Grounded By Love

by Lily Thomas

  He smiled, as he felt her body riding in front of his. He could imagine her in his bed. The things he would do to her. She didn’t know how long he’d thought about this moment. Finally, he was seeing his dream come true. She would be his for the rest of time!

  He stifled a groan. Robert wasn't sure he could wait until they got to the village to have her. How many years had he craved her? She’d always given him a stiff shoulder, but now she had no choice. It was death or marriage for her.

  “I would’ve remained at the camp to fight the rock giant, but I didn’t want to risk your life. I mean, after all, you were the reason I came all the way out here. To put your life in danger again would’ve been foolish.”

  When Claira said nothing, he knew she must be in awe of him. Any man who was willing to go up against a rock giant on her behalf must be quite the specimen. His chest puffed out a little more, as his ego soared among the clouds.

  Claira stopped herself from snorting at the ridiculousness of his statement. She knew he wouldn't be pleased, if she doubted his ability to take on the rock giant. He might even turn around just to prove he could, and Claira didn’t want that.

  So she tried her best to make conversation with him, while trying not to piss him off as well. Which was easier said than done. His ego was bigger than she had ever guessed.

  As mid-day hit, Robert stopped the horse for a break, since Claira couldn’t stop complaining about a sore butt.

  Claira sighed with relief, the moment her feet touched solid ground. She needed to stretch her legs. Riding a horse day after day was not something she found fantastic. Her butt and back ached from it all.

  As she walked away to get some much needed space, Robert’s fingers wrapped around her arm in a bruising grip. He whipped her around and brought her against his chest. The air rushed out of her lungs, as she smashed into his chest.

  With a hand wrapped around her arm, and his other hand wrapped around the base of her skull Claira was stuck in place, as his head came descending down. Their lips met and bile rose up in Claira's throat. Robert groaned, as he tried to work his tongue past her tightly clamped lips.

  He broke away. “Open those delicious lips of yours. There’s no one around.”

  It was her chance, she tried to knee him, but she missed as Robert dodged. He kept a firm grip on her arm.

  “Stop, Robert!” She yelled at him, trying to get some sense back into his head, but he clearly wasn't going to take no for an answer.

  He stepped towards her, so Claira backed away. Reaching out a hand he clasped the front of her shirt, trying to yank her back towards him. All he managed to do was rip the front of her shirt, exposing the top of her breasts to his greedy view.

  His eyes dive-bombed to her chest. A chest that was breathing so quickly it was bobbing her breasts a little. Although her chest hadn’t been completely bared to him, she felt fully exposed.

  Robert smirked, and she felt some more bile build up in the back of her throat. He was letting his passion blur his reasoning. There was no way she would lay with him, after everything he’d done and was planning on doing to her.

  “Did he touch you?” Robert asked as he kept openly ogling her breasts.

  Her eyes widened at the question. “The rock giant?” She asked dumbly.

  “Yes, the rock giant!” Robert barked, and she cringed at this strange side she’d never seen before.

  “No!”

  Kaeldar had kept his hands to himself, so far, unlike Robert. She folded her arms in front of her breasts, hiding them from Robert's gaze and trying to take up a defensive position. She hoped hiding them from his hungry gaze would return him to the man she used to know. Even if he hadn’t been her type, he had been sweet, or so she’d thought.

  “Good, then you have yet to be ruined.”

  “Ruined?” A spark of indignation flew through her.

  “I wouldn’t want the seconds of a rock giant.”

  Claira’s lips turned down in a frown. “The rock giant may not have touched me, but I can assure you that I have been with a man before.”

  She could see the comment had fired him up, as his eyes bugged a bit, but then he waved it away. “As long as the giant didn’t touch you, I can forget the other men in your past. You will need to marry me and give up any hope of ever healing again.”

  “Your wife?” Claira shook her head, as she took a couple more steps away from Robert. “I can't marry you! You can’t force something like that.”

  She felt overwhelmed that he had turned on her like this so unexpectedly. Sure, he’d told the villagers about the rock giant, but attempting to go farther with her than a kiss? Especially, when she wasn't returning his feelings?

  “You’d have to drag me to the altar.” She spat the words at him.

  He shrugged his shoulders. “If that’s what it will take to make you my wife, so be it.”

  Her mouth dropped open. Who was this person standing in front of her?

  “But once I am done with you here, Claira, you will be mine. I can promise you that.” Robert gave her a wicked smile, before he charged forward.

  Turning on her heel Claira sprinted into the forest, trying her best to push herself to go faster. She saw the look in his eyes, before she’d taken off. If he caught up to her, he would take her.

  She shivered, as she tried to let her mind go blank. Her only thought was trying to keep in front of Robert. Thankfully, she’d healed her feet before this sprint. There were only slight pinpricks of pain, as her feet pounded against the unforgiving ground.

  The brisk fall air whipped around her breasts, as they did nothing but get in the way. She wished she had been more of an active person. Her breathing was beginning to thin out, and she could feel her leg muscles begging her to stop. A burning sensation spread throughout her chest, as she kept trying to gulp down air.

