p class="MsoNormal"strongemAN: /em/strongemSo I finally got ahold of my hard copy of this story and typed up. I was speed typing, so please excuse any typing errors I may have made. Thank you!/em/p
p class="MsoNormal"strongPart 3: My Cousin Nearly Dies/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" Po had given Katsa one of his rings – so that if we ever should need to sail to Po's castle on the west coast of Lienad, we could get passage on a Lienid ship without question; they would know we acted on P's instructions, and they would welcome us and assist style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWhen I woke up, Katsa and I took care of the horses and gathered style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa caught fish for breakfast and I picked style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa was absolutely style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanShe had kept watch all of last night so that Po could rest up for today. Did she ever sleep?/p
p class="MsoNormal""When did you last sleep?" I asked./p
p class="MsoNormal"She didn't answer me, but said, "I don't need as much sleep as other people."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm tired," I observed./p
p class="MsoNormal""Are you cold or hot or hungry?" Katsa wanted to know./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm only tired," I said, shaking my head./p
p class="MsoNormal"" style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt's safe for you to sleep." Katsa style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"It's best for you to keep up your strength." So I slept./p
p class="MsoNormal"Katsa woke me at sunset, and we erased all evidence that we had been at our style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanFor my cousin had not yet style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa was obviously style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI knew she cared about Po almost as much as I did, if not style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanShe hated the idea of leaving style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI knew from the look in her mismatched eyes, if not for the arguments the two Gracelings frequently style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal""Well then, Princess, we'd better be going," Katsa sighed, lifting me into a style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanShe handed me the reins, and then she stopped, as if she'd heard style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThen I heard it, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanPebbles style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa ran back to the road, and soon from my high vantage point on the horse, I saw what she'd heard – Po's horse, stumbling up the cliff path, dangerously close to the edge, its side dappled with style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanOne arrow protruded from my cousin's bloody style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa got a panicked look on her face as if she were screaming, but I heard style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanBut Po style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe lifted his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanMaybe I was too far away to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThe horse was slipping, and this time it didn't regain its balance. Horse and rider plummeted. The knight style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"PO!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"And then she tore down the cliff after style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI jumped off the horse and watched Katsa throw off her boots and dive after Po. I held my style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanSoon Katsa was dragging a very dead-looking Po to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWas he only unconscious? Or was he really style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI was too far away to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThen suddenly, he began to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe was alive, then!/p
p class="MsoNormal"Katsa screamed at me, "The other horse, Bitterblue!span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThe other horse has the medicines!"span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI ran to obey..span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI could hear Katsa shouting at style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Po!span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanPo! What happened?" I brought the horse down the style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"I need your help," she style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI did whatever she told me, tearing open bags to find medicine, and clothing to dry him or stop the bleeding of his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWhen I told this story later, the ladies of the court called me style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI wasn't style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI was terrified out of my style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI thought Po, my dear cousin Po, the only man who'd ever shown me any kindness, who was going to kill the king for me, who was going to keep me safe, was going to die./p
p class="MsoNormal"Katsa kept talking to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Can you hear me, Po?" she asked, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI don't think I'll ever again see Katsa as scared as she was style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI didn't think she could get style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Can you hear me?span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWhen happened with the king? Po!span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThe style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYou must tell me if the king is alive!" Po never style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI gave his coat back to Katsa who pushed his limp arms through the sleeves and put new dry clothes on style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt reminded me of my companion Anezka and I when we used to play dress up with rag style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanExcept for Po was the rag style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanAnd he was no better than one, he couldn't stop vomiting and he didn't style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa grabbed his chin desperately and looked into his eyes fiercely without speaking, but she seemed to be sending a style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"Finally Po's mind cleared style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe struggled to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"The king…the king… my arrow…the king is alive."/p
p class="MsoNormal"I could almost see Katsa's heart style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanShe handed Po a flask and instructed him to drink it all, then told me to get the wet things style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt's a good thing you slept today, for I need you to be strong tonight, she style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanAnd I would style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI would be the strongest I possibly style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanMe and Katsa pushed Po up onto the horse (believe me, it's not as easy as it sounds, pushing a good as unconscious full grown man onto a horse, but we did it) You behind him," Katsa told style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal"So I won't drag her down, /emspan style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"So that you can see style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanPinch him if he starts to fall off and call me if you need style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThe horse will be moving quickly – as quickly as I can run."span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI hung on tight and the horse lurched into motion on the dark mountain, Katsa leading it at a run./p
