My monkey has coconuts up his butt. *smile*

6. Missing

She couldn't stay here.

That was the first thought that ran through her mind when she reached her tent.

The second was that her shoulder really, really hurt.

Once inside, she pulled down the shoulder of her robe so she could look at her wound. But looking at her own bleeding, torn flesh made her queasy. She needed to stop the bleeding and get the cut clean. But there was no time.

She pulled the bloody robe back over her shoulder, ignoring the cold touch of the wet cloth. She had to go. And she had to hurry.

She pulled out a travel pack, stuffed it with a canteen of water, extra robes, and some left over food. She wished there was time to pack more, but found herself already walking out through the flap of her tent.

She could hear the slight sound of hysterical screaming. Mindy had probably approached the elders of the tribes by now.

Kaprice quietly slung her pack over her uninjured shoulder and snuck into the shadows.

~*~*~*~*~

Mindy and Ryker, just before they came across the scene of the murders (this segment is from Ryker's point of view)

"Mindy, I'm tired. I just want to go get some rest." Ryker was right on the middle line of exasperation and angry impatience with the girl.

Mindy looked at him from beneath her eyelashes, a look that she probably thought was sexy. "Ryker, let me help you rest."

Ryker grabbed the hands that were sliding down his chest. "Stop." His voice was cold.

She pouted at him. "Ryker, you're hurting me." Her eyes filled with tears.

He immediately dropped her hands and stepped away from her. He forced himself to breath long, controlled breaths. He wasn't in the habit of hitting women, he wouldn't start now.

Not even with Mindy.

Suddenly, something caught his eye.

Off in the distance, he was able to see several solitary figures. It was too dark and they were too far away for him to know exactly what was going on, but he could tell that they were struggling with one another.

Mindy's hands started to wander again. This time, however, he didn't bother to control himself. He roughly grabbed her hands and pushed her arms away from him.

His gaze was sharp. "Don't touch me." There was an unspoken threat in his voice.

Mindy stared at him, lips clenched together with annoyance.

"Go find someone else to bother, Mindy," he said flatly.

Her eyes narrowed. "It's Kaprice, isn't it?"

Kaprice…his eyes strayed back to the figures that continued to struggle a distance away.

"She doesn't want you. Did you hear me? She doesn't want you. Why aren't you over her?!"

Ryker's eyes latched onto one of the figures. He should have recognized it. It was a figure that he usually recognized anywhere.

Ryker didn't realize that he had started stepping away until he felt Mindy's hand on his arm.

One of the figures fell to the ground and in that moment, Ryker started to run.

"Ryker!" Mindy's shout was full of angry frustration. She ran after him.

No. Please let her be all right. If something happened to Kaprice…

When Ryker arrived at the site, relief flooded through him. Kaprice was still standing. There was a bloody sword shining on the sand in front of her, and there was blood on her shoulder.

Then he glanced around, easily identifying the dead bodies. The bodies of the young men who had tried to hurt her. For a moment, he was filled of absolute rage. He wished that the dead men would come back to life so that he could kill them all over again.

He was so angry, that he did not hear Mindy screaming. Well, actually, he did hear it. But it didn't register.

Not until after it had faded away. And not until he realized that Kaprice was suddenly gone.

He walked over to one of the bodies, the one that had been closest to where Kaprice had been standing. Cowell. Mindy's older brother.

It took every bit of Ryker's self control not to lash out in some way at the corpse.

He had known Cowell. Not well, for Cowell was a member of the Black Sands tribe and not a member of the Black Hawks. But he had seen him at past festivals, had seen the dark, jealous looks he sent Ryker's way. The dark, almost sinister way that he always looked at Kaprice.

He hadn't known Ghris as well. He had been more quiet and reserved than Cowell.

Ryker heard Mindy's familiar screams, and the reality of the situation hit him.

With two young men dead and Mindy's hysterics, there was no way that Kaprice would get away unpunished.

Mindy was crying loudly in some young man's arms as she approached. With her was Athair, Ryker's father, the other Black tribe chieftains, and other adults.

The only coherent word that Mindy was able to speak was 'Kaprice.'

Bowdyn turned to one of the others. "Go and fetch Kaprice here. Now." The man left at a run.

"No."

A few of the men turned to glance at Ryker, but most were still trying to speak with Mindy.

"No," he said again, louder this time.

His father's gaze pinned him to his spot. "What?"

"Kaprice isn't to blame here."

Athair frowned. "Mindy says that Kaprice has killed her brother and his friend."

"Mindy isn't thinking clearly. Kaprice killed no one."

Bowdyn's glance was sour. "Then how do you explain these dead bodies?"

Ryker turned to give Bowdyn a cold glare. "I killed them."

That shocked everyone into silence, even Mindy.

Ryker glared at Mindy, daring her to speak, to object. "I came across the young men and Kaprice. They were hurting her. They pushed me into a rage, and then I killed them," he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

And amazingly, Mindy did not say any words of objection.

Bowdyn snorted. "We'll just have to see about that when Kaprice arrives to tell her story. Here comes the man I sent to get her."

The man stopped in front of the group, breathing raggedly. He was alone.

Bowdyn sighed in annoyance. "Well?"

The man shook his head as he struggled for breath. "She isn't there. I checked in her tent, asked the others. I found foot prints going that way," he paused here to motion vaguely with his arm, "but other than that, there is no trace of her. She's gone missing."

~*~*~*~

A.N. - I'm glad everyone liked my chapter 5. I liked it too.

Now I have a question for everyone: what do you think of Ryker? Love him? Hate it? Pity him? Maybe you're indifferent? Did this chapter (the way he acted) surprise you? Tell me, cuz I want to know.

I would have also asked what everyone thought about Mindy, but people have already told me what they think of her. *smile* and I will tell you right now, she only gets worse (if that's possible).

~krizsta

P.S. Would you like this extra coconut? *holds a coconut up to your face*