“What’s wrong?” he asked finally.
“Logan keeps taking all the blankets, and I’m freezing,” she whispered, her teeth chattering. Her bare feet shone blue in the dark against the wooden floor. Wolf looked back at her questioningly. Sighing, she hesitated before continuing. “Can I sleep with you instead?” Her question shocked him. He didn’t move. Instead, he just looked at her silently.
Her shoulders dropped a little. “Forget it,” she huffed in frustration, turning back to the other bed.
“Wait,” he called out in a hushed voice. Shifting his body closer to the wall, he made an empty spot for her, pulling back the covers. Silently, she crawled in beside him, her tiny frame shivering against his. Her icy feet touched the bare skin on his leg, making him cringe. “You’re freezing,” he said accusingly.
“I know!” Shifting his weight again, he moved so one of his arms was laid out so she could rest her head on his chest.
“Come here,” he told her, wrapping the blankets tightly around them. She rested her icy cheek against his chest, as he folded his arms around her, trying to warm her faster. A small sigh escaped her mouth.
“Thank you,” she said softly, snuggling in. They both lay quiet, trying to fall back to sleep. His hand started to absently stroke her long hair as he listened to her breathing slow. The small shivers that rippled through her body deceased, and soon he could tell she was asleep again. Wolf lay there with Elisa in his arms, feeling her warmth, and smelling the mixture of her and the sea. It took longer this time, but eventually he too fell asleep, surprisingly content.
* * * * *
When Elisa awoke, it took her a moment to realize where she was. She was in Wolf’s bed, her cheek resting comfortably against his bare chest. The previous night came flooding back. Logan repeatedly stole the blankets and elbowed her in the head, if she remembered correctly. It had taken all her courage, and a serious blow to her pride, to walk the small distance over to Wolf’s bed and ask him if she could sleep there. In all honesty, she had expected him flat out say no. Trying her best not to wake him, Elisa glided her hand slowly up to the spot on his chest where her face had been all night. She wanted to make sure there was no drool there, because Wolf would never let her live it down if there was. Thankfully there was nothing, but she kept her hand between her cheek and his skin for the time being.
As the fog in her head cleared, she realized that the whole cabin was filled with the sound of Logan’s snoring. Wolf was quiet beside her, breathing softly. “What an old man,” she said softly to herself. Surprising her, she felt Wolf shake lightly.
“He’s horrible isn’t he?” he said, briefly holding her tighter. She hadn’t realized he was awake. Lifting her head, she rolled onto her stomach, and smiled over at Logan sleeping.
“He’s worse than my father,” she snickered. Wolf smiled.
“I’ll take your word for it.” They both laughed as Logan began to stir.
“Hey,” he said, squinting over at them. “What are you doing over there?”
“It was either this or she would freeze all night,” Wolf replied before she had a chance. Logan looked momentarily sheepish before shrugging casually.
“What time is it? Are we almost there? All this water is making me feel like I have to pee all the time, and I think I’m getting claustrophobic,” he continued, without apologizing – not that she had expected him to. Pushing off the bed, Elisa stood up stiffly, stretching out her back and arms. She tried to keep her eyes away from Wolf’s as best she could. There was no reason to make the situation awkward. They were friends, Elisa thought to herself. It was ok to just sleep in the same bed for one night.
“I’ll go ask Lorenzo where we are,” she offered. Walking up the narrow stairs, she was hit with a cool breeze as she reached the deck. They were getting nearer to central Eden. She could tell from the change in climate. Lorenzo was standing at the railing, smoking a long wooden pipe. He smiled gently at her when she approached.
“Good morning,” he greeted in his husky voice. “Sleep well?”
She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. “I’ve had worse nights.” He chuckled. “How far do we have left to go?”
“Almost there,” he said, squinting off into the distance. “There was a good wind all night, so we’ve made better time than I expected.”
A sudden rush of excitement filled her. She would be home soon! “That is so nice to hear,” she said, relief flooding her voice.
