I looked back and up at him. “Well, I suppose I must have looked pretty close to a break down those first few hours.”
“And now look at you.” He gazed into my eyes and leaned down to kiss me.
For the next half hour I relaxed against him, enjoying the feel of his arms around me.
Once we arrived at the ridge, everyone gathered around as Ben, Jasper, and Shanus went through their defense strategies.
The Wedelves were to get into the trees and be ready to take out the first attack with their bows and arrows. The Namaels were to face where the attack was coming from and be ready to engage should anyone escape the archers. The Scannoves were to watch our backs.
Jasper came to stand by us as the meeting broke up and everyone headed where they needed to be. One by one, small fires were being started so that suppers could be made.
We knew that they would get here early in the morning, just as the sun was starting to rise. They were hoping to surprise us while we still slept.
Boy, were they in for a shock! They were expecting this to be just Jasper and I. But I knew that it wasn’t going to be easy. We were outnumbered, for one. And even losing one friend in this battle was going to be too much to lose.
I wondered what would come first. The dream where I was surrounded by wolves, or the one where the Bailau dragged me away. I shivered at the thought.
Jasper put his arms around me. “Are you cold?” He went to grab a blanket from my saddle bags and came back to sit behind me, wrapping the both of us up.
“Are you nervous?” I asked him.
He kissed the top of my head. “Very much so.”
“Is that normal?”
“No.” He hugged me tighter to him, nestling his head on my shoulder, his cheek against mine. “Usually I am very calm before a fight. But this time, I actually have something to lose.”
I turned my head and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “You’re not going to lose anything.”
“Promise me.”
“What exactly is it that you want me to promise?”
He looked at me, his eyes full of love, full of worry. “Promise me that tomorrow night you’ll still be mine. That you’ll still be alive.”
I gazed back at him, a lump forming in my throat. “I promise,” I whispered.
He took a deep breath.
“Feel better?” I asked.
“No, not really.”
“Me neither.” I snuggled as close to him as I could and closed my eyes, wishing tonight would go on forever and that tomorrow’s perils would never come.
*****
I didn’t realize I had fallen asleep until a soft voice tried to wake me up. Jasper was brushing my hair back from my face. “Hayden. Wake up.”
I opened my eyes. His face was inches from mine. I leaned in closer and kissed him. I closed my eyes when he brought his hand up and held it against my cheek without breaking the kiss.
He pulled away reluctantly. “It’s time to get ready.”
I peeked over the blankets at everyone else. Tara and Ben already had their bows and arrows on their backs, daggers at their sides. Prense and Shanus were sharpening their long swords. They were chatting easily as if this was any other day. Zane was talking with Brice, Fillian and Brinnan simply sat, looking at each other quietly.
I looked around at the other faces. Faces I had never seen before and that after today, I may never see again. My gaze fell on Phlann and I started laughing.
“What?”
“Phlann looks like he’s had about ten cups of coffee!”
He was trotting around so fast he looked like he was about to jump time zones.
I took a deep breath. “Ok. Let’s do this.” I pulled my short swords onto my back and strapped my dagger onto my belt. “Crap.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing major. I lost my elastic.” It sounded stupid. “I didn’t want my hair in my face.”
Jasper looked around. “Here, will this do?” He pulled the leather lacing out of the front of his tunic, pulled my hair back gently and tied it up. I shivered at the feel of his lips on the back of my neck.
“Thank you,” I whispered. I turned towards him, trying to keep the tears from flooding my eyes. “You won’t do anything stupid. Promise me.”
He hugged me close. “I promise.” He gave me a bit of a grin. “Feel better?”
“No, not really.” I tried to grin back. I had to wonder, with all these beings promising to not do anything stupid during a battle, who was going to keep theirs.
We packed everything up and went to take our place in the formation.
Jasper caught my arm just as I was about to swing onto Dodge.
