forest. Bastion couldn’t believe her madness, charging straight into a burning forest. Neither could he believe he was doing it as well.
He found it fantastic.
Heading after her, it seemed they might all be charging directly to their deaths. Bastion struggled just to keep track of her through the smoke and the trees. Then he saw something she seemed to be heading for. Something moving. Two figures, silhouetted against the fire not far behind them. He headed straight for them, as Yana was almost upon them.
Yana charged up to them, and leapt off her horse before it had even come to a stop. The brush fires were nearly on the m all, rushing ahead, igniting the trees as they went. Yana already knew who they were.
“ Yana ?” Kizzy asked, barely able to speak, coughing and choking. Yana went to speak, but instead got a massive dose of hot air and thick smoke in her lungs. She flung her cloak over the three of them and began to try and direct them to safety. They were creeping slowly through the brush, but the fire was not. It was faster.
Bastion charged up to them with his men directly behind. Fighting for his own air to breathe, he said nothing, but instead reached down and snatched Yana up by her wrist, wresting her into the air and onto his horse. She landed in front of him, her hands hanging over one side and feet dangling over the other, her cloak tangled about her. His men needed no further instruction. The two gypsy girls were snatched up just like Bastion had done, and the horse Yana rod e in with was retrieved as well. T hey all fled the fire, each of them eager to exit the forest, horses included.
They rode hard once more, the horses winded by all the hard running and the thick smoke. Bastion led the way, Yana unable to do anything except try to keep the horse’s broad back from punishing her midsection. They splashed through a wide but shallow stream after they escaped the forest, and finally came to a halt, lowering the three gypsy girls to the ground.
Yana did not like being manhandled like that, and she was in pain, but did not care. She was so elated that her friends were safe with her, she embraced them immediately and kissed their faces.
Bastion turned to his men. “Ride the fire line as long as you can, and see if there are others you can save. Return to the city when you can do no more. The fire should burn out at the river.”
“And the caravan, Captain?” one of the riders inquired. Bastion looked to Yana .
“They are safe,” Yana said. “I sent them towards Jedikai at the first sign of fire.”
The man nodded towards her, and to Bastion, and the riders departed as instructed.
Kizzy and Nadya were sipping the water they had been given, but saying very little, as the sun finally crested. They had much to say, but they were shaken... and they were aware that they had just be en in the presence of the dreaded black riders. Yana could see the fear in their faces.
“Fear not, my friends,” Yana encouraged them. “We are safe.” With that statement, they looked towards Bastion. “You remember the boy I told you about. The one who was struck by lightning? The one I helped?”
They nodded. She opened her hand toward t he one black rider still among them. “Meet Bastion,” she said with a smile.
“Pleased to meet you sir,” they both agreed, comforted by Yana ’s own familiarity.
“Hello,” Bastion said. He had not met these two gypsies, but they were very sweet, as they smiled at him through the ash on their faces, hiding their blushing cheeks.
“We almost lost you,” Yana admonished them, before they could say more. “I was so afraid we lost you!” Yana could feel the emotion in her voice, as her fearful energy was dissolving into fatigue.
“We were attacked,” Kizzy said. “We fought them, but there were too many. They were going to take us to the Lower Reach! We got away when the fire caught up to
He found it fantastic.
Heading after her, it seemed they might all be charging directly to their deaths. Bastion struggled just to keep track of her through the smoke and the trees. Then he saw something she seemed to be heading for. Something moving. Two figures, silhouetted against the fire not far behind them. He headed straight for them, as Yana was almost upon them.
Yana charged up to them, and leapt off her horse before it had even come to a stop. The brush fires were nearly on the m all, rushing ahead, igniting the trees as they went. Yana already knew who they were.
“ Yana ?” Kizzy asked, barely able to speak, coughing and choking. Yana went to speak, but instead got a massive dose of hot air and thick smoke in her lungs. She flung her cloak over the three of them and began to try and direct them to safety. They were creeping slowly through the brush, but the fire was not. It was faster.
Bastion charged up to them with his men directly behind. Fighting for his own air to breathe, he said nothing, but instead reached down and snatched Yana up by her wrist, wresting her into the air and onto his horse. She landed in front of him, her hands hanging over one side and feet dangling over the other, her cloak tangled about her. His men needed no further instruction. The two gypsy girls were snatched up just like Bastion had done, and the horse Yana rod e in with was retrieved as well. T hey all fled the fire, each of them eager to exit the forest, horses included.
They rode hard once more, the horses winded by all the hard running and the thick smoke. Bastion led the way, Yana unable to do anything except try to keep the horse’s broad back from punishing her midsection. They splashed through a wide but shallow stream after they escaped the forest, and finally came to a halt, lowering the three gypsy girls to the ground.
Yana did not like being manhandled like that, and she was in pain, but did not care. She was so elated that her friends were safe with her, she embraced them immediately and kissed their faces.
Bastion turned to his men. “Ride the fire line as long as you can, and see if there are others you can save. Return to the city when you can do no more. The fire should burn out at the river.”
“And the caravan, Captain?” one of the riders inquired. Bastion looked to Yana .
“They are safe,” Yana said. “I sent them towards Jedikai at the first sign of fire.”
The man nodded towards her, and to Bastion, and the riders departed as instructed.
Kizzy and Nadya were sipping the water they had been given, but saying very little, as the sun finally crested. They had much to say, but they were shaken... and they were aware that they had just be en in the presence of the dreaded black riders. Yana could see the fear in their faces.
“Fear not, my friends,” Yana encouraged them. “We are safe.” With that statement, they looked towards Bastion. “You remember the boy I told you about. The one who was struck by lightning? The one I helped?”
They nodded. She opened her hand toward t he one black rider still among them. “Meet Bastion,” she said with a smile.
“Pleased to meet you sir,” they both agreed, comforted by Yana ’s own familiarity.
“Hello,” Bastion said. He had not met these two gypsies, but they were very sweet, as they smiled at him through the ash on their faces, hiding their blushing cheeks.
“We almost lost you,” Yana admonished them, before they could say more. “I was so afraid we lost you!” Yana could feel the emotion in her voice, as her fearful energy was dissolving into fatigue.
“We were attacked,” Kizzy said. “We fought them, but there were too many. They were going to take us to the Lower Reach! We got away when the fire caught up to
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