The Warrior's Pet (Cadi Warriors Book 1)

by Stephanie West

  Giselle twisted and looped the rope around the warrior behind her. It took some doing, but she got either end tied off to the beast's saddle. That was the best she could do for him for the moment. Giselle turned back around and leaned forward on the manx.

  Giselle looked ahead to see they were charging towards a narrow pass where the mountains pinched the valley with it rocky face, maybe a few thousand feet across. She scanned the caravan and was relieved to see the wagon with Sabin up ahead. Giselle wondered how she'd gotten separated from the transport so fast. Giselle was no fool she couldn't stay this far back. She couldn't fight like the surrounding warriors, she had no weapon, and was no match against flying debris or stray gun fire. Giselle needed to catch up.

  "I need you to get us up there." Giselle yelled at her striped mount as she spurred the creature further up into the middle of the caravan to safety and cover.

  Kagan quo Rordan

  Kagan barked out orders as their small contingent approached the pass. Kagan hoped like hell his army waited on the other side. The ass end of their caravan was taking heavy fire and they could use the support. The group of Scelus Cadi moved far swifter than anticipated while Kagan was slowed by the number of Toufik they liberated. It wasn't the entire Scelus Cadi army on their heels, at least not at the moment. But there was enough enemy nipping at their tails to overwhelm the small group of warriors he'd brought on this risky mission. Kagan hoped he didn't regret this foray.

  "Dagaa hold the front with the first and third guard. I'm circling to the rear with the second and fourth."

  It was Kagan's duty to lead and protect all his men. Kagan gritted his teeth and held true to that goal, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't also want to check on Giselle and the boy. Kagan brought his men around to lend support to the rear of their train. He quickly assessed everything as he passed. The middle of the caravan was catching occasional shrapnel but seemed to be holding. There were minor injuries among some of the Toufik as well as the warriors, but everyone looked like they'd survive unlike the report he received from the rear.

  "Where the hell is that transport?!"

  Kagan had passed several cargo skids but had yet to come to the one holding Giselle and Sabin. He had no idea they'd fallen this far back. The next one looked like it held nothing but supplies till Kagan came alongside and noticed Sabin peering out from a blanket as he huddled behind some crates.

  Kagan searched the transport frantically.

  "Where is Jeezelle?"

  Sabin looked at him wide eyed and pointed out the other side. "She jumped." The boy sobbed.

  "Stay down!" Kagan roared.

  What the hell? Giselle surely hadn't been so foolish as to jump. Something gripped Kagan's chest. Giselle was so small, what if she was jostled out? She'd be crushed beneath the manx and rota.

  Kagan said a prayer as he goaded Idris forward and circled to the other side of the wagon. There a hundred paces back close to the skirmish was a sight Kagan never thought he'd behold.

  Giselle was crouched over the back of a manx, the wind whipping through her golden hair. Her face was serious yet radiant as Giselle kicked her heels, spurring the manx to move like the lightning.

  For a brief instant Kagan was taken by the image. Giselle looked like a living breathing version of the Goddess Kali, glorious and unrestrained. He'd never been able to rectify how the Cadi goddess was both the embodiment of fertility and also a fierce warrior, not when Cadi females were so gentle and reserved. As Kagan looked at Giselle, he suddenly understood. Kagan shook loose of the daydream.

  "JEEZELLE." Kagan yelled.

  His fearless pet was going to get herself killed. Kagan caught a glimpse of the bloodied warrior collapsed behind her as she moved closer.

  "So that's why." Kagan shook his head. Giselle was too brave and compassionate for her own good.

  Kagan breathed a sigh of relief as Giselle made headway towards the middle of the caravan.

  "Good girl."

  Giselle at least had the good sense to head for safety. Kagan wanted to stop to assist her but there was no possible way, he was needed at the rear of the train.

  "JEEZELLE!" Kagan repeated.

  Giselle didn't hear him as she raced past heading for the transport holding Sabin. Thankfully she looked steady on the manx. The look of determination transformed Giselle's face making her appear as fierce in the face of danger as any seasoned warrior he'd ridden with.

