by Alta Hensley
Donte removed the bandages and instead replaced it with the cloth he'd been wearing around his head.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" Briar said through gritted teeth. The pain hurt and she tried to not show it, but it stung just as much as it had the moment the attackers hurt her.
"Stay still," he ordered as he fastened the cloth around her side. "Having an old bandage could infect the wound. Not that this cloth is much better. We need to reach Casen and attend to this immediately."
Briar remained silent. She sat back and looked down at her hands, rough and worn from wear and tear. She had a few calluses on her palms and fingers, and her nails were broken off.
The moment of silence expanded between them. Briar glanced up to see the sun rising gradually above the horizon, painting the sky in an array of colors. It looked almost like a watercolor painting, all the colors blended together with no telling of where one color ended and the next began.
"It's lovely," she murmured. She absently drew circles in the sand with the tip of her finger.
"I am gazing at something much prettier," Donte said quietly.
Briar froze, her heart skipping a beat. Donte stood up and walked to his satchel. When she turned to look at him, she found him wiping his sword, which was still stained with the blood of the snake he had killed in the darkness.
Briar shook her head and carefully got to her feet.
"What do you think you are doing?" He tucked the blade in his satchel and hurried to her, wrapping his arms around her torso.
"I feel better," she said. "We need to keep moving." Briar didn't want her weakness to be the reason for their failure. She needed to find her strength.
"Are you sure your side is free from pain?"
Briar paused to look at him. His angled face was covered in worry and concern.
She nodded with a weak smile.
After a few minutes of walking, she rested her head against his arm, allowing his strength to help carry her on.
The sun rose higher and higher, and Briar used this to gage what time it was. As soon as it stood overhead, she knew it was around noon.
They proceeded to walk as the sun moved across the sky. The gusts of wind grew stronger, throwing Donte and Briar back and forth. Sand littered the sky, as well as other little bits of debris. When the wind became too strong, Donte pulled Briar to his side to keep from losing her.
Several hours later, night fell and Briar didn't hesitate to completely collapse.
"Are you all right?" Donte asked, swooping to her side.
"Just tired," she said through a vicious yawn. "The heat really takes a lot out of you."
Donte sat down beside her. "You should have told me if you needed to rest."
In the near-darkness, the desert didn't look so threatening. The darkness brought a light breeze, not biting gusts of wind, and cooler temperatures, not scorching ones. Briar dug her hand into the sand and found cooler sand below the surface.
Donte rummaged through his satchel. "Here, eat."
She took a scrap of dried fruit from him. He pulled out his near-empty flask. He took a small sip before handing it to Briar.
Donte breathed in deeply before letting it out in a heavy breath. "We better find Casen soon."
"I know," she murmured. She pulled herself to Donte's side. "Can we start a fire? It's getting cold."
"No," he said flatly. "As much as I want to, we cannot. We cannot risk showcasing our location to whatever else is in this desert. Jaden is looking for us right now, and we can't draw them a map to where we are by building a fire."
Briar nodded and buried her face into his shoulder. "But we won't get attacked by snakes tonight, will we?"
He chuckled, a noise she had missed hearing. "I hope not."
"If we do, you'll save us again," she said. "Hopefully."
"Hopefully?" Donte repeated with a chuckle. "I will risk my life for you, Briar. Now get some sleep."
"Maybe we should continue on," Briar protested, but a yawn escaped her lips. Despite her protests, she fell into a deep sleep against Donte.
The sound of clopping suddenly made her sit up. Two horses appeared in the distance and Donte quickly got to his feet. He scrambled for his satchel and dug out his small sword, wielding it in front of him.
When Briar saw the sword, she gasped and turned to look where he was looking. There were two Jaden warriors.
She ran to her own satchel and pulled out another small blade, raising it and letting the faint light gleam against it.
"I'm ready to fight," she said as she pulled herself to Donte's side.
Before he could protest, the warriors approached them, weapons hanging from their belts. Without a word, one of them catapulted from his horse, wielding a lengthy sword.
Donte matched it, and the sound of blades colliding rang through the air. Briar jumped out of the way, only to see the second warrior running at her. Her small blade didn't compare to his sword and she wished that Donte had better weapons.
For now, all she could do was duck and avoid being stabbed. The soldier grabbed her and shoved her to the ground, knocking her small blade out of her hand. The man pinned her to the sand, and reached for her fallen blade.
Then, Donte shoved the warrior out of the way, shoving his own blade into the warrior's neck. Briar grimaced and turned away, only to see the first warrior rising from the ground and bolting in their direction. She rolled out of the way just as he swiped his sword at Donte.
She scrambled to her feet as Donte engaged the first in a battle of colliding blades. The sound of metal meeting filled the air. She stood there helpless, not sure how she could help Donte fight the remaining soldier. She closed her eyes in panic, wishing for the violence to go away. Metal striking metal pierced her ears, followed by a grunt from a man.
When she opened her eyes, she saw the warrior on the ground, bleeding from a gash on the throat. Donte stood where the warrior had been moments before, his blade bloody. He was breathing heavily, scanning the two bodies that bled on the sand.
