Warrior's Soul (Book 3 of The Warrior Chronicles)

Chapter 25

"Athiri!"

The Hayvan responded immediately to her sharp call. Dropping the ball he came running to her side.

"Good boy." She gave him a quick pat, then turned to the Sage. "Take him with you and move the children and women away from the wall. If you hear three long whistles, you know what to do."

"Understood," the Sage turned, calling for Waru as he went.

Leyla continued listening to the whistles as she called out: "Anne, archers to the wall! Peter, coordinate defence, I'm going out."

The children and women were rushing to the Sage's side. Peter and Malia were passing out knives to the adults while Anne had the Hayvani archers lining up at the arrow holes at the wall.

The whistling continued as Leyla grabbed her bow and arrow from the doorway of her hut, securing the straps to her back.

"How many?" Liam was beside her, his hand on his sword.

The whistles were confused, but from what she could gather there were too many to count.

"This is not your fight," Leyla pushed past him.

"That many, huh?" Liam followed, stretching his arms.

Leyla stopped at the gate, taking a last look around the camp. If there were as many as the signals suggested, the archers wouldn't be able to stop them. The Hayvani's would get killed trying to protect the camp and then everyone would be at the mercy of the raiders. She had to try to stop them from reaching the wall. And if she failed, the lookouts knew to give the signal for retreat.

If she didn't make it the Sage would get everyone to safety. She had to believe that he would.

"Open the gate!" She signalled the four Hayvanis who rushed to lift the heavy wooden slab across the doors.

Without another backwards glance, Leyla tightened her grip her her bow and walked out into the forest.

"To the right," Liam said as he moved beside her.

"Two dozen, if not more," Leyla nodded. She could hear the crunching of leaves and twigs as the group moved in their direction. "It's not too late to go back."

"And leave all the fun to you?" Liam shook his head as he pulled out his sword. "I don't think so."

There were only seconds now and the attackers would be within sight. Leyla placed an arrow on her bow, her hands steady. "Whatever it is you're trying to do when you're away...if you die here, you won't be able to do it."

Swinging his sword to warm up his shoulder, Liam gave her a wink, "Then let's make sure we don't die."

"Fool," Leyla muttered just as the first man came into view. She lifted her bow, watching him jump over a fallen log with surprise. Cream coloured shirt, long trouser, short hair...he wasn't a Bone Eater. The man turned his back all of a sudden and then he was lifting what looked like a ten-year-old over the log. "What in Gaia..."

"Sky people?" Liam pointed his sword down as more faces appeared. Men, women, children, they all rushed towards the wall until they noticed their presence.

Certain now that they were not armed, Leyla lowered her bow. There was something wrong, she was sure the lookouts whistled a Bone Eater warning.

"Is this the Protectorate? Please, help us!" The man who had come into view first, panted as he halted a few steps away. He looked like he was about to collapse and the people behind him were not fairing any better.

"You're being chased?" Leyla stepped forward, trying to count their numbers. Ten, twenty, thirty...there were maybe forty that she could see.

"Bone Eaters. We've been running for half a day. They've burned our village-"