Rykka (Beastborne: Book 1)

Part 11: Duty

Song: Last One Alive - Demon Hunter

Lithias was vagely aware that Lynsias was carrying her. It sounded like he was walking through water but not wading very deep. The swishing sound of his steps lulled her into a trance like state. She heard some scuffling, the sound of claws meeting earth. Her eyes were firmly shut and any attempt to open them only proved to deepen her mind into the foggy haze that had taken over. She was on the ground now. It was dry and she felt that there was a bedroll laid underneath her. She wasn't in it and she wondered why. The haze thickened, her battle with it had been lost and she slipped away entirely.

Before she opened her eyes she became aware of several presences in extremely close proximity with herself. She could tell that she had been sandwiched between Aakine and Othanis but what surprised her was the other body that was between her and the kilthra to the left of her. Her face was firmly pressed against Lynsias's chest judging by the sound of his heart. She could also hear his light snores. Instead of opening her eyes she found herself tucking deeper into the warmth that surrounded her and drifting back off into a deep rest.

It was midnight the next night before Lythias woke again. This time it was because Lynsias had sat up and was attempting to free himself from the mess of their tangled limbs, robes, and bedrolls. Othanis and Aakine offered no help as they yawned widely and scooted back lazily as far as they could in the small den they had created. It was hardly wide enough for the four of them to be side by side without touching and it was mostly consisted of a deeply dug pit under the trees she had seen before. She also noted that the trees had been fortified with more branches and even a few burrows of pine. She knew this was the work of her oldest companions. They still had the instinct to create a safe space for injured pack members. They also had been encouraged to create dens on the property outside of her home.

Lynsias was watching her. She noted that his face was uncovered as well as his head. Her own face and head had been uncovered as well. She had been stripped of her robe and it was lying on top of her as a blanket. A small blue stone sat in his hand and gave off a pale blue tinted white light. Starlight Stones cost quite a lot but Lythias was starting to get less and less surprised by the...quirks Lynsias seemed to have. "Are you hungry?" Lithias asked, finally breaking the silence. She had rations but she was thinking about going for a hunt. One would think that those with the power she possessed would be strict vegetarian but she had been raised to have the utmost respect for both life and death. She knew how the world worked and what it meant to survive in a harsh climate. The altitude of the pass was nothing compared to her actual home.

One of the ways she respected the flow of nature when hunting was never using an ounce of essence to aid her. Instead she hunted with her pack mates armed with her blades. They worked in formation and she was no more deadly than they when it came to hunting. Aakine led them and she and Othanis were his soldiers. Still she would need to eat a little just to have the energy to do so. Specifically she needed protein. Reaching for her bag she pulled out a small sack out and sat back down with her legs out in front of her. Her burn ached today, less than other but it felt raw underneath the dressings. She knew they would have to wash at some point tonight or tomorrow night but she held out hope in finding a hot spring nearby.

The pass was littered with them, in fact she was lucky they had found a melt stream at all, the hot springs were undrinkable even after boiling and they needed water. Still the melt stream would be icy and she didn't want to take that dip in their core temps if she didn't have too. The kilthra had dug the den just deep enough for them all to sit upright so Lynsias sat up across from her as she placed the bag beside her and crossed her legs to sit directly in front of him with the bag in between them. Her arm ached as well and it wasn't bandaged so she held it as close to her as possible without making it seem as if she were favoring it. Her chest was the biggest pain but she was able to push it to the back of her mind for now, her rumbling stomach becoming her controlling factor. 

Lynsias's eyes were on the sack as she reached in and pulled out a handful of dried spiders each around the size of a small walnut. For his part, Lynsias didn't even flinch as he took one in between his fingers and examined it. Lithias noted how he examined the blue webbed pattern on its stomach for a moment and then its short legs before he decided to eat one. She gave him the rest of the handful when he reached for another and retrieved another for herself. He seemed a bit confused as he looked down at her small bag. "Oh, these things aren't hard to find anywhere this time of year. Kinda hard to run out and they are better fresh anyway." She explained, her rough Mountain accent was present no matter what language she spoke.

Lynsias shrugged. "The boys and I are going to search for small game-" She started to continue but Lynsias cut her off with a scoff. "The beast can hunt without you. You WILL rest." Lithias felt her face get hot as her tongue refused to act. She didn't get the chance to regain control over it when he spoke again, his tone sharp. "You have no idea what I had to do to keep you alive. Don't think for a moment I don't understand the extent of your injuries. I would wager my life that I know them better than yourself." Lithias couldn't help but flinch slightly at his tone and look down. He was right. "After what you did last night, you are lucky I know how pointless it would be to leave you bound in here until you'd slept for a week."

He was angry at her for risking her life the night before to get them to safety. The notion seemed entirely foreign to Lithias mind and she found herself at a loss as she digested the information she'd received. After a few moments she felt herself flush with anger again. "I didn't ask for thatI am morally and traditionally indebted to you because of that. If my life has been ended last night I knew that you would be spared. My beast would have dragged me off and you would've had shelter. If my life had been ended last night my debt would be ended but instead I breathe and therefore continue my payment." Her words were hot and clipped as they left her tongue. It was Lynsias's turn to look ashamed as he took in the meaning of her words.

Then an almost pained look crossed his face and he turned away from her. "You are wrong." Is all he said. She sputtered, her anger lost at his sudden morose tone. His rasping voice sounded as if he hadn't drank in days but she put that to the back of her mind. "It is I who will always be indebted to you." He turned to look at her now and even though his features were stone and calm, his eyes swirled with emotion. "Your father spared more than my own life in your name. I was raised to be the champion that would repay such a debt for myself and of my people. When I failed him, I turned to the one who he had given everything for. I went searching for you."

Pain laced in her chest at his words. She'd known. Even from a distance her bond with her father was woven into the very essence that made up the deepest parts of her soul. Of course she had known when his light faded, when his essence joined the Great Chaos of the universe. But still, something about his confirmation in words made her heart clench inside her chest and she felt her eyes burn as she looked away. The tension in the air changed, not necessarily thickened but there was no longer anger present. Just the weight of the solemn promise he bore. She wondered what he meant about her father saving his life and the lives of his people?

"I will hunt tomorrow night." Is all she said through a thick voice as she looked down into her lap for several moments. She hoped Lynsias couldn't see the tears dripping from her slender cheeks through her mass of purple hair tumbling loose entirely of the braids it had once been in. There was silence. "You were not aware." It was a statement but not necessarily a true one. It was easy to see how Lynsias would have thought so given her reaction so she could not blame him for thinking that. Still she knew he would blame himself more for upsetting her if all of this was true. "I knew." She stated, hiccuping slightly to her chagrin. "I felt it, but this is the first time anyone has said it."

There was silence again and she leaned back onto Aakine's soft body as he nuzzled her hair. Othanis watched her as he allowed Lynsias to stroke him absentmindedly as he watched her. "I will go hunt, we do need to save our rations and we have a few hours yet till sunrise." Lythias wanted to argue but Lynsias was right. They should be saving their rations for times where they had to travel and couldn't stop. Whatever agenda he had, he was a knight and a seasoned warrior. Even without any essence use he would be able to set snares and possibly even kill a goat or a warean if he was willing to carry it. Lythias eyes fell on where his hand was running through a patch of dark fur on Othanis's underside. "Othanis will go with you, Aakine and I will rest and set up here." Lynsias nodded.