Nimo watched him go feeling a bit of sadness for him, he had lost his home, his country and he couldn't even be by his sister's side.
The hut was a stand by refuge for stranded travellers, the room was little with a worn out bed and an old single stool and a dim lantern at the corner. She watched as Sessa laid unmoving on the bed. How long was he going to stay unconscious? Nimo hoped Kiv could get to Allon safe and early, she had a feeling that she and Sessa wouldn't be safe here for a long time. Just when she was about dozing off she heard a slight cough.
She went to sit beside his bed. "You are awake."
He sat up. "How long have I been out?"
"Almost a day."
Sessa was surprised. "I recovered quite quickly."
"I transfered some energy to you. Are you sick? Why did you collapse?"
He rose up and distanced himself from her. He hated telling people about his condition even though it was no secret.
"I have a health condition. I spend energy more than a normal person, so I get tired easily."
He waited for her to tell him 'tuck yourself in bed, we don't want you sick , do we?'
"Get down." She said.
"What?"
In a flash, Nimo took down Sessa with her and just as arrows hissed past them. Nimo laid on top of Sessa waiting for the darting arrows to seize while Sessa felt taken advantaged of.
"Are you okay?" Nimo stared down at Sessa coincidentally locking eyes with him, Sessa pushed her off him and rose up, flipping his hair back in place to hide his discomfort.
She glared at the back of his head and rose up dusting dirt off her dress. "So much for saving your life."
Sessa sneaked a glance at her. "How did you know that those arrows were coming?"
"I heard the sounds of crossbows, my ears are very sensitive." Nimo lifted her dress a little and brought out a container from one of her boots.
"What's that?"
"It's gunpowder, I usually keep some of it in case of emergencies...like this. We'll use this to distract them, once I say run, set off immediately."
Sessa nodded. She littered the gunpowder on the floor and grabbed the lantern at the corner of the room. She smashed the lantern on the floor.
"Run!" Together they opened the door and fled just as the hut exploded. The men awaiting outside were startled by the explosion creating a chance for Nimo and Sessa to sneak off without being seen.
The leader signalled two of his men to go in and check inside the house with a snap of his hand after the fire died down a little.
"They are are missing." One of the reported in alarm.
"They couldn't have gone far. Search!"
"Yes sir!"
•°•
The heavens chose that moment to cry out its frustration on earth. Nimo and Sessa ran nonstop with their pursuers hot on their heels. They were drenched from the rain, they ran through the woods.
Sessa stopped and his chest heaved with fatigue. "I can't go anymore." He said waving a hand to show his resolution.
"We have to." She grabbed him by his wrist and dragged him. He stared at her in surprise. They ran hand in hand until they got to a dead end, they stopped at the edge of a cliff having nowhere else to go, their pursuers caught up with them.
They leader stepped forward with a self-complacent look on his face.
"Well, well, well after chasing for so long I finally have you both in my hands, no matter how far a prey runs it will still end up in the mouth of the lion." He said.
Nimo unsheathed Wind cut and trusted it against the men.
The man at the front gave an ugly laugh.
"My dear, do you think you can stop these men from getting to the Crown Prince?"
"As long as I'm here you will get to him over my dead body."
He simpered in scorn. "All right! As you wish. Attack!" His men rushed forward, with lightning fast Nimo gave two of the assassins a slice on their arm, they cried out in pain and fell to the ground. One attempted to go for Sessa, she palmed Sessa out of the way and the man received a jab of her sword. The sky grumbled in distress as it witnessed the bloodshed sending more rain to wash off the ground.
Soon the reinforcement Kiv had gone to bring arrived and joined in the fight, soon they defeated the assassins and held some captive including their leader.
Nimo squatted in front of the man. "Who is the ringleader behind you?" Nimo asked him. He spat out blood and barked out a laugh.
"You'll never know, you can never tell. Watch your back." With that he jammed his teeth together and yielded the ghost.
Nimo opened his mouth and found a brownish substance in between his teeth.
"Rapid poison."
"He's dead?" Kiv asked.
"Dead as a doorknob."
They checked the other captives, their fate was the same as the dead man. They had all taken poison.
"Well, the favour has been done. I'll set off at once." Clogan said drawing all eyes to him, without waiting for them to reply he set his horse in motion and his men went after him. As Clogan walked away, he wondered who the pretty lady was for she had caught his attention.
"Was that Clogan?" Sessa asked. Kiv nodded while Nimo searched for a cloak and put it around Sessa. He was touched by her gesture and he smiled in thanks, Nimo turned away and thought, he should smile more often.
"I met the second prince on my way and he offered his men, I couldn't say no or I would have been late."
"You have a feud with the second prince?" Nimo asked.
"Do you really know about nothing in the capital?" Kiv responded with a question of his own. He earned a severe look from her.
"He tried to kill me five years ago." They got into a carriage that had been arranged for Sessa.
"What?" Nimo gasped in astonishment. She could never understand the way of politics that made one willing to kill one's blood to earn power. Kiv narrated everything that happened and Nimo grew strangely silent looking deep in thought.
Sessa who had been watching her all the while knew that something was on her mind.
"Nimo, what are you thinking about?" She looked up in surprise, this was the first time Sessa was calling her by her name and it felt intimate. She shook her head.
"I have some doubts."
"Go ahead."
"Based on my assessment on the second prince, he is a very meticulous person. Why didn't he do away with the maid?"