Wherever I Am

Chapter 31

I caressed Sinense's breast with my left hand. There'd been no question when we returned to my tent that we'd have sex. This was 'we survived' sex, though gentler than it might have been because of our bruises. Now, we were enjoying the afterglow.

I wasn't sleepy, and I had a lot of questions about what we'd done earlier with the former captives. It was the right thing, but how would it all fly in a society like this? And what were they expecting when we brought them into the tent in the first place? Condemned because of things beyond their control?

I slid my hand from Sinense's breast to her belly as I thought about the best way to ask her this.

Noises outside.

A scuffle across the loose rock. A cry, cut off.

I rolled out of bed, grabbing at my clothes in the dim lamplight. The tent flap parted.

Orvin, face and shoulder bandaged, came through the flap, a spear pointed my way.

He grinned, then lunged, but not at me.

Sinense fell off the bed with a scream, and he turned to me. He'd hit her, and I froze when I should've moved in.

He thrust at me. I jumped away, farther from my clothes...my weapons.

He played with me, laughing, though it sounded more like coughs. I moved to where his spear wasn't in shadows, though the lamp was dim enough.

He jabbed, feinting, and I dodged into his next jab. Low down on my left side. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would. It burned when he pulled it out.

Sinense screamed.

I saw her face above his shoulder, hands going for his eyes. He reached for her with his left while jabbing the spear at me with his right.

I sidestepped it. I wasn't dead, at least not yet. I could still...if he grabbed her, he'd swing her around at me. Then we'd both be dead.

Another thrust, but she had one eye covered. I stepped past it, shouldering him in the chest.

I had the spear, and reversed it, point down now. My right hand didn't grip well, but I had to attack now. My left leg felt weak.

I stabbed, putting my weight behind it. He howled while Sinense screamed.

I'd missed his heart, almost missed his body, but hit his belly low and to the left. At least he'd know how that felt.

Blood came from his eye. That was why he yelled. He pulled Sinense's hand from there, her fingers bloody, then something popped. Her arm? Wrist? He couldn't do that.

I pulled the spear out, much harder than pushing it in. Her other hand was at his other eye, but he grabbed it, so I stabbed again. Still not the heart, but the groin should be good enough. His hand quit grabbing for her and went for the spear...no...his knife.

I let go of the spear and fell, blocking his reach. I fumbled with the hilt while he clawed my face, then had it in my hands and stabbed again. After five times, I was tired.

Nathan rushed through the tent flap, carrying his blade and wearing boxers and the bindings around his chest. He thrust somewhere higher and a second time, and Orvin quit twitching.

Ellie came in, staggering through the door, her blade swinging wildly. She saw me, dropped her sword, then went to her knees. She was wearing a chemise, so Sorina had gotten her changed. I should put something on, but I gasped instead. My wound screamed in pain, or maybe I did out loud.

"I'm putting pressure on it," Ellie said. "Lie still." Then she started puking. Was I that bad, or was it her concussion? The pressure was still there, so that was good.

There was more movement.

"He's going into shock," Ellie yelled. Cornelia knelt where Ellie puked, but didn't seem to notice. I saw her pull something small and squarish out. A patch. She was putting a patch on me. I didn't need that. I needed—