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Onua Chamtong of the K'miri Raadeh
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Pain. Every inch of Onua's body was saturated in it. Fresh cuts and contusions ran down her torso, arms, and legs.
Onua listened helplessly as her husband bolted the door of the home tightly. A few moments later she smelled smoke.
He'd lit the house on fire!
A puppy barked. Tahoi was big for his age, and always getting underfoot. Onua tried to shoo him away; she was afraid he'd unintentionally make her wounds worse. She was too weak to lift her arms.
As Onua drifted in and out of consciousness, Tahoi grabbed a hold of the collar of her dress. Once he got to the back door, he put his big paws up on the weak hinges, and it fell open.
Tahoi slowly pulled Onua to safety, her blood leaving a trail in the grass. Onua became aware that she was outside. The sun was bright, but she was partly in the shade of a big tree. Tahoi barked again, and then left her side, running down the road.
At length he brought a group of riders. A tall man who was perched peculiarly on his spotted gelding saw her first.
"Mithros, Mynoss, and Shakith!" he mumbled, jumping down. "Alanna, come quick!" he called towards his companions. Then he turned to Onua.
Tahoi gave a single bark and sat at her side.
"It's alright now," the man said gently. "We were riding by and saw the smoke. We would have passed on if not for this boy. He saved your life."
Onua struggled to slowly turn her head towards the puppy. Her dry, cracked lips couldn't form the words 'thank you.' He started licking her neck playfully; Onua knew that Tahoi understood.