CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
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Yoshiko froze. It was the best thing to do when cornered by an angry dog -- but something inside her whispered that it made no difference. That she should run. That if she stayed still, the dog would suddenly leap on her and rip out her throat. Shivering, Yoshiko reached behind her and picked up a jagged stone.
"Milady, run!" Myoga's voice wailed from above her. "That dog is going to kill you!"
That was all Yoshiko needed. She threw the rock at the dog's face; the stone only glanced off its muzzle, but it made the giant beast stagger.
"Run! Run! Quickly, head back!" Myoga shrieked.
The dog snarled again.
"But what about-"
"It won't come after me! RUN!"
Yoshiko threw another rock at the dog, then staggered to her feet and began running as fast as she could. Her thin sandals flew off, and the rocks and twigs stung her bare feet. But she didn't dare to slow down. When she looked behind her, she could see the a streak of white running swiftly after her.
It's after my baby! she thought suddenly, not sure how she knew.
Her foot slipped, and Yoshiko fell to her knees. She could feel the dog's hot breath as it rushed toward her; it leaped into the air, landing at her feet and tried to bit her. But Yoshiko twisted around, and the dog only got a mouthful of her heavy cloak and silk kimonos. With a disgusted growl, the dog tore away a chunk of her clothing and spat it out. Then it began racing after the fleeing girl again.
I have to get back home! Yoshiko thought wildly, running as quickly as she could over fallen trees and rocky embankments.
But then suddenly the dog leaped over her, knocking her to the ground. When Yoshiko looked up, the first thing she saw was sharp teeth, and a pair of glowing red eyes. It wasn't just a random savage beast; it wanted to kill her and her unborn baby specifically. She cringed away and braced herself-
Then suddenly an arrow struck its neck.
Yoshiko gasped and drew back. The dog growled and tried to bite her again. A second arrow slashed into the startled dog's neck, making it stagger. For a moment, blood poured down its flanks. Then it crumpled to the ground, still growling faintly at her.
"Yoshiko!" A familiar figure suddenly ran out of the woods, clutching a bow.
"Samadu?" Yoshiko gasped.
For a moment, she had thought it was the Dog-Lord. Of course not, she thought, disappointed. He doesn't use any weapons. As the young lord ran over to her, she staggered to her feet.
"Yoshiko!" Samadu said, throwing his arms around her. "Are you all right? Did that brute harm you?"
"No, I'm all right," Yoshiko said dazedly. She clung to Samadu as he led her back to the palace. Normally the young man's protectiveness would have annoyed her. But the shaken girl was grateful to him -- not just for saving her, and unknowingly her child, but for comforting her.
Yoshiko suddenly felt guilty. She looked up at Samadu; apparently thinking that she wanted comfort, he smiled and squeezed her shoulders. Samadu, she thought. I wish for your sake... you had fallen in love with someone other than me.
.
"Milady!"
Yoshiko raised her head as Myoga landed beside her head. Samadu had ushered her to her room when they returned, and insisted that he would explain what had happened to her father. Yoshiko had been grateful to him for that. So she slipped out of her ruined clothing and reclined near the window in just an undergown. Her maid bandaged her bruised, bloody feet, then withdrew to leave her mistress alone.
"Where were you, Myoga?" she asked.
"On my way here!" Myoga gasped, wiping his forehead. "Milady, are you all right? Were you hurt?"
"No," Yoshiko said slowly. "Samadu stopped the dog before it could bite me."
"Well, that's good," Myoga said pensively. "Dear me... milady, you mustn't leave the palace in future. It's for your own safety."
"But I-"
"I was instructed by milord to make sure you would be safe," the flea announced. "And you mustn't leave the palace. If you do, then another beast like that dog may attack you." He hopped onto her shoulder. "You mustn't risk yourself, or milord's younger child," he said sternly.
"You mean... you think that wasn't just a wild animal?" she said slowly.
"I don't know," Myoga said, frowning. "But one thing I do know is that... well, I shouldn't make assumptions just yet. But milord will know what to do better than I do."
He hopped off her shoulder. "I shall return in the morning! Don't leave the palace."
TO BE CONTINUED
.
