Storyteller by J.L. Kodanko

Author:J.L. Kodanko
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Young Adult Fantasy, Girls with swords, Epic Fantasy
Publisher: J.L. Publishing
Published: 2020-07-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 42

A

fter a while, Khan slowed to a walk. He was covered in sweat now, his muscled chest heaving in great gulps of air. I tugged on him gently to have him put me down. At first I thought he would resist, but then he relented, slowing to a stop and helping me down to a sitting position. I leaned back against a tree, and he flopped down beside me, eyes closed and one hand thrown over his forehead. A few minutes passed and his breathing slowed as I watched him.

He pushed up onto his elbows and surveyed me. “You’re really okay?”

I nodded again, shifting carefully. My ankle was throbbing now, as all the adrenaline faded away. I ran my eyes over Khan, pulling up short when I noticed the blood on his thigh.

“Khan, you’re hurt!”

Khan grunted, looking down at his leg. “Damn thing attacked silently the first time. Never heard it coming. I’m lucky it didn’t take off my entire leg with those fangs.” His pant leg was torn, and the gash was fairly deep.

I had lost my satchel, canteen, everything except my dagger. I could use my tunic to bind up Khan’s leg, but I hesitated briefly. If he saw the marks on my ribs, there would be more questions. Khan beat me to it, pulling his tunic off, and then the thin white shirt he wore underneath it.

He studied the wound on his leg with a grimace, and I took the shirt from him. “Here, let me do it.”

I ripped his shirt into long strips with my dagger, and Khan eased back down onto his elbows, watching me work. I began wrapping the strips around his thigh, doing my best to avoid staring at his bare chest. It was a display of sculpted muscle and taut skin, and every time I snuck a glance my mouth went dry. A tattoo of water waves curled around his ribs. The art seemed . . . ancient, and perfectly suited to him. I took in as many details as I could before I shook my head and focused on the task of bandaging his leg.

I finished wrapping the wound as best I could, shaking my head. “It’s deep, Khan. I think it will need stitches.”

He nodded. “It’ll be okay for now.” He looked around the forest. “We’re not far from a friend’s house. We can reach it by nightfall. And she’ll be delighted to hear that we survived an attack from the Udhuca.”

My attention shifted from his leg. “Is that what that was? Udhuca?”

Khan nodded, wincing a bit as I drew the bandage tight. “Cave dwellers. Horrible beasts. I encountered one a long time ago. But they don’t usually set traps like that. That was unusual.”

“They can set traps?” My horror was growing.

Khan’s expression was guarded as he responded. “Apparently.” I had the feeling there was more he wasn’t saying, but he wasn’t in a sharing mood. I finished tying off the bandage, and he took another and began wrapping my ankle.

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