Defiance (Rise of the Iliri Book 3) (28 page)

"Yes, ma'am," the boy stammered.

"I am Kaisae of the Anglian army.  I control the humans, the iliri, and the grauori – and I will unleash them all on Terric if you
dare
to harm my people.  When you return home, tell them about us, and tell them we
are
coming.  The Emperor thought he could exterminate us, and now he shall pay for that."

She stood and stepped back, gesturing for the kid to climb to his feet.  A different grauori led a horse toward them, the rafrezzi female's teeth gently holding the reins.  Sal took it and the bitch trotted off, stopping to kneel at an Anglian to heal him.

"We only wanted peace," Sal told the Terran.  "We asked for none of this, but we will not let you destroy us.  We are faster, we are stronger, and there are many of us.  Go home, boy."

The kid nodded in fear, but Sal held the reins while he pulled himself onto the horse.  Tears slid from his eyes as he looked across the carnage.  The scent of his fear was overpowering.  She released the reins and turned to walk away, listening to the horse's hooves pulling from the sucking mud as it made it's way north.  Her maast was gone, her mind strangely open, and she made her way forward, begging for Roo to still be alive.  Around her, Anglians were thanking the grauori healers, some hugging the beasts as they would a fellow soldier. 

Sal's mind couldn't take it all in, and so she walked.  Ever forward, she walked.  Eventually, the sound of hooves made her look up, and Jase rode toward her, Raven and Arden slogging through the muck at a trot. 

"Sal!" he cried, breaking through her mental haze.  She heard the worry in his voice.  "Get up here.  We do na have much time.  They said she's dying.  Roo's dying!"  Tears streamed across his face.

Chapter 30

Sal cursed as she swung into the saddle and kicked her faithful mare forward.  Arden lunged to reach above the mud, striving to hurry.  Jase followed, the pair of them heedless of the bodies they passed in their race to see Roo, to save Roo.  Across the field and up the hill, they only stopped when they reached the King's pavilion.  The exhausted horses forgotten in their concern for their packmate.  Behind them, a soldier in pale grey caught the mares and began walking them out, his own eyes wet. 

The iliri slipped inside the tent, finding themselves face to face with the grauori healer.
I can not save her, Kaisae.  Ahnor.  She will hold a bit longer, and the human is trying to help the pups, but they are early and weak. 

Sal's knees went weak with shock, but she refused to crumple.  Now was not the time to break down.

She is still in maast,
the healer continued,
and she's holding her mate's mind with her.  They attacked the human, but Orassae Rragri stopped them.  He will need to be healed eventually, but the human refuses to pause until the pups are out.  You will need to take them.  If they live, then they are strong, and your pack will thrive.  But if you do not take them, the male may kill them.  His grief can only take so much.  I will wait outside.  Send the human to me when you can.

"Thank you," Sal said, pushing past him, into Dominik's sleeping area.  Jase followed behind her.

Hovering over the cot, Ricown stood covered in gore, reaching up to his elbows inside Roo's belly.  The nacione bitch from the battlefield sat beside him.  Her lips curled every time Hwa looked at the human.

"Thank you Orassae Rragri," Sal said as she moved to Ricown's side.  "Jase, get something to wrap these in.  There are two of them."

Ricown nodded at her but said nothing, his hands searching through the viscera for something.  Roo's body lay nearly still, but she panted heavily.  He sucked in a breath.  "I got them," he said, pulling, and a bloody mass emerged from Roo's wound.  Jase held out a cloth and took the pup with it, rubbing vigorously.  Ricown glanced at him only once, then reached back inside.  Seconds later, another bloody form appeared from the wound.  Sal grabbed the second cloth from Jase's shoulder and held it out.  When Ricown lay the pup in her arms, she saw the injuries.  The front left leg bent strangely, and a cut traveled from there across its body, to its head.  Part of the poor thing's ear was missing.  As Sal repositioned the pup to lay more securely, she saw it was female.

"Ricown, she's hurt," Sal whispered.

"Is she breathing?" he asked.

"I think so."

"Then rub.  Rub until she yelps.  Let me cut them free."  Then he reached for string to tie off the umbilical cords before gently snipping each. 

Take them out,
Rragri said, standing to protect the human. 
Hwa does not need to see them yet, or he may act out of grief.

