Page 19 of Warrior
He held me like a bride crossing the threshold. For a split second, before the worry in my mind could drown the sensation, my body tingled from his touch, sparks of electricity dancing over my skin. I glanced up, and his gaze caught mine, his eyes a glint of gold that made me gasp in spite of myself. His lips curled in one corner, just enough to hint at the smirk he was holding back.
“I’m faster.”
He was right. We made it back in a third of the time.
The dormitory was a large rectangular room just off the common area. The narrow, thin, open space held a clutter of rickety cots. Piles of fur and torn blankets served as most of the children's beds. The walls were plain stone coated in pale green moss. The place smelled like an old basement, but at this moment, the scent was worse, like a tomb.
Ewok lay on the sturdiest bed atop the covers, his gray-brown fur standing in tufts like he'd been dragged over rough ground. There were no visible wounds on his body, but his face—that sweet teddy bear face was a myriad of cuts and drying blood.
A small, worried sound escaped my lips. Daicon pressed me closer momentarily before dropping me to my feet at Ewok's bedside. The rest of the children stood in a tight circle nearby, their hands on each other as if that simple act would keep them safe and whole.
George's fingers examined Ewok's small body with a skill he was born wielding. The care lines on his brow were deep and worried. My pulse jittered in my throat. I drew a breath so sharply that the air shuddered and prickled over my skin. Then a warm touch settled on my shoulder and fear melted away as I felt Daicon’s powerful body radiating strength behind me.
Kneeling by the bed, I clutched Ewok's hand. Even his fur felt chilled to the touch. His eyes flickered open, and the round dark eyes flashed with happiness despite holding pain.
"He did not find you, kida."
The weakness of his voice stabbed my heart like a blade. I schooled my features into calmness, turning my lips into something I hoped would appear to the child as a smile.
“Who didn’t find me?”
“The guard.” Ewok tried to turn his face toward me, resulting in a grimace. George laid his unbandaged hand on Ewok's shoulder, not to comfort but to assess. I didn’t like the concern that flickered over the young healer’s pale blue face.
“What guard?” Daicon settled into a kneeling position, and I leaned against him, grateful for his strength. He put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me against his body. He felt warm, his touch like the comfort of my Gavin's embrace or my father's, but different. It was just… more. No one had ever made me feel as safe as Daicon.
“The one with the scar.” Ewok’s breath rattled deep in his chest.
I knew exactly the guard he meant. Beside me, I felt more than heard the angry growl rumbling from Daicon's chest.
“Was he looking for Daisy?” Daicon grated.
Ewok tried to shake his head and issued a soft moan of pain. “No. He saw me… come out… made him chase me… didn’t want him to find you.” He moaned softly, falling unconscious, exhausted by speaking only a few words.
My heart spasmed as I realized this sweet child put himself in danger to protect me. The rumble in Daicon’s chest grew, a rolling mix of anger and vengeance.
“How did he get back to the dorm?” Daicon’s eyes flickered toward the doorway. I felt him tense, as though he expected the guard to lurk nearby, admiring his handiwork.
"Uorvin found him," George indicated to the group of children with a jerk of his head. One of the smallest boys, whose appearance reminded me of a hedgehog with a long nose and a headful of light brown quills sufficing for hair raised his hand.
“I woke up and had to eliminate,” a squeaky voice told me, using the alien verbiage for needing a bathroom. “I heard something and went to look.” Dark button eyes flickered from me to Ewok, and Uorvin's sweet face flashed angrily. "The guard was stomping on Ewok… kicking him."
A guttural roar erupted from Daicon's throat, a reflection of my own anger. His whole body seemed to coil in preparation for violence, and all I wanted to do was urge him on. I knew how he felt, rage boiling within me as my eyes traveled down Ewok's battered body. Thankfully, my better sense prevailed. I touched his arm and immediately felt his tension drain away.
“How badly is Ewok hurt?” I addressed this question to George. The young Garoot stood wringing out excess water froma cloth before laying it on Ewok's brow. The pale blue forehead crinkled, and eyes the color of emeralds narrowed ominously.
Icy fingers gripped my heart, and I felt something I prayed never to experience again. That debilitating mix of worry and horror when you know the news must be told, but you'd rather it never be uttered. It was the same feeling I got the moment two glum policemen appeared on my doorstep the night Gavin was late returning home.
George might not have formal medical training, but he already had better bedside manners than most physicians. He adjusted the damp cloth on Ewok's brow before stepping away, motioning for Daicon and me to follow. The children crowded around Ewok's bed as George led us into the common area, toward the center of the room, where our voices wouldn’t carry to other worried ears.
How badly is Ewok hurt?" I repeated, battling an array of debilitating emotions. Daicon's hand settled in the small of my back, warm and grounding. He had been at my side since Cuietsu retrieved us from the tunnel, offering a comforting squeeze to my arm or a gentle touch when I needed it most. His presence reminded me that I wasn't alone in this vast, scary universe.
“I have done all that I can.”
The words sounded like a low, mournful bell.
“What do you mean?” Daicon had the courage to ask. I did not.
"The majority of Ewok’s injuries are internal," George met my eyes, his emerald orbs shimmering. “I do not have the technology to repair those injuries.” He glanced down at his bandaged hand, lips twisting in a frown. "I don't even have the tools or the dexterity to repair him manually."