“Hayden,” he crushed my lips with his, his kiss urgent, wanting. I had to catch my breath when he pulled away, his eyes burning.
He held my face in his hands and leaned his forehead against mine. “Jer yun hanter ain troin lafe en tre ona yan justa cham de, trant est combin bion a shlova yan.”
I couldn’t help but smile at him. “Really?” The only word I knew was shlova.
“More than anything in this world or the one you just came from,” he whispered. “That’s how much I love you.”
The lump in my throat was making it almost impossible to talk. “How do you say ‘I love you more’.”
He smiled. “A shlova yan jer. But I doubt it.”
The little blue bird picked that moment to land on my shoulder. She looked at Jasper.
His eyes narrowed. “They are coming.”
I swung up onto Dodge and got my swords ready. I hadn’t been able to get very consistent using the colors and everyone had agreed it might be safer for everyone on our side if I simply didn’t use them.
Jasper shifted and stood beside us, teeth bared in anticipation.
The next five minutes were the longest in any world’s history and then all hell broke loose.
The first of the Majs broke through the cover of the bush and into the little clearing under the ridge.
I heard arrows fly through the air. I saw wolves fall to the ground. But not just wolves. I noticed the coyotes, wolverines, foxes and a few bears.
I glanced around me at the big cats. Tigers, lions, panthers, leopards, cougars, and jaguars.
I looked back at the dogs, tears springing to my eyes. Those weren’t just animals. They were people too. Just like the cats. I heard yelps and whines as arrows connected. I wanted to run into the middle of the clearing and yell for this to stop. I wasn’t worth it. This wasn’t necessary. I wasn’t going to take anybody’s side.
I grunted in surprise as my decision clicked into place. I really wasn’t going to pick a side. I wouldn’t be used to hurt or destroy anybody.
As the archers started to run out of arrows more and more of the dogs ran closer to the ridge. Behind them, the Bailaus followed. They started the climb up the hill and a growl rumbled deep in Jasper’s throat.
I looked down at him. All of his fur stood on end, his tail twitching. If I didn’t pick sides then no one would try to use me against anyone else. Which meant I would never put Jasper in this situation again. I would never see his eyes filled with worry and fear.
Faint color waves started to appear and I thought of Dodge, trying to calm down. I looked at Fillian and saw her playing with her colors. She was directing them towards the dogs. One of them yelped as a strong wind picked it up and threw it off the ridge.
Everyone held their positions, waiting for the enemy to get closer.
I looked past the clearing to the edge of the woods and sighed a bit in relief. From the look of things there weren’t any more of them coming out and the archers had done a good job of thinning out the rest of them. I glanced around searching for any of the big wolves. It appeared they had decided to stay home this time.
When the dogs got about halfway up the ridge Jasper roared. The big cats leaped forward at the command.
Cats clashed with dogs. I saw one of the tigers that had stopped
to talk to Jasper go down under three wolves. My chest hurt, my breathing speeding up so much that it was almost like not breathing at all. This was wrong.
That’s when I heard the fighting behind us. Dodge spun around.
There were more of them coming out of the woods behind us. The Scannoves galloped to meet them, swords drawn.
A wolf leapt past the barricade of scaly bodies and ran toward us. I felt Dodge tense, getting ready to move.
I pulled my swords up and I was engulfed by a strange calmness.
The wolf jumped and Dodge jumped to the side. I brought my swords around in an arc and felt a warm spray on my face as they connected with the wolf. It fell to the ground.
I didn’t have time to think before I felt Dodge scoot in the opposite direction and I looked down in time to see a coyote coming from the other side. I stabbed down, my arm going numb from the impact of my blade against its scull. I dropped my sword.
“Shit!” Dodge spun and plowed over another coyote with his shoulder.
I saw the fox coming from the opposite direction before Dodge did. I nudged him with my leg to make him spin the other way.
The fox seemed to anticipate the move and dodged out of the way, jumping with the movement of my horse. His teeth closed on my calf.
