pain.
Unaware of the added danger he
was facing, Grendel slowed his run and approached the cyclops at a walk,
levelling a long sarisas ready. Swiftly ducking a heavy fisted swipe he
lunged forward and thrust the spiked point deep into the cyclops’ exposed side.
The cyclops’ face contorted with
pain. It immediately swung out a massive hand in retaliation, catching
Grendel around the head and slamming him to the ground. Stunned, Grendel
lay dazed as the cyclops raised a huge foot to stamp down him.
‘Fire!’ Xerxes shouted and
they all let fly with arrows once more; this time tipped with hemlock poison.
Their aim was true and the arrows
struck the sides and belly of the cyclops. The warriors instantly drew
their bowstrings and fired again, sending another hail of poisoned arrows
flying through the air. Thrashing wildly under the onslaught the cyclops
threw back its head, ramming its granite skull into the top of Mistral’s
head. Stars burst in front of her eyes at the force of the blow.
Losing her grip on the creature’s back she slid senselessly to the ground.
Feeling the weight on its back slide away the cyclops wheeled, searching for
its tormentor. Snatching at her fallen body with one huge hand he swept
her up and flung her against the mountainside. Body met rock in a
snapping crunch and then there was silence.
Bright sunlight glowed red
through her closed eyelids, forcing her into consciousness. Prising her
eyes open a fraction Mistral made out the hazy form of a dark-haired figure sat
beside her bed.
‘Is that you or am I dreaming?’
‘It’s me.’ Fabian replied
shortly, adding stiffly. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘Better now I know you’re real,’
she sighed and opened her eyes wider, taking in Fabian’s ominously unsmiling
face. ‘Are you angry with me?’
‘No.’ he snapped and rose to his
feet. ‘I’m angry with your idiot brothers for taking you on such a
dangerous hunt. And now I know that you are alright I am going to find
them.’
‘But I’m not alright!’
Mistral cried, struggling to sit up. ‘I’m never alright without
you! It’s not them you need to be angry at, but you.’
Fabian glared at her, his hand
resting on the back of the chair he had been sitting on.
‘And why should I be angry with
myself?’ he demanded icily.
Ignoring her spinning head
Mistral forced herself to continue, ‘For trying to protect me from anything
that might hurt me. Can’t you see it’s driving me insane? I’m too
much like you Fabian. I need to be free. How would you feel if you
were stuck in the Valley, not allowed to leave or take any Contracts that presented
even the remotest challenge?’
Fabian stared at her coldly then
sighed and sank back onto the chair, ‘I admit that I may have been a touch
overprotective recently, and I know that keeping you cooped up in the Valley
has been hard on you – but a cyclops? What were you thinking?’
‘I got drunk.’ Mistral
confessed, looking a little shame-faced. ‘It seemed like a good idea at
the time.’
Fabian stared at her and for a
second she thought he was really going to shout at her then he laughed softly
and reached out to take her hands, ‘I’m sorry Mistral. I just wanted to
keep you from being injured, and,’ he paused significantly, ‘from anything that
would prevent you from mastering Sight.’
She looked up to meet his deep
black gaze, ‘Believe me Fabian, I want nothing more than to master Sight too,
but I’m not sure that this is the right way to go about it.’
‘No,’ he agreed. ‘Not if it
results in reckless outbursts of you trying to get yourself killed. So,
allow me to suggest a compromise.’
She settled back against the
pillows, eyeing him warily, ‘I’m listening.’
‘I promised that you could
accompany me on my next Contract –’
‘No matter what it entailed,’ she
reminded him.
‘No matter what it
entailed.
Unaware of the added danger he
was facing, Grendel slowed his run and approached the cyclops at a walk,
levelling a long sarisas ready. Swiftly ducking a heavy fisted swipe he
lunged forward and thrust the spiked point deep into the cyclops’ exposed side.
The cyclops’ face contorted with
pain. It immediately swung out a massive hand in retaliation, catching
Grendel around the head and slamming him to the ground. Stunned, Grendel
lay dazed as the cyclops raised a huge foot to stamp down him.
‘Fire!’ Xerxes shouted and
they all let fly with arrows once more; this time tipped with hemlock poison.
Their aim was true and the arrows
struck the sides and belly of the cyclops. The warriors instantly drew
their bowstrings and fired again, sending another hail of poisoned arrows
flying through the air. Thrashing wildly under the onslaught the cyclops
threw back its head, ramming its granite skull into the top of Mistral’s
head. Stars burst in front of her eyes at the force of the blow.
Losing her grip on the creature’s back she slid senselessly to the ground.
Feeling the weight on its back slide away the cyclops wheeled, searching for
its tormentor. Snatching at her fallen body with one huge hand he swept
her up and flung her against the mountainside. Body met rock in a
snapping crunch and then there was silence.
Bright sunlight glowed red
through her closed eyelids, forcing her into consciousness. Prising her
eyes open a fraction Mistral made out the hazy form of a dark-haired figure sat
beside her bed.
‘Is that you or am I dreaming?’
‘It’s me.’ Fabian replied
shortly, adding stiffly. ‘How are you feeling?’
‘Better now I know you’re real,’
she sighed and opened her eyes wider, taking in Fabian’s ominously unsmiling
face. ‘Are you angry with me?’
‘No.’ he snapped and rose to his
feet. ‘I’m angry with your idiot brothers for taking you on such a
dangerous hunt. And now I know that you are alright I am going to find
them.’
‘But I’m not alright!’
Mistral cried, struggling to sit up. ‘I’m never alright without
you! It’s not them you need to be angry at, but you.’
Fabian glared at her, his hand
resting on the back of the chair he had been sitting on.
‘And why should I be angry with
myself?’ he demanded icily.
Ignoring her spinning head
Mistral forced herself to continue, ‘For trying to protect me from anything
that might hurt me. Can’t you see it’s driving me insane? I’m too
much like you Fabian. I need to be free. How would you feel if you
were stuck in the Valley, not allowed to leave or take any Contracts that presented
even the remotest challenge?’
Fabian stared at her coldly then
sighed and sank back onto the chair, ‘I admit that I may have been a touch
overprotective recently, and I know that keeping you cooped up in the Valley
has been hard on you – but a cyclops? What were you thinking?’
‘I got drunk.’ Mistral
confessed, looking a little shame-faced. ‘It seemed like a good idea at
the time.’
Fabian stared at her and for a
second she thought he was really going to shout at her then he laughed softly
and reached out to take her hands, ‘I’m sorry Mistral. I just wanted to
keep you from being injured, and,’ he paused significantly, ‘from anything that
would prevent you from mastering Sight.’
She looked up to meet his deep
black gaze, ‘Believe me Fabian, I want nothing more than to master Sight too,
but I’m not sure that this is the right way to go about it.’
‘No,’ he agreed. ‘Not if it
results in reckless outbursts of you trying to get yourself killed. So,
allow me to suggest a compromise.’
She settled back against the
pillows, eyeing him warily, ‘I’m listening.’
‘I promised that you could
accompany me on my next Contract –’
‘No matter what it entailed,’ she
reminded him.
‘No matter what it
entailed.
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