How The Warrior Fell (Falling Warriors series Book 1)

by Nicole René

Blinking against the stream of sunlight, he slowly sat up and turned his head to look down at his wife.

  His eyes took in her bruised lip, the bruises in the shape of his fingers on her hips, and the various bite marks covering her body. His gaze shifted to her breast, the skin around the area raised and red from his bite. His semen was still visible on her thighs.

  Xavier looked away with a grimace. He knew she wouldn’t be forgiving, and a part of him was angry at himself for losing control, but the other—the more savage part of him—was filled with pride and satisfaction of his doing.

  He marked her like no one had; his ownership was there for everyone to see. Everyone would know she was his. He’d kill any man who tried to touch her the way he had.

  He thought of the way it felt to take her so mercilessly—the feel of her body clasped tight around him and the knowledge she was his—no one else had ever been given the privilege he had with his young wife, and it constantly drove him insane with lust. He wanted to dominate her. Possess her.

  It didn’t matter that she hated him, or that an unknown army was swiftly coming to try and destroy his village. All that had mattered in that moment was the feel of Leawyn against him.

  Xavier smirked, his eyes glittering with dark possession at the knowledge. He gave himself a moment more to admire his wife before he rose from the bed and strode shamelessly to the chest holding his clothes and armor.

  Leawyn regretted coming aware of her surroundings the moment she tried to shift herself to a sitting position. The sharp sting of pain had her body protesting at the small movement. Every part of her felt like it had been run over by a horse. The pain in her thighs and inner muscles made her eyes water.

  “You will stay in the hut today.”

  Leawyn shivered at the sound of her husband’s cold voice. She turned her head, bringing her narrowed gaze to match his.

  “And if I don’t?”

  Xavier’s eyes flashed. Growling, he strode over to her in two quick strides until his face was pushed against hers.

  “If you disobey me, you will be punished.” His hands struck lighting fast and grabbed her chin.

  “You will stay here,” Xavier repeated lowly, staring her in the eyes. “You will be waiting for my return.” He leaned in closer, firming his grip on her chin when she tried to jerk away from him. “And you will be prepared to please me, Leawyn.”

  Leawyn tensed. He let her go abruptly and stood, turning away from her.

  She held her breath until the slamming of her hut’s door. She lay back down on the bed and buried her face into the pillow, letting it catch her tears. Her small hands tightened into a fist, hitting the pillow as she screamed. She screamed, and screamed, and screamed. Each scream became more gut-wrenching than the rest.

  She didn’t stop screaming, even as Namoriee’s warm arms embraced her. In silent comfort, Namoriee stayed like that as Leawyn broke apart.

  SLOWLY, LEAWYN’S BODY began to heal. Each day Namoriee came to help her recover, and it was with her encouragement Leawyn finally left the shelter of her hut.

  “The village knows who their chief is,” Namoriee said. “They know nothing of the woman who now runs the Izayges.”

  “They know who I am! I’ve been here for a while,” Leawyn defended, a bit insulted.

  “No, they don’t,” Namoriee flatly disagreed. “They might have seen you, but they don’t know who you are. Do you even know how long it’s been since the Izayges have had a lady chief?” Namoriee skewed her with a pointed look.

  Leawyn slowly shook her head. She had a feeling it had been a long time.

  “They are desperate for you, my lady. There was great excitement when the chief announced his intent to marry. You need to stop hiding.”

  Leawyn knew Namoriee was right, and it was with that sole reason Leawyn went out to meet the people of her new home.

  Just because her husband was a cruel and heartless man, didn’t mean all of Izayges were the same.

  Weary at first, the village people stayed clear of her the first few days she walked around the tribe with Namoriee by her side explaining their way of life and pointing things out. It made Leawyn’s guilt mount because she knew it was her fault.

  Namoriee was right, Leawyn was hiding.

  But, Leawyn didn’t give up. Every day she went out, with or without Namoriee, and made an effort to try and be involved in the day-to-day activities of the village whenever she could. The villagers noticed, and bit by bit they became more willing to interact with her.

