His steps pounded into the soft dirt, taking more energy than he had left, to keep going. Ward had one hand tightly around Yuliah and the other his spear. He let out an agonizing shout. This woman, she started to get heavy.
All the strength he had, drained, almost gone, trying to save her from the river and now he had to carry her too. Her body slipped down his side. Ward grunted and jerked his left arm upward, readjusting her back onto his shoulder, then sprinted ahead.
She must have hit her head pretty hard. He managed to grab her just before she jumped back in the river. Why did she throw herself back in the water? This was the kind of shit he'd been dealing with since he found her.
She's a fucken curse from the Gods for all his sins. He said a quick prayer. Then remembered seeing blood on her face earlier, and the night before her crazy eyes glowed purple. Damn. She was going to be the death of him for sure.
Woods, forests, and more fucken woods. The Nomens loved the North for this. Ward hated it. He'd always wanted to go South and went there once. Where the sun warmed your skin all year round but shit happened, and he never made it back.
He slowed his pace down to a stop. They were on the borders of Nomen territory now, and he earned coin by being a trader of people. This gave him connections to the Nomens here.
If he remembered correctly; they were close to another town. One less hostile, but he couldn't bring the girl with him, not without other males trying to challenge him for her. He'd have to find a place to put her for now. Then make his way to the town and buy new horses for them. There's no way they could walk back.
A town usually meant there were nearby homes or farms. Not all Nomens would have lived in town. Ward hurried through the forest until he came upon an abandoned structure.
Deep grooves cut into a massive stone tower that stood straight up past the treetops. He circled the tower but could not find another way up. Fuck! The only way up had to be the worst way.
How could he carry the spear? He didn't want to leave it behind. Ahhh... It came to him. Ward stuck the wooden pole through one end of her sleeve and out the other side. He chuckled, amused at how funny she looked, with her arms stiffly raised like a puppet they stuck up in the fields to scare away birds.
With the woman over his shoulder, he grunted and cursed as each foot slid into the grooves on the stone wall, while his hands held tightly to the knobs. Dead weight had to be the worst to carry. A little past halfway up his arms and legs trembled. He let out a frustrated yell. Why?
Why did this place had to be the only place to hide her? He forced himself to keep going. When his hands finally grabbed the last knob, he pulled them onto the flat stone floor. All four of his arms and legs burned.
What did they do here? Ward set her down. His eyes scanned around. Only a tiny wooden shed remained, but carved around the outer edges of the stone floor, were the words "One Life. One Blood," repeatedly until the words joined again.
A tower for Nomens to pray to their Gods. It made sense now why this damn thing sat so high in the sky.
He knelt beside Yuliah, with his fingers on her chin, Ward flipped her head over. The tiny chunks of flesh inside the gash across her head meant she hit her head hard and lost a lot of blood. He ripped a piece of her dress and bandaged it around the wound.
Great, he'll have to climb down and find something to put on her wound. If not, an infection could kill her.
Yuliah's lifeless body draped across his shoulder again as the bottom of Ward's foot hammered down on the tiny shed door until it broke open. He put Yuliah inside the shed and headed back down.
Ward made his way through the thick woods on the lookout for the Red Oris. A red plant with five leaves, used for cuts and infection. They grew like wildflowers here in the North. The humans didn't use them only the Nomens did. Blades of grass brushed across his knees, and his feet sunk deeper into the ground, but Ward pushed through.
Within a few minutes, he found a cluster of them. Hidden deep among the grass. Ward broke the stems and gathered them into two bunches then tied it to his waist.
He started back the way he came, but the woods took on an unsettling stillness and silence that only meant something headed his way. His fingers tightened around the spear. Every step he took touched lightly on the ground. Ward stopped. Then raised the spear, it was as light as a feather in his grips.
Up ahead. Between the dark green and browns of the forest, Ward's eyes caught a movement in the shadows. He crouched down.
Out jumped a man. The vibrant blues of his robes drenched with water. At this distance, his face gave way that he was much younger than Ward. He must have come from the river. Probably followed them from the Nomen camp.
The young Man's wild eyes met Wards, and he stopped moving. "Give me the woman," he demanded his voice full of contempt.
