Elizabeth Knight
Chapter 16
Zantha moaned as she awoke. Her head pounded and her side hurt. She felt a small hand place a cool rag on her head.
"Every things going to be ok now." a soft voice told her. Something was wrong. Very, very wrong she thought as she recognized the voice. It was...It was...Zantha's eyes flashed open. It was Bra!
"Where a I?" Zantha panicked and sat up too quickly. Her head was spinning in circles and making her stomach queasy. Bra pushed her back down on the straw cot. When the spinning slowed down, Zantha cracked her eyes and glanced around the tree house. Home! She was home!
"What are you doing here?" Zantha ask her. "How long have we been here?"
"Shhh. Don't talk. You're not out of this mess yet." Bra informed her, as Kyle came up behind her.
"She shouldn't be here, Kyle. Why did you bring her here? Vegeta and Trunks will come after us now."
"Don't fool yourself, Zantha. Trunks would come anyway to claim you. The only difference now is that he won't be coming alone."
"Then take her back, Kyle. Our people's lives are in danger. Trunks and Vegeta will tear this village out from under us to get her. You can't start a war over her, Kyle."
"I can't take her back. Besides, it's already too late. You've been out long enough for them to have had plenty of time to find us."
"It's never too late to take her back. You can end this before it begins."
"I'm not taking her back, Zantha. We'll find another way to keep this from blowing up."
"Why are you so intent on destroying us?"
He didn't answer her at first. Zantha looked at Bra's blushing face, and back to Kyle's possessive stance over her. "I can't give her back now, Zantha. She's my mate. I've petitioned the council for their acceptance of my choice. If they accept everyone else will have to follow their lead, and we'll live here among my people."
"And if they don't?" Zantha ask in shock.
"They will." he growled. "They owe me." Everyone turned to look at the small party that entered the tree house.
"The scouting party we sent out to cover our tracks has returned." RepSarah told Kyle, then looked at Zantha. "It's nice to see you're finally awake. Trunks is on his way with a small army led by his father. It doesn't look like they took to kindly to you running off with one of their kind, Kyle."
"I had no choice in the matter!" he said exasperated. Bra laid a hand over his and looked up at him with a sorrowful expression on her face. "It's not your fault." he told her as he bent down to place a reassuring kiss on her lips.
"It might be best on everyone if we weren't here when they arrived, Zantha. It would give them one less reason to attack your village. If we leave now we should have a day or two head start on them. That will give us time to cover all our tracks so we won't be found." RepSarah looked at her for her answer.
She wanted to see Trunks again, but not at the risk of a war here. If he was well enough to track them down and start a fight, he must be fine and healthy again. It really was amazing how quickly they recovered. Zantha looked over at Bra.
She shook her head. "I know my brother doesn't always act like it, but I know he's in love with you. I can't promise your safety if you go with him though. After what my father did, and your imprisonment it would make it hard to want to go back. If you were here, Trunks might not let you decide. The choice is yours."
"Alright, I'll go." Zantha sat up very slowly as the others helped her out of the straw cot.
"Isaru, come help." RepSarah called over her shoulder to a group of men in the doorway. A reptile and a young ware lion came forward to help. They each took an arm and helped her to her feet.
"Do you think you can walk?" ask the ware lion.
"I don't know, but I'm going to try." Zantha answered, as she took a few wobbly steps forward and fell. "I think I'll make it with a little help." They helped her to her feet again and started for the door slowly. RepSarah shifted and followed them out.
"We'll fly. The saiyans won't be flying and we'll make better time if we do. Isaru, if you'll carry Zantha, I'll get Jonathen."
The reptile nodded and shifted into an impressive small dragon. "Climb on." he told her, presenting her with his back. He was still quite a bit larger than she was so she used his tail to help her climb up behind his wings. Giving RepSarah a thumbs up, they all took off
Trunks climbed out of bed against his mother's instruction and got dressed. Goten stirred in the chair he had spent the night in. "I thought your mother insisted on you staying put." Goten teased.
"She did, and she left you as a body guard."
"Yea, but that was her second mistake." They both laughed as they headed out the door and down the stairs.
Bulma was waiting for them at the bottom frowning. "Goku's in the living room. He said he'd like a word with the two of you." Trunks and Goten exchanged glances as they headed for the livingroom. When they walked in Goku gestured for them to take a seat across form him.
"Vegeta has some men together who've been combing the woods for any signs of Bra. They think they've found something and are preparing to leave. I want the two of you to come with us."
"Of corse." They replied in unison.
"We've also come to a conclusion about Zantha, Trunks. Vegeta and I got them to agree that if she's your mate, and if she'll swear allegiance to us, then she can stay here in the city. As your mate, you'll be answerable for her actions."
"I appreciate all you've done for us, Goku."
"I look at you as one of my own sons, Trunks. You're happiness means a lot to me and my family. I know if it were Goten, you'd do the same." he acknowledged. The two got up to leave and were almost to the door before they heard Goku. "One more thing, Goten." he said halting his son from leaving. Trunks stopped as well to wait. He had an idea of what he might hear. "Sarah's been reported missing as well. They say she's the one who found Zantha's body and had it carried into the compound. The council believes she either conspired with the natives or she is one. Why don't you tell me."
Goten walked back over to the couch and sat back down. Looking his father in the eyes, he took a deep breath and ask, "How did you know?"
"She came to me to get a transfer the other day. She had your scent all over her. Why didn't you tell me? How long have you known?"