p class="MsoNormal"Soon Katsa suggested that she tie Po to the horse so that he would be able to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThis is where Po really started to confuse style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe said, "I don't want to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI want to be able to tell you if he's coming." Now what was that supposed to mean? Couldn't Katsa hear as well as Po did?/p
p class="MsoNormal""I'll tie you both to the horse," Katsa said, a silent warning flashing on her face to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"And then each of you can choose whether or not to rest."span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa's mismatched eyes pleaded at Po, telling him to rest./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'll not bleed to death," Po said with much effort and completely out of the style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanMaybe the blood loss was making my cousin style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanNo one had said anything about bleeding to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa had only wound a rope around his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI looked curiously at Po and then Katsa, but Katsa avoided my eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal"We continued on all style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI slept on and off, but I knew Katsa didn' style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThis was her second night in a row without style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI woke to find Po trying to convince Katsa to get some sleep while the fish cooked. "I'm dizzy, I'm sure I look like death, Katsa, but I'm not going to bleed to death and I'm not going to die of style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanSleep, for a few minutes," Po pleaded./p
p class="MsoNormal""He's right," I said, stepping style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"You should style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI'll take care of him." I picked up his coat and gently helped him into style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa finally agreed to sleep, and fifteen minutes later, she awoke and we style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanAfter Katsa crammed enough fish to satisfy herself into Po's mouth, I gathered the remaining fish and Katsa and I began to pick up style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal""It's good you weren't there, Katsa," Po spoke style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"For today I listened to Leck prattle on for hours about his love for his kidnapped daughter, about how his heart would be broken until he found her." As usual, my father was telling a load of stinky donkey poop, but I shuffled closer to hear Po's style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"I got through the outer guard, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI came within sight of him, finally, in the early style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHis inner guard surrounded him so closely that I couldn't get a shot at style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI waited style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI followed style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThey never once heard me, but they never once moved away from the king."/p
p class="MsoNormal""He was expecting style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThey were there for you." Katsa style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanPo nodded, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Tell us later, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanRest for now."/p
p class="MsoNormal""It's a short style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI finally decided that my only option was to take out one of his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanSo I shot style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanBut the instant he fell, of course, the king jumped for style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI shot again, and my arrow grazed Leck's neck, but only style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt was a job meant for you, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYou would have hit him style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI couldn't do it," Po style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe paused, seemingly listening to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa's mournful look said that it was a job for neither of style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"After that, of course, his inner guard was after me, and then his outer style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHis soldiers, too, once they heard the style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt was a style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI must have killed a dozen style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt was all I could do to get style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanAnd then I rode north, to throw them off the track," Po squinted at style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Leck has a bowman nearly as good as you, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYou saw what he did to the horse." Po and Katsa seemed to be having another of their silent style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI thought over Po's story in my style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanMaybe he wasn't all that style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe had tried to kill the king after style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanSuddenly, Po squinted at style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"You've begun to trust me," he observed./p
p class="MsoNormal"I let go of the feeling that he'd just answered something I'd thought rather than said and wondering how he knew that, and style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"You tried to kill the king," I stated simply./p
p class="MsoNormal""All right, enough talking," Katsa got up to smother the fire./p
p class="MsoNormal"As we continued on our way, I continued to think Po style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe'd announce random things. "Katsa you're about to step into a hole," he'd say, though he couldn't rightly see style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Bitterblue, there's a fly on your left style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanSwat it before it bites you." I was sitting behind him, but there was a fly on my ear. Po was positively mad or had eyes in the back of his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"No I don't have eyes in the back of my head, Bitterblue, I'm style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHey, do you see that nest up there?" The tree he pointed to was full and foliage hid any nest that might be up style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Stop worrying, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKeep an eye out for that mouse style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt might spook the horse."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Po seemed to get better, though it was a bad sign that his head hurt more than his shoulder and that he had to ride a horse, but I like to think part of his slow recovery was my style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanEvery time we stopped I would make sure that my cousin was settled on a rock or fallen log and help him around when he felt too style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI think everyone knew that we weren't moving fast enough, and if I knew my cousin as well as I thought I did, I was getting a premonition of what argument would be coming, sure as a storm follows dark clouds./p