That damn woman again. Ward sighed and took a long look at the young man, who didn't stand quite as tall as a Nomen, but he wore their usual asshole face. He must be a half breed. That was the thing with half breeds. You were smaller and always had to show you were just as strong and dominant.
"Did you come to challenge me for her?" Ward asked. How many more would he have to fight for this girl?
"Give me the woman. Or you will beg for death," the halfbreed spoke haughtily.
Great, here we go. "There's plenty of human women, better-looking ones than her. I'm a trader of women. I can find you one," Ward yelled to the Man. He couldn't fight today, not after battling the river for thirty minutes. "You look tired. I"m tired," Ward shouted. "You don't want to die for this woman."
The halfbreed's face tightened into a snarl, and his eyes burned a dark glow. What kind of shit did they give this halfbreed? Ward hadn't seen one with eyes like him. Only from that woman.
Then he came fast. Incredibly fast. The halfbreed closed the ten feet between them in two strides.
Ward ducked back. His spear quickly came up as a shield.
The halfbreeds sword crashed down across the spear.
Snapping the spear like a twig.
Shit! He's strong. Ward's foot bucked forward.
It landed into the halfbreeds stomach.
Throwing him back.
Fuck that came too close. Ward scrambled up. His breaths short and choppy.
For the first time, Ward was happy that he had trained for years killing for the Nomens, it saved his life, but age caught up to him. He couldn't move fast like the halfbreed. He could only counter.
As quick as the halfbreed fell, he sprung up with a smirk. "I can't let you leave here, not without giving me the woman." He tucked the sword back into its sheath.
"Fuck... fuck... fuck..." Ward cursed to himself.
His violet eyes gleamed brighter than before. He dashed like a blur through the air straight for Ward. This time his fists came fast.
Ward managed to dodge the head punches.
The rest pummeled into his body hard. Fuck! He grunted.
There were no emotions on the half breeds face, only a will to keep attacking relentlessly.
With his back inching closer and closer to the trees Ward was on edge.
He could only use his hands to block the blows.
When suddenly his chance came.
From behind the Halfbreed, a series of neighs and shouts came from the trees.
"General! The King!"
The half breeds head spun around as a group of riders bursts out into the clearing.
Ward ramed the spear tip right into the halfbreeds side. Withdrew it and stuck him again. He pulled it out a second time ready to stab him again.
The halfbreed turned back, his arrogant face gone. Only shock and disbelief spread across his face.
Ward felt a gush of blood spill onto him then all over his waist.
His eyes locked with Wards briefly. Then he burst into a dark glow and delivered a blow that tossed Ward back a few feet right for the trees.
A blow that would have broken a man, but Ward was half Nomen, and when his back slammed against the trees, only a sharp, dull pain shot up his back.
The halfbreed drew his sword as more riders rushed into the clearing followed by snarls.
Ward scurried behind the trees and peeked out. The Fenrir!
There had to be eight or more Fenrir chasing them. They slashed at the beasts, who circled and sprung around them. Their horses were slow and scared. They couldn't move quick enough to evade the Fenrir, and one pounced onto a rider dressed in fine clothes.
"ZEHAN." The half breed completely forgot about Ward and lunged for the beast.
Now was the best time for Ward to escape. He couldn't fight that half breed, not in his condition and the additional men who showed up. Ward took one last look at the scene as they charged at the Fenrir, shouting, and panic broke out before he sprinted off into the woods.
By the time he made his way back to Yuliah, dusk spread its way across the horizon. His entire body hurt. He carried a bundle of wood to build a fire with and barely made the climb up the stone tower. Ward was gasping for breath when he got to the top.
The sky was a dark blue with a few stars scattered about as he flipped onto his back. Ward rested on the floor for a few minutes taking in the night sky. He wished his days were more like this. Finally, he stood up and walked over to the shed.
His foot kicked the shed door, and it opened slightly, but the girl was gone. He quickly turned around but a rope wrapped around his throat and he yanked back.
Ward's fingers clawed at the rope choking him. He took in gulps of air that lodged at the back of his throat, and tumbled back.