by Mikayla Lane
“Dread! I see you’re definitely doing much better at landing than I remember!” Scaden gave his friend a hearty slap on the shoulder, then pulled him into a bear hug.
“Scaden, it is with utmost importance that we speak privately. Now!” Dread pulled away from his friend, his eyes scanning those around them to make sure they didn’t hear him.
“I assumed that would be the case. I have the briefing room on the next level prepared. Hop on, we’ll head there now.” Scaden motioned to the personnel carrier parked behind him, walked over and climbed into one of the seats and waited.
Dread climbed in beside Scaden while Viper took the seat behind them. Drago stayed behind with the ship to start work on the communication system upgrades.
Once they were seated, Scaden issued the commands to the computer, and it started moving them through the docking bay at a fast clip. Using the maintenance tunnels, Scaden had them stopped in front of a briefing room in minutes.
Dread and Viper followed him into the room and weren’t the least surprised that it was already filled with people.
“Dread, I knew this would be important so my father is live on the comm. The others in the room are tact team members and my mate's uncle, Randor. We can begin when you’re ready.” Scaden finished speaking and took the first empty seat, closest to the door. Viper followed suit taking the one opposite him.
Dread looked around the room momentarily, before addressing High Councilor Ivint Torenson of Valendra.
“High Councilor, it is a pleasure to see that you are well after these long years and that your people have found your lost brethren.”
“I’m sure you remember long ago when I had first come to Valendra as a young ambassador in training. It was at that time that I befriended Scaden, and another one of your warriors. A Balduen Skardard.” Dread paused for a moment when the High Councilor interrupted.
“Yes, I remember… I’m unsure what that might have to do with anything now?” The confused look on the faces of the Valendrans told Dread he needed to get to the point quickly if he were to help Balduen and his mate. If it wasn’t already too late.
“I have been able to communicate with Balduen’s beast while he, and his mate have been held captive by the Relian’s. In fact, I have been able to establish a bonding with them that will enable me to find them if you will allow me to go to the planet with one of your teams.” Dread paused again while gasps and curses erupted around the room.
“What do you mean by this, Dreadhawk?” Ivint looked almost angry, as if he thought Dread might be playing a trick on him.
“At this point, specifics will do you no good. The two of them are in extreme danger, and we do not have much time to help them before they are re-taken. I am unfamiliar with the planet and will need the assistance of your people in order to find them.” Dread didn’t let it bother him that they may doubt him; he knew that once they led him to the planet, he would find Balduen.
“Wait… how did you know he was missing? We’ve had no communication with the Tezarian’s or anyone else regarding anyone being missing.” Scaden asked curiously. He knew his friend; he knew Dread was telling the truth. He just needed to hurry up and convince his father and everyone else.
“His beast called out through the Shengari’ once they achieved bonding. Balduen remembered me as I do him and the message he sent was specifically for me. Once I was able to trace his path, I saw him and his mate in captivity. They require assistance to escape.” Dread waited for the next question; he knew there would be many more before they would send him to the planet, and he hoped to get this over with quickly.
“Is Balduen close to death? Is that why he bonded to his beast? Are they torturing him? Who is his mate? How did he find her?” Ivint’s questions didn’t surprise Dread, and he set out to answer everything he could, as quickly as he could.
“They are not being tortured, until today they have been treated well. His mate is named Dare, I was told by her beast that she was the daughter of one of your lost ones. She is also pregnant with Balduen’s son.” Dread didn’t have to pause that time; everyone began speaking at once. He waited patiently while Ivint calmed everyone down.
“Scaden, get him down here now! I’ll brief Banatar, Reven and Jax.” Ivint didn’t wait for a response, knowing his orders would be followed by his son; he ended communication, and the vid screen went blank.
“You still know how to make an entrance don’t you!” Scaden tried to joke with Dread, attempting to ease the worry and tension in the room.
“This is the least of the news I have to share with your people, my friend. It only gets worse from here.” Dread replied, giving Scaden a look of concern that sent shivers down his spine.