  Claira risked a glance behind her, only to see Robert still hot on her tail. The panic started to set in. He didn't look as tired as she felt. She needed to last until he gave up on her.

  Looking back in the direction she was running her eyes widen as she tried to jump over a log she hadn't seen. At first, she thought she’d made it, but her toe slightly touched it and sent her flying off balance. Tripping over herself, she landed on her side.

  Claira cursed, as she pushed herself back up to her feet, but Robert was on her in seconds. Kicking her legs, she tried to get him off of her, but she couldn't budge him. So she turned in Robert's grasp and swung a closed fist. When her fist connected with his jaw, she felt a sense of satisfaction flare through her.

  Grunting Robert released her for a split second, but it was long enough for her to wiggle free. Robert recovered quickly, and he was on her once again. She could tell he was desperate not to let her go.

  Panic set in. Her heart raced away, as she saw the determination in his eyes. Her blood froze, as Robert climbed on top of her. There was no way out of this. She had no one to help her, and Robert had already sapped most of her strength with the run.

  Chapter 9

  Kaeldar woke feeling groggy and confused.

  “Water! Bring me water!” He bellowed out roughly.

  Looking down at his wound he was pleasantly surprised. The redness was down, and though puffy he could stretch his arm without too much pain. This human female knew what she was doing, when it came to healing.

  “Claira!” He called out to her again, but received no response. Briefly, he wondered if she had wandered away from camp.

  With the way she healed, like a mother goose, he would’ve thought she would come running to his side if she heard him call out to her. If she had wandered away, he was positive she would’ve stayed near enough to hear his bellowing.

  She had such pride in her work that she wouldn’t want him to die on her watch. So where was his human?

  Kaeldar rose quickly, and then paused as he put a hand to his head. His eyesight blacked out, and he swayed unsteadily on his feet. He needed something to drink and someth
ing to eat.

  Looking around the small tent he found his shirt and shoved that over his head, and then grabbed his sword. As he left the tent, he tied the sword to his belt. There was no telling whether or not he would end up needing it.

  The borders were never a safe place, for either side.

  He still found it strange she would take such great care of him only to leave him. It seemed against her nature.

  Everything within the campsite was in its place. The horse was still there and with her feet he highly doubted she would just decide to walk a great distance.

  “Human!” He yelled at the top of his lungs.

  No one responded. There was only the noise of the forest around him, and the nervous snorting of Claira’s horse. Had he rescued her only to have her get herself lost in the woods?

  Kaeldar grabbed some water, while he looked to the ground for clues of where she may have gone. She would’ve left tracks of some sort.

  Nothing seemed out of the normal, until he stumbled onto a pair of boot prints. They were too large for her, and they were too small to be Kaeldar’s.

  Had someone from the village followed them? Those humans sure did have trouble letting go of their resentment. Or they were just completely dimwitted. He wasn’t in the mood for dealing with humans.

  Kaeldar marched over to the horse, mounted up, and set out after the tracks.

  If he were a betting man, he’d bet it was a man from the village. There was only one human village nearby, and only one human village that would hold a grudge against her. Which meant he only had to retrace their steps to find her.

  Kaeldar wanted his healer back, but his heart beat too quickly for such a simple reason. He knew he could end up being too late to save her life. Claira had grown on him. Her gentle presence was soothing to his war ravaged soul.

  She better be all right, when he found her or the villagers would answer to him and his foul mood. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d destroyed a human village, and he was sure it wouldn’t be his last.

  The ride felt like it took forever, and as he was losing hope of finding her outside of the village, the sound of another horse's snort caught his full attention.

  Slowly, he made his way around a few trees, until he saw where the other horse was standing. Kaeldar laid a hand on the hilt of his sword. This horse could be the sign he’d been looking for. He crept his way around the area and let his senses take in everything around him. He didn’t need someone sneaking up on him unexpectedly.

  Holding out his hand he made soft sounds to the other horse. He didn't need it to shy away from him and cause a ruckus, but the horse didn't seem to be fazed by his presence. It stood there calmly, as Kaeldar searched its saddlebag, and then the ground around its hooves.

  He couldn't find any prints on the ground. The horse’s owner had wondered off without a single trace, but he was sure the owner would be somewhere in the close area.

  Kaeldar made his way back over to his horse, when he heard a scream. A scream that came from a voice that sounded very familiar to him.

  Claira struggled underneath Robert's weight, as she tried to shove him off. She’d survived a witch burning, with the help of a rock giant, so she wasn't about to lose now. She would come through this. She had to believe in her ability to come out on top.

  She knew she was fighting a losing battle, but she had determination on her side. Claira was getting ready to try to knee him in the groin again, when he suddenly disappeared.

  Puzzled she sat up and looked around. The sight before her stole her breath away.

  There was Kaeldar holding Robert by the neck. Robert's feet weren’t even able to touch the ground, because the giant was holding him so high. Robert's hands grasped at the one hand Kaeldar was using, but it was in vain. A flicker of light made her glance down at the rock giant's other hand.

  A dagger. He was holding a dagger! Suddenly, she realized what Kaeldar was planning.

  “No!” She cried out, as she leapt up and reached out a hand.