I grabbed on to the saddle horn to keep from being pulled off and screamed as the teeth sank deeper into my leg. I jabbed down with my sword and stabbed the fox in the side of the neck. It fell to the ground.
There was some crashing to our left in the woods. I turned my head just in time to see a Bailau with his head down, aiming for Dodge.
Dodge grunted with the impact of the beast colliding with his shoulder. I found myself air born, landing heavily on my back. My breath was gone. I gasped for air while trying to get to my feet. I staggered and was knocked down again as rough hands grabbed me. I looked around and saw Jasper a little way down the ridge.
My eyes locked on his and my fear was confirmed. I saw him get ready to spring towards us.
“No!” I screamed.
He hesitated for a fraction of a second then flew through the air, running towards me. His hesitation was enough. Two arrows plunged into the dirt ahead of him.
I reached down and grabbed my dagger. With a grunt, I twisted and plunged the knife into the Bailau’s arm. It didn’t seem to phase him.
As I looked up to see if I had done any damage at all I saw Phlann running at the Bailau’s back. His daggers dug down to the hilt on either side of the beast’s neck. It bellowed and dropped me.
A flash of orange flew over me and collided with the beast, knocking it backwards. Two pairs of strong arms picked up Jasper and threw him off.
Prense came running over, sword in the air, and everything looked in slow motion. As she galloped by she took one fluid swing and the bull’s head rolled ever so slightly away from its body.
I looked past the bloody scene before me. The Scannoves were doing a good job of driving the enemy back. Some of them were actually starting to run away.
Jasper was in human form as he picked me up off the ground and crushed me to his chest. “Are you ok?
I nodded weakly. I felt like I was moving through a thick fog. He leaned down and gave me a soft kiss. The fog vanished and my temper flared. “You promised!”
He pulled back, his eyes wide.
“You promised you wouldn’t come after me!”
“Hayden. If you had seen the look on your face! And I could feel it! You were so scared!
I couldn’t just let him take you!”
“I wasn’t scared for me! I was scared you were going to break your promise and get yourself killed!” I couldn’t help myself, I was yelling.
“Oh.” He took a deep breath. “Well, I didn’t get killed. And you didn’t get taken,” he mumbled.
A panther walked up to us, interrupting any more yelling I might have felt like doing. Zane tilted his head, wondering what he’d missed.
“I have to go see how everything is going down below. I’m pretty sure this is done. Are you sure you’re ok? None of that blood is yours?”
“I’m fine,” I snapped, though my leg was starting to throb painfully.
Jasper frowned and watched my face. It didn’t surprise me when his eyes widened and he bent down and pulled my bloody and torn pant leg up. He looked up at me, his face white.
My anger was starting to dwindle. “I’m fine.”
He stood awkwardly in front of me.
Much to relieved that he was alive to stay angry, I walked back to him and hugged him, hiding my face in his chest as the tears started to fall. He put his chin on my head, rubbing my back. “It’s alright, now.”
I looked up at him and he used his thumb to wipe the tears from my cheeks. He looked torn as he watched Zane heading back towards the clearing and then looked back at me.
“Go. I’m ok.” I pulled his head down and kissed him softly. “I’ll be right here when you get back.”
He hesitated again and looked at my leg. “Will you go see Fillian?”
I nodded.
He took a deep breath, shifted, then was gone. I looked around, trying to find everybody I cared about. I sighed with relief as I spotted Dodge limping towards Fillian. She put her hands on his shoulder and used a green to heal it. I limped to where my swords had dropped and wiped them against my pant leg before putting them back in the scabbards on my back. I then walked over to the dead bailau and had to fight down a wave of nausea while I pulled my dagger out of its arm.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw a large shape moving down in the clearing. I recognized Ream from my first dream. He was making his way casually towards the ridge.
Somewhere close by a cat growled and another answered. A flash of orange and the other black streaked down the ridge.