  One thing Leawyn noticed right away was there weren’t many children in the tribe, even though there were quite a few women with child. When she asked Namoriee about it, the girl’s face grew pained.

  “Without a proper midwife, it is hard to give birth to a child and have them live,” Namoriee told her sadly.

  Leawyn did not ask again.A week later, Leawyn arranged for a healer from the Asori tribe to come and teach her the ways of being a midwife. She couldn’t stand the thought of the pain the mothers must have gone through to have lost their children, and she was determined it would not happen again.

  The village didn’t say anything publicly, but the next day the women of the tribe showed their appreciation the only way they knew how: making her a beautiful sword and bow and secretly training her in the ways of being an Izayges shield maiden of old.

  “Lady Chief! Lady Chief!”

  Leawyn turned her attention to the voice shouting her name, rising quickly when the young boy, Castic, came running to her.

  “Castic? What’s the matter?” Leawyn asked in alarm, meeting him halfway.

  Castic heaved lungs full of air, winded from his sprint. In between panted breaths, he tried to calm himself enough to speak.

  “Come . . . help . . . Garnette . . .”

  Leawyn’s brow furrowed, not at all making sense of what the eight-year-old was trying to say.

  “Calm down, Castic,” Leawyn soothed as she brushed his dark hair away from his sweaty forehead. “Tell me what happened.”

  “Garnette is missing!” Castic finally burst out, panicked.

  Leawyn sucked in a sharp breath as her heart sped up in fear. Keeping her face neutral so that she did not frighten the boy more, her voice came out calm when she asked her next question.

  “What happened?”

  “We were playing hide and seek, and it was her turn to hide,” Castic explained hurriedly. “I was done counting and went to find her. Garnette always hides in the same spot, always,” Castic stressed, causing Leawyn’s lips to twitch in amusement. “But when I went to find her, she wasn’t there!”

  Leawyn sighed in relief at that explanation. It wasn’t as serious as she feared.

  “Castic, maybe she simply hid in a different spot. Did you look for her?” Leawyn suggested, but even as she was speaking, Castic shook his head.

  “You don’t understand!” Castic cried. “I went over there and there were markings—foot markings!”

  Leawyn’s blood ran cold. She thought about the mysterious army that had attacked and almost killed Xavier. Leawyn crouched down so she was eye level with Castic.

  “Castic, are you certain?” she asked, her usual carefree tone gone.

  Castic didn’t hesitate in his answer. “Yes.”

  Leawyn needed no further confirmation and quickly sprang into action.

  “Where is her hiding place?” Leawyn asked as she walked with hurried steps to the horse pasture.

  “Between the three trees and the rock that looks like a sword,” Castic explained, trying to keep up with her long strides. “She always climbs the lowest branch of the third tree and hides there.”

  “I want you to go to your mother and stay with her,” Leawyn ordered. She whistled loudly. Deydrey’s head snapped up, and when she saw Leawyn, the mare trotted her way obediently.

  “Tell the first warrior you see that I ordered you to tell everyone to go inside their huts and stay there until I return. Have them set up perimeters around
the tribe.” Castic nodded and started to rush off to follow his lady chief’s orders. He was quickly yanked backwards by his shirt.

  “If I do not return by the time my husband and his company arrive, tell them the same thing you told me. Understand?”

  She could see that Castic grew worried, as if he was getting the feeling that something more than his friend missing was happening.

  “Yes, Lady Chief. I swear I will.”

  Leawyn smiled tightly, running her hand down his cheek. “Good, now go.” She nudged him towards the village.

  Castic hesitated, his face contorting in worry. “What are you going to do?”

  “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.” Leawyn smiled to help ease his worries. “Now go.” She pushed him again, finally getting him to run back to the village. When he was far enough away, she dropped her smile.

  Without wasting any more time, Leawyn climbed onto Deydrey’s back and rode fast to where Castic told her to go, grass and dust flying behind her from Deydrey’s speed, all the while hoping her feeling that something horrible was about to happen was nothing more than nerves.

