Warrior's Heart (Book 1 of The Warrior Chronicles)

Chapter 37

Their horses were growing weary by the time a small, stone house came into view. Leyla didn't like the idea of stopping. They had lost sight of their pursuers a long while back, but she knew they wouldn't be safe until they reached a Warrior outpost. The moan from the man slung across her lap had her hesitating. He had been slipping in and out of consciousness for the past hour. "Tell my mother not to cry," he kept saying. "I wanted to make her proud." Leyla tried to harden her heart, but she knew that he couldn't handle being carted around like this for much longer. He was going to die, right here on this horse, if she did not stop.

Whistling low, she got Michael's attention and pointed at the hut. They rode swiftly and it wasn't long before Leyla stopped her horse and jumped to the ground.

"Make sure he doesn't fall off," she told Michael as she handed him the reins and drew her sword from the saddle. Delphine's already pale face turned ashen the minute she set eyes on Leyla's bloody dress. "It's his."

She knew she was being curt. She knew the Lady had probably never witnessed a battle, much less seen anyone die before, but they had no time for gentleness. Michael, for all he had experienced in Asch, was no Warrior either. If she gave either of them space to let fear and anguish set it, they could lose control.

"Keep the horses quiet and wait for me." There would be time to deal with their feelings later. Right now they had to survive. Pointing her sword backwards, Leyla strode to the hut and knocked on the door.

It opened a moment later to reveal a very tall blonde man. His blue eyes narrowed at the sight of her.

"Get lost!" He began to close the door, but Leyla put her foot forward and pushed into the house, her sword at his throat.

"I don't want to hurt you, but there is a boy out there who needs seen to or he will die."

The man blinked surprisingly fearless eyes, then Leyla heard the distinct pulling of a bow string behind her.

"You are Warriors." She said in Warrior tongue, even before she looked over her shoulder to see the tall blonde woman pointing an arrow at her back. "So you can tell I am making no empty threat. I will kill your husband before you can shoot that arrow."

"Who are you?" The woman said behind her.

Leyla pressed her sword into the man's neck, drawing a thin line of blood. "Weapon on the floor. Now."

After two breaths, the woman followed her instructions and the man relaxed beneath her loosened blade. "Our pursuers are an hour behind us. The faster we patch up the wounded boy, the faster we will leave and the less trouble we will cause you." she said, watching their eyes.

The couple looked at each other, then nodded their understanding; it was in their interest for the unwanted visitors to leave, not die.

"Let's bring him in," the man said.

Leyla pointed the sword down and picked up the bow and arrow. "Do you have medicine in the house?" She asked looking around. There was a small bed in the corner, two chairs beside a roaring fire and a dining table lined with two short benches.

"No. But we have some spirits and cloth to use for bandaging." The man said.

"That will have to do." Leyla opened the door and called for Michael to bring the horses closer. She gave the bow and arrow to Delphine. "Stay by the door and shout if you see someone approaching," she told the girl before helping Michael and the Warrior bring the wounded boy into the house.

The older woman's expression went form cautious to worried. "He's so young!" She shoved a wooden bowl aside, clearing the dining table for the patient. He didn't look a day older than fourteen as he lay there covered in blood. Leyla noticed the gold of his belt for the first time; a young royal! Was he an officer in training?