"Did they hurt you?" Donte asked, scooping her up into his arms.
She shook her head faintly.
He held her for a moment, rocking her back and forth, kissing her on her head repeatedly. She could feel his heartbeat against his chest, his breath ragged.
When his breathing steadied, he gestured to the horses. "We can ride now. We will get out of the desert quicker and maybe find Casen before more Jaden soldiers come."
Briar nodded and slipped her hand into his, heading for the horses. Donte helped her up onto one horse and he pulled himself onto the other. He fiddled with the pockets of the makeshift saddles, eventually finding small pouches of food.
"Open the pockets of the saddle," he said eagerly. "There may be food, water, and a few weapons, as there is in mine."
Briar did as he said and pulled out a few bags of dried fruit, just like what Donte had. She searched a bit more and found a few small knives, as well as canisters of clean water. Before she could stop herself, she downed one canister, letting the cool water hydrate her dry, cracked mouth and lips. With the little she had left, she spread it across her face and neck.
After, she turned to see Donte doing the same thing. They both grinned and shared a bag of dried fruit, knowing there was much more in the saddle pockets.
"We will definitely be able to cover some ground with these horses, and now our supplies have been replenished," Donte said cheerfully.
Briar stroked her hand down the mane of her horse. She had never ridden before and had only seen a live one a few times in her life, but she was confident she would manage.
As the sun started to peek over the horizon, they rode off.
Donte and Briar rode through the day, finding it a lot quicker than walking. With the horses they were able to cover at least three times the distance than if they had walked.
Finally, they came to a stop when the sun started to set and let the horses rest. Briar, despite not having to do any
thing physical, felt worn out and exhausted. Even Donte offered a yawn as he slid off his horse.
"I feel like we're not going to be able to find Casen," Briar muttered as she rummaged through the pockets on the saddle. "We're going to run out of supplies sooner or later."
Donte nodded. "We will reach it. And with the horses, we will be able to reach it quicker. Everything will be fine. Do not lose faith."
Briar shrugged her shoulders tiredly and sat down on the sand. "I hope so. If we don't find one soon, I'm afraid we'll die." She hated to say the words, but couldn't resist saying them. Her spirits were as beaten as her body.
"We will reach it," Donte repeated stonily. He sat down next to her and held out his arms.
Briar smiled a little to herself as she snuggled against his broad chest and watched the desert fade before her eyes as the sun sank below the horizon. Soon she was no longer able to see anything, even things inches from her face.
She heard the horses breathe heavily as they settled down for rest, and the wind rustling sand back and forth. No snakes, no warrior attacks. Just pure darkness.
The light of early morning woke Briar, and she found herself cuddled closely to Donte, her head resting on his chest. His arm was around her, holding her close to him.
Without waking him, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. The horses were still there where they had left them. Nothing had changed about the desert.
Donte yawned and opened his eyes sleepily. "Good morning," he said as he scanned the surroundings and horses. He rose and made his way over to his horse. He pulled a canister of water from one of the saddle pouches and poured water into the palm of his hand. His horse greedily lapped it up. Briar watched him and did the same. They both took a sip from the canister to wet their mouth and throat, then put it back in the saddle pouch.
"Let us keep moving. We should be there soon," he said as he helped Briar mount.
She watched him slide gracefully onto the back of his horse and before she knew it, they were riding again.
Just like every day they had spent in the desert so far, the sun was hot and grueling, and the sand blew like a vortex around them. At one point, Briar leaned forward and pressed her face into the horse's mane.
The heat exhausted her to the point where Briar almost started seeing things. She had a constant headache and the scenery changed colors before her eyes. Instead of golden sand, it changed to red sand, crimson like the color of blood. At one point during the day, she thought she saw a cluster of palm trees and nearly fell off her horse trying to get to them. Donte had to splash her with water to knock her out of it.
They needed to find Casen, and soon.
As the hours passed, the heat seemed to intensify and the horses grew weaker with each step. Donte's and Briar's clothes stuck to their bodies due to the amount of sweat they produced. Briar wanted to talk as they traveled, but her mouth was unbearably dry and she could hardly articulate her words.
Finally, the sun hit two or three in the afternoon and Briar could hardly see straight. She glanced to the side to see Donte staring at her with concern. He moved to pull a canister of water from the saddle and handed it to her.
"Drink, Briar. Stay with me." His voice was raspy, a sign that the desert took a toll on him as well. He pointed off in to the distance. "Look, Briar. Casen."
Briar narrowed her eyes and lifted her head, looking where he was pointing. Then, she saw trees.
"Are those actual trees?" she asked anxiously. "Am I really seeing trees and not just hallucinating?"
Donte kicked his horse, galloping off. Briar kicked her horse and followed closely behind.
It didn't take long to close the distance, but soon they stood in front of a large building surrounded by luscious trees.
"Welcome to Casen," Donte said as he helped her off the horse. He gestured toward the large structure, "This is the housing unit for all the soldiers, but we will stop here to rest and drink. I will then show you our new home."
