Unto the Shadow (Completed)

(Ch.38) A Name to Scream

Graynin stood still, his chest heaving. His entire body was drenched by rain, sweat, and blood. He dared not move before he could see through the veil of swirling smoke. The screams of men burning alive still pounding in his ears, more men than he had known were there. The fire had licked him, tasted him, he had felt the anger when it had been denied the act of incinerating him. The wildness of the fire was unlike any he had ever felt, the power boiled from it, the anger fed it. In all his life he had never felt so powerless. He now feared to move, in case the simple act call forth the fire once again.

As the black smoke thinned, his eyes were finally able to make out Ryder's form. She still stood where she had been pinned by the Dakawolf, but there was now a blackened trail of earth where the Dakawolf had stood barring her way. The scorched earth path continued all the way to him. He felt the grip of fear loosen, she was standing firm, her arms still outstretched, her satin dress a clinging wet rag. She was alive. She began to move towards him, the confusion and bewildered joy apparent on her face even through the smoke. But before she could finish her first step her body went rigid and she collapsed.

Graynin's terror reignited. He sprinted for her, knife still in hand. He leapt over the remains of the Dakawolf, its body now only smoldering logs and the smell of putrid earth. He collapsed to his knees, dropping his knife to take hold of her head as her body convulsed violently. All he could do was try and steady her until the seizure subsided.

The moment seemed as if it would never end. He knew he couldn't move her, but there was nothing he wanted more than to get her away from this nightmare of a place. His mind reeled with the very real possibility that he might lose Ryder in the very place he lost Aurora. Once again sacrificing herself to save him. He gritted his teeth at the thought, his anger finding new height. He would not allow this to happen. As soon as Ryder's spasming muscles began to relax, he scooped her up in his arms. Agony shot through his shoulder and side. The Dakawolf's teeth had sunk in deep, just missing his jugular, and that bastard's sword had sliced farther than he'd like to admit. He ignored it though, he would not let her die, even if it killed him, she would not die.

He ran. He had to get her back to the house, there were some excellent Healers attending the party, Healers that Athos had trained personally, they would be able to help her. But before he could make it through the forest she began to stir in his arms.

"What happened? Where am I?" She whispered through the fog of her jostled mind.

He slowed his sprint, not wanting to jar her too much now that she was conscious, and when her eyes fluttered open he slowed to a walk.

"It's ok Ryder, you're safe." He said between breaths. He knew this wasn't the place to talk about anything. He had to get her back to the house. Even though they were safe at the moment he was not sure how long that would last. Nothing about this place felt safe, and he knew Dakawolves were nearly impossible to kill. Despite only cinders of them being left, he didn't want to wait around to see if they stayed that way. The power wrapped around them was more complex and older than anything he knew.

The look of confusion began to leave Ryder's face as her mind began to fill in the blanks to her own questions. Graynin watched as tears welled up in her exhausted amber eyes, she flung her hanging arms around his neck and sobbed into his good shoulder.

He ached for her, the deep wild fear in her eyes was clearly being fed by events even deeper than what had transpired this night. All he wanted was to get her somewhere safe, somewhere that didn't frighten her.

"Graynin, please can we stop. I just need to rest for a moment." She meekly begged.

He had no desire to stop, he wanted only to get her back to the house, but the pain in her voice was too much for him. He would stop for her, despite every instinct in his body warning against it; he would push them aside, and he would give her a moment. Not here though, they were too exposed. The old house was nearby. It would basically be a ruin now, brutally wounded in the Last Battle, and now neglected for eighteen years. But it would provide them with a hidden moment where she could take a breath and center herself.