  It killed Kagan to turn away and head on to aid his men, but duty called. He had to have faith Giselle would be safe, ensconced among the cargo transports. Surely Giselle was one of Kali's own.

  Kagan reached his men. They had lost a half dozen warriors, and it looked like there were several more casualties among those that fought off the advancing enemy.

  "I hear you need back-up." Kagan heard Cyprian's voice in the earpiece of his comm.

  "Hell yes warrior!" Kagan yelled over the din.

  Relief was an understatement at the moment. The rest of Kagan's army had to be close if Cyprian was contacting Kagan on the secure short range wavelength they used in battle. The back-up couldn't have come too soon. They would've probably made it through the pass but not without heavy losses.

  "I've got your tail Daimio." Cyprian rallied.

  Giselle

  Giselle was able to ease back on her manx once she came up along side the transport.

  "Thank god" She sighed as she saw Sabin whole and untouched.

  A warrior approached her flank eyeing her with shock. Giselle didn't have the time or the patience for some double standard bull shit.

  "Can you get him into the transport?" Giselle hollered, her ears still ringing.

  The warrior said something. Giselle pointed to her ears and shook her head. The warrior understood and shook his head 'no.'

  "Okay. Sabin hand me a blanket or something." The boy responded instantly. "Can you pack this against his wound?" Giselle asked the warrior.

  He nodded, and she tossed him the thin blanket. Giselle did her best to keep the manx steady not twisting to look back, knowing it would encourage the beast to veer in whichever direction she turned.

  The warrior rode forward and though he looked concerned he nodded to her indicating all was well before falling back into his position to guard the middle of the caravan.

  Giselle wiped the sweat off her brow then returned her grip to the manx's furry scruff. She squinted against the light of the sun shining directly in her eyes as they moved closer to the pass.

  There was a cloud of dust rising up from the earth less than a mile ahead. Giselle's eyes widened as from the shadow emerged hundreds of warriors swathed in black. The warriors were masked to fend off the dust. Ebony metal plates covered their arms and legs, along with a cache of weapons strapped to their chests. The way their dark cloaks flapped in the wind made the oncoming army look like a vengeful phantom horde, something straight out of Armageddon.

  Giselle nearly reared back on her manx. She looked around and noticed the other warriors looked relieved.

  "Hell yes this must be the cavalry!" Giselle whooped with a fist pump.

  The warriors nearby grinned at her exuberant response.

  Giselle kept a steady pace. They weren't in the clear just yet. The caravan formation tightened up as their allies approached, split and then enveloped their smaller group.

  When she finally came out on the other side of the pass, the group started to slow and came to a stop near a hastily constructed base of operations. Giselle sat back and patted her manx's flank bringing the creature to a halt in an area that several other injured warrior were gathering.

  Giselle looked down and realized there was no way she could hop off the manx, it was at least as tall as she was. Giselle was glad she hadn't looked down before now.

  Several black clad warriors approached as she sat on the beasts back. They were speaking to her and looked perturbed. Someone had thankfully turned off the machines that made the infernal squall but her ears we
re still ringing.

  Giselle shook her head then pointed to the injured warrior behind her.

  "Help him."

  The agitated warriors gathered round. The manx she rode must've felt threatened because the beast crouched and snarled. Giselle looked at the massive fangs the feline displayed and felt the rumble between her legs. She rubbed the manx's shoulder.

  "Easy boy. Let them get the warrior."

  The manx glanced at her then again at the warriors. She pet and massaged the beast till the tension dissipated from its haunches. The manx lay down and a couple warriors moved in and unstrapped the injured warrior.

  Giselle slid off the creature's back. She was more than a bit unsteady on her feet from the harrowing ride. Instantly she was surrounded by the new warriors that had just come to their rescue. There was one making boisterous gestures towards her that weren't welcoming in the least.

  Suddenly worried Giselle stepped back only to be pushed roughly forward. As she stumbled the lead male reached out and tore at the red cloak, she had tied around her.