"I've known someone was watching me for a long time. She intrigued me, father. She came into my room every night. I couldn't prove it, because I couldn't see her, but I felt her presence. I made sure not to bring anything in she could use against us, but I thought I could handle her. I didn't know who it was, until she came to me at the tower."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I thought I'd scared her bad enough she wouldn't be back."
"How did she get...."
"Please don't ask, father. I can say no more about it, except that if it is your will, I will hunt her down and bring her back."
"This wouldn't be like Zantha's situation, Goten. The council isn't going to let you have her. She's already proven a traitor. If you brought her back they'd imprison her."
"What is it you'd have me do, father?"
"I leave this situation in your hands, Goten. I simply wanted you to know what the consequences would be if she were caught....by anyone. If she comes back....."
"I'll bring her to you."
"Goten, I expected better. Warn her not to come. If she came, I would hate to speculate what her motives were. You would know better than I, I believe."
The search was a disaster. There were so many different trails it seemed impossible that they were going to find one they could follow. Then a freak rainstorm wiped out most of the trails. They followed the only real trail left and within the day they were at the edge of a strange deserted camp. There were fires still going, but no one to tend them. Trunks came forward to look around more carefully.
"Trunks! How nice to see you again." As Trunks looked around he saw Kyle up in a tall tree standing on a plank walkway. When he looked closer into the leaves he could see houses with walkways connecting them from tree to tree. It was like a village built in the sky, and well hidden by the trees.
"I've come for my sister, and my mate, Kyle. If I have to, I'll burn this place to the ground just like you did to my city."
Kyle tossed back his head and laughed as more saiyans came into the clearing. "Your mate? Who might that be? I wasn't even aware you had taken one."
Trunks ground his teeth and seethed. He detested this cat man's laughter. He watched Kyle climb down to the ground with several others through narrowed eyes. There was something different about him. He wore his hair tied back with a blood red velvet scarf that Trunks recognized. It was Bra's. "Where's my sister."
"Don't worry, she's safe." he smiled.
"And Zantha?"
Kyle's eyes frowned for a moment as a strange look passed over his face. "Fine. She's healing well considering all the damage done to her from your father. So you've really come for my sister, and my mate? How ironic don't you think?"
Trunks stepped in front of his father as Goten reached out to grab Vegeta. "We don't want a fight if we can help it Vegeta. Cool down." Goten kept his voice quiet.
"I'm not playing with you, Kyle. If you've hurt my sister I'll kill you." Trunks took an aggressive step forward, and drew his sword. Several natives came to stand next to Kyle with their weapons drawn as well.
"Easy my new brother. Bra would be very upset with me if I were forced to kill you. Besides, you're only angry because I've claimed my what's mine and you've yet to capture your run away song bird."
"My sister isn't yours! I will bring her home." he charged Kyle despite the other natives.
"Trunks no!" Bra screamed down from the balcony she stood on.
Trunks looked up at her and gave a sigh of relief. At least she looked ok. "Are you alright Bra?"
"Of course. I'm a saiyan too, ya know." She smirked down at him.
"Where's Zantha?"
Bra crossed her arms over her chest and defiantly refused to answer. White Fang came to stand beside her at the rail and looked down on the two groups.
"She's not here. Kyle, as much as we wish we could repay your services by granting you your request to keep your mate here among us, we have to send her back. Our peoples lives can't be put in danger because of her." White Fang gave him a sympathetic smile.
"Did you ask her what she wanted?"
"What she wants is irrelevant, Kyle. If they're demanding her return, then she has to go back. This ruling is non-negotiable." White Fang's voice had a ring of finality to it that made the cat man flinch.
"What about my sister?"
"Zantha is ours. She's a heroine to these people, and I doubt they'd take kindly to anyone trying to force her to return to a place that treated her so cruelly."
"And what if I refuse to leave without her?" Trunks called up to the one eyed ware wolf.
"It would be unreasonable to start a fight for her now. She is gone."
"Is this True, Kyle?" Trunks ask the cat man. Kyle nodded his head.
"Lets go." Goku commanded the men. They backed out slowly expecting an attack, but none came. Goten came up next to Trunks and Bra.
"So what's that?" he ask pointing to the strange medallion Bra wore.
"It's Kyle's stone charm. It's meant to protect whomever wears it. It has the symbol for his name on it so that it shows ownership. Something like a wedding ring. All natives have stone charms."
"Vegeta isn't going to like that." Goten was quiet for a moment. "So you're really his mate then?" he ask.
Bra smiled mischievously. "Can't you smell, Goten?"
"We can smell just fine. "Trunks grumbled as he glanced over at the stone charm on her neck. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned on her grabbing at the stone.
"What are you doing?" she ask trying to fight him off. "Don't touch that, it's mine!!"
"Hold still, I just want to look at it." He pulled another stone out from under his shirt. It hung on a long chair around his neck.
"Where did you get that? I've never seen it before." Bra gazed at the pretty red stone in awe. Trunks looked over at Goten who was also looking at the stone in surprise.
"Zantha gave it to me the day I pulled the arrow from her shoulder." he told them. "I'm going back."
"Wait!" she called after him. "She's not there!"
"Maybe not, but I bet you my new brother-in-law knows where she's at."
"He doesn't know. RepSarah and Zantha thought it would be better if no one knew."
"RepSarah?" Goten ask. "I'd better come with you Trunks." Goten sped off after him, leaving a confounded Bra behind.
They searched for hours but finally gave up when it began to rain again.