Shea waited until they were over a soft-looking copse of tangled branches and vines, interwoven, thin and flexible enough that they might slow Mist’s fall but not be as hard as the ground.
Shea struck, sinking her blade into the eagle’s side again and again. The beast thrashed beneath her. There was a short gasp of breath as it released the girl. Shea buried her blade one last time before pushing off.
Her freefall was cut short as she crashed into the branches, lacerations forming where her skin dragged along the sharp wood. She fell through the first layer, each branch flipping her a different way as they broke under her. She came to a stop, hanging upside down, her leg caught between two branches.
That was such a bad idea. On the scale of bad ideas, it was probably one that would go into the history books.
Shea groaned. Every bone in her body felt that fall. “Let’s never do that again.”
There was a rustling in the branches next to her and then blond curls coupled with watery blue eyes peered out at Shea.
“Hey, sweetie. Are you hurt anywhere?”
Mist shook her head.
Shea closed her eyes. “That’s good.”
“Shea! Shea, where are you? Answer me.” Trenton’s voice came from below. He sounded frantic.
“Here, we’re over here!” Shea yelled back.
Curses sounded from below them and then the sound of a man grunting and hacking at the branches they were incased in.
They’d landed in a copse of boughs that grew tightly together with very little space between. It looked like a prison made of very thin wood.
Shea used her abs to lift up, grabbing a branch near her foot with one hand to redistribute her weight as she wiggled her foot free. There would be no living it down, if Trenton discovered her stuck upside down. She yanked her foot once more and then fell, landing hard on her back. A sword cut through some of the boughs next to her.
Trenton peered in, taking note of Shea sprawled on her back and Mist above her.
“Help Mist, first,” Shea ordered.
He didn’t argue, turning his attention to the little girl. “Come here, child. Let’s get you to safety.”
“It’s probably safest here,” Shea said, sitting up with a grimace.
“The soldiers drove off the eagles they didn’t manage to kill. It should be safe for now.”
That was a relief.
Trenton held the girl as he and Shea worked their way back down to the forest floor. They weren’t as high up as Shea had thought. Her previous calculations had been off.
It was a relief to reach the ground, though she kept one eye on the forest above them. The fear of another attack was ever present. She wasn’t the only one feeling it either. The Trateri they passed were preoccupied with the world above. Much more so than she had ever seen them before. Several soldiers kept watch on the canopy as others tended to the destruction on the ground. Healers assisted the wounded.
Trenton, carrying Mist, opened a path before them. The Trateri moved out of their way as they walked, some giving Shea a bow, others clasping their fist to their chest. Shea gave a small nod in acknowledgement before turning her eyes ahead. The attention made her skin itch.
“Why are they bowing?” she whispered to Trenton.
“They saw what you did for Mist. They’re paying you their respects.”
“I thought she was an orphan, not worth anything to the clans.”
“You put your life on the line for the least of us. It means something.”
She disagreed with the thought that Mist meant less than the rest of the Trateri, but she could see what he meant. She fell silent as they made their way to Fallon’s tent.
“Send a healer inside, now.” Trenton gave the order as he walked past the two Anateri standing guard. Both men looked at Shea, their eyes widening and shock turning their faces pale before one took off at a run to do his bidding.
She touched her forehead, her fingers coming away with blood. Judging by their reactions, she must have looked pretty bad.
She followed Trenton inside. He set the child on a chair in front of the table. He picked up a handkerchief and tossed it at Shea. “If you ever want to leave this tent without a full escort, I suggest you get yourself cleaned up before Fallon sees you.”
She took that to mean she was right, and she looked as awful as she felt.
He turned back to the child as Shea pressed the cloth against her head, wincing at the sting. Head wounds were the worst. They always bled way more than they should.
Chirron entered the tent while Shea was still mopping up the blood from her forehead and neck. It had dripped onto the collar of her shirt, and her pants were ripped and bloody from the scrapes on her legs.
Chirron’s face was carefully blank as he cataloged Shea’s injuries with a glance.
“Help the girl first,” Shea said when it was clear he planned to attend her first.
He spared a glance at the girl as Trenton gently lifted her arms and pressed against her ribs. Mist jumped, making a whimpering sound as she yanked her arm out of his hold and folded it against her side.
Chirron looked back at Shea. “All due respect, but the girl’s injuries, or even death, would not affect the Trateri as much as yours would.”
“Not to mention your Warlord is apt to throw things if he learned I was delayed in receiving a healer’s attention,” Shea observed.
Chirron inclined his head. “I’m glad you can see my view on this.”
Shea nodded. She hoped he could hold onto that feeling.
She held up a hand as he reached for her. “As much as I can empathize with your position, I still insist you see to the girl’s injuries first.”
She gave him a friendly smile. He didn’t look particularly moved by her smile. Perhaps it needed work. She touched the cloth to her forehead, or maybe it just needed less blood.
“Telroi. Fallon would not be pleased to learn I treated another before you.”
Shea snapped the cloth down. “I know very well what Fallon would want. Can you honestly tell me he wouldn’t wish one of his men treated before him?” She raised an eyebrow expectantly.
He met her stare with a stubborn one of his own. She took his silence as agreement.
“My injuries aren’t critical and hers might be. The sooner you check her out, the sooner you can move on to me.” She gave him a stony look, the one she gave Fallon when she wasn’t going to budge on something. “If you hurry, you might even be able to finish her examination before Fallon tracks us down.”
His lips firmed, and he treated her to the glare she was more used to. “As you wish.”
Good. She’d finally won one battle.
Trenton stood back, setting his hand on Mist’s shoulder as Chirron took a knee before her and gave her a friendly smile.
“Let’s get you checked out, shall we?”
She gazed at him solemnly, her lower lip sticking out just slightly. Mist watched as he felt along her legs and arms. When he reached for her ribs, she jerked away and looked at Shea.
“It’s alright, Mist. He’s not going to harm you. He just needs to see where you’re hurt,” Shea told her. “Can you show him where you’re hurt?”
Mist nodded, the dirt on her cheeks making her seem even younger than she was. She lifted her shirt and pointed to the already purpling band appearing around her midsection. There were also signs of older bruises lower on her stomach and small burn marks that definitely hadn’t been created when the eagle picked her up in its claws. In addition to almost being killed by a beast, the girl had been abused in the not so distant past.