Sal tossed a glance at Jase, and together they slipped from the room.  Her heart pounded heavily at the sight of her friend's body crumpled across the bed, panting but unconscious.  But she couldn't help.  She couldn't heal.  All she could do was care for her sister's children.

In the main room of the pavilion, she found a chair, and sat, laying the pup – Rhyx, she recalled Roo naming her – on her lap.  "Jase, that's Raast," Sal whispered, "and this is Rhyx.  Roo told me their names before she lost consciousness."

He nodded, wiping gently at the pup's face while tears streamed across his cheeks.

A small noise made Sal look down.  Her pup moved, squeaking softly, so she rubbed again, harder, and Rhyx growled in response.  She was still alive!  Sal smiled and kept rubbing until the pup cried out, screaming her anger for the world to hear.  Across from her, Raast yelped once.  The youthful voices sounded more like dogs than Sal had expected. 

Slowly, as the baby grauori dried, they started to murmur.  The noises were random but comforting, proving that at least something had gone right.  Jase wrapped his cloth tightly around Raast, then moved to Sal's side, showing her how to do the same.  With both pups swaddled, they held them close, the small bodies shivering without the heat of their dam.

"Do you think they'll live?" Sal asked.

"We can only try, kitten," Jase said, pulling his chair beside hers and kissing Sal's blood stained head gently.  Together, they sat in silence, both staring at the cloth separating the main room from the King's bedchamber where their friend lay dying.  A few moments later, Ricown slipped out.  Blood stained his arms, bite marks marred his shoulder, and tears had washed lines clean in the grime across his face.  The Orassae passed through the canvas flap behind him and nudged Ricown forward.  He headed directly to them.

"Please tell me they're breathing?" he begged, unable to stop crying.

"Both of them," Sal assured him.

He sniffed.  "At least there's that.  If they can breathe, there's a good chance they'll make it – if they are anything like any other animal I've worked on."  He ducked his head for a long moment.  Again, he sniffed, wiping at his nose with his forearm, then looking back to Sal.  "I can't save her Kaisae.  I don't think the grauori can either."

Sal nodded, swallowing against the lump in her throat.  "They told me.  They also said you wouldn't leave even as they bit you.  Thank you, Ricown.  Thank you for trying."   Her voice wavered, but her iliri eyes stayed dry.  "Now go with the Orassae and get fixed up.  The pups may need you, and your wounds aren't clean."

He just stood there until the nacione female reached up a paw-like hand to his hip, waiting patiently for him to look at her before she moved.  Together they slipped from the tent.  Sal sighed deeply and leaned her head back, holding Rhyx to her chest.  A brush against her thoughts made her look down.  Pulling the cloth away from the little grauori's face, she saw pale eyes looking back at her, a contented murmur tickling at her mind.  There were no words, only confusion.  Sal smiled down at the child and caressed her face, careful to avoid the damaged ear.

"I'll take care of you," she whispered.  "You and your sister.  Jase and I won't let anything happen to either of you."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him nod.  "I allus wanted ta be a dava, but na like this."

"I know."  She was about to continue when the rustle of canvas made her ears flick back.  A second later, armor clanked together as men entered the tent, and Sal felt her anger flare.  "I don't care what it is, see Colonel Vayu if it's important," she snapped without looking.

"Sal?"  The voice was so familiar.

Her eyes widened as she stood.  "Blaec?"

Stunned, Sal turned to find the Black Blades piling into the small reception space of the King's pavilion.  Beside her, Jase rose to his feet.  His tear streaked face said more than words could.

"I thought pups were a good thing?" Shift asked.

Sal shook her head.  "Roo was injured.  She took a bad hit, and the pups are early.  We're not even sure they'll live, and this one was hurt pretty bad.  The healers – neither human nor grauori – can help Roo," she explained.

Risk pushed himself forward, shoving Blaec aside to grab her shoulders, shaking gently as he met her eyes. "Show me, Sal."  His voice was insistent, cutting through her grief.

She stared at him for a moment, uncomprehending, before realizing how unique Risk's healing was.  In all her time with the grauori, she'd become used to the shifting healers, but Risk's skill was different.  He always said he could heal anyone, so long as they were still breathing and just moments ago, Roo's body lay panting on the King's bed.  Sal shoved the pup at Blaec and snagged Risk's arm, dragging him with her into the back room. 

