Noble Falling (21 page)

Authors: Sara Gaines

BOOK: Noble Falling

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“Over here!”

Kahira suddenly veered off, and as soon as she did, I understood why. A small offshoot of the river was flanked by thick brush, meaning there was no way the soldiers readying their attack could completely surround us. We would be trapped, but Kahira, as exhausted as she was, would stand a better chance against the men, who wouldn’t even have enough room to fight from horseback.

Small fish scampered out of the way as Kahira and I brought our horses to a quick halt. Dismounting and feeling the water immediately seep into my boots, I turned to look at the woman next to me. I tried to keep the worry from my expression, but as I heard the soldiers coming closer, Kahira squeezed my hand, and I knew I wasn’t nearly as convincing as I had hoped. Then, stepping in front of me, Kahira unsheathed her sword and turned to face the men who dropped from their own horses. Without realizing it, I had reached for the blade that was now missing from my belt. Frustrated that there was nothing I could do, I glared at the leering soldiers closing on us.

Kahira didn’t wait for the lead soldier to fully draw his blade before she attacked. The man was able to raise his sword to parry the thrust Kahira had aimed at his chest, but was unable to stop Kahira from grabbing the knife hanging from his belt and lodging it in his neck. Kicking the man back into his companions, Kahira was now visibly more comfortable with two blades in her hands.

Obviously angered by how quickly Kahira had dispatched their friend, two of the men stepped forward into the narrow space. Kahira, with energy I thought was long gone, dodged several blows while dealing out shallow wounds with the knife in her left hand. The men were growing more frustrated, and Kahira was quick to turn that against them, redirecting one man’s blade toward another soldier and landing a fatal blow. Using the distraction, Kahira drove her own sword into the stomach of the nearest man. Breathing heavily, she stepped forward to take on the remaining two men.

I hesitantly stepped closer to the fight, my muscles tense. I flinched when Kahira’s sword was knocked from her hand and sent flying toward me. Before I could react to the splash of bloody water that sprayed across my face, Kahira’s fist landed against one of her attacker’s jaws. The man collapsed, but the blood that dripped from Kahira’s knuckles meant she had clipped the man’s helmet as well. Still, with a knife in her undamaged hand, she faced the last soldier. However, with the sounds of fighting, Kahira was unaware that the man she thought was unconscious was climbing to his feet—a blade in his hand.

The glint of Kahira’s sword caught my eye as the sun hit the metal through the water. Too afraid to distract Kahira by shouting, I sank my hand into the water and grabbed the hilt of the sword, determined not to let the man bury his knife in Kahira’s back. I rushed forward, my movements masked by the loud splashing of boots through shallow water. Raising the blade above my head, I swung downward with as much strength as I could. The sword lodged into the crease between the man’s neck and shoulder as he raised his arm to strike Kahira.

The soldier twitched slightly as he fell into the water at my feet, pulling the sword from my grasp. My first kill. Horrified, I watched the water run red as the man’s blood flowed into the river, and only then did I realize it had grown far too quiet. Looking up, I saw Kahira standing before me, her labored breaths mixing with the quiet whisper of the river.

I said nothing, only throwing myself into her arms. We stood like that, each too afraid to acknowledge that we had actually done the impossible. I knew it was only a momentary reprieve, for Tallak and Zoriah would surely send out more soldiers to find us, but Kahira and I had at least escaped Seyna. When Kahira’s breathing leveled out, I finally spoke.

“We won’t be safe here.”

“We can go north.” I felt Kahira’s breath against my ear, causing me to pull her even closer. “There is a family there who knows me and will give us a place to stay.”

I pulled back to look Kahira in the eyes. “You don’t have to do this….”

My breath caught as she offered me a smile that spread into her green eyes. “I never had to.”

I leaned up to the slightly taller woman and kissed her. An inadequate thank-you for all she had done, but one I had no other way of expressing.

Finally separating, Kahira and I stripped the soldiers’ bodies of anything that might be useful as we traveled toward the northern territories. As well stocked as we could be, and with new weapons strapped to our bodies, Kahira and I climbed onto our horses.

“Aleana?”

I looked to Kahira, my brow creasing, and was met with a proud smile I was not expecting.

“Thanks for saving my life.”

Immediately urging Taewin back toward the main part of the river, Kahira missed the blush that crept across my face. As I watched her, Kahira’s previous words echoed in my mind.

Don’t give up yet
.

I kicked my heels into the horse I now rode. No, I wasn’t giving up. I had failed, but only for now.

About the Author

While growing up in Kentucky,
S
ARA
G
AINES
could never find books she could identify with and get lost in. So, rather than hoping for them, she eventually decided to write the stories she always wanted to read.

Until she graduated from Oberlin College in 2012, she found time to write between practices and classes. Since then, she moved to Kunshan, China where she now finds time to write between meetings and trying new food.

Contact Sara through any of the following methods:

E-mail [email protected]