, but at least she’s still standing.

The bear that just attacked me is coming in for another round, and I duck again, dropping to the ground and rolling under the beast as I snatch a fallen arrow. It roars and shakes its head as it spins around, trying to dislodge me. Icy rage billows through my limbs, fury curdling in my chest. I’m so fucking pissed that Lor was dragged here by my father and that instead of saving herself, she’s forced to protect me.

With a cry born of three centuries of anger, I thrust the arrow up, piercing the soft skin of the animal’s belly. It slides into the flesh like a knife through butter before warm, thick blood coats my hands. The bear roars, lifting up on two legs, and I waste no time leaping up and driving my shoulder into its ruined stomach, tipping it off balance.

Lying on its back, it pedals in the air, screaming and roaring. This poor thing didn’t deserve this either, I’m sure. That doesn’t stop me from picking a large rock and smashing it into its face. The bear whimpers and then rolls onto its paws before it starts to drag itself away.

I watch it heave itself across the ground as ragged breaths saw out of my chest.

Only one animal is left, and Lor and I spin around to face it as it charges, swiping a paw as she cries out and jogs back, lunging for her dagger where she dropped it. I pick up the bow and another arrow and fire at close range. The shot lands right between its eyes, and the bear roars, a paw swinging again and catching Lor across the stomach.

She screams as she goes flying, landing in the grass with a thud. I want to go to her, but the bear drops back onto all fours, its head swaying side to side as blood drips down its face. Again it charges for Lor, who’s hunched over, clutching her stomach, but instinct takes over, and I throw myself on its back.

It swerves with the weight of my body, and we both careen to the side, back and forth, before it loses its footing and crashes to the ground. We both go rolling, and it feels like my organs are going to squeeze out of my body as it tumbles over me.

Somehow, we get turned around, and now the bear is on top, blood dripping down its face. I try to scramble away, but it pins me to the ground, and it opens its jaws wide as it dives.

A moment later, the bear jerks, and Lor appears on top of the beast, both hands clutched around the hilt of her dagger, the blade wedged into its skull.

After several heartbeats of silence, the bear starts to collapse. I scramble out, and Lor tips off its back as we stumble towards one another. She leans against me, breathing heavily.

“I . . .” she gasps.

The bear’s claws tore straight through the leather over her stomach, and she’s covered in blood. We both are. I look around frantically. Herric doesn’t plan to kill her, but he clearly intends to let her suffer.

She clutches her stomach and sinks to her knees.

“Hold on,” I say. “I’ll be right back.”

I run to retrieve the pack from where I dropped it, then pull the dagger from the fallen bear and tuck it into my belt. I consider the sword, but it’s firmly stuck, as well as the bow, but all the arrows have been scattered. Deciding I don’t have time to collect them, I scoop Lor into my arms and start running. We need to find somewhere to regroup and maybe wash this blood off.

Lor’s eyes flutter open and closed as I crash through the brush, hoping no surprises find us. Finally, I spot a small stream and beyond that the opening to a cave. Perfect. Setting her gently on the bank, I reach into the cool water and scrub my hands, arms, and face. Then I do what I can for Lor, being careful as I clean away the worst of the blood from her arm and stomach. She grits her teeth as I maneuver her, clearly trying to be brave.

“Hold on,” I whisper as she shivers. Then I scoop her up again and duck into the cave to discover it’s shallow enough to ensure nothing is concealed in its shadows but deep enough to keep us hidden from anything passing by.

I lower Lor to the ground and then open the pack, praying there’s something useful inside. I find some food—hard bread and strips of dried meat—and wonder why Herric has bothered. My only thought is that he wants a show and this is all just window dressing.

I find a thin blanket, some socks, and, by a miracle, some bandages, along with a tin of what smells like pine needles. I hope it’s some kind of ointment. Carefully cutting away some of the leather on Lor’s torso, I apply the salve to the jagged lines of torn flesh.

She groans as her chest expands.

“Is that okay?” I ask.

“Yeah,” she says, gritting her teeth. “It’s great. I’m just having the fucking time of my life.”

I snort a dry laugh. Then I wrap the bandages around her to stave off the bleeding. Once she’s patched up to my liking, I hand her some dried meat. I’m relieved to see some of the color is returning to her cheeks.

“Eat this.”

As she chews, her eyes spread wide. “Nadir. Your shoulder!”

I look down at the exposed meat of my arm where the bear clawed me. I was so focused on Lor that I didn’t feel anything, but the reminder makes my vision blur, my head swimming as my surroundings tilt.

She shuffles over and forces me to lean against the wall. It’s her turn to tend my wounds, using the salve and the remaining bandages. Once she’s done, she digs into the pack, but there isn’t much else to find. A second canteen and a small hunk of cheese, along with a single apple. I could eat everything in a single bite right now. I try to recall the last time I ate—it was before the bonding ceremony, which might have been only a few hours ago, but it feels like it’s been a century.