  "Stop!" Giselle screamed.

  It was like she was back at square one. The warriors she'd been riding with had gotten used to the fact she spoke and Kagan had clothed her, but not these men. Giselle refused to be treated this way. Another warrior grabbed her cloak and pulled it off but not before Giselle grabbed something of his.

  "Back the fuck off!" Giselle growled as she crouched low waving the dagger she swiped.

  The warriors couldn't have looked more stunned.

  Giselle spun and saw several warriors she was familiar with had joined the ring and were looking on in amusement. She was instantly pissed. They were ganging up on her.

  Kagan quo Rordan

  Kagan wanted to be happy by the fact his army had surprised the contingent of Scelus Cadi. The way Cyprian poured through the pass and decimating the enemy was a thing of beauty. Unfortunately Vigdis wasn't among the fallen, nor was his lieutenant Madhava.

  Now Kagan was desperate for word of how Giselle fared along with the warrior she attempted to rescue.

  "You saved our tails." Kagan told Cyprian with a clap on his back.

  "I'd call the mission a success." Cyprian replied as he glanced over at the large number of Toufik they liberated. Kagan wasn't certain considering the handful of men they'd lost today.

  "They'll certainly help with the upcoming harvest." Dagaa said.

  The trio headed for the camp Cyprian erected to regroup and deal with the injured. Kagan had to find Giselle. He looked all around but couldn't see her in the sea of warriors. They approached a tightly clumped circle of his warriors and Kagan wondered what captured their attention.

  "How much you want to bet she kicks Bram's tail." One of the warriors who'd ridden with Kagan said to one of the new comers who looked skeptical.

  "Bring it on assholes." Kagan heard Giselle yell as he shouldered his way through the throng of men.

  Kagan was instantly angry as he saw his small brave little female surrounded by a dozen taunting men. Giselle was practically snarling as she waved a knife at the warrior who held the remnants of her cape. She only acted this violently when she was frightened.

  "ENOUGH!" Kagan roared as he entered the circle.

  Kagan was practically blind with rage. How dare they threaten the female he'd marked as his own!

  Giselle spun around and swiped him across the stomach with the blade she held. Kagan jumped back in time to avoid a deep laceration from his dismayed pet. All the warriors gasped including Giselle. She instantly dropped the knife and flew into his arms. Her fingers feathered over the shallow scratch across his abdomen.

  "Oh my god Kagan I'm so sorry are you okay?" Giselle hollered even though he was right in front of her.

  Kagan noticed the gash on Giselle's arm and reached for it.

  "She is injured, and you thought it more important to strip and threaten her." Kagan snarled at the shameful warriors. "She saved one of your brethren and this is how you behave, like a rabid pack of mongrels."

  The warriors had good sense to look cowed.

  Giselle peered up at him her eyes were wide with worry and confusion.

  "I can't hear you." Giselle said as she rubbed her ears. "The awful screeching stopped but my ears are still ringing."

  Suddenly frightened, Kagan placed his hands on Giselle's small face and brushed her hair out of the way checking for injuries that would cause her to lose her hearing. He sighed in relief when he saw no head injury, but was still worried. There had to be a cause for her hearing loss.

  "She has warrior's ink." Cyprian exclaimed as Giselle's golden hair fell away from her shoulder.

  The new warriors looked stunned. Kagan ignored them as he examined Giselle further. The injury on her arm looked worse than it was, most of it smeared dried blood.

  "And she bears a conjugo mark." Bram, one of his commanders and the leader of the gathered rabble added. This time all the warriors were shocked. "How in the name of Kali? What warrior in their right mind would mark a pet." The warrior's words faded as Kagan cast him a menacing glare.

  The cat was out of the bag now. Kagan pulled Giselle to him. It was obvious the warriors were confused. He couldn't blame them. At first he himself couldn't understand why he'd been compelled to mark Giselle. But everything he'd come to learn about her said that she'd make a far better mate and possibly warrior than countless Cadi he'd met, certainly the present company. Giselle was valiant, intelligent, selfless and brave all wrapped up in a lush little package.

