creature slowly, glancing up the hill at Desyra, who had stopped when she heard the beast’s death cries. She looked pale and terrified, but also relieved. Olyva took hold of the end of the spear and jerked hard to free it from the animal’s body. The creature roared in pain again, but this time the sound was much weaker. Its jaws snapped at Olyva, but she was too far away to be in danger. She raised the spear and drove it down into the animal’s chest. The head dropped onto the ground like a stone, and the long tongue flopped out between the animal’s massive teeth.
Olyva stood frozen for a moment, her hands still on the shaft of the spear, then her emotions took over, and she cried. All the fear that had fled when the creature attacked now seemed to fall on her like a torrential rain. Her hands shook, and her knees felt weak.
“Is it safe?” Desyra asked. “Is it dead?”
Olyva nodded her head, trying to hold back tears that wouldn’t obey.
“Can I come back?” Desyra asked in a shaky voice.
“Yes,” Olyva said, picking up the pack that lay on the ground near her feet. She pulled out a sharp knife and looked back at the creature she had just killed. “We have a lot of work to do.”
Chapter 14
Rafe
His nerves were getting the best of him. It was mid-day, and he paced along the mighty stone wall that surrounded Avondale. His soldiers sensed his mood and gave him a wide berth. Over the last several days, Rafe had made sweeping changes to the city’s defenses. First had been a systematic distribution of the city’s armory. Weapons and armor, most not used in decades, were taken out of the large storehouse and divided among several caches throughout the city. Every squad was on high alert, with some even sleeping at their posts to ensure the war band wasn’t caught off guard.
Then came the changes to the city’s legendary ballistas. The huge weapons were capable of firing bolts that were taller than a man, nearly a thousand feet from their positions on the city walls. The weapons were used to drive back the massive creatures that sometimes wandered too near the city, but Rafe had repositioned the ballistas to fire up into the air. There were several catapults under construction on the city gates, as well, and more on the roof of the earl’s palace.
Another full unit, over 150 men, had been given secret orders. They were gathering weapons and supplies to escort Olyva and the citizens of Avondale if they were forced to flee the city. But Olyva hadn’t returned. She had taken supplies for four days—not that she needed food the way normal people did, but Desyra certainly did. Those rations would have run out the day before, but Olyva and her sister were still missing. He felt both fear and guilt. Rafe wavered between blaming himself for not going with her and blaming himself for not letting her leave with Tiberius the way she’d planned.
He’d sent men to the southern gate, with instructions to report to him as soon as possible if Olyva returned to that side of the city. It was possible that Olyva was already back and the soldiers just hadn’t had time to make the long journey around the city walls to inform him. At a run, a soldier with weapons could cross from one side of the city to the other in just over an hour. Still, even if Olyva was back now, that meant that her mission had run into trouble. Perhaps a pack of graypees had wounded her and even now she was suffering somewhere, hoping he would find her. But he wouldn’t leave the city, even if Olyva never returned. He was where he was needed most, and even though Olyva was now his wife, he couldn’t abandon his post to go in search of her.
“Commander,” said a calm looking member of the earl’s guard. “The earl would like to speak with you.”
“Of course,” Rafe said, holding down the furious tirade of profanity that he wanted to shout at the guard. He didn't want to speak to the earl or see anyone but Olyva. And he wouldn't be
Olyva stood frozen for a moment, her hands still on the shaft of the spear, then her emotions took over, and she cried. All the fear that had fled when the creature attacked now seemed to fall on her like a torrential rain. Her hands shook, and her knees felt weak.
“Is it safe?” Desyra asked. “Is it dead?”
Olyva nodded her head, trying to hold back tears that wouldn’t obey.
“Can I come back?” Desyra asked in a shaky voice.
“Yes,” Olyva said, picking up the pack that lay on the ground near her feet. She pulled out a sharp knife and looked back at the creature she had just killed. “We have a lot of work to do.”
Chapter 14
Rafe
His nerves were getting the best of him. It was mid-day, and he paced along the mighty stone wall that surrounded Avondale. His soldiers sensed his mood and gave him a wide berth. Over the last several days, Rafe had made sweeping changes to the city’s defenses. First had been a systematic distribution of the city’s armory. Weapons and armor, most not used in decades, were taken out of the large storehouse and divided among several caches throughout the city. Every squad was on high alert, with some even sleeping at their posts to ensure the war band wasn’t caught off guard.
Then came the changes to the city’s legendary ballistas. The huge weapons were capable of firing bolts that were taller than a man, nearly a thousand feet from their positions on the city walls. The weapons were used to drive back the massive creatures that sometimes wandered too near the city, but Rafe had repositioned the ballistas to fire up into the air. There were several catapults under construction on the city gates, as well, and more on the roof of the earl’s palace.
Another full unit, over 150 men, had been given secret orders. They were gathering weapons and supplies to escort Olyva and the citizens of Avondale if they were forced to flee the city. But Olyva hadn’t returned. She had taken supplies for four days—not that she needed food the way normal people did, but Desyra certainly did. Those rations would have run out the day before, but Olyva and her sister were still missing. He felt both fear and guilt. Rafe wavered between blaming himself for not going with her and blaming himself for not letting her leave with Tiberius the way she’d planned.
He’d sent men to the southern gate, with instructions to report to him as soon as possible if Olyva returned to that side of the city. It was possible that Olyva was already back and the soldiers just hadn’t had time to make the long journey around the city walls to inform him. At a run, a soldier with weapons could cross from one side of the city to the other in just over an hour. Still, even if Olyva was back now, that meant that her mission had run into trouble. Perhaps a pack of graypees had wounded her and even now she was suffering somewhere, hoping he would find her. But he wouldn’t leave the city, even if Olyva never returned. He was where he was needed most, and even though Olyva was now his wife, he couldn’t abandon his post to go in search of her.
“Commander,” said a calm looking member of the earl’s guard. “The earl would like to speak with you.”
“Of course,” Rafe said, holding down the furious tirade of profanity that he wanted to shout at the guard. He didn't want to speak to the earl or see anyone but Olyva. And he wouldn't be
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