When they barged inside, Hwa looked up and snarled over Roo's still panting body.  Sal met his eyes and held them.  "This is your packmate, Hwa.  He can help," she said.

"Hwa," Risk added, "this will hurt, but I really
can
help."

"Nee," Hwa howled, looking from Risk to Sal.  "Nee!"

Sal nodded at him. "Let go of her mind first.  You can't be linked while he does this."

Hwa shook his head, unwilling to speak.

"Arctic!" Sal yelled, and the First Officer hurried inside.  "Link me and pull his damned mind away from hers," she demanded and felt the familiar taste of Arctic's link offered without hesitation. 

She took it and reached for Hwa, watching his grauori eyes widen when she smothered Roo from his head.  He gasped as if in pain when Arctic severed the link between them.  For a split second, Roo's mate considered challenging his Kaisae.  She could see it flicker across his face before he gave in.

"And someone get me a belt or Roo will tear Risk apart.  She's barely with us."

Arctic pulled at the buckle of his and slid it free of his pants, passing it to her.  She made a loop, and slid it around Roo's muzzle, passing the end over her sister's ears and back through the ring, making a halter to hold the bitch. 

"Ok, Arctic, grab her legs.  Those claws are deadly, and she can rip through leather with them," Sal said, as another man snuck into the room.  It was the King.

"They said..." he started, confused. 

"They were wrong," Sal cut him off, easily taking charge.  "Dom, get back.  This isn't fun, but if anything can save her, it's Risk."

He nodded and secured Roo's hind legs, holding them tightly.  Sal looked up in shock, but he whispered,  "She's my friend, too."

Sal gave him an understanding nod.  "Ok, Risk.  This is as good as we can get it."

The lean, gold-haired iliri stepped close to the panting beast and looked over Roo's body, muttering, "Skin, skin," as he sought a place to lay his hands.  Glancing at her head, he placed his right hand inside her ear, and he ran his left across her body, feeling for skin below the dense fur.

"Armpit," Dominik said.  Risk bobbed his head in thanks as he reached below Roo's arm.  Then he took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, little one," he whispered before he exhaled – and Roo's body lurched against them.  A scream burst from her throat, sounding more like a human than the grauori ever had before.  It was pure pain given a voice, and Sal knew exactly what that felt like.  Hwa stood, his ears pinned, but Sal caught his eyes using her dominance to thwart his desire to attack.

"Look at her wound, man," Arctic groaned as he struggled to hold Roo's claws away from Risk's body.  "She's healing, just look at her wound.  It hurts, but she'll
live
."

Hwa's mouth opened, and he panted in amazement, looking between the faces around him.  Sal could see the sense returning to his eyes.  When he looked at her, his ears sagged low against his head, and his eyes dropped to the ground before returning to Roo's face. 

Risk gasped for air.  "Again," he said between breaths.  This time, Hwa lay against Roo's shoulder, helping to restrain her.  Like before, she lurched, writhing from the pain while her teeth snapped against the belt, seeking to destroy the cause of her suffering.  Just when Sal thought she was going to lose her hold on the bitch, Risk released, breathing hard.

"Again," he said.

Hwa moved his hand to his mate's face, holding Roo's head against the bed when the next wave hit.  This time, it seemed to last longer, and Risk's eyes rolled in his head, as he exhaled every drop of air he had.  When he leaned back and struggled to fill his lungs, Sal saw Roo's side.  The hair was gone, but the skin was closed.  It wasn't finished, but she'd live.  Her friend would live!

"I have no more," Risk gasped – and crumpled toward the ground.  Arctic caught him as he lost consciousness.

Sal jerked her head at Hwa, who moved his hand away.  Carefully, she slid the belt from her friend's face, aware that her tongue was once again bright, and her breathing came easily, if fast.  "Dom, it's time for you to go.  Arctic, let Hwa out of the link and get Risk out of here.  They're in the lust."

"Gotcha, demon," Arctic said, grasping the unconscious iliri by his armpits.  The King grabbed his legs, and together, they shuffled through the door, leaving Sal alone with her grauori packmates.

"Roo?" she whispered, and heard a faint noise in response.  "Roo, the pain is over now.  You can open your eyes."