Chapter Fifteen
Balduen slowly raised his head, his ears ringing so badly he couldn’t hear anything, and looked around in shock while his vision cleared. Particles of debris were strewn all over the ground and trees around him. Smoke poured from the wooded area behind him where the lab stood minutes earlier when he’d taken Dare out of there.
“Dare… Dare!!!” Staggering quickly to his feet he shuffled around, scanning the area to find his mate. Spotting a lump of charred fabric a few feet from him, he stumbled as fast as he could to see if it was Dare.
Dropping to his knees beside the figure on the ground, he slowly pulled Dare into his arms. He gently swiped her tangled hair out of her face and checked to ensure she was breathing before letting out his own sigh of relief.
With the ringing still in his ears, he quickly ran his hands over her body to check for breaks or other injuries before scooping her into his arms.
Balduen stood swaying slightly before he regained his balance and headed back into the woods in the direction they had been going in before the lab and house had exploded behind them.
Normally, Balduen would have waited a moment, given them a chance to take a break before heading out. But, he knew that Brak was still out there somewhere, and he needed to get Dare to safety.
Not knowing where he was going, Balduen carried her away from the lab and house and hoped that he could get them far enough away that the Relian’s wouldn’t be able to catch them before he could get them help. Or before help could get to them.
The hours passed quickly as his long strides ate up the distance, even with the added weight of carrying Dare. He was deeply worried about her. She hadn’t woken since the explosion, and Ibix hadn’t been able to communicate with Thorn either. Which was very unusual. Normally, even if the host were rendered unconscious the beast wasn’t usually affected unless the injury was directly to the part of the brain where the beast was embedded.
With no other way to assess her injuries, Balduen continued to get her as far away from where they were held as he could, praying he would come across a means of hiding until Dread could arrive.
It had been several hours since he’d left the house and lab behind before he decided to stop and take a break by a small stream of water that was cutting across his path. The mountainous terrain, the heat and carrying Dare, had tired him slightly, and he needed to rest a moment before continuing on.
Laying Dare carefully on the ground beside the running water, he tore off a strip of his ruined shirt at the bottom and dipped it into the water. Wringing out the excess he almost groaned at the wonderful coolness of the water.
In soft, gentle strokes, he cleaned the dirt and smoky soot from Dare’s face and arms, looking for any signs of injury under the grime that would account for her continued lack of consciousness.
Finally, at the side of her head, slightly behind her ear, he found a very large swollen lump. Parting her hair to get a better look, he saw that there was no break in the skin, but it was obvious she’d taken a very hard hit from something.
Cleaning out the piece of shirt, he continued to re-wet it until he’d cleaned all the dirt and soot off of her body. Running his hands over her again, the only injuries he noted were some tiny burn marks on her skin that were rapidly healing. They were mo
st likely from flying debris from the explosions.
Cupping his hands, he took a small amount of water and allowed it to wet Dare’s lips, a little trickling down her throat. He watched to make sure she swallowed on reflex before trying several more times to get some water into her.
Once he had Dare cleaned up and was satisfied that she was in no immediate danger, he cupped his hands and drank as much water as he could, and taking short breaks in between. Not knowing when he’d find water next, he wanted to make sure he grabbed what he could while he had the chance.
Satisfied that they were both doing as well as could be expected, he stood and pulled Dare back into his arms. Placing a gentle kiss on her temple, he set off at another grueling pace.
“I am coming, my friend. You must get her somewhere safe until we can get to you.” Balduen was so shocked he almost dropped Dare, when he heard Dreadhawk’s voice in his head. He’d been so caught up in trying to get Dare as far away as he could, he’d completely forgotten about Dread. Following the path of the voice in his head, he responded quickly.
“She is unconscious. I do not know how great her injuries are, but it has been hours. You must hurry. There is one more that may be following us. But, others will be on their way, if not already on our trail.” Balduen replied, looking at the darkening sky and hoping he could find somewhere safe for them to wait out the coming night.
