The Lost Knight (Volume IV) The Lost Prince

Chapter 26: Sisters & Brothers

The trees hum and birds sing. I blink my eyes open to the mottled light of the deep woods. Dathid's sleeping face down next to me where he collapsed. I stare at his back to make sure he's breathing, but I can't tell with the wings.

I lift my head. His eyes pop open, and he presses himself up. He glares at me, then around me, searching for the danger.

"I'm awake." My voice is thick with sleep. How long was I out? "Rest. I'll take watch."

He must've liked that idea because his head flops down, and he's fast asleep. I sit up and catch sight of Stryder nibbling on a bush about thirty feet away. I wonder if Dathid found him or if he found us.

The searing pain in my leg is gone, replaced with a bone-crushing ache. I'm not sure which I prefer. But if I could run with the arrow, I should be able to walk without it. I get up, and the pain intensifies, making me dizzy. I bend over and take a few deep breaths. It's just pain. I know why it hurts, and I know I won't injure it more by moving around.

I look around, trying to get some clue where we are. We're on the edge of a wooded area. I woke facing the woods, but there's a meadow of low-lying grass, sloping down a gentle hill. Dathid picked a good spot. We're at the top of the ridge, hidden by trees and brush, but my vantage point makes it easy to watch the land and the sky. All is quiet. Let's hope it stays that way.

I'm coated in thorns, and so are Dathid and Stryder. The leg armor is off my wounded leg, and there's a piece of my favorite sweater wrapped around it. I'm glad he pulled the arrow while I was unconscious. I look away from the wound. I can't think about that now.

There are many issues to deal with, and I'm unsure where to start. Water first. My canteen is lost, but I still have the packets. Dathid has a container, so he probably has some water, too.

I dig a pit with a flat rock. It's slow going because my back and shoulder are stiff from the torn muscles I got using my wand. Pulling my tunic over my head is more painful than digging. Thorns pierced the spider web fabric, but it should still be waterproof. I line the hole with the tunic and pour in some powder. I make the water thin the way I like it. Stryder puts his nose in before I can stop him and makes loud slurping noises. He drains half the water in seconds.

I'm so thirsty I can't wait to make another batch. I stick my face next to his. It's not as gross as I thought. I finish first, and Stryder empties the puddle. I make another batch, and he drinks half of that before he's satisfied.

I pull thorns out of my face and wash off the blood. My nose is sore but not broken. I study my reflection. I'm surprised I'm unbruised. I check my chin, and it's clear. I wiggle my jaw from side to side. It's tender, but okay. I chipped a back tooth, that hurts.

Next, I need to take care of the thorns carpeting our bodies. Dathid will have to keep his for a while longer because I don't want to wake him. Should I pull mine first? Or maybe I should do Stryder's. If I do mine, I'll be better able to move when I do Stryder's. Or maybe, I'm selfish and want these caustic thorns out now. Either way, I'm first.

My gauntlets are already off, so it's easy to remove the armor from my lower legs. As I gently pull the greave from my shin, I'm reminded of the corkboard Auntie kept by the front door. When she got tired of looking at the bills, she'd want them off. The fastest way to do it was to grab the bottom sheets and pull. It removed all of the paper and staples simultaneously. I yank the greave straight out and dislodge many thorns at once.

I continue the process until all of my armor is off. I turn to make sure Dathid's asleep and remove my sweater and undershirt. I still have on what the elves consider a bra, but I'll die if he wakes up. I remove the remaining thorns. It's mortifying knowing that Dathid's going to have to help me with the ones lodged in my back.