Legend Of The Highland Wolves by Bonnie Burrows

Author:Bonnie Burrows [Burrows, Bonnie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2015-03-17T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

The three of them skidded down the slope toward the camp. It was impossible to tell where anything was through the smoke. A raid? she wondered. Beside her, both Quinn and Roan had unsheathed their swords and their faces had set into a battle-ready grimace. She had never seen battle up close, and could only hope to keep up. She prayed her legs wouldn’t give out.

A dark shape rushed by and Roan let out a low growl. “We have to find the king,” Quinn said sharply. “Stay low.”

Near the king’s tent they saw that two of his guards had been cut down. As they approached, she held her hand to her mouth again to force down the bile. Their breastplates had been ripped clean open by what looked like a giant scythe. Its huge jagged incision was ribbed with blood and gore, and there was a look of terror frozen on its owner’s face.

“No,” she whispered.

“My liege,” Quinn said softly ahead of them, kneeling down beside a body, and Annella clambered to his side. The king was injured deeply, more claw marks raked into his chest and side, and there was blood staining his pure white hair and beard.

“Father!”

“Oh, daughter. My beautiful daughter,” he said, “I thought I’d lost you.”

“I’m here,” she cried, holding his hand. She looked at the wounds to his chest and saw they were still oozing blood. She couldn’t bring herself to realize them as terminal. “Don’t try to speak, you’ll be just fine.”

“Terrible liar. You always were,” he grinned. “Honesty becomes you. Always be honest, Annella.”

“Yes, father.”

“Quinn, my boy,” he said, holding the other man’s hand. There were tears in the patrol leader’s eyes. “You were right. This enemy…”

“We’ll find them, my liege. I’ll make them pay, every one. On my own blood.”

The king smiled. “Oh, Quinn. Stubborn, reckless Quinn. If I told you the sun would not rise tomorrow, I know you would travel to the horizon to keep it down. That has always been your weakness… and your greatest strength. I would have been proud to call you son. I suppose… I am proud.”

“My liege… Terynan,” Quinn choked.

“Enough. Listen. They came from the north, they’re already at our borders. I sent Maddock and Selma away before they could break through our reinforcements. They’re heading back to Aargon… you must join them. Assemble all the other villages.”

“It will be done,” Quinn said.

“Father, please,” Annella spoke, and there were tears flowing down her cheeks. Her shoulders were quaking and Quinn placed a hand on them to settle her, but it did little good.

“Beautiful, Annella,” the king said. “I will see you again, my most loved daughter.”

“Not like this, you can’t go!”

“We all go. You’ve grown into a magnificent woman. I was able to bear witness to it. I cannot be selfish any longer,” he coughed, a small bit of blood coming from his lips. “But know that I love you more than anything in this world. More than anything beyond this world.”

Annella collapsed on

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