  Xavier held in his urge to growl at the Asori tribe leader.

  After Xavier left Leawyn that night, Tyronian, Tristan, and himself had been traveling to all the other tribes to warn them of the oncoming threat and potential war. It seemed the other tribes were not as willing to risk their lives when it came to protecting their land.

  “How do you know this army is a threat?” Yoro, the chief of the Asori, asked.

  “Besides the attack on me and my men and the message of a severed head, you mean?” Xavier bit out angrily. He was quickly losing his patience with this useless talk and the dim-witted Asori.

  Yoro looked at Xavier, his eyes masking how uncomfortable he was to have Xavier in such close proximity. “As it sounds, it seems they only threaten you.”

  Xavier shot out of his chair so fast it toppled over. Tristan quickly held out his arm to keep Xavier from attacking.

  “Just what do you think will happen if we’re not able to hold them back?” Tyronian asked Yoro calmly, glancing between the Asori chief and his own.

  “They will not simply walk away. They will come after you.”

  Xavier shrugged Tristan’s arms off him with an angry jerk of his shoulders.

  “The Asori have no reason to go into battle and attack an army that might not even be a threat,” Yoro said firmly. “We haven’t been to war in years, and I will not blindly lead my men into battle without the right cause.”

  Xavier scoffed, his fists clenched with his anger at the naiveté of Yoro.

  “Yoro,” Tyronian began, barely able to keep the steel out of his voice. “You are placing your men, women and children in danger by not acknowledging this threat.”

  Yoro turned his attention from Xavier to give Tyronian a cold look. “It is your job to ensure that doesn’t happen.”

  “You fool!” Xavier yelled. He got some satisfaction when Yoro jerked at his raised voice.

  “We have been protecting your tribe and the others for years, and now that we call upon you, you cower away? You are a coward!” Xavier hissed out between clenched teeth. Yoro’s expression grew stormy, but before he could utter a word, Xavier turned his back and stormed out.

  He had tunnel vision as he marched to Killix. Tyronian and Tristan caught up with him.

  “If that fool won’t help us, then we shall not help him!”

  Tristan and Tyronian shared a look over his shoulder. Tyronian cleared his throat.

  “Xavier, he’s blind, but soon the fog will lift from his eyes. We cannot leave the women and children to fend for themselves.”

  “Then they can go to a different tribe!” Xavier growled before he lifted himself up on Killix.

  “Xavier, you’re angry, don’t make any rash decisions.”

  “No! If they were to fall, it would be because of their coward of a leader! Izayges shall not help the Asori until they help us!” Xavier glared down at Tyronian and Tristan one last time before he spurred Killix roughly, which caused Killix to rear before galloping away.

  “Well, that went well,” Tyronian sighed, rubbing his temples, which were starting to ache.

  “I will follow him, you work on Yoro,” Tristan ordered Tyronian, climbing up onto his own horse.

  When Tristan was settled in his saddle, he said to Tyronian, “If he does not come around, make him.”

  “I will see it done.” Tyronian’s grin was all teeth.

  Tristan jerked his head in response before he galloped after his brother.

  Leawyn jerked Deydrey to a sliding stop when she finally spotted the place Castic described.

  Right away she knew something wasn’t right. Castic luckily hadn’t noticed what Leawyn did. There were foot marks all right, but the lower branch where Garnette had been hiding was an even more alarming sight. It was snapped, and there was a weird line that ran below it.

  They must have dragged her down, then picked her up to stop her struggling, she thought.

  Leawyn’s heart sunk, thinking of what the young girl must be going through. Knowing she couldn’t wait for her husband to come and save the young girl, Leawyn urged Deydrey into a gallop again.

  She would not make Garnette suffer more than she had too.

  LEAWYN PUSHED THE thick branch away from her face and looked down on the camp below her.

  She didn’t like what she saw.

  It seemed there were at least forty or so men, and every one of them were armed.

  “Garnette, what have you gotten me into?” Leawyn mumbled to herself. Her blue eyes took in everything around her, trying to find said girl. It didn’t take long for Leawyn to spot her.

