The Prince And The Pagan

Chapter 4: Saving The Prince

-Raven-

My hand started to shake, and it moved into my arm. I had been holding it above his heart for so long, I couldn’t stay like this for much longer …

“Come on, Raven,” I whispered to myself. “You can do this.”

I wanted to. I really wanted to, but it felt … wrong. He was wounded and practically already dead. Killing him would bring me no satisfaction, and as I realized this, I slowly lowered my knife. No, this was too easy. The prince deserved to see my face before I stabbed him and showed him exactly that I had never forgiven his family for what they did to mine. His grandfather slaughtered my entire family, and now I would make sure his grandson paid for those crimes. Yes, but first I had to save him. In order to kill him and avenge my family, I had to save him.

I put the knife back in my belt and went around him, before putting my hands under his arms, but as I tried pulling him over the ground, I realized it would be impossible. He was simply too heavy. For a prince, he was surprisingly built very robust and strong. I would not be able to carry him alone. I sat down on the ground and then looked over my shoulder. I needed help. I hurried up from the ground and started to run towards the little village hidden in the forest.

It was quiet, as I ran into it. Only a few were walking around doing their chores and looking after the children. The others had to be at the meeting, and I ran towards the big tent that was used exactly for that. It was huge and could fit our entire village. Not that many lived in the village.

I ran inside, pushing the fabric that hung over the entrance, away. People were seated on the many seats facing the council at the end of a big table. People were speaking loudly to one another. Apparently, I had arrived while they were in a heated argument, but I had no time to listen to what was going on. I just ran down the path that had formed between the people and over to the council where my father sat in the middle.

“Raven?” he asked, shocked. “What are you doing here?”

He was clearly shocked that I had found out about the meeting, but how couldn’t I? Clearly, everyone knew except me, but I could yell at him for that later. At the moment, I had a prince to save.

“I found something,” I said a little out of breath.

“Raven, we are in a meeting. Can’t it wait?”

I shook my head like crazy, trying to get enough air down my lungs. The prince had barely been breathing when I found him. He might pass to the other side, while I was here.

“What is it?” my father asked, almost tired.

He probably thought I had just found some lost wolf pup or something, so he was definitely going to be surprised.

“I found the prince.”

“What?”

He looked at me confused as I took a deep breath.

“At the river!” I yelled. “I found the prince! He is wounded.”

My father hurried from his seat like the rest. People had gotten quiet around us, now very interested in what I had to say.

“What did you say?”

“You need to hurry! And bring the healer! He needs help!”

My father was still frozen, not able to wrap his head around what I was saying.

“Now!” I urged.

People quickly went to work, and half of the meeting followed me, as I led them down to the river. Someone else had been asked to get the healer. He was an older man, but very skilled, and I knew if anyone could save the prince, it had to be him.

“Over here!” I yelled.

My father, the rest of the council and the people from the meeting followed me over to the riverside, where the prince was still lying on his back. He was so pale. Even paler than when I left him. I squatted down beside him, looking up at my father, who just looked shocked down at him.

“What in the Gods’ name …”

Suddenly, the people around us were pushed to the side, as our healer appeared and quickly went over to me and the prince. He sat down on his knees looking him over, searching for the wound that had made him like this. It was a big one, right in his stomach.

“Will he live?” I asked.

He had to live … how else would I make his family pay? How else would I show him my face and tell him my story before I killed him?

The healer, on the other hand, did not look hopeful, as he inspected the wound on his stomach. His wrinkly face with the many tattoos that had faded a little over the years, so they were hard to read, showed me he feared that the prince wouldn’t make it. He was tattooed over the side of his face, and it was hard to exactly decipher the old words because they had changed over time, but it was not hard for us to know he served the God of Life, like the rest of us.

“I need help,” our healer said.

Four huge hunters came over and helped lift the prince from the ground.

“We need to bring him back to my tent as quickly as we can.”

The men started to carry him away, and the healer and I followed along, behind them.

“Does this mean you can save him?” I asked.

The old healer didn’t say anything, but his eyes showed there was little to hope for. I couldn’t allow this. He had to live!

“You need to save him!” I said and grabbed the healer’s arm, as we continued to walk towards his tent.

“Raven!” my father called, making me stop and let go of our healer. “Let him work.”

He disappeared into the tent with the prince and the other hunters. What now? He couldn’t die …

“How did you find him?”

I had not noticed my father had walked over to me, and he gently placed his hand on my shoulder, when I didn’t answer him.

“Huh?”

I looked from the tent’s opening to my father, who looked at me with worry.

“How did you find him?” he repeated.

“I just … did,” I said.

“What?”

“I … I don’t know. I saw something by the river and there he was,” I said. “I didn’t hurt him, if that is what you think.”

“Raven,” he said in a deep and concerned voice. “We all know your story.”

I sneered and took a step away from him. I didn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t want to talk about the m******e. I tried my best not to think about it.

“Raven, don’t go near him,” he said.

“What?” I asked, confused. “I am the one who saved him.”

“You heard me!” he said and pointed at me. “Do not go near him.”

“You don’t trust me?”

“Anger does a lot to us. You know that. Let Dimar do his work and let us go finish the meeting.”

“So now you want me to be a part of the meeting?” I asked angrily.

“Raven …”

I just shook my head. I couldn’t believe him.

“Do you even want me to be your successor?” I asked and crossed my arms. “Or are you choosing someone else?”

He didn’t say anything, and his silence annoyed me, so I walked away, almost stomping my feet like an angry child. I walked over to the first little fireplace I found and sat down on one of the small tree stumps that had been placed around it. I kicked a stone away, seeing it hit the bigger ones that had been lying around the fireplace, which was nothing but ash at the moment.

“Raven?”

I looked up, seeing my mother and her gentle eyes watching me carefully.

“I am not going to hurt him,” I lied.

“I heard you and your father,” she said, and sat down beside me.

She carefully took my hand, and as always, she instantly calmed me. I sort of hated it, but it was also because of her gentle and caring nature, I had been able to find a home and feel loved again.

“He doesn’t consider me his daughter,” I said.

“Of course, he does!”

“Then why keep the meeting a secret?” I asked.

“Because you still have a lot to learn,” she said and placed her free hand on my cheek.

Her green-blue eyes shone with such love that it was hard to stay mad.

“How am I supposed to learn if he keeps me away from it all?”

“Not everything is taught,” she said. “Some things you learn from experiences.”

You don’t say, I said inside of myself. I had learned that true evil existed in this world from experience …

“Come,” she said. “Let us make some food.”