p class="MsoNormal"Sure enough, one night, Po beckoned Katsa to him, holding her style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"There's something we need to do, and you're not going to like it." I busied myself collecting twigs for the fire a distance away to give them privacy, but not so far that I couldn't hear their soft conversation./p
p class="MsoNormal""What is it?" Katsa murmured into his neck./p
p class="MsoNormal""We-" Po started again. "You need to leave me behind."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What?" Katsa pulled away, and Po swayed, grabbing the horse for style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa stormed off in my direction, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI made a point to stay out of the lady killer's style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanBefore she could get to me though, she noticed Po still standing by the horse, waiting for someone to help style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI thought I saw tears in the unbeatable Katsa's eyes, but I'm sure 'twas just a trick of a style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanShe went over and helped him to the fire style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThey talked for a while, Po insisting that running was the only way to save us./p
p class="MsoNormal""Thank you Princess," Katsa said when I brought the sticks for the fire style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Here, bring the rabbit I style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI'll build the fire."/p
p class="MsoNormal""He will catch up with us, Katsa, if we continue at this style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYou have to leave me style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYou're risking Bitterblue's safety unless you leave me behind."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Katsa shot up. "And I'm risking yours if I leave you!span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI'm not going to leave you on this mountain to find your own food and build your own shelter and defend yourself when Leck comes along when…you can't even walk, Po!span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWhat are you going to do?span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanCrawl away from his soldiers?span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYour head will feel better style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYou'll get your balance back and we'll move faster."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Po style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"I won't get my balance back for some time, I think."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What do you mean?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""It doesn't matter Katsa, even if I woke up tomorrow completely healed, you'd have to leave me style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWe've only one horse. Unless you and Bitterblue ride the horse fast, you'll be overtaken."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I'll not leave you behind."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Katsa, this isn't about you or style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThis is about Bitterblue."span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa sat suddenly and look as if she were ready to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI almost wished Leck had found style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI was causing these two, my beloved cousin and his kind friend, so much pain – and I'm not just talking about the arrow in Po's style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI cried myself to sleep that night, and got the feeling I wasn't the only one doing so./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in" /p
p class="MsoNormal"strongPart 3: My Cousin Nearly Dies/strong/p
p class="MsoNormal" Po had given Katsa one of his rings – so that if we ever should need to sail to Po's castle on the west coast of Lienad, we could get passage on a Lienid ship without question; they would know we acted on P's instructions, and they would welcome us and assist style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWhen I woke up, Katsa and I took care of the horses and gathered style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa caught fish for breakfast and I picked style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa was absolutely style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanShe had kept watch all of last night so that Po could rest up for today. Did she ever sleep?/p
p class="MsoNormal""When did you last sleep?" I asked./p
p class="MsoNormal"She didn't answer me, but said, "I don't need as much sleep as other people."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm tired," I observed./p
p class="MsoNormal""Are you cold or hot or hungry?" Katsa wanted to know./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm only tired," I said, shaking my head./p
p class="MsoNormal"" style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt's safe for you to sleep." Katsa style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"It's best for you to keep up your strength." So I slept./p
p class="MsoNormal"Katsa woke me at sunset, and we erased all evidence that we had been at our style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanFor my cousin had not yet style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa was obviously style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI knew she cared about Po almost as much as I did, if not style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanShe hated the idea of leaving style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI knew from the look in her mismatched eyes, if not for the arguments the two Gracelings frequently style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal""Well then, Princess, we'd better be going," Katsa sighed, lifting me into a style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanShe handed me the reins, and then she stopped, as if she'd heard style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThen I heard it, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanPebbles style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa ran back to the road, and soon from my high vantage point on the horse, I saw what she'd heard – Po's horse, stumbling up the cliff path, dangerously close to the edge, its side dappled with style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanOne arrow protruded from my cousin's bloody style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa got a panicked look on her face as if she were screaming, but I heard style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanBut Po style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe lifted his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanMaybe I was too far away to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThe horse was slipping, and this time it didn't regain its balance. Horse and rider plummeted. The knight style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"PO!"/p
p class="MsoNormal"And then she tore down the cliff after style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI jumped off the horse and watched Katsa throw off her boots and dive after Po. I held my style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanSoon Katsa was dragging a very dead-looking Po to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWas he only unconscious? Or was he really style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI was too far away to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThen suddenly, he began to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe was alive, then!/p