“Homesick?”
“A little,” she admitted, then thought about everything that had happened in the south. “A lot.” Lorenzo looked back over at her, thoughtfully. There was a moment of silence between them before he continued.
“Well, it won’t be much longer. Why don’t you grab some of the bread I have over there,” he nodded towards a small basket. “I’ll come get you when we dock. No sense in you staying up here and catching a cold in those sorry excuse for clothes.” She smiled gratefully at him, taking a moment to glance down at her riding pants and sleeveless shirt.
“Does the bigger boy even wear shirts?” he asked, referring to Wolf. Elisa laughed despite herself.
“Rarely,” she admitted.
When she entered the lower cabin, Logan was still lying in the bed while Wolf did push-ups on the floor. He straightened up quickly when she walked in.
“I have bread and some grapes for breakfast,” she announced, looking through the small basket of food.
“Good, I’m starving,” Logan exclaimed thankfully. He grabbed the basket from her, and broke off a large chunk of bread. He chewed it loudly, his mouth wide open.
“You’re disgusting,” Wolf said, looking at him wearily.
Logan smiled, showing more food through his teeth. “Thank you.”
Wolf sighed, turning to Elisa. “What did Lorenzo say?”
“We should be there soon,” she told them. They both smiled.
“Thank the God,” Logan said in a muffled voice.
“I wouldn’t be too eager if I were you,” she pointed out, sitting down on the bed beside Logan. “My father is going to kill you when we get back.” They both looked at each other.
“Ah crap,” Logan sighed.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Cold wind rushed by her ears as she sat behind him again, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist. At least she was wearing proper clothing this time, able to straddle the horse normally. The pace they kept was quick, trying to reach the city walls before nightfall. There was no telling what lurked in this area, and none of them were heavily armed. Elisa had only a short blade and two discs. As far as she could tell, the boys both kept two small blades strapped to their sides.
The thunder of the horses’ hooves filled the air, leaving no room for conversation. Not that any of them wanted to speak. The thought of finally being home was so alluring that they focused on getting there and nothing else. Flat lands lay before them, a layer of frost covering the ground. In the distance they could see the towering mountains where the enemy currently sat, planning their next attack. To the west was the great forest, its trees bare of leaves, but the thick trunks still blocked out the sun. There was something ominous about the darkness there, and even though they didn’t discuss it out loud, they kept the horses as far away from its outskirts as possible. Off in the distance were giant sand hills. Elisa had never been into the deserts.
As they rode on, all three continually watched for signs of danger. By mid-afternoon Logan slowed down, motioning for Wolf to ride beside him. Wolf had kept his horse behind theirs throughout most of the ride, making sure no one was following them. A small cluster of trees sat in the middle of the field. This was where Logan led his horse.
“We should stop here for some food,” he suggested, pointing to the shaded area just to the side of the road. It would allow them to sit with their backs against the trunks rather than out in the open. Wolf nodded his head, following Logan towards the chosen spot. Elisa slid off the horse, shaking out her legs t
o get the blood rushing back in them. Logan laid out a small blanket for them while Wolf retrieved the food Lorenzo had been kind enough to give them before they left.
“I feel like we’ve been riding forever, but I’m not even tired,” Logan commented, stretching out his long legs. Elisa sat down next to him, doing the same.
“You’ll feel it tomorrow,” Wolf said, biting into an apple. He stayed standing, like a guard, as his eyes swept their surroundings.
“I know. We haven’t ridden like that in ages.”
Elisa couldn’t help but chuckle. “My father is going to have to whip you both back into shape. The south has turned you soft.”
Wolf scoffed but said nothing. They all ate quickly, trying not to waste time. Logan helped Elisa back onto the horse, keeping it still as she wiggled around until she was comfortable again. She wasn’t use to having to ride with another person, but for once she didn’t mind.
“Ready?” Logan called out to Wolf.