Briar felt heat rush to her face, and then Donte's arms were around her. She felt his hands thread through her sweaty hair and she leaned against him, her face pressing into the curve of his neck.
"Can you stand?" he asked, clearly concerned.
She nodded. "I'm fine. Everything is now fine." She looked up into his eyes and stared for a long moment, feeling as if she could see his soul, the connection between them unbreakable.
"I love you, Briar," he murmured into her hair. "I love you more than words can express."
She pulled back to look at him, but before she could say another word, he dipped forward to press his lips hotly to hers. Their bodies molded together flawlessly as she kissed him back, her hands exploring his mouth with tenderness rather than hunger. His hands touched every part of her body that they could, and the heat between them intensified.
"I love you, Donte," she murmured against his lips. "I've loved you for so long."
Chapter Twenty
The mid-day sun dipped behind the clouds, chilling the air with its shadow. Briar sat on a wooden bench on the back porch with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders tight. A gentle breeze blew her hair into her face. Blackbirds cawed in the sky—their fragile wings carried them through the air above the palms with ease. The yard was quiet, peaceful, and serene. It reminded Briar of the palace. A life she wasn't sure she would ever live again.
She missed the harem, and everyone whom she had met at the palace. She couldn't help but feel that a chapter in their lives was over, never to be read again. She worried for them. Worried that the rest of the harem would not make it to Casen. Was Elbi still alive? Had the rest of the harem reached a safe destination? The unknown haunted her.
The closing of the door behind her shoulder broke the silence. "It is time we teach you how to fight." Donte pulled a bow from behind his back, his devious, coy smile made her nervous. "Are you ready to learn how to shoot it?"
The hair on her arms stood and her stomach churned with the thought of holding a weapon in her hands, let alone shooting it. Weapons and violence were against everything she believed in. She was a fighter, but not a killer. Why did she need to learn? She knew she was foolish by even questioning. The war had just begun.
"Why? Aren't we safe here? Do you think Jaden will come here next?"
"We are safe for now. But that does not mean you do not need to learn how to defend yourself."
"I don't think I can, Donte."
"Of course you can, and I will teach you. Do you see those trees over there?" he said, pointing north from where they stood. Ten or twenty yards away, two small palms were spread a few feet apart from one another.
"Will I be expected to go to war?" she asked.
He ignored her question and handed her the bow. "Everyone should know how to shoot an arrow, Briar. Never depend on someone else for your survival. Never."
He began explaining his technique, his fingers gliding over the wood, string, and arrowhead, pointing at different parts as he described their function and demonstrated how to stand and release. He slipped a bracer on her left arm and tightened it, then assisted her into a leather breastplate as well.
"This is just to protect your delicate skin from the sting of the bowstring," he cautioned her.
Next, he stood behind her, his hands on her hips as he guided her into position at right angles to the target trees. He knocked an arrow just below the bead, and helped her to draw the string back fully to the anchor point. His arms were around her, distracting her. His breath was warm on her neck.
"Relax. Archery has more in common with art than war. It is a dance between you, your target, and the tools in your hands. Feel the breeze in your hair. Where is it coming from? How will it affect the arrow's flight path? Breathe in, breathe out. Hold your back straight, keep your posture tall, proud, as if you had a crown on your head."
His words floated around her, embracing her. Under his guidance, she cited the arrow and relaxed her fingers. The string snapped, striking her breastplate and
bracer, and she was suddenly grateful for the protective coverings Donte had given her. The arrow flew with only a slight waiver, striking the nearer tree near its base.
"Again," Donte said. He stepped back, guiding her to knock the next arrow on her own. His face beamed with pride.
She released five more arrows, before Donte led her out to view the targets. Different colored feathered arrows stuck out from the target.
"You have great aim, Briar. You are a natural as I had no doubt you would be. You will always be my perfect fighter, my warrior," he said.
She liked pleasing him. "Thank you. But you need to tell me the real reason for this lesson."
Donte smiled. "I cannot get anything by you." His expression grew serious. "Malachi is coming."
"You say that as if that is a bad thing." Briar grew anxious.
"You knew this day would come." Worry blanketed his face. "He is coming with all our allies. They are marching through the desert to relocate here. My other brothers should be here soon as well."
Briar's heart stopped. "All of them? Do they have the harem?"
"We will not know until they arrive, but we are hopeful." He reached for her hands and held them to his chest. "I do not want to get your hopes up, but we also have reason to believe that Nico is alive."
Her loud gasp came simultaneously with her tears. "What? He is? Oh my God!"
Donte swiped at her tears. "We believe so. He is injured badly, but our men are bringing him here." He kissed her tear-stained cheek. "We will know for certain when they arrive. If indeed this man is Nico, I will forever be in his debt for saving you."
Briar released the breath she had been holding. "But? I see there is more."
"It is time we get ready, Briar. It is time we conquer Lazar and make the palace ours once again."
"We?"
He nodded. "Yes, we. I will never send you away again. I need my fighter standing by my side."
"Where are we going?" Briar asked as Donte helped her down a dirt road with a lantern in his hand.
