Dear all of my amazing readers,

I know it has been a while since the last chapter but with exams, my schedule has been pretty packed. Thank you to all new followers and favouriters, I hope you enjoy. Also thank you to Dom-loves-Kel and lollypops101 for your reviews, they mean so much to me. I'm just giving you guys a heads up that I'm only going to really be writing one or two more chapters because I'm trying to write my own book. I've had the idea to have monthly chapter writing competitions so I can still keep the story going so I was wondering what you guys thought about this? Let me know.

Lots of love,

Izzy

Chapter 15

Fallen

As soon as the bandit walked in, Qasim stabbed his side with the long curved dagger that he carried. The man collapsed, unable to breath from the huge wound to his diaphragm. Kel could hear the shouts of the bandits who were being killed and wounded by the ambushing soldiers. Kel could see a few men begin to cluster around the big man in the middle, the leader. Now she finally realized just how big that man was, seven and a half foot with arms that were over a foot circumference. This guy was enormous!

Kel led her men out of the house where they had hidden and other groups followed, heading toward the middle of the village where the large group of the bandits stood around their leader. Someone yelled out in pain as one of the men in the Own collapsed not far from where Kel stood, an arrow sticking through his calf.

'Archers', Kel shouted as a barrage of arrows poured down on the men. Some of the Own turned and and shot back at the bandits who sat on the roofs of houses and in the branches of trees. Many of them fell. It was a good thing that the me in the Own had better aim than the bandits, since while the bandits who were hit died almost instantly, most of the Kel's men who were hit were minorly wounded. Kel prayed that Dom's men were getting close enough to help in case more archers lurked nearby.

Kel turned around to see Jerome and Qasim fighting against the big leader, who had already cut down four other men with ease. Kel ran to help, trying to protect her friends from the bandit's massive sword. Kel pulled out her sword with her right hand, holding her glaive in her left, and charged. She blocked his first swing with her sword easily. The next one, which she blocked with her glaive, was much harder. The third slammed once again into her glaive, causing an uncomfortably loud crunch as Kel's wrist broke.

Sheathing her sword, she switched the glaive into her uninjured hand. Dodging his next swing, she sunk her glaive into the thick muscle on his thigh. After dislodging her blade from his leg, Kel watched as the man collapsed slightly from his bleeding leg, howling in fury. He pushed himself off the floor, eyes blazing as he swung at the lady knight. There was a streak of bright red-orange light that knocked the bandit backwards, making him stumble. Kel turned to see the young Mage Floyd Sharpner, draw his dagger and stab another bandit who ran at him. She waited as the massive man regained his balance and once again charged at her. When he came close, Kel dodged once again and stabbed his side, right beneath the his ribcage, angling her glaive upwards, possibly puncturing a lung. The man refused to succumb to his injuries, instead turning around at a speed that should have been impossible in his condition. He drove his enormous blade straight through Kel's shoulder, more than likely fracturing her collarbone.

Blood poured from the wound, causing her vision to blur and her head to spin. The man watched in sick joy as the lady knight clung to her glaive, trying to stay on her feet. Kel fell to the ground, head smashing against the hard dirt. Black dots were spreading over her range of vision, but they did not obscure the dark figure that towered over her, sword raised.

Pounding hooves echoed through the solid ground, getting quickly nearer. 'Kel!' A familiar voice shouted over the clashing weapons. The sword started to come down.

There was a shriek. Then a thunk. Then darkness.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Eerie light was all she could could see. Dark figures began to move around her. There were voices but she couldn't piece together any words. She blinked, trying to clear the blurriness from her eyes. Her head ached. She tried to move her hand but it wouldn't budge. She twitched her fingers, realizing that there was something warm wrapped around her hand. Someone was holding it. Two heads came into view, too backlit to make out any features with her blurred vision.

She blinked again, able to focus a little more on the features. 'Anders? Conal?' She croaked.

They pulled her into a massive hug, sending pain through her shoulder, making her cry out.

They released her as another voice came in, saying at they should be careful since she was still quite badly injured. The voice was female, most likely that of a healer woman.

Kel blinked, allowing her eyes to adjust well enough to see an older woman bustling around her room. Kel only now realized that she was in her own room in Mindelan. She could only assume that the other injured men were in the infirmary, but given that this was her home she had been given some special treatment.

The woman continued talking, advising her two brothers to allow her to rest. The men obeyed, only stopping when Conal turned back to ask if she wanted anything in particular.

Kel only said in response, 'a book.'

The book arrived a few minutes later. It was the same book that Ilane would read to any of her children when they were ill in bed and it made Kel feel very nostalgic.

After about two hours of reading alone in her room, there was a knock on her door. The door opened to reveal Dom, who looked tired, as though he hadn't slept. His hair was a mess and his chin showed signs of stubble.

He stood there for a moment, staring at her in relief, before walking quickly across the room to her bed. He wrapped his arms around her, careful not to hurt either her shoulder or her wrist. She buried her head into his neck, breathing in his familiar scent.

It was a few moments before he released her, saying, 'Kel, I was so worried.'

She looked up at him and asked, 'What happened? How am I still alive?'

He sighed, pausing before speaking, 'When I arrived with reinforcements, you were on the floor, bleeding, and the big bandit was standing over you about to finish you off.'

'It was you who I heard shouting!' He nodded, before she spoke again, 'When did we call for reinforcements?'

'Qasim blew the horn after your wrist was broken.' Dom continued from where Kel had interrupted him, 'Just as the bandit started to bring down his sword, there was a loud shriek. I thought I was going mad when I saw a griffin shoot down out of the sky and knock the bandit onto the ground. It killed him.'

Kel stared blankly at him, 'A griffin?'

Dom nodded, 'He's grown a bit since when you first got him. He left this for you.' He handed her a box.

She finally registered that this was the same young griffin that she had looked after while Daine searched for his parents. Opening the box, Kel found a a massive number of new griffin feathers, a mixture of various shades of gold and copper. Kel smiled as she looked at the scars that littered her hands, courtesy of the same griffin who had just saved her life.

Kel turned to her friend, 'I take it the rest of the bandits are either dead or being dragged to the capital for punishment.'

Dom smiled, 'I left that task to Evin and the riders since I had too many men in need of medical attention.'

'Did you lose anyone?' Kel asked quietly.

Dom nodded, 'One, he tried to kill the leader. I almost lost you, though. At first I thought I had.' His face was solemn as he stood up, and walked slowly toward the door. As he was about to turn the handle, he spun around and practically ran towards Kel, pressing his lips to hers. She wrapped one arm around him and held him there.

She didn't know how long she held him there, and quite honestly, she didn't care.