“Ready.”
Elisa went to wrap her hands around his waist just as something flew by her face. The object struck Logan in the side of his head, sending him crashing to the ground. Shock and surprise left her speechless. A rock lay beside the now unconscious Logan. Elisa finally found her voice and yelled for Wolf, who quickly turned his horse around in circles, looking for the assailants. It didn’t take long for them to appear. From the darkness of the large forest came four large men. They looked like common thieves; the kind that littered the open country, waiting for travellers not unlike themselves. Except they weren’t normal travellers, they were members of the King’s army. The problem remained, however, that now there were only two of them, and neither had proper weapons. These men were large, muscles rippling down their bare arms and legs, wicked smiles plastered on their faces. She heard Wolf curse as he quickly moved closer to her.
“See if you can wake him up,” he said out of the side of his mouth. Elisa nodded, sliding off the horse in one motion.
“Stop right there, little lass,” one of the men called out. “Don’t move another step.” She froze, looking over at Wolf. He was studying the other men, calculating the odds of this fight. From her perspective, their first mistake was underestimating her. She might be small, but was lethal with almost any weapon given to her. Not only that, but the tree they sat beside would give her enough cover if she needed to climb up into the tall branches to get out of reach. She was an excellent climber. Their second mistake was that Wolf was still on his horse. A Rider on his horse was a dangerous thing, and the men on foot who approached would soon learn that.
Wolf looked over at her, flicking his eyes towards the tree, telling her to climb it. His mouth was firm, but she could see the glint in his eyes that told her he was confident about the situation. She nodded her head slightly, so the men wouldn’t notice.
“Now, what do we have here?” the same man said as they drew nearer. “Three little kids off on an afternoon ride.”
“That one there is a pretty little thing, isn’t she?” another said, laughing a deep, wheezy laugh.
“You’ll have to share her, little brother. I haven’t seen meat as fresh as hers in weeks.” As they spoke, she watched Wolf’s eyes darken. The thought of them touching her made her skin crawl, but it would never happen. She’d cut off those hands before they ever had the chance. Without warning, Wolf kicked his horse forward. She jumped and ran towards the tree. Climbing it was easy, and as she did, she quickly detached the discs from around her thighs, holding them carefully in her mouth as she used both hands to pull herself up. The men were yelling, but she couldn’t see what was happening until she sat firmly on a high branch. Wolf was galloping at full speed right at them. All four men carried large blades in their hands, and didn’t look at all scared of the boy approaching.
From where she sat, she could see the smallest of the four squatting low to the ground. He was going to cut the underside of Wolf’s horse. It was a cowardly move. Giving herself a second to judge the wind, she let one of the blades fly. It was her job to understand the elements around her, and she had done just that. The blade sliced across the man’s face before he even saw it coming. A pained scream filled the air, distracting the other three just long enough for Wolf to descend upon them, slicing through one of their shoulders with his blade. He wouldn’t be able to do much with such a short knife. Elisa lifted the second disc, aiming at the dark haired one who had now turned to face Wolf. His long sword was making a wide arc, heading straight for Wolf’s knee. Elisa let this one fly harder, aiming for the hand that held the sword. It sliced cleanly through flesh, the sword falling uselessly to the ground, the man’s hand still clutching it.
“One of you, go get the girl!” he screamed, pointing towards Elisa. The largest of the men made his way toward the tree. Wolf made a mistake then. He looked at her. That one look was all it took for the man with the injured shoulder to run up and knock Wolf on the side of his face with the flat side of his blade. Wolf fell off the horse, and rolled as the man’s blade came crashing down again, biting into the ground where he had just been. Elisa couldn’t watch any more. The fat one who had been dispatched to get her was now at the base of the tree, cooing at her as if she were a cat.
“Come on, little girl,” he said in a sneering voice. “Come down here and I promise we won’t hurt you.”