“No, no, no, no, no, no ,NO!” It started as a whisper and turned into a shout. I started running after them. I was so focused on Jasper and Zane I didn’t notice Dodge trotting beside me until he snorted to get my attention. I reached for the saddle horn and swung on, still running. Dodge charged down the hill after them. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I could feel my leg wanting to give out. I ignored it.
We got to the bottom just in time to see Jasper and Zane launch themselves at Ream.
Zane clung to his back, his claws dug deep. Jasper went for the throat but fell to the ground like he had hit a wall.
Ream ignored Zane and walked over to Jasper. He put a paw on his chest and stepped down. Jasper jerked as bones snapped. Without stepping off, Ream reached down and bit Jasper’s throat.
I screamed and the reds took over. Zane looked up, his black cat eyes widening just before he bolted for the trees.
I couldn’t see anything, but I knew where Ream was. I closed my eyes and focused all of my anger and pain then picked all of the red waves and threw them.
A wall of fire tore through the clearing ahead of us. A fraction of a second later I realized that it wasn’t just Ream that it was going to burn. I picked a light grey wave and threw it at Jasper, pushing it ahead of the fire. The gust of wind picked him up just before the fire scorched the ground where he had been laying.
If Ream knew a displacement spell it either didn’t work, or he didn’t have time to use it. There was a quick yelp as the fire flew over him. One second he was there, and the next there was only ashes and a smell that reminded me a bit of a BBQ.
I set Jasper down as gently as I could and jumped off of Dodge before he was completely stopped. Zane was there a few seconds later.
“Go get Fillian!” I choked out at him. I held Jasper’s head on my lap putting pressure on his neck. Tears streamed down my face and mixed with the blood on his fur. His throat was bleeding freely from the puncture marks. His chest was barely rising as he tried to breath. When he exhaled, blood dripped from his mouth.
“Hang on, Jasper,” I whispered into his cheek. “Please!”
Shanus came galloping up carrying Fillian.
“F
illian! Please! You have to fix him!”
She hopped down and came to kneel beside us. She put her hands on Jasper’s chest and closed her eyes. I watched her take a green wave and spread it over him.
Fillian frowned.
“What’s wrong?” Zane was back in human form.
She took her hands off. “There is too much damage on the inside and he’s lost too much blood. He’s not strong enough to help himself heal.” She put her hand on mine. “I’m sorry, dear. I can’t help him.”
I broke down. “You promised!” I sobbed into his fur. “You promised you wouldn’t do anything stupid.”
He groaned, the sound weak, like he was using his last effort to do something.
“Jasper!” Zane knelt beside us. “Don’t! You have to keep your energy. Don’t waste it on that!” He looked at me. “He’s trying to shift.”
I kissed him between his beautiful blue eyes. “Don’t,” I whispered. “Just rest.”
Dodge snorted.
Zane translated. “He wants to know if what you did with the stump would work.”
“What exactly did you do with the stump, dear,” asked Fillian.
“I took a green and made new shoots grow out of a dead stump.” I let the greens move in front of my face and found the one I had used.
“Hayden, stop!” Fillian put her hand on my shoulder. “How did you feel after the shoots started to grow?”
“I was tired. Why?”
“That one takes energy out of you and puts it into whatever you are healing. Even the majority of the best healers out there can’t use that one!”
“I can’t let him die!”
“It will kill you!”
I shook my head. “I have to try.”
I touched the wave down to his chest. He twitched. Everyone backed up a few steps.
I felt the energy slowly leave me and enter him. I concentrated harder and pushed more into him. Beneath my hands, bones shifted, muscles healed.
Jasper’s breathing became more regular and the blood stopped coming out of his mouth.
He tried to move but couldn’t still.
I felt dizzy and was finding it hard to breath, but I pushed for more.
Jasper growled weakly and I found myself falling backwards as Zane tackled me.
Crossover 'The Chosen One Trilogy: Book One' Page 12