p class="MsoNormal"Katsa screamed at me, "The other horse, Bitterblue!span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThe other horse has the medicines!"span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI ran to obey..span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI could hear Katsa shouting at style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Po!span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanPo! What happened?" I brought the horse down the style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"I need your help," she style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI did whatever she told me, tearing open bags to find medicine, and clothing to dry him or stop the bleeding of his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWhen I told this story later, the ladies of the court called me style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI wasn't style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI was terrified out of my style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI thought Po, my dear cousin Po, the only man who'd ever shown me any kindness, who was going to kill the king for me, who was going to keep me safe, was going to die./p
p class="MsoNormal"Katsa kept talking to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Can you hear me, Po?" she asked, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI don't think I'll ever again see Katsa as scared as she was style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI didn't think she could get style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Can you hear me?span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWhen happened with the king? Po!span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThe style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYou must tell me if the king is alive!" Po never style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI gave his coat back to Katsa who pushed his limp arms through the sleeves and put new dry clothes on style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt reminded me of my companion Anezka and I when we used to play dress up with rag style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanExcept for Po was the rag style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanAnd he was no better than one, he couldn't stop vomiting and he didn't style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa grabbed his chin desperately and looked into his eyes fiercely without speaking, but she seemed to be sending a style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal"Finally Po's mind cleared style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe struggled to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"The king…the king… my arrow…the king is alive."/p
p class="MsoNormal"I could almost see Katsa's heart style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanShe handed Po a flask and instructed him to drink it all, then told me to get the wet things style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt's a good thing you slept today, for I need you to be strong tonight, she style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanAnd I would style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI would be the strongest I possibly style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanMe and Katsa pushed Po up onto the horse (believe me, it's not as easy as it sounds, pushing a good as unconscious full grown man onto a horse, but we did it) You behind him," Katsa told style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanem style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal"So I won't drag her down, /emspan style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"So that you can see style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanPinch him if he starts to fall off and call me if you need style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThe horse will be moving quickly – as quickly as I can run."span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI hung on tight and the horse lurched into motion on the dark mountain, Katsa leading it at a run./p
p class="MsoNormal"Soon Katsa suggested that she tie Po to the horse so that he would be able to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThis is where Po really started to confuse style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe said, "I don't want to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI want to be able to tell you if he's coming." Now what was that supposed to mean? Couldn't Katsa hear as well as Po did?/p
p class="MsoNormal""I'll tie you both to the horse," Katsa said, a silent warning flashing on her face to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"And then each of you can choose whether or not to rest."span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa's mismatched eyes pleaded at Po, telling him to rest./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'll not bleed to death," Po said with much effort and completely out of the style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanMaybe the blood loss was making my cousin style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanNo one had said anything about bleeding to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa had only wound a rope around his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI looked curiously at Po and then Katsa, but Katsa avoided my eyes./p
p class="MsoNormal"We continued on all style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI slept on and off, but I knew Katsa didn' style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThis was her second night in a row without style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI woke to find Po trying to convince Katsa to get some sleep while the fish cooked. "I'm dizzy, I'm sure I look like death, Katsa, but I'm not going to bleed to death and I'm not going to die of style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanSleep, for a few minutes," Po pleaded./p
p class="MsoNormal""He's right," I said, stepping style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"You should style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI'll take care of him." I picked up his coat and gently helped him into style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa finally agreed to sleep, and fifteen minutes later, she awoke and we style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanAfter Katsa crammed enough fish to satisfy herself into Po's mouth, I gathered the remaining fish and Katsa and I began to pick up style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal""It's good you weren't there, Katsa," Po spoke style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"For today I listened to Leck prattle on for hours about his love for his kidnapped daughter, about how his heart would be broken until he found her." As usual, my father was telling a load of stinky donkey poop, but I shuffled closer to hear Po's style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"I got through the outer guard, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI came within sight of him, finally, in the early style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHis inner guard surrounded him so closely that I couldn't get a shot at style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI waited style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI followed style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThey never once heard me, but they never once moved away from the king."/p
p class="MsoNormal""He was expecting style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThey were there for you." Katsa style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanPo nodded, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Tell us later, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanRest for now."/p