“Why don’t you come up and get me?” she called back, keeping her voice sweet. There was no way a man of his size could manage to lift himself up to where she sat. A small triumphant smile spread across her face.
“I guess I’ll just have to make you come down,” he said, backing away from the tree. Fat chance, she thought as she watched him walk away slowly. Then it dawned on her where he was going. All the colour drained from her face. He was walking towards Logan’s unconscious body. They had left him there, completely helpless and unguarded. What was wrong with her? Cursing loudly, Elisa jumped down from where she sat, landing on her feet like she really was a cat. He was already by Logan’s side, a knife held to his throat. From where she stood, she could tell Logan was still unconscious; his body limp in the other man’s arms.
“Let go of him!” she yelled firmly, walking towards him. The horse was still standing nervously beside Logan, it’s eyes darting. She instantly knew what she had to do, although there was a chance it might make things worse. Some chances had to be taken, and anything was better than having that man’s knife at her friend’s throat. Bringing two fingers to her mouth, she blew hard and loud. A high-pitched whistle bellowed out across the field. The horse lurched forward. Logan went with him, his foot caught in the stirrups. She watched her friend’s limp body be dragged away, and wondered how badly injured he was going to be when this was over. He was probably never going to let her live it down. She called out for the horse to stop when it was far enough, positioning her body between where the horse now stood and where the other man stood staring at her.
“At least I got you down here,” he smiled at her.
“I don’t think that’s as good of a thing as you think it is,” she replied. Part of fighting was psychological, and she knew she had to keep up the facade that he didn’t scare her. He did though. His arms were five times the size of hers, and even though she was quick, if he managed to get them around her, there would be little she could do. He crept closer, a blade outstretched in one hand.
He tilted his head at her. “Why is that, little miss?”
She tilted her head back mockingly. “Because my father taught me well, and I still have one weapon left,” she replied, pulling her own blade out of the strap at her waist.
“And who is your father?” He was still moving closer, but Elisa didn’t budge. She needed him closer as her blade was small. Normally she’d circle him, just to keep her feet moving, but she had to stay between him and Logan. The fact that he was inching closer and closer made her want to back up, but the last thing she wanted to do was to show fear. Twirling her knife loosely in her hand she waited a
second longer to answer.
“Captain Turk, leader of the King’s army,” she smiled, watching as understanding cross the man’s features. He straightened up, looking at her through narrowed eyes. A moment of hesitation was what she had hoped for. Flipping the knife so the blade now nestled in the palm of her hand, she flung it forward, sending it twirling through the air. It landed hilt deep in the man’s thigh. He yelled out, yanking the small handle that stuck out of his leg. Wolf suddenly appeared beside her, his eyebrow cut open and bleeding, but otherwise unharmed. They stood closely together. Thankfully he still had a blade, since she had now used all of hers.
Looking over where he had been, Elisa saw the man with the injured shoulder lying on the ground. His chest moved up and down slowly, so she knew he wasn’t dead. She turned back to look at the largest one in front of her. He had pulled out the blade, his breathing coming in rough pants.
“You’re Turk’s daughter?” he asked, his voice sounding on the verge of laughter. “Does that make you Hawk’s son?” he looked at Wolf, who gave him one firm nod, not letting down his protective stance. The man actually started to chuckle. “Just my luck,” he said, shaking his head. His eyes took them both in slowly, finally resting on Wolf. “You can lower that blade boy, I think you’ve successfully won.”
“I’ll lower it when you and your men leave us,” Wolf answered through clenched teeth. There was tension in the air as they all stood silently, looking at each other with calculating eyes. Finally the man smiled and raised his hands in surrender.
“Fine. We’re leaving.” He took another look at Elisa, then turned to walk back where the others were, limping on his injured leg. Elisa and Wolf watched them as they spoke to one another. The large man then slung the unconscious one over his shoulder, and they all struggled back towards the forest. Neither Elisa nor Wolf moved until they were completely out of sight.
The Eden Series: The Complete Collection Page 45
