Prince Koda's POV
I'm asleep when the generals first born burst through my door startling me awake.
"I need your help. Don't ask and just follow me." He runs back out, and I follow. This is the brother that's always with Lyria, right?
We ran deeper into the woods, and I started to get suspicions that he has an ulterior motive. He then literally runs into a dying tree trunk and disappears. I also notice we didn't have time to transform or hide our scents.
"There are stairs inside, come down." I hear him inside the tree. I cautiously go into the tree and there are indeed stairs going underground. When I come out to the opening of the cave, I see it's well furnished, like someone has been living here for a while. Ryker puts some things on the table.
"These will help her. Please take care of her for me for a while. We need to hurry back. Once everyone including myself is inside, bring her back here. She'll be the safest in her hideout. because of your power as a prince, I know you can protect her the best. I only hope that that's all you'll do." We take off running again and make it back in time to see the general walking into the house. I stay at the corner of the house looking at the now passed-out Lyria laying on the ground in the rain. Ryker goes in quickly and I walk over to her. I bend down and pick her up. She is as light as a leaf. She weighs almost nothing. Her breathing is shallow, and I can see why Ryker came to get me. I can see bruising on her face and a busted lip. She's been beaten. Funny how I was just dreaming of holding her close to me and here I am holding her. I just wished it wasn't under these circumstances.
There's no telling what other injuries she has, so I do my best not to move too harshly so that she's not in any more pain. I follow our scent back to the tree with the secret stairs in it. It's too narrow for me to walk down carrying Lyria the way I am.
I let her know I'm about to move her into a different position and to brace herself.
I carefully maneuvered her into a better position so I could get us both down in a steadier decline.
The way I'm holding her is too intimate and her deep breaths on my neck made me shiver in excitement.
What am I thinking she's injured. I calm myself down and walk down into the secret hideout. I lay her down on the bed and go back to the table to see what Ryker put out. There's a bowl of healing paste and sticky leaves used to wrap the wound.
I look back at her and she's sleeping peacefully.
I gently take off her clothes and examine her body for more injuries.
Her stomach was bruised and turned a dark purple. I started applying the medicine and feel she has three broken ribs on one side and two on the other. After I applied the medicine, I lifted her up and looked at the bigger bruise on her back. I applied more medicine there and wrapped her up in sticky leaves.
She's got a couple more bruising and small cuts that I apply medicine to before covering her up and letting her rest.