The silence stretched out again until Balduen was sure that Dread had retreated from their conversation. So, when Dread spoke again he was a little surprised.
“What happened? I cannot speak to Thorn or the young ones. It’s as if they are no longer connected. To anyone.” Balduen didn’t miss the edge of concern in Dread’s voice, and it scared the hell out of him. If someone as powerful and talented as Dread couldn’t reach them, then her injuries must be much greater than he thought.
“I do not know what happened. When I came into the lab to get her, the female was there with her. There was a pressure in the air. You could feel it building around you. The things she was doing to the female… I can’t imagine Dare capable of such cruelty…” He couldn’t stop his mind from replaying the scenes of Lucretia’s skin being peeled from her body, her eyes wide in terror and pain.
He had done the only humane thing he could think of, and he’d snapped the woman’s neck out of mercy. There had been no saving her, only ending her suffering.
Balduen wasn’t sure what to think of the long string of curses that Dread uttered in his head before finally speaking to him again.
“I will be on the planet with a Valendran team and my brother Viper within an hour. I have no idea how long it will take to get to you once we are there. I have shared your mind path with Viper to make it easier for both of us to sense you. Find somewhere to hide until we can get there, my friend.”
“Dare… could you tell if she was alright? She’s been out since the explosions, and Ibix couldn’t get through to Thorn.” Balduen was getting frightened that she hadn’t awakened yet and was hoping Dread could sense something that he, and Ibix couldn’t.
“I can’t explain everything right now, but trust me that she is well and will most likely awaken soon. Be safe, Balduen.” He knew that Dread had ended communication that time by the feel of the ‘snap’ in his mind. It was as if the connection had been intentionally severed quickly. Damn, he really needed to figure out how to do that, Balduen thought, heading down what seemed to be another endless hill.
He loved this planet and its varied beauty, including the landscapes. It reminded him a lot of Valendra. But, the mountains, they were much more beautiful to look at than to try to jog down with Dare in his arms.
“Whoa there Sonny! I want you to put the woman down and tell me who the hell, you are and what you’re doing on my land!” Balduen turned very slowly towards the angry, masculine voice coming from his right.
“Damn, you’re a big fella ain’t you! Put her down now!” Balduen stared in humor at the small man a few feet from him pointing a shotgun at him. He recognized it as one similar to the one Randor had shown him after Cari had been rescued.
Honestly, he wasn’t the least bit concerned; the man presented no danger to them, even with the weapon. Once he did as the man requested and put Dare down gently on the ground, taking a moment to brush her hair out of her face, he stood to his full height.
The man visibly paled at his true size and took a step back. Balduen had no reason to scare the very older man and rushed to try to reassure him. He didn’t want the man’s shaking hands to discharge the weapon in Dare’s direction. Raising his hands above his head to look less threatening he made up an excuse to try to calm the man.
“I am glad you found us! My wife and I had been hiking all day when she tripped at the stream a few miles back and hit her head. She’s been out ever since. Do you have any medical supplies? A phone? She has a large lump on the side of her head, and I’m afraid she’s badly injured. Can you please help?”
The older man’s heavily wrinkled face creased even more as he looked between Balduen and Dare curiously. Balduen assumed he was sizing up whether he was telling the truth or not. He did note that the man’s hands stopped shaking as much, and his posture was a little more relaxed. So he pushed his advantage.
“Sir, I will step back three steps so you can take two steps closer to her and feel the lump on her head. Maybe you can see what’s wrong with her. I’ll keep my hands in the air; I promise. Just please help her?”
The man looked at Balduen through narrowed brown eyes before quickly nodding his head. Balduen took that as a sign of agreement and took three large steps backward, keeping his hands in the air. He knew that with his added strength and speed, he could lunge at the man and kill him before he could lay a harmful hand on Dare, if necessary, so he wasn’t concerned.
“It’s behind her right ear.” Balduen offered helpfully.
