Songs of Fallen Stars

11

Rion

I let her bathe in peace, standing guard outside the tent. I can’t blame Tallum for losing himself when he was so close to her. Her blood is overwhelming. The scent is not as strong now as it was when she first started to bleed. Maybe as the days go on it becomes less and duller, or maybe I am stronger willed than the average beast. I have more control.

Men pass by the tent and their eyes linger past me. Everyone wants a glimpse at her, a chance to see her. I hear her splash in the water, getting out. I give her a few minutes to dress before I bring in our supper,

“Do you feel better?” I set the tray of food down on the bed and she walks over. She smells better, the blood is faint now.

“A bit, thank you”. She sits on the edge of the bed, her robe is loosely tied and I can see her cleavage.

“I brought dinner. I know it’s not like what you're used to in the castle. But during our travels we will have to make due” I hand her a bowl of stew and a fresh bun.

“It’s fine, thank you” She eats in silence, stealing glances at me every now and then. I take the tray and set it on the floor.

“You should sleep, we leave early in the morning.”

“Where are you staying?” She asks as I get up to leave.

“I will stand guard outside tonight.”

“Oh..” She looks disappointed.

“Would you rather me stay in your bed?” I tease her.

“No.. Of course not. I was just curious.. Besides, I’m a bit nervous about being alone”. She plays with her hands in her lap, avoiding my gaze.

“I promise you will be safe. I will let no harm come to you Elara”, I say as I gently lift her chin to make her look at me. I need her to trust me, to be able to feel safe with me near.

I hear her heart pick up speed as my finger lingers on her skin. I lean in and kiss her on the forehead before turning to leave, “Get some rest”

I settle outside the tent and begin my watch.

Within a few hours a storm is blowing through, the snow is coming down fiercely. Everyone has gone to bed, trying to keep warm. There is no danger present so I slip inside the tent and see her fast asleep under the furs. I sit down at the foot of the bed and remove my long swords, getting comfortable on the floor. The storm is getting stronger, we may be delayed in the morning depending on how much snow there is. I can hear the wind whipping back and forth, it lashes out against the tent.

“...no… stay back!...” Elara mutters in her sleep.

She sleep talks, I glance over at her, she has a layer of sweat on her brow. She is having a nightmare, I stand and make my way over to her. I take a cloth and wipe her brow, she is burning up. I place my hand gently on her forehead and feel just how warm she has become. She has a high fever, but her body is clammy with cool sweat. She needs to sweat out the fever, I place the cloth back on her brow and place my arm under her neck. She uses me as a pillow as she slumbers. Her sleep talking has died down for the time being. A feeling of pure happiness washes over me as I watch her. Her brows knit together as she navigates in her dreams, small puffs of air escape her lips every now and then.

“...Rion…” She murmurs, my gaze flashes to her face. She has not woken, I can clearly see she is still soundly sleeping, but she called out for me.

She is dreaming of me. It doesn’t seem like a nightmare either. I wonder what her dreams are.

Before I can think too much about it the tent opens up, Velius emerges.

“Your Majesty, we are under attack” He says in a hushed voice when I push my finger to my lips to tell him to be quiet. I do not want my sweet Mate to be woken, not when she is dreaming of me.

Her fever has gone down a bit. I tuck the furs around her and kiss her cheek before I pick up my long swords and look to Velius.

“I want two guards at the door” I order as we leave the tent. He nods and hurries off. I wait only for a minute before he returns with two strong-looking soldiers.

“If either of you go in there without cause, I will have your heads” I warn

“Of course, Your Majesty” They say in unison.

I head into the storm and find where the source of fighting is coming from. Mountain dwellers, a mix between wolf and man. Not quite one or the other, they are feral beasts.

Looks to be eight of them if I count correctly. The snow makes it difficult to see them, they are able to blend into their surroundings. But I have excellent eyes, I track them as they move through the snow, advancing on my men. I kill one then another, four men fight against one and I look around for the rest of them. I see a group of men taking on three more.

Still two left, where are they?

I look around circling the carriage as one jumps off a boulder, landing on top of me. His teeth snarl and snap at me but I push him off easily, he lands in the snow before standing and coming at me again. I grab him by the jaw and tear him apart. He goes limp in my hands and falls to the ground.

Last one… I sniff the air, I can smell it.. Going towards the tent. I rush over and see the two guards are both dead. I enter the tent, seeing blood smeared across the entrance. I scan the room and see it, standing over Elara who is no longer asleep.

The fear in her eyes is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. The feral beast is looking down at her, she is smart enough to keep still and quiet. Thank the Gods for that.

A long line of drool slips past the beast’s mouth and lands on Elara’s cheek, she makes a small whimpering noise. I see tears sliding down her face and she is shaking now.

“Elara… Look at me… I need you to look at me.. I promised I wouldn’t let any harm come to you.. Do you remember that?” I slowly drag my hands down my leg and across my back, reaching for my daggers.

“Y-yes” She whispers. The beast snaps its teeth at her, she slinks back further into the bed.

“I need you to stay still for me okay?” I take one step, two steps and the beast snaps its head towards me. It’s claws are digging into the furs around her.

In one smooth motion I throw my blades, one into the heart and one into the head, right through the eye. It falls instantly, landing on top of Elara. I move quickly to pull her away from it. She’s covered in blood and drool now. She looks down at her hands, fresh in blue monster blood and a scream escapes her.

I quickly reach for her, pulling her off the bed and into my arms