grassy mound and trailing behind the woman, came to the opening of a cave. “We should be safe in here until morning,” she told them. “You will find clothing of assorted sizes just inside.” Then she stood aside, observing as the men began filing into the rocky recess.
After finding a set of clothing that fit, rather loosely, Venil sidled up to the woman and for a time, stood next to her watching the other men. Then he turned to her, trying to smile and failing miserably thanks to his dislocated jaw. “Never did get your name.”
She gave him a funny look, then noticed his jaw. “Oh, right,” she said, holding up a finger. “Wait here. We will get you fixed up right quick.” She turned toward the stream of men, from which Gant had stepped forth when he saw Venil standing to one side. The woman pointed to Gant as she neared him. “You know this man, do you not?”
Gant looked to Venil and nodded at the woman.
“Come with me, please.” She led him to Venil and then looked to the wounded man. “I am going to pop your jaw back into place,” she told Venil. “It is going to hurt. Quite a bit.”
Venil nodded his understanding.
“I do not want to get hurt by any thrashing around,” she said, turning to Gant. “You need to hold his arms. He looks like a tough guy, but I would rather not take any chances.”
Gant stood behind Venil, locking the man’s arms in a hold.
The woman removed the cloth from around Venil’s head and jaw, holding the loose jaw in one hand. Once that was done, with her free hand she gripped the side of his head, reaching her splayed fingers back for support. “Okay, big guy. On three. And I would appreciate it if you do not spit at me.” Her grip on his jaw tightened. “One, two . . .”
She pushed the loose side of the jaw upward, scraping bone against bone until the jaw snicked into place with an ear shattering pop. Venil did not hear it, though he certainly felt it. He screamed in agony and strained his arms against the locked limbs of the shirtless Gant. The pain lessened by degrees until it faded entirely and his swimming vision returned.
He opened and closed his mouth a few times, to be sure that the jaw worked as it should. Then he managed a smile. “Thank you,” he said. “For the jaw and the rescue.”
She patted Venil on the shoulder as Gant relinquished his hold on the other man’s arms. “You are welcome, big guy.”
“My name is Venil.” He reached a hand out to rest on Gant’s shoulder. “And this is Gant. Who do we have the pleasure of thanking for our rescue?”
“You may call me Raelynn.”
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Raelynn,” said Gant.
“And a bit of pain for me,” joked Venil. “Raelynn, you seem practiced at this rescue. Is it something you have had experience with before?”
She nodded. “You are not the first prisoners I have freed from a Artemise camp.”
“Then perhaps you can be of further assistance.”
She looked at Venil. “Your freedom and health are not enough?”
Venil reached a hand to the back of his neck. “In the camp, there is a young girl I would like to free.”
She looked him over. “Keep it in your pants, Venil. You will live longer.”
“No,” he objected. “It is not like that.”
“Daughter?”
“No. She was charged to my care. I was leading her and another to Solara when we were captured.”
“And this other?”
“An initiate from Idastil. She was killed when we were taken.”
“I too, head for Solara. That is where I am taking these men. Give me her name and I will carry the news for you.”
“The initiate’s name is Jade.”
“And the girl?”
“Will be rescued. You do not need her name.”
“Look, I know this may be difficult for you to hear, but I have a responsibility to these men. I have to get them safely to Solara and I can’t jeopardize that by going after your ‘charge.’
After finding a set of clothing that fit, rather loosely, Venil sidled up to the woman and for a time, stood next to her watching the other men. Then he turned to her, trying to smile and failing miserably thanks to his dislocated jaw. “Never did get your name.”
She gave him a funny look, then noticed his jaw. “Oh, right,” she said, holding up a finger. “Wait here. We will get you fixed up right quick.” She turned toward the stream of men, from which Gant had stepped forth when he saw Venil standing to one side. The woman pointed to Gant as she neared him. “You know this man, do you not?”
Gant looked to Venil and nodded at the woman.
“Come with me, please.” She led him to Venil and then looked to the wounded man. “I am going to pop your jaw back into place,” she told Venil. “It is going to hurt. Quite a bit.”
Venil nodded his understanding.
“I do not want to get hurt by any thrashing around,” she said, turning to Gant. “You need to hold his arms. He looks like a tough guy, but I would rather not take any chances.”
Gant stood behind Venil, locking the man’s arms in a hold.
The woman removed the cloth from around Venil’s head and jaw, holding the loose jaw in one hand. Once that was done, with her free hand she gripped the side of his head, reaching her splayed fingers back for support. “Okay, big guy. On three. And I would appreciate it if you do not spit at me.” Her grip on his jaw tightened. “One, two . . .”
She pushed the loose side of the jaw upward, scraping bone against bone until the jaw snicked into place with an ear shattering pop. Venil did not hear it, though he certainly felt it. He screamed in agony and strained his arms against the locked limbs of the shirtless Gant. The pain lessened by degrees until it faded entirely and his swimming vision returned.
He opened and closed his mouth a few times, to be sure that the jaw worked as it should. Then he managed a smile. “Thank you,” he said. “For the jaw and the rescue.”
She patted Venil on the shoulder as Gant relinquished his hold on the other man’s arms. “You are welcome, big guy.”
“My name is Venil.” He reached a hand out to rest on Gant’s shoulder. “And this is Gant. Who do we have the pleasure of thanking for our rescue?”
“You may call me Raelynn.”
“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Raelynn,” said Gant.
“And a bit of pain for me,” joked Venil. “Raelynn, you seem practiced at this rescue. Is it something you have had experience with before?”
She nodded. “You are not the first prisoners I have freed from a Artemise camp.”
“Then perhaps you can be of further assistance.”
She looked at Venil. “Your freedom and health are not enough?”
Venil reached a hand to the back of his neck. “In the camp, there is a young girl I would like to free.”
She looked him over. “Keep it in your pants, Venil. You will live longer.”
“No,” he objected. “It is not like that.”
“Daughter?”
“No. She was charged to my care. I was leading her and another to Solara when we were captured.”
“And this other?”
“An initiate from Idastil. She was killed when we were taken.”
“I too, head for Solara. That is where I am taking these men. Give me her name and I will carry the news for you.”
“The initiate’s name is Jade.”
“And the girl?”
“Will be rescued. You do not need her name.”
“Look, I know this may be difficult for you to hear, but I have a responsibility to these men. I have to get them safely to Solara and I can’t jeopardize that by going after your ‘charge.’
Similar Books