p class="MsoNormal""It's a short style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI finally decided that my only option was to take out one of his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanSo I shot style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanBut the instant he fell, of course, the king jumped for style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI shot again, and my arrow grazed Leck's neck, but only style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt was a job meant for you, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYou would have hit him style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI couldn't do it," Po style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe paused, seemingly listening to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa's mournful look said that it was a job for neither of style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"After that, of course, his inner guard was after me, and then his outer style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHis soldiers, too, once they heard the style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt was a style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI must have killed a dozen style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt was all I could do to get style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanAnd then I rode north, to throw them off the track," Po squinted at style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Leck has a bowman nearly as good as you, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYou saw what he did to the horse." Po and Katsa seemed to be having another of their silent style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI thought over Po's story in my style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanMaybe he wasn't all that style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe had tried to kill the king after style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanSuddenly, Po squinted at style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"You've begun to trust me," he observed./p
p class="MsoNormal"I let go of the feeling that he'd just answered something I'd thought rather than said and wondering how he knew that, and style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"You tried to kill the king," I stated simply./p
p class="MsoNormal""All right, enough talking," Katsa got up to smother the fire./p
p class="MsoNormal"As we continued on our way, I continued to think Po style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHe'd announce random things. "Katsa you're about to step into a hole," he'd say, though he couldn't rightly see style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Bitterblue, there's a fly on your left style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanSwat it before it bites you." I was sitting behind him, but there was a fly on my ear. Po was positively mad or had eyes in the back of his style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"No I don't have eyes in the back of my head, Bitterblue, I'm style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanHey, do you see that nest up there?" The tree he pointed to was full and foliage hid any nest that might be up style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Stop worrying, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKeep an eye out for that mouse style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanIt might spook the horse."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Po seemed to get better, though it was a bad sign that his head hurt more than his shoulder and that he had to ride a horse, but I like to think part of his slow recovery was my style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanEvery time we stopped I would make sure that my cousin was settled on a rock or fallen log and help him around when he felt too style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI think everyone knew that we weren't moving fast enough, and if I knew my cousin as well as I thought I did, I was getting a premonition of what argument would be coming, sure as a storm follows dark clouds./p
p class="MsoNormal"Sure enough, one night, Po beckoned Katsa to him, holding her style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"There's something we need to do, and you're not going to like it." I busied myself collecting twigs for the fire a distance away to give them privacy, but not so far that I couldn't hear their soft conversation./p
p class="MsoNormal""What is it?" Katsa murmured into his neck./p
p class="MsoNormal""We-" Po started again. "You need to leave me behind."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What?" Katsa pulled away, and Po swayed, grabbing the horse for style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa stormed off in my direction, style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI made a point to stay out of the lady killer's style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanBefore she could get to me though, she noticed Po still standing by the horse, waiting for someone to help style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI thought I saw tears in the unbeatable Katsa's eyes, but I'm sure 'twas just a trick of a style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanShe went over and helped him to the fire style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThey talked for a while, Po insisting that running was the only way to save us./p
p class="MsoNormal""Thank you Princess," Katsa said when I brought the sticks for the fire style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"Here, bring the rabbit I style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI'll build the fire."/p
p class="MsoNormal""He will catch up with us, Katsa, if we continue at this style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYou have to leave me style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYou're risking Bitterblue's safety unless you leave me behind."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Katsa shot up. "And I'm risking yours if I leave you!span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI'm not going to leave you on this mountain to find your own food and build your own shelter and defend yourself when Leck comes along when…you can't even walk, Po!span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWhat are you going to do?span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanCrawl away from his soldiers?span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYour head will feel better style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanYou'll get your balance back and we'll move faster."/p
p class="MsoNormal"Po style="mso-spacerun:yes" /span"I won't get my balance back for some time, I think."/p
p class="MsoNormal""What do you mean?"/p
p class="MsoNormal""It doesn't matter Katsa, even if I woke up tomorrow completely healed, you'd have to leave me style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanWe've only one horse. Unless you and Bitterblue ride the horse fast, you'll be overtaken."/p
p class="MsoNormal""I'll not leave you behind."/p
p class="MsoNormal""Katsa, this isn't about you or style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanThis is about Bitterblue."span style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanKatsa sat suddenly and look as if she were ready to style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI almost wished Leck had found style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI was causing these two, my beloved cousin and his kind friend, so much pain – and I'm not just talking about the arrow in Po's style="mso-spacerun:yes" /spanI cried myself to sleep that night, and got the feeling I wasn't the only one doing so./p
p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in" /p