Yoshiko froze. It was the best thing to do when cornered by an angry dog -- but something inside her whispered that it made no difference. That she should run. That if she stayed still, the dog would suddenly leap on her and rip out her throat. Shivering, Yoshiko reached behind her and picked up a jagged stone.
"Milady, run!" Myoga's voice wailed from above her. "That dog is going to kill you!"
That was all Yoshiko needed. She threw the rock at the dog's face; the stone only glanced off its muzzle, but it made the giant beast stagger.
"Run! Run! Quickly, head back!" Myoga shrieked.
The dog snarled again.
"But what about-"
"It won't come after me! RUN!"
Yoshiko threw another rock at the dog, then staggered to her feet and began running as fast as she could. Her thin sandals flew off, and the rocks and twigs stung her bare feet. But she didn't dare to slow down. When she looked behind her, she could see the a streak of white running swiftly after her.
It's after my baby! she thought suddenly, not sure how she knew.
Her foot slipped, and Yoshiko fell to her knees. She could feel the dog's hot breath as it rushed toward her; it leaped into the air, landing at her feet and tried to bit her. But Yoshiko twisted around, and the dog only got a mouthful of her heavy cloak and silk kimonos. With a disgusted growl, the dog tore away a chunk of her clothing and spat it out. Then it began racing after the fleeing girl again.
I have to get back home! Yoshiko thought wildly, running as quickly as she could over fallen trees and rocky embankments.
But then suddenly the dog leaped over her, knocking her to the ground. When Yoshiko looked up, the first thing she saw was sharp teeth, and a pair of glowing red eyes. It wasn't just a random savage beast; it wanted to kill her and her unborn baby specifically. She cringed away and braced herself-
Then suddenly an arrow struck its neck.
Yoshiko gasped and drew back. The dog growled and tried to bite her again. A second arrow slashed into the startled dog's neck, making it stagger. For a moment, blood poured down its flanks. Then it crumpled to the ground, still growling faintly at her.
"Yoshiko!" A familiar figure suddenly ran out of the woods, clutching a bow.
"Samadu?" Yoshiko gasped.
For a moment, she had thought it was the Dog-Lord. Of course not, she thought, disappointed. He doesn't use any weapons. As the young lord ran over to her, she staggered to her feet.
"Yoshiko!" Samadu said, throwing his arms around her. "Are you all right? Did that brute harm you?"
"No, I'm all right," Yoshiko said dazedly. She clung to Samadu as he led her back to the palace. Normally the young man's protectiveness would have annoyed her. But the shaken girl was grateful to him -- not just for saving her, and unknowingly her child, but for comforting her.
Yoshiko suddenly felt guilty. She looked up at Samadu; apparently thinking that she wanted comfort, he smiled and squeezed her shoulders. Samadu, she thought. I wish for your sake... you had fallen in love with someone other than me.
.
"Milady!"
Yoshiko raised her head as Myoga landed beside her head. Samadu had ushered her to her room when they returned, and insisted that he would explain what had happened to her father. Yoshiko had been grateful to him for that. So she slipped out of her ruined clothing and reclined near the window in just an undergown. Her maid bandaged her bruised, bloody feet, then withdrew to leave her mistress alone.
"Where were you, Myoga?" she asked.
"On my way here!" Myoga gasped, wiping his forehead. "Milady, are you all right? Were you hurt?"
"No," Yoshiko said slowly. "Samadu stopped the dog before it could bite me."
"Well, that's good," Myoga said pensively. "Dear me... milady, you mustn't leave the palace in future. It's for your own safety."
"But I-"
"I was instructed by milord to make sure you would be safe," the flea announced. "And you mustn't leave the palace. If you do, then another beast like that dog may attack you." He hopped onto her shoulder. "You mustn't risk yourself, or milord's younger child," he said sternly.
"You mean... you think that wasn't just a wild animal?" she said slowly.
"I don't know," Myoga said, frowning. "But one thing I do know is that... well, I shouldn't make assumptions just yet. But milord will know what to do better than I do."
He hopped off her shoulder. "I shall return in the morning! Don't leave the palace."
TO BE CONTINUED