Shira was woken from her unconsciousness with a bucket of water that was dumped on her. She opened her eyes, gasping for breath, and because she was just waking from a faint, she was a bit confused. For a few seconds, she thought that she was drowning – and her hands were tied so that she could not swim. Then she remembered all that happened. Her hands were actually tied, to a nearby tree stump, and she looked up in sad defeat at the male who had dumped the water on her. Her head ached, her whole body hurt, and she remembered again that she had not eaten since the morning. ‘’Well tell me how ya is going ta fight me now little witch.’’ The werewolf she had bit said, smiling down at her with evil humor gleaming in his eyes. Shira tried to pull herself up, but she realized her legs were tied as well to another branch of the tree. She lay there, spread-eagled and vulnerable, while the male told her in his broken Renaki accent, all the things he was going to do to her, and what th
Shira had been trying to fortify her mind about seeing Liam get whipped all the way back to the inn. It was her fault, she knew. She had known he would be punished for helping her – for getting tricked by her. He had even told her so, and yet she had been so selfish. She tried to tell herself that this was the life he had chosen, and everything had it’s consequences but – she knew. Liam was just a lad, and because of her, he was going to be whipped. She tried to hate the shark, he was such a monster. She tried to hate him! She had expected the Shark to set up the platform for Liam’s public whipping immediately they got back to the inn, but to her surprise, he only handed her over to one of his rogues, with strict instructions to take her back to her room and lock the door. Shira tried to speak with the rogue as he marched her to her room, tried to beg him to plead with the Shark to spear Liam, but the rogue ignored her completely. She could have been nothing but a sack of pota
Shira was woken when someone turned a key in the doors keyhole, even before the door was opened. Her battle instructor had thought her to sleep light. She watched as Liam stepped in, and she got up from the floor immediately and rushed to embrace him, but he quickly stepped aside. ‘’My lady, I have come to take you with me. We are leaving immediately.’’ ‘’Leaving immediately.’’ Shira repeated a little dazed as the sleep had not quite left her. ‘’Yes My lady. Our position here has been compromised, and we must leave.’’ She remembered then, everything Leywin had said about ‘their enemies’ knowing where they were, and about the Shark being both afraid and unafraid. She bent her head. ‘’I really have nothing to pack, so I might just as well follow you immediately.’’ ‘’Liam nodded then held out his arm.’’ Somewhere during her sleep, the Shark’s coat had slipped off her shoulders, Liam lowered his eyes now, when he saw her turn dress. Shira bent down, picked the c
Shira found the journey to be totally unpleasant, a steady reminder that she was a hostage. She had never ridden with anyone before, and now, she had to sit in front of Leywin on the same horse, and without a saddle! Leywin said there had not been anytime to saddle the horses, and for all their hurrying, Shira could not see what the problem was. And she missed the Shark. She finally admitted that to herself. She was feeling weird, like she had felt when she was ten and mistakenly emptied her mother’s bottle of perfume down her throat – okay that had not been a mistake. She had done it because, tired of being a lone, she had gone to play with her cousins, and they insisted she take a sip of her mother’s perfume before she would be admitted into their play. She had drunk the whole bottle just to impress them. Now she tried to focus her mind on the journey ahead, tried to keep awake. She had a feeling, that if she slept off and fell from the horse, Leywin might think she was on
The Shark returned with fresh bread, some stew, a large piece of meat and a flask of red wine. It was the best he could get from the inn, and even though he wanted to, he could not leave the inn that quickly to get food, Shira would probably have lapsed into her unconsciousness by then. Her eyes were closed by the time he got to her room, her once luxurious black hair looked dull, and he could see the hollowness of her once rosy cheeks. She had lost a lot of weight. ‘’She asked why you brought her here.’’ Leywin said from behind him. ‘’And what answer did you give her?’’ The Shark said without turning around. ‘’Don’t know – I’ve forgotten.’’ Leywin said, stepping forward, he sat on the straw mattress. ‘’We can’t continue like this Fa – Shark –‘’ ‘’We are alone, there is no need for you to keep calling me that’’ The Shark said icily. Leywin shrugged. ‘’One of us has to be cautious –‘’ ‘’And you think I have not been?’’ The Shark interrupted, his voice even c
Eating had made Shira feel a little stronger, and she sat later talking with some of the rogues. She got to know them by name. Tiger, who looked as impressive as a tiger with his tall height and powerful arms. His face was also scary, but when he talked, he talked with a gentleness that most smaller males could not imitate. Rhega, The Shark’s second lieutenant, tall and lean with shaggy blond hair and manners that even her instructors could learn from, then there was Liam who had finally stopped looking at her as though she was a sexual predator. She noticed one thing about all the Shark’s rogues, they were nothing like what she had expected rogues to be. They were polite, kind, and very gallant. Picking flowers for her, and writing bad poetry in praise of her beauty. Each time she asked them why they had chosen to be rogues, they changed the topic so subtly, that it was only after they were gone that Shira realized they had not answered her question. She felt a pang as she rea
Shira felt herself being lifted, and carried, away from the smoke, towards a noisey hallway, filled with the sound of clashing swordsxand claws…. And the stench of blood. Shira buried her face against Rhega’s powerful chest, trying to block out the nightmare that was becoming a reality. She opened her eyes to see two werewolves that were not part of the Shark’s crew, blocking their part. ‘’You give us the pretty missy, and we’ll let you live.’’ One of them said, baring his teeth in a grin that was so out of place in the battle scene. Shira pressed herself harder against Rhega. ‘’Do you think you can bare to stand?’’ He asked softly. ‘’I need my sword arm to send this villain to his grave.’’ Shira nodded, and he put her down. In a flash, his sword was in his right hand, his left claws bared as he fought the two villains. It was obvious he was the better fighter, but when one of the two Villains shouted for help, three others came to join them. They were everywhere, outn
Shira understood defeat, she was alone, surrounded, and very weary, yet she fought. The sword had become too heavy for her weary arm, and her heart ached with sorrow for her new found friends who were probably dead. With one swift blow from one of the werewolves, her sword fell out of her hand, and she watched it dejectedly as it clattered to the floor, then when the werewolf in front of her raised his hand, his paws exposed, Shira closed her eyes and waited for death. ‘’Stop it!’’ Someone called from behind, and Shira opened her eyes to see who her savior was, but she found herself staring at another enemy werewolf as he walked up to meet them. ‘’The Shark’s men have fled, but I don’t think Lord Baristan would be very angry with us if we bring her alive.’’ The Shark abandoned her! Shira tried not to choke on her own tears. The male who had wanted to kill her looked at her rescuer in anger. ‘’This little witch here az bin fighting like a tiger, and now aye have her in