Six
began to fight Loudes. The gorilla may have been two sizes bigger, but Thade could move much more quickly and easily. Just as he was about to plunge his sword into the gorilla's chest, Loudes slammed his blade into Thade's ribcage.
Thade fell back and clutched his side. Everything went bright, then dark, and finally black...
Ari, Leeta and Daleya waited anxiously for the army to return. Ari stood at her balcony. She could see the light from the flames of their torchs, but there were so few left.
"What if Thade isn't alive?" Ari demanded, spinning around to face the other two. She fidgeted with the ring she had put back on her finger.
"What if they killed him?"
Leeta stood up and went to Ari, trying to comfort her. Ari pulled away and went to look out over the balcony again.
"Ari!" Leeta scolded. "Thade is going to be fine. He's probably the most experienced one out of everybody there. I'd worry about the younger ones."
Daleya paled and shuddered. "Like Usis."
Ari turned to Daleya. She had begun to sob uncontrollably. Ari put an arm around her.
"He's almost as good as Thade and Attar," Ari soothed. "He'll be fine."
"Ari!" called Sandar, from the lower floor. "They're back!"
The three females dashed down the stairs and out the front door. Attar was alone with the rest of the army behind him.
Cold panic swept through Ari like water. If Thade wasn't with Attar, then he wasn't there at all. She ran up to Attar and gave him a questioning look.
"Where is he?' she cried.
"Ari-" Attar started.
"Where is he?" This time Ari screamed it.
"He was hurt badly, Ari" Attar looked away from her."I don't think he's going to make it. We lost so many, but we won. I managed to kill the general, Loudes."
Ari sunk to the ground and sobbed. "Who did this to him?" she asked, her voice now very meek.
"Loudes," Attar said. "But I killed him."
"Good," Ari said, coldly, with no compassion in her voice.
"They took Thade to his house. He's being taken care of there." Attar climbed down off his horse and gave the reins to Ari."Take the horse."
Ari nodded her thanks, climbed onto the horse, and rode to Thade's horse as fast as she could.
Thade lay there, in his bed, his breathing shallow. There was a thick bandage around his waist, but blood had begun to seep through. Ari choked back sobs as she quietly entered.
Thade opened his eyes and looked up at her. She reached for his hand, and gently stroked the fur on his fingers. He smiled at her.
"Don't leave me," Ari begged. "I just got you back. Please don't leave me again."
Thade could barely nod his head, but he smiled again.
"I would never leave you. I will be with you always. My time may be up, but I will still be with you in spirit."
Ari shook her head, and leaned forward. "No, don't talk like that!" she whispered, tears running down her face.
Thade brushed them away. "But it may be true."
Ari shook her head again. " It's not true. We just started again, Thade. This is the house we're going to spend our first night in as a married couple. The house where are children will be born. This is the house are love will be kept in."
Thade cupped Ari's face in his hands. "I love you so much," he said. "don't ever forget that."
Thade lay back down on his pillow, and fell into a deep, painful sleep, leaving Ari to sob at his side.
began to fight Loudes. The gorilla may have been two sizes bigger, but Thade could move much more quickly and easily. Just as he was about to plunge his sword into the gorilla's chest, Loudes slammed his blade into Thade's ribcage.
Thade fell back and clutched his side. Everything went bright, then dark, and finally black...
Ari, Leeta and Daleya waited anxiously for the army to return. Ari stood at her balcony. She could see the light from the flames of their torchs, but there were so few left.
"What if Thade isn't alive?" Ari demanded, spinning around to face the other two. She fidgeted with the ring she had put back on her finger.
"What if they killed him?"
Leeta stood up and went to Ari, trying to comfort her. Ari pulled away and went to look out over the balcony again.
"Ari!" Leeta scolded. "Thade is going to be fine. He's probably the most experienced one out of everybody there. I'd worry about the younger ones."
Daleya paled and shuddered. "Like Usis."
Ari turned to Daleya. She had begun to sob uncontrollably. Ari put an arm around her.
"He's almost as good as Thade and Attar," Ari soothed. "He'll be fine."
"Ari!" called Sandar, from the lower floor. "They're back!"
The three females dashed down the stairs and out the front door. Attar was alone with the rest of the army behind him.
Cold panic swept through Ari like water. If Thade wasn't with Attar, then he wasn't there at all. She ran up to Attar and gave him a questioning look.
"Where is he?' she cried.
"Ari-" Attar started.
"Where is he?" This time Ari screamed it.
"He was hurt badly, Ari" Attar looked away from her."I don't think he's going to make it. We lost so many, but we won. I managed to kill the general, Loudes."
Ari sunk to the ground and sobbed. "Who did this to him?" she asked, her voice now very meek.
"Loudes," Attar said. "But I killed him."
"Good," Ari said, coldly, with no compassion in her voice.
"They took Thade to his house. He's being taken care of there." Attar climbed down off his horse and gave the reins to Ari."Take the horse."
Ari nodded her thanks, climbed onto the horse, and rode to Thade's horse as fast as she could.
Thade lay there, in his bed, his breathing shallow. There was a thick bandage around his waist, but blood had begun to seep through. Ari choked back sobs as she quietly entered.
Thade opened his eyes and looked up at her. She reached for his hand, and gently stroked the fur on his fingers. He smiled at her.
"Don't leave me," Ari begged. "I just got you back. Please don't leave me again."
Thade could barely nod his head, but he smiled again.
"I would never leave you. I will be with you always. My time may be up, but I will still be with you in spirit."
Ari shook her head, and leaned forward. "No, don't talk like that!" she whispered, tears running down her face.
Thade brushed them away. "But it may be true."
Ari shook her head again. " It's not true. We just started again, Thade. This is the house we're going to spend our first night in as a married couple. The house where are children will be born. This is the house are love will be kept in."
Thade cupped Ari's face in his hands. "I love you so much," he said. "don't ever forget that."
Thade lay back down on his pillow, and fell into a deep, painful sleep, leaving Ari to sob at his side.