  "Enough gawking at the Daimio's pet. Get back to it." Dagaa barked, and the men dispersed.

  Was Giselle his pet? Did that even really apply to her? In Cadi eyes Giselle was just that, but the longer he knew her the more Kagan believed he met his match in the foreign little female.

  Kagan was disappointed to see that even the warriors who were familiar with Giselle were stunned. Judgmental condescending looks twisting their expressions as they looked his way. They might accept she could speak and dress like them, but they couldn't seem to believe she was worthy of the conjugo mark Kagan had given her.

  Kagan knew it was a hard thing to wrap your head around. Never in Cadi history had anyone mated a foreign species. Was it even possible? How could he bring forth heirs?

  Kagan lifted Giselle into his arms and carried her to a tent. If this was how the men most loyal to him reacted it didn't bode well for how the province regents or cleric monks would respond. Kagan may be the Daimio of Vidya Cadi but he wasn't an island unto himself, he needed and valued their support.

  Kagan held Giselle tight to his chest.

  "What am I going to do little pet?" Kagan said, glad that she couldn't hear his concern.

  Giselle looked up and ran her finger across his creased brow with a smile. He couldn't help but smile back at her even though his mind was in turmoil. As he looked at her sweet pale face and stunning blue eyes Kagan knew he could never give Giselle up no matter what his kinsman believed.

  6 Forces

  Giselle

  Giselle relaxed. The day had been exhausting and frightening, wringing every bit of adrenalin out of her. First the battle and then the mob. Just as Giselle felt like she was making headway and gaining a bit of acceptance it all turns on end again. She was done with this roller coaster.

  Kagan looked worried as he cleaned Giselle's arm. She knew it had nothing to do with her injury, it wasn't that bad. Kagan had looked pissed at his men earlier. She was glad his ire hadn't been directed at her, he had been positively frightening.

  Kagan squeezed out the washcloth in a basin of cool water then ran it over her body removing the dust and sweat from the nerve wracking day.

  Kagan stripped off the enemy red kilt he wore and reached for a black version of the same.

  Giselle took the washcloth from Kagan and started cleaning him the way he had her before he got dressed again. Giselle couldn't help but stare at Kagan. She was so relieved he was okay. Giselle hadn't realized h
ow worried she'd been till the terrible weight on her heart lifted, making her almost lightheaded. Kagan had scratches here and there but the worst of his injuries seemed to be from where she took a swipe at him.

  "I'm sorry." Giselle leaned forward and kissed the scrape at the top of his abdomen. She let her mouth linger soaking in his comforting scent.

  "You felt cornered. It's okay." Kagan said as he ran his fingers through her hair.

  "Oh I heard that." Giselle smiled. "I thought the ringing would never go away."

  "What happened?" Kagan asked concerned.

  "I don't know. The warriors switched something on, on the cargo transport and then I heard nothing but a pulsing screech." Giselle shook her head.

  "That sounds like the cloaking beacon." Kagan ran one large finger over the shell of her ear. "I'll have to remember that. It's pointless now, the enemy knows we're here."

  Kagan seemed relieved she was okay but something in his demeanor was still troubled.

  "Of course he's worried. The enemy army is breathing down our necks and people died today." Giselle admonished herself.

  Kagan dressed in all black like the rest of his men. The dark sheer material was a drastic contrast against his red skin. It made him look imposing and sexy all at the same time.

  "Thank you for helping one of my warriors." Kagan pulled her into his arms and kissed her. The kiss was sweet tinged with a desperation that spoke of how much Kagan must have worried. "But you aren't to go risking your tail again. You hear me." Kagan eyed her as he swatted her behind.

  "Hmm, save a life and earn a spanking." Giselle nibbled on her lip as she debated Kagan's edict out loud. Seemed like a win-win situation.

  "Jeezelle!" Kagan growled.

  "I'll try to behave. I promise." Giselle relented. The man was worried about her safety and she wouldn't take that for granted.

  "Here, sorry it's rather large." Kagan handed her a black cloak.