Chapter 4
Ayame rode through the meadow, her thoughts on her encounter with the Lexington family. She now realized that she was wrong to have reacted the way that she did and she cursed her fiery temper for getting her into trouble once again. She absently stroked Heliotrope's neck as she rode, taking comfort from the horse.
They entered the woods and instantly, Heli's ears laid back flat on his head. He snorted nervously and Ayame at once switched to a defensive mode, her eyes darting back and forth as she scanned the scenery.
She saw and heard nothing and slowly, she relaxed. She soothed her horse and urged him forward. He balked slightly but followed his mistress' command. She guided him through the dense forest and her mind turned back to Sakon and their fight. She was so immersed in her musings that she did not see the huge figure lurking in the trees above her until it was too late.
The rustling above drew her attention and she looked up just in time to see the black creature descending on her. She managed to pull Heli sharply to the side and took the brunt of the creature's attack on her left arm. She screamed with the pain and clenched her teeth over the waves of dizziness that threatened to overtake her.
Mentally cursing herself for not paying attention, she drew a short sword from her belt and faced her assailant. Brown saliva dripped from its fangs and its beady black eyes glittered with hunger. She could see Heli quivering behind the monster and she knew that if she did not do something fast, her beloved horse would die next. He would refuse to desert her, even if it meant his death.
She pulled out her disc and sent it flying. For all the strength the thing had, apparently it was not too bright for it simply stared at the shiny object headed its way. The disc sliced through it and the thing vanished in a buff of noxious air and slime. She stared at the spot for a few seconds, then dizziness overtook her and she swayed. Her foot slipped off the edge of the incline that she was standing on and she overbalanced, rolling down to the foot of the hill, where she lay, unconscious.
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Sakon stormed downstairs and into the foyer where he met Kit and Aphro. His brother's wife studied him and then she smiled. "She went that way," she said pointing towards the forest.
Sakon glared at her. "What makes you think I give a damn?"
"Uh, the roses in your cheeks?" she volunteered as Kit burst out laughing.
Sakon made a rude gesture to the both of them and walked out. He headed towards the stables where he found Bellese already saddled and ready to go. He shook his head. "Aphro, you jackass," he murmured.
He mounted the stallion and rode off in the direction of the forest, his thoughts on the encounter with the dark beauty. He had sat in his study for over four hours, stewing over her high-handed words, until the sun began to dip low in the horizon. Then he had realized that she had just been sent to do a job and that maybe losing his temper wasn't the right thing to do. He should have explained the thing to her in a rational manner and let her draw her own conclusions.
He knew that chances were slim to none that he would catch up with her but he had to try. He knew all of the shortcuts through the woods and he felt that he would not be at peace unless he made SOME sort of attempt to apologize.
He cut through the meadow and headed in the direction of the river. As he rode onwards, his acute sense of hearing picked up the whicker of a horse. He reigned in Bell and headed in the direction of the sound.
Five minutes later, he came upon an incline where a horse stood. He recognized the animal as the one that Ayame was riding and a cold fist of fear clenched in his gut. He dismounted and walked to the beast. There was no sign of Ayame anywhere but he picked up the scent of blood. Looking around, he saw a large, congealed puddle of the liquid on the floor near his feet and splashes of it on the surrounding greenery.
He cursed fluently and his eyes scanned the area. It was the horse that drew his attention by nudging him towards the incline. He looked down and saw a dark shape lying amongst the shadows of the foot of the hill.
He practically flew down the small incline to her side. He turned her over and was appalled by the amount of blood covering her cloak. Her face was pale and her breathing was incredibly shallow.
He lifted her carefully and started back up the hill. Once at the top, he mounted Bell, all the while holding Ayame carefully in front of him. Her horse followed them closely and he marveled at the well-trained animal. When he reached to the mansion, he vaulted off the horse and ran into the house, calling for help.
Kit and Nick were the first two to meet him and they both stopped in their tracks as they saw the bundle in his arms.
"Holy shit! What happened?" Nick asked.
"I'm not sure," Sakon replied tersely, "but she's lost a lot of blood and she needs medical attention NOW!"
"Well we shall call Ry," Kit replied. "Remember she also studied medicine - so she should be able to help."
Sakon nodded and started up the stairs. "I'm carrying her to my wing - send Ry to the room next to mine."
Kit nodded and headed off to find his wife. Sakon turned to Nick. "Find some clean bandages and hot water." As his brother walked off, Sakon headed to the elevator and went up to the fifth floor. He stepped out when it stopped and headed to the room to the right of his. He opened the door and entered, walking towards the large, queen-sized bed and placing her gently upon it.
He removed the cloak and drew in a sharp breath at the nasty gash on her upper left arm. It was swollen and the flesh around it was an angry purple color. He tossed the cloak aside and turned when he heard a noise in the doorway. There he saw Aphro with her hand clasped to her mouth.
"Is she going to be okay?" she asked.
"I don't know," Sakon replied grimly. "It looks pretty bad."
Just then Ryona elbowed her way past Aphrodite and strode to the bed. "My God! What happened to her?"
"I'm not sure. It looked as if she was attacked. That wound looks like a bite," Sakon replied.
Ry studied it. "True. I wonder what could have done that to her. We have no dangerous animals in the woods. Unless." her voice trailed off.
Sakon had thought about the same thing. "The creature that had attacked you and Kit the other night!"
"Exactly!" Ry said. "Now get out."
"Huh?"
"Well, I need to take off her clothes and I don't think that she'd appreciate having you ogle her. I'll call you when I'm finished."
Sakon nodded and left.