  It was too late. Kaeldar plunged the dagger deep into Robert's gut.

  Claira covered her mouth, as she gasped. Sure, Robert had turned into an evil monster, but she was a healer. She hated to see a dagger sticking out of his body. To add insult to injury, the rock giant twisted the dagger within Robert's chest, seeming to take pleasure in it. Robert gave out a chilling wail of pain.

  It froze the blood in her veins and caused goose bumps to spread out all over her skin. Claira couldn't stand it. She rushed over to the rock giant.

  “Let him down! Let him down now!” She screamed at full volume.

  He stared down at her with his hard onyx eyes, and at that moment she would’ve described them as soulless.

  He, slowly, let go of Robert, setting him down on his feet. Robert promptly sank to his knees, and then fell onto his back. He coughed a little, as blood sputtered up from between his lips. His hands came up to clutch the dagger that was still imbedded in his chest. Robert turned his head, so he was able to see her, and Claira read the shock and blame within his eyes. Her fault.

  No.

  This was his doing. Everything that happened these past few days had been his doing, and she wasn't about to let him make her think otherwise. She would not hold herself to blame for his death. He was the one who had come after them.

  But she did walk over to kneel beside him, as he died.

  It seemed as though he wanted to say something to her, but every time he opened his mouth only blood would come sputtering out.

  Hoping he might be trying to make amends with her she said quietly. “I forgive you, for what you attempted.” Even if he had been about to take her by force, she wanted to send him off in peace. She would always take the high road.

  How could she not forgive a man, while he was dying? He might have turned heartless at the end, but she would never be heartless. There was nothing else she could do for him. He was way beyond anything she could heal. Claira was sure the dagger had pierced at least one of Robert’s vital organs, if not a few.

  Kaeldar stood nearby, watching them, as Robert slipped away.

  As Robert finally heaved his last breath, Claira reached up to close his eyelids. She found herself unable to look into his lifeless eyes. Death was never easy for her, and she did her best to prevent it.

  She turned and glared up at Kaeldar. “His death wasn't necessary.” She accused in a high-pitched voice.

  Kaeldar just grumped at her and walked away without saying a word, to go stand by the horses. The horses weren’t even bothered by the scene that had unfolded right in front of them.

  She glared at his back for a few minutes, and then turned her attention back to Robert. It was strange to her, but she wasn't completely mournful. Robert had shown his true colors at the end. Colors she hadn't enjoyed seeing.

  She just regretted the loss of life. Kaeldar could’ve knocked him unconscious. Once there was enough distance between them, Robert wouldn’t have been able to follow, no matter how much he wanted her to marry him.

  “I’m sorry for this.” She whispered down to his lifeless body. “I hoped you would find someone other than me to occupy your time with.” Though crestfallen, she still wasn't about to shed any tears over his body.

  With a heavy sigh, she pushed herself up from her knees and glanced over at the rock giant. He was still watching her, and she felt like he was trying to understand her, just like one would analyze a complicated puzzle.

  “We should, at least, bury him properly.”

  “He deserves nothing for what he attempted.” Kaeldar growled back.

  “You weren’t even here for the whole situation.”

  “I saw enough to know what kind of man he was.” Kaeldar spit out.

  “How can you be like this?” Claira yelled at him. “The animals will get to his body.”

  “Let them.” Kaeldar shrugged.

  She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt this infuriated. She knew she was lashing out o
nly because of the way Robert died. Until this war happened she’d never had so many fruitless healings. The wounds of a sword were harder to heal, then any illness she’d faced.

  With a growl of her own, she stormed over to where Kaeldar was standing, and before he could blink, she grabbed his other dagger from him.

  She then pointed the sharp tip up at him and shook it in his face. “Fine then, don't help me, but I am going to bury him, before we leave.”

  Kaeldar watched her wearily, now that she was waving a dagger in front of his face, and she gave a scoff. She wasn’t stupid enough to attack him with a small dagger. Even with his injury, she wouldn't be able to defeat him.

  Turning her back on him she marched over to where Robert's body was laying and tried to dig up the dirt with stabbing motions.

  She kept telling herself she should’ve dashed Robert’s hopes better. If she’d made it clearer that he would never have any chance winning her heart, he may not have decided to follow.

  Her heart weighed heavily on her, as she continued to stab the ground with the dagger. This was going to take her hours, but she wasn't about to leave his body there for the animals to chew on. She hurt him, he tried to hurt her, and now she had to bury him to move on.

  The crunch of a footstep startled Claira. She glanced up to find Kaeldar standing beside her. “Stop stabbing the ground.”

  “Never!”

  Bending down Kaeldar latched onto one of her arms, halting the dagger in the air. “You won’t be able to bury him with that dagger. We have nothing to use as a shovel. Leave him.”

  “Don’t you feel anything?” She accused.

  “I can’t feel anything. I’m a warrior first. That is how it must be in my world.”

  Claira hated to admit it, but he was right. As she looked down at the ground, she realized she had barely dug up any of the ground.

  “Can we at least surround his body with rocks?”

  “The animals will still get to his body. It will be too much of a temptation.”