Page 45 of Light and Shadow
Fancor turns to see why I’m yelling. He runs from the wolf he’s fighting, leaving Avon to continue, raises his broad sword and lops off the wolf’s head.
Aaran is fighting one wolf, but the last comes directly toward me.
Dorian and Beran rush to shield me.
Nainsi and Bert close in so there are no gaps in the line between me and the beast.
Fear and rage war inside me. My legs wobble with the strain of keeping upright.
Cara and three elves I don’t know stand beside and behind me. More elves surround me.
The wolf howls a deafening sound.
I can barely see it now through the crush of elves determined to protect me, a human they don’t know but who they believe will save their world. A vision of my mother sick and dying flashes through my mind. Another of her walking out of the hospice healthy. I can practically feel her arms around me in our last embrace. I’m not dying here or letting them drag me to wherever Venora is holed up.
Turning the knife so that it points down, I’m ready to stab anything with fur that comes through the line. If I thought I could get past these elves, I would rather be injured than let them endure any more of Venora’s evil.
It’s all too much. I inhale deeply and let out a roaring scream as the wolf reaches Dorian with its gaping maw ready to bite. My scream fills the air, reverberating off the ground, shimmering over the lake.
Stopping, the wolf whines, and its ears lower. Eyes wide, it stares through the crowd at me. It backs up several steps and scans the bodies of its dead packmates. Unbelievably, it turns and runs north, tearing up the ground as it goes.
The crowd around me separates.
Nainsi blinks and stares at me. “What was that?”
“I don’t know. I got angry.” My cheeks heat, and the pain in my middle grows sharper.
Cara smiles, and it may be the first time she has in many years. It seems to surprise her, and she touches her lips. She pats my cheek before walking to where the bitten elf, Lare, lies motionless on the ground.
Dorian grins then bows to me, as does Beran.
As Aaran comes closer, the elves part. As he looks me up and down, his breath is shaking. “You’re not hurt.”
“No. I’m fine. It never even got close to me.” I hand him the knife.
He slips it inside his boot. Without warning, he lifts me into a hug, hard and quick. Stepping back, he says, “We need to get you a weapon and train you to use it.”
I’d hoped for something more touching, but I can’t argue with him. If I’m to be attacked at every turn, I should know how to defend myself. A voice in my head is yelling that I should demand a portal back to my own world where the worst danger I’ve ever been in was a fender bender on Route 1 in rush hour traffic.
Nainsi and Aaran rush over to the two injured elves. Nainsi heals their wounds and sets a broken arm.
Cara has her hands on Lare. After a few minutes, she stands and shakes her head.
My feet give out, but Bert wraps an arm around me to keep me upright. “Hold on, Harper. I’ve got you.”
“I didn’t want anyone to die protecting me.” My tears come quietly and rain down.
Bert sighs. “He died doing what soldiers do. He died protecting his people. It wasn’t about you. None of this is. This is about saving Domhan from a tyrant.”
Throat tight, I nod. He’s right. It’s selfish and arrogant to think it’s about me. I’m needed to keep these people safe.
“I’m sorry to say, he’s not the first, and likely won’t be the last. He fought bravely, which is all a good soldier wants from his service.” Bert lifts me off my feet, carries me to an outcropping of rocks, and settles my back against them. “Rest. I’m sure we’ll move on as soon as possible.”
The roar exhausted me. I rest my head back on the rock and close my eyes. I just need a minute or two to recover.
It seems like only a minute later when Aaran is kneeling in front of me, gently shaking my shoulder. “Harper, we’re ready to send Lare off.”
“Lare?” The sun is high, and I have to blink to focus.
