Page 135 of Sweetling
“I thank you for your aid, my friends, but enough fae blood has been spilled today.”
The harpies landed, and the halflings stepped back from the battered body of the remaining fae knight. With a bob of Bellarand’s horn, the two unicorns, trembling and bloodied, got to their knees and then on the ground, laying their heads on the trampled dirt in submission.
“Where is myazai?”
A hand landed on his shoulder, and Allarion hissed in pain. His vision swam, and when he staggered, that hand caught his arm to keep him upright.
“Steady on,” said Hakon gently.
“Where is Molly?”
You can come down now, titmouse,Bellarand called.
The sound of scrambling and breaking twigs echoed from across the battlefield, and Allarion managed to turn his head to see Molly clambering down from a tall linden tree.
My clever girl.
“Molly.”
She jumped the final distance, racing across the strewn earth to him, her curls wild and her eyes flashing with tears.
“Allarion!” she yelped.
She flung her arms around him, and Allarion slumped into her embrace from the sheer relief. And blood loss.
Head feeling too heavy, he laid it on her shoulder as he tried to keep his legs under him.
“My Molly, I love you so,” he murmured.
“Don’t you dare!” she shrieked.
It took a moment of blinking to bring her dear face back into focus, and it troubled him to find it so afraid. He tried to wrap his arms around her, but he hadn’t the strength to hold her as tightly as he wished.
“Why do you weep? We’ve won the day.”
“You’rebleeding,” she cried, voice still unpleasantly shrill.
“Oh.” He grimaced, remembering how his palm was full of his own blood. “Yes, that. I’ve had worse.”
She snorted with disbelief, almost making him laugh. “You’re losing so much blood. Too much blood.” Pressing her lips to his ear, she whispered, “Take mine. Take as much as you need.”
Her words roused him enough to shake his head. “I cannot. I won’t. I need…” He sighed, thinking perhaps he should be worried he couldn’t feel his hands or feet. “The meadow, take me there, sweetling.”
Molly got her shoulder beneath Allarion’s arm and braced her legs to stop him from going down. She yelped his name when his head lolled against her shoulder and a wordless moan buzzed against her skin.
But when Lord Hakon reached out to help, she swatted him away. “No! Don’t touch him!”
“Miss Molly…”
“I just—I need to get him to the meadow. Bellarand. Where’s Bellarand? Bellarand!”
Here I am.The unicorn trotted forward, ducking his head to get Allarion’s other arm over his thick neck.
Although his eyes were closed, Allarion grimaced with pain.
Molly whimpered to see it. “Bellarand,” she keened.
I know. We can heal this. Let’s get him to the meadow. The forest will help.
