I fucking hate this.
16
Raven
I walk for ten or fifteen minutes before I find a big enough clearing. It takes me less than a second to shift. I stretch my body, hearing my back click. I mutter under my breath to myself. Being tied up and made to sleep on a cold hard floor will do that to a person. Tarek is crazy. I can’t believe no one has seen that. That no one but our small group has retaliated against him.
Then again, that’s not completely true. There have been small acts of defiance over the years. Some were not all that small…my mind wanders to my mom for a second.
I’m about to launch into the sky when I hear it. A soft rumble from somewhere up above. There’s an answering call. Soft, easy to miss. I crouch down, spreading my wings as cover. Thankful that my scales are black as tar. Hopefully, I’ll blend in with the surroundings.
I hear the almost silent flapping of wings. More than one pair. I’d go so far as to say that there are at least five or six of them. I stay completely still. I don’t breathe. I will my heart to beat softer. They’re already looking for us. So soon! Too soon!
I’d say that it’s three or four in the morning. Too early for anyone to be up. It makes me worry about Star. Was she caught red-handed when she returned? Do they know she helped us? I’m hoping that our absence was noted because the guard was told to check on us at certain intervals. That my friend is in the clear.
There’s another rumble, further away this time. I stay down long after the sound of wings has abated. I remain until my limbs start to tighten. I have to be sure. If they find me here, they’ll know that Stephan is close, and then we’re screwed.
I pull my wings in and slowly stand. All of my senses are on high alert. What should I do now? How many search parties are out there? I’m still contemplating when I hear them again. They’re circling back. That, or it’s another group.
Crap!
I hunker back down, my mind in turmoil. Do they know that we’re here, or are they guessing? They’re probably patrolling the general area. Perhaps they’ve set up a perimeter around weyr territory. Clever! We would need to get through them to escape. It gives me hope that Star hasn’t been implicated.
I push out a silent sigh when they move off. I carefully tuck in my wings. I don’t want to make a single noise. Then I shift back into my human form. There is far more chance of me being caught if I try to fly out of here. That’s what they are looking for. I slowly and carefully make my way back to Stephan, but he’s not where I left him.
What?
My heart-rate picks up. My T-shirt is on the floor where I left it. I look around. I pick up his scent. It’s faint but there. I follow. It doesn’t take long before I hear the sound of water. Shit! If he made his way to a river, he’ll be in the open and easy pickings for the patrolling dragons. I can only hope he heard them or saw them before they spotted him. I didn’t hear any commotion. I pick my way to the edge of the forest but stay beneath the cover of trees, trying to spot him. I crane my neck up and down the river. I look up into the sky.
I don’t see anything but stars. The water is loud in my ears as it rushes in currents and torrents. I sniff at the air, trying to pick up Stephan’s scent. Has he been captured?
I see a form peel up from the water’s edge. I pull in a breath. By its size and shape, I think it must be Stephan. I exhale. He hobbles over to me. It is Stephan, I realize, as he draws closer. “Thank god,” he whispers as he reaches me. He’s covered from head to toe in mud. He’s breathing hard but trying to be quiet. Stephan takes hold of a tree and leans against it.
“You saw them,” I whisper; my voice is close to silent.
He nods once. “Trying to mask my scent. I was quite bloody.” I hear him swallow. “You should…do…the same.”
“Let me help you first.” I hook an arm around his waist and help him further into the forest, where the canopy is thick. It’s slow going because Stephan is so weak. We have to be quiet. He has his arm over my shoulder. He’s leaning heavily on me.
“Here,” he whispers, his voice a rasp. There is a fallen tree. We can hunker down beneath the thick trunk and branches. At the very least, it will be more difficult to find us. I help him down. Stephan takes my hand as I’m pulling away. “Careful.” He rubs his thumb over my palm. Despite being in danger, despite everything…my body reacts.
Awareness flits through me. My body tightens. “I will be.” I squeeze his hand and let go.
I am quick but quiet. Once I reach the edge of the forest, I watch and wait until I am certain it’s safe. Then I race to the water’s edge, still alert and ready. The bank is muddy. I will use it to hide if they come now. I drink my fill. The water is cold and delicious. Then I slather myself in cold mud. Goosebumps break out all over my body. If they decide to try to find us on foot, the mud will make it difficult for them to scent us. We can’t be too careful. If we are captured, Stephan will be killed. I know it with a fierce certainty. I will be forced to mate one of the men from the weyr. We can’t be found. We just can’t!
I do a quick check and then rush for the cover of the trees. I’m covered in thick mud. Even my hair and face. Everywhere. I’m barely in the safe zone when I hear them. I hide behind a tree and sit tight. The plan is to stay right here until they pass over.
Shit!
How are we going to get out of this?
I cover my mouth with my hand when I hear them land. They’re right here. I hear sniffing. Can they scent me? Surely not. I hear splashing and deep drinking. It feels like forever. I stand there and pray that they don’t hear me or pick up my scent. That something doesn’t give me away. There’s more drinking and splashing followed by more sniffing. Then one of them rumbles.
Oh, god!
Oh, god!
Please!
If they catch me, they’ll get Stephan. His death will be my fault. I can’t be responsible for another person’s death. I can’t! I almost cry out in relief when I hear them taking off. One by one, they take to the sky. I wait until they fly far enough away before I start moving. It seems to take forever before I get back to him.
Stephan has pulled himself deeper under the fallen tree. I have to duck to see him. He is fast asleep. There’s a chance they won’t see us if they decide to start searching on foot. We need to take every precaution. I retrace my steps, sweeping away my footprints with a branch. All the while, I listen for sounds of the patrol. Then I crawl under the fallen tree and spoon against Stephan’s back. He doesn’t move when I put an arm around him. I tense up for a moment, thankful when I don’t get anything from Stephan. No vision accosts me. I press myself tightly against him. It’s for warmth, I tell myself. I keep listening for noises. I’m tense and fearful, but I’m soon lulled by the sound of Stephan breathing. The slow inhale and exhale as he sleeps. I’m formulating a plan of escape. I think I have an idea. One that will work. I’m not sure that Stephan will agree to it. Maybe it won’t be necessary by the time he is strong enough to fly again.
When I wake up, it’s to the sound of insects chirping and buzzing. It’s warm. Light filters through the trees in long rays. It would be bright if not for the thick, leafy covering and our natural shelter overhead. I’m no longer spooning Stephan. I have one of my legs over his thighs. My sex is pressed firmly against him. My breasts are mashed against the side of his torso. His arm is around me, holding me tightly. My head is on his shoulder. My hand is on his chest. We’re as close as two people can get. Well…almost.