pain . “Much sooner…”
Daire frowned. “We were supposed to leave together, if you do not remember,” he scolded . “Instead you go off on your own and left me to face mother’s wrath. Alone .” He shook his head and exhaled. “I must confess. Though I do not wish to see you get hurt, i t will only become more dangerous from here. You have been seen and identified. You will be hunted. ”
Shiovra glanced away.
“Here.” Daire drew the sword sheathed at his belt and handed it to her. “He comes.” Daire ’s face wa s hard, his eyes on the thick brush behind Shiovra .
“Árd al? Where is he?” she asked softly, trying to see in the darkness .
Daire brought a finger to his lips, demanding silence.
Shiovra obeyed, nodding.
Daire brought up the arrow and pulled the string back, ready to release at any moment.
Shiovra closed her eyes and focused on every little sou nd. The wind rustled slightly and the rain had dwindled to a soft patter on the leaves above them. Thunder was low and growing distant. Somewhere to her right a b ird cried out warning. Then she heard it, the soft crack of a twig breaking. Shiovra ’s eyes snapped open and she pointed. “There!”
Daire knocked the arrow loose and it whistled into the brush to their left.
Árdal stumbled thro ugh the thick brush, his men no where in sight , shaft of Daire ’s arrow embedded in his leg . Despite his injury, he lunged for Shiovra .
The Priestess dodged quickly , bringing the blade up into a defensive position.
“Pathetic Milidh man,” mutte red Daire . He glanced swiftly at Shiovra , face unreadable. “Ignore your injuries, they will only come to hinder you if you think abo ut them,” he told her firmly in a low voice . “We can tend to them after we deal with this filth .” Daire nodded his head curtly towards Árdal.
Shiovra ’s gaze shifted back to Árdal , watching as he clutched his leg in pain and tried to force th e arrow out. Her well trained hands tightened on the hilt of the sword and she slowed her breathing , waiting .
A bird called out not far from them, a curious little whistle.
Daire chuckled lightly in response. “ Took them long enough, ” he muttered under his breath.
An arrow whistled through the trees, coming out of the darkness surrounding them, to land in Árdal’s already injured leg.
The man cursed and growled, breaking the first arrow shaft in half.
“Heh,” laughed Daire with a smirk on his lips.
Árdal turned his attention back to them, the arrow in his leg forgotten.
Daire reached for another arrow.
Growling liked a feral animal , Árdal lunged at Daire and flung him aside with one swift mov ement .
Shiovra twisted the sword to attack him, but he was too quick an d seized her roughly by the wrist with one hand while the other clenched onto her waist. His grip bit into her wound and Shiovra recoiled , her grip on the sword loosening. That moment of weakness was enough for Árdal to force the weapon from her hand and try to drag her away .
“Stop where you are!” shouted a feminine voice, bringing a moment of pause to Árdal.
Shiovra watched as a woman garbed in men’s clothing with a spear in hand, c ame through the brush. She was followed clos ely by some men armed and ready .
“I said stay !” ordered the young woman when Árdal began to move again . Her curly honey-brown hair had been tied back and her lightly tanned skin was smudged slightly. Though men’s garb did little to hide her tall and slender form, the manner in which she carried herself demanded obedience. She approached cautiously and cast a quick glance to Daire . “Get up , Daire .”
Shiovra tried to pull out of Árdal’s grasp so the woman could freely attack , but his hand on her wound only tightened and she winced a s pain lashed through her body.
“Pathetic ,” hissed Árdal in Shiovra ’s ear . “ What good is a High Priestess who is helpless to defend herself and must rely on the weapons of others ?
Daire frowned. “We were supposed to leave together, if you do not remember,” he scolded . “Instead you go off on your own and left me to face mother’s wrath. Alone .” He shook his head and exhaled. “I must confess. Though I do not wish to see you get hurt, i t will only become more dangerous from here. You have been seen and identified. You will be hunted. ”
Shiovra glanced away.
“Here.” Daire drew the sword sheathed at his belt and handed it to her. “He comes.” Daire ’s face wa s hard, his eyes on the thick brush behind Shiovra .
“Árd al? Where is he?” she asked softly, trying to see in the darkness .
Daire brought a finger to his lips, demanding silence.
Shiovra obeyed, nodding.
Daire brought up the arrow and pulled the string back, ready to release at any moment.
Shiovra closed her eyes and focused on every little sou nd. The wind rustled slightly and the rain had dwindled to a soft patter on the leaves above them. Thunder was low and growing distant. Somewhere to her right a b ird cried out warning. Then she heard it, the soft crack of a twig breaking. Shiovra ’s eyes snapped open and she pointed. “There!”
Daire knocked the arrow loose and it whistled into the brush to their left.
Árdal stumbled thro ugh the thick brush, his men no where in sight , shaft of Daire ’s arrow embedded in his leg . Despite his injury, he lunged for Shiovra .
The Priestess dodged quickly , bringing the blade up into a defensive position.
“Pathetic Milidh man,” mutte red Daire . He glanced swiftly at Shiovra , face unreadable. “Ignore your injuries, they will only come to hinder you if you think abo ut them,” he told her firmly in a low voice . “We can tend to them after we deal with this filth .” Daire nodded his head curtly towards Árdal.
Shiovra ’s gaze shifted back to Árdal , watching as he clutched his leg in pain and tried to force th e arrow out. Her well trained hands tightened on the hilt of the sword and she slowed her breathing , waiting .
A bird called out not far from them, a curious little whistle.
Daire chuckled lightly in response. “ Took them long enough, ” he muttered under his breath.
An arrow whistled through the trees, coming out of the darkness surrounding them, to land in Árdal’s already injured leg.
The man cursed and growled, breaking the first arrow shaft in half.
“Heh,” laughed Daire with a smirk on his lips.
Árdal turned his attention back to them, the arrow in his leg forgotten.
Daire reached for another arrow.
Growling liked a feral animal , Árdal lunged at Daire and flung him aside with one swift mov ement .
Shiovra twisted the sword to attack him, but he was too quick an d seized her roughly by the wrist with one hand while the other clenched onto her waist. His grip bit into her wound and Shiovra recoiled , her grip on the sword loosening. That moment of weakness was enough for Árdal to force the weapon from her hand and try to drag her away .
“Stop where you are!” shouted a feminine voice, bringing a moment of pause to Árdal.
Shiovra watched as a woman garbed in men’s clothing with a spear in hand, c ame through the brush. She was followed clos ely by some men armed and ready .
“I said stay !” ordered the young woman when Árdal began to move again . Her curly honey-brown hair had been tied back and her lightly tanned skin was smudged slightly. Though men’s garb did little to hide her tall and slender form, the manner in which she carried herself demanded obedience. She approached cautiously and cast a quick glance to Daire . “Get up , Daire .”
Shiovra tried to pull out of Árdal’s grasp so the woman could freely attack , but his hand on her wound only tightened and she winced a s pain lashed through her body.
“Pathetic ,” hissed Árdal in Shiovra ’s ear . “ What good is a High Priestess who is helpless to defend herself and must rely on the weapons of others ?
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