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Ayame rode through the meadow, her thoughts on her encounter with the Lexington family. She now realized that she was wrong to have reacted the way that she did and she cursed her fiery temper for getting her into trouble once again. She absently stroked Heliotrope's neck as she rode, taking comfort from the horse.
They entered the woods and instantly, Heli's ears laid back flat on his head. He snorted nervously and Ayame at once switched to a defensive mode, her eyes darting back and forth as she scanned the scenery.
She saw and heard nothing and slowly, she relaxed. She soothed her horse and urged him forward. He balked slightly but followed his mistress' command. She guided him through the dense forest and her mind turned back to Sakon and their fight. She was so immersed in her musings that she did not see the huge figure lurking in the trees above her until it was too late.
The rustling above drew her attention and she looked up just in time to see the black creature descending on her. She managed to pull Heli sharply to the side and took the brunt of the creature's attack on her left arm. She screamed with the pain and clenched her teeth over the waves of dizziness that threatened to overtake her.
Mentally cursing herself for not paying attention, she drew a short sword from her belt and faced her assailant. Brown saliva dripped from its fangs and its beady black eyes glittered with hunger. She could see Heli quivering behind the monster and she knew that if she did not do something fast, her beloved horse would die next. He would refuse to desert her, even if it meant his death.
She pulled out her disc and sent it flying. For all the strength the thing had, apparently it was not too bright for it simply stared at the shiny object headed its way. The disc sliced through it and the thing vanished in a buff of noxious air and slime. She stared at the spot for a few seconds, then dizziness overtook her and she swayed. Her foot slipped off the edge of the incline that she was standing on and she overbalanced, rolling down to the foot of the hill, where she lay, unconscious.
************************************************
Sakon stormed downstairs and into the foyer where he met Kit and Aphro. His brother's wife studied him and then she smiled. "She went that way," she said pointing towards the forest.
Sakon glared at her. "What makes you think I give a damn?"
"Uh, the roses in your cheeks?" she volunteered as Kit burst out laughing.
Sakon made a rude gesture to the both of them and walked out. He headed towards the stables where he found Bellese already saddled and ready to go. He shook his head. "Aphro, you jackass," he murmured.
He mounted the stallion and rode off in the direction of the forest, his thoughts on the encounter with the dark beauty. He had sat in his study for over four hours, stewing over her high-handed words, until the sun began to dip low in the horizon. Then he had realized that she had just been sent to do a job and that maybe losing his temper wasn't the right thing to do. He should have explained the thing to her in a rational manner and let her draw her own conclusions.
He knew that chances were slim to none that he would catch up with her but he had to try. He knew all of the shortcuts through the woods and he felt that he would not be at peace unless he made SOME sort of attempt to apologize.
He cut through the meadow and headed in the direction of the river. As he rode onwards, his acute sense of hearing picked up the whicker of a horse. He reigned in Bell and headed in the direction of the sound.
Five minutes later, he came upon an incline where a horse stood. He recognized the animal as the one that Ayame was riding and a cold fist of fear clenched in his gut. He dismounted and walked to the beast. There was no sign of Ayame anywhere but he picked up the scent of blood. Looking around, he saw a large, congealed puddle of the liquid on the floor near his feet and splashes of it on the surrounding greenery.
He cursed fluently and his eyes scanned the area. It was the horse that drew his attention by nudging him towards the incline. He looked down and saw a dark shape lying amongst the shadows of the foot of the hill.
He practically flew down the small incline to her side. He turned her over and was appalled by the amount of blood covering her cloak. Her face was pale and her breathing was incredibly shallow.
He lifted her carefully and started back up the hill. Once at the top, he mounted Bell, all the while holding Ayame carefully in front of him. Her horse followed them closely and he marveled at the well-trained animal. When he reached to the mansion, he vaulted off the horse and ran into the house, calling for help.
Kit and Nick were the first two to meet him and they both stopped in their tracks as they saw the bundle in his arms.
"Holy shit! What happened?" Nick asked.
"I'm not sure," Sakon replied tersely, "but she's lost a lot of blood and she needs medical attention NOW!"
"Well we shall call Ry," Kit replied. "Remember she also studied medicine - so she should be able to help."
Sakon nodded and started up the stairs. "I'm carrying her to my wing - send Ry to the room next to mine."
Kit nodded and headed off to find his wife. Sakon turned to Nick. "Find some clean bandages and hot water." As his brother walked off, Sakon headed to the elevator and went up to the fifth floor. He stepped out when it stopped and headed to the room to the right of his. He opened the door and entered, walking towards the large, queen-sized bed and placing her gently upon it.
He removed the cloak and drew in a sharp breath at the nasty gash on her upper left arm. It was swollen and the flesh around it was an angry purple color. He tossed the cloak aside and turned when he heard a noise in the doorway. There he saw Aphro with her hand clasped to her mouth.
"Is she going to be okay?" she asked.
"I don't know," Sakon replied grimly. "It looks pretty bad."
Just then Ryona elbowed her way past Aphrodite and strode to the bed. "My God! What happened to her?"
"I'm not sure. It looked as if she was attacked. That wound looks like a bite," Sakon replied.
Ry studied it. "True. I wonder what could have done that to her. We have no dangerous animals in the woods. Unless." her voice trailed off.
Sakon had thought about the same thing. "The creature that had attacked you and Kit the other night!"
"Exactly!" Ry said. "Now get out."
"Huh?"
"Well, I need to take off her clothes and I don't think that she'd appreciate having you ogle her. I'll call you when I'm finished."
Sakon nodded and left.
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