  Garnette was “settled” against a tree a few feet away from the men, their backs turned to her. They were huddled against the fire, trying to keep warm against the snow. The irritated glare the child was shooting at them would have been comical under different circumstances. Knowing time was of the essence, Leawyn began her slow decent down the incline and to her charge.

  When she thought she was within hearing distance, she crouched down low behind a bush and called the girl’s name, trying to whisper, but at the same time get the girl’s attention. “Garnette!”

  The poor girl looked upset, but at the sound of Leawyn’s voice, she narrowed her eyes and sat up straighter, searching for whoever had called her name.

  “Garnette!” Leawyn dared to call again.

  “Lady Chief?” Garnette asked, looking confused. She looked around again and perked up when she spotted Leawyn peeking out of the bush.

  “Lady Chief!” Garnette exclaimed happily. “What are you—”

  “Shh! Not too loud,” Leawyn whispered frantically. She shot a look towards the men to see if they heard.

  Garnette also looked at them, then looked back at her lady chief.

  “What are you doing here?” Garnette finished, her voice much quieter.

  “I’m here to get you out of trouble. Are you okay?” Leawyn crawled over to her on her stomach. “They did not harm you, did they?”

  Garnette shook her head. “No, I am not harmed.” She pouted.“They broke my hiding branch, though.”

  Leawyn paused in untying Garnette’s hands and gave her a stern look. “That’s the least you should be worried about.”

  Once the knots were undone, Leawyn quickly put a hand on Garnette’s shoulder so the young girl couldn’t spring up and alert the entire encampment of her freedom.

  “Garnette, you must listen very carefully. Do you see those bushes over there?” Leawyn whispered, pointing to the brush that was just to the side of Garnette a few paces away.

  Garnette followed her pointed finger and nodded. “Yes, I see them.”

  “Good. I want you to slowly crawl your way over there. Once you do, climb up the tree until you reach the top of the hill,” Leawyn urged quietly. “You must stay on your belly and stay low to the ground. Understand?”

  “Ye
s, Lady Chief.”

  “Good. Now go. I’ll be right behind you.”

  No comment passed as Garnette followed her Lady’s instructions. Leawyn waited until Garnette’s tiny feet disappeared into the bush before she followed.

  When Leawyn pulled herself up the ledge, Garnette was waiting for her.

  “Come now, Garnette. Deydrey is waiting for us,” Leawyn said hurriedly. She grabbed the girl’s hand and pulled her along. It wasn’t very long until shouts rang out nearby. The men had noticed Garnette’s disappearance. Not wasting any more time, Leawyn swung Garnette up into her arms and ran as fast as she could. She skidded to a stop when one of the men hopped out of the trees and blocked their path.

  “Now, looky wha’ I found,” the man grinned, showing off his foul teeth. “Where you think you’re goin’?”

  Leawyn placed Garnette on the ground and pushed her behind her back. She’d known there was a chance of her being caught, but she never got as far as planning what she would do if that happened.

  “Garnette, whatever happens, you have to run. Even if it’s without me,” Leawyn told Garnette quietly.

  “I dun think that will be happenin’, sweets.” The burly man chuckled. Leawyn heard multiple feet coming toward them. Soon Leawyn and Garnette would be surrounded with no chance for either of them to escape.

  To Leawyn’s surprise, a rock flew through the air and landed squarely in the man’s crotch. The man crumbled to his knees with a squeal that rivaled a girl’s, and Leawyn took the opportunity given to her and quickly pulled her bow over her shoulder and let an arrow fly. It killed him instantly.

  Leawyn looked down.

  “Castic taught me how to throw. He’s the best at skipping rocks.” The innocent proclamation was so nonchalant, Leawyn couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

  The sound of men yelling behind them alerted Leawyn. She quickly picked up Garnette again and ran for all she was worth. Turning to glance over her shoulder, she wasn’t at all surprised to see the men right on her heels. She saw Deydrey in the distance but was afraid she wouldn’t make it in time.