He and Ibix looked on alertly as the stooped man shuffled forward a few steps until he could squat down close enough to feel Dare’s head. He rubbed gently for a few moments before whistling low between his teeth.
Putting his knees on the ground the old man gently turned her head and sifted gently through her hair until he could clearly see the bruised and swollen skin around the lump. Sharp brown eyes traveled the length of her body, and Balduen sighed when he realized how terrible they must look and how easily even a fool could see through his lie. And this old man was no fool.
Balduen and Ibix stayed on edge as the older man stared him up and down for long moments before placing his hands on his knees and grunting as he tried to stand again. Balduen had to stop himself from trying to assist him.
“Boy, I don’t know what you got yourself into, but that girl needs help and my Rose would never forgive me if I left her out here injured. Pick her back up, and don’t you try nothing! I’ll take you home and see if Rose can help your woman. She was a nurse back in World War Two. That’s how we met.”
“I’m Tom. Let’s get moving before it gets much darker.” The older man didn’t wait for Balduen to listen; he just turned back around and headed off into the woods to the right of where Balduen had been going.
Feeling like he’d passed some kind of test, Balduen quickly picked Dare back up and followed a few feet behind the man. They’d only gone a few hundred feet when the man spoke again.
“Can you at least tell me your names?”
Balduen saw no harm in that, since they wouldn’t be there long.
“I am Balduen and my wife is Dare. Short for Darennia.”
“Yeah you guys sure ain’t from around these parts. You look too clean to be those damn drug addicts who keep building their labs in the woods around here. You talk too fine too. So what kind of trouble are you mixed up in? You running from those assholes up the mountain?” The man stopped suddenly and turned sharply towards Balduen much faster than Balduen thought he was capable of, causing him to jump back.
“We are certainly not doing anything with drugs or anything
illegal.” The disgust in Balduen’s voice must have satisfied the man because he turned back around and started walking again.
“Balduen… that’s a mouthful of a name. What kind of name is it?” Balduen almost chuckled at how obvious the man was at digging for information and couldn’t help but like the man’s persistence. He sure as hell hoped the man didn’t do anything to harm Dare; he really didn’t want to have to kill him.
“It is a family name. We hail from… Scandinavia.” Balduen almost forgot the name that Randor had told him to tell people if they asked.
“You’re a pretty good liar, but not that good boy. I been around way too long to fall for that. Yeah, you sure do look like one of the Swedish people I seen in Europe during the war with your blonde hair and blue eyes. But, your size tells me you’re more like the animals at the top of the mountain over yonder.” Balduen followed the man’s sharp gaze to the opposite mountain where he could clearly see smoke still billowing from the burning pieces of the lab and house.
“And the small burn marks on both of your clothes tell me you were a lot closer to that burning mess up there than you’re telling.” The man’s sharp gaze caught Balduen’s body tensing and rushed on.
“Now if’n you were a part of getting those bastards off that mountain; I'd be offering you my wife Rose’s pot roast for dinner a glass of my finest shine.”
Balduen did chuckle that time. The man may seem ancient, but he also had the wits and mind of an ancient one as well.
“I can tell you truthfully, that I don’t think those particular people will be bothering you again. The problem is that when the others find out what we did up there… we’re going to need to be gone from here really soon. We have friends coming to help. We just need to hide until they can get to us.” Balduen stood still and unthreateningly while the old man’s sharp eyes took in his every movement while he had spoken. Several minutes later, he nodded to himself before heading back out again.
“I’ll tell you, there was something really bad off about those guys. Especially that Broke guy. There’s an old saying that’s kind of applicable here. ‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend.’ But our friendship ends if you try to lay a hand on my Rose. You behave yourself, and we’ll help you as much as we can. You violate that trust, and I’ll have no problem shooting you. Understand?” The man’s sharp gaze bore into Balduen, and he had no problem thinking that at one point in his life this was probably a very dangerous man. More than that, Balduen respected his blunt honesty enough to show him the same.