Warrior's Soul (Book 3 of The Warrior Chronicles)

Chapter 29

"Take your time little one, but know we are all waiting for you."

Leyla heard the Sage's words as she walked into his hut. A quick glance revealed him crouching beside Kaya's body and her heart beat picked up.

"She woke up?" The hope in her voice dipped when Leyla came to stand beside the silent girl whose eyes were firmly closed.

"No." The Sage touched the top of the girls head gently, then brushed his orange cloak aside to stand. "But there is now no reason for her not to."

Brows drawing together in a frown, Leyla followed the healer out into the bright, early morning light. The camp was alive with movement; the hunters had left to check traps, clothes were being cleaned and weapons polished. Anne and Peter were training the two groups Leyla had finished warming up just moments ago and the children were helping Malia hand out bowls of porridge.

Seeing her, Athiri who was waiting at the door, lifted his paw for attention.

"Good boy," she gave him a quick pat, then turned back to the Sage, her mind on the girl inside. "What do you mean, Kaya has no reason not to wake up?"

The Sage had turned his face towards the sun and didn't disturb his posture, as if he was busy soaking in its rays. "Her physical wounds are healed, but her heart is another matter."

"Her heart?" Leyla repeated, not understanding.

Taking a deep, slow breath, the Sage let a smile touch his face as he turned towards her. "The child lost her parents, Protector. And only a day later, she almost drowned in a Timsa attack. Kaya is choosing to stay asleep, probably because it is more comfortable for her than facing life."

"She's hiding," Leyla murmured. Her heart went out to the little girl who was lying in the hut behind them.

"She's waiting," the Sage corrected, as he took a step closer and gave the Hayvan who stood between them a stroke. "To rediscover her confidence...her trust." Then he was face her squarely, his black hair stark against the white material that covered his eyes. "Haven't you been holding her hand every day to lend her that strength?"

"How could you..." she stopped talking and her eyes narrowed. How could he possibly know she had been holding Kaya's hand, when Leyla never did so unless she was certain no one was watching?

"You're looking at me suspiciously, aren't you?" The Sage laughed. Then he shook his head with a smile, "I may not have my sight, but my nose works well. Obviously, I would notice that first thing every morning my little patient's hand smells like Gami bark."

"Oh." Leyla looked down at her fingers, amazed that the healer could catch the faint scent of the bark that she used to clean her weapons before checking on Kaya.

"You have a knack for making people feel safe, Protector, so I have no doubt that Kaya will come back to us soon," the Sage said. Then he reached out towards her without warning. Leyla blinked, unmoving as his fingers found her arm and slid down to her wrist. His skin was warm on hers; comforting but foreign. He had barely put his fingers on her pulse when Leyla pulled away, unsettled.

"There's no need for that, I'm fine."

"And yet, there is weight over your heart," the Sage spoke gently. "Has someone hurt your feelings?"

Hurt her feelings? Her mind conjured up an image of Raphael. Jara...is a good man. Her fingers curled into her palms, this wasn't hurt she was feeling. "Sage, I'm not a child."

"Do you believe only children can be hurt?" He asked.

Was that pity in his voice? Her brows drew together, her hand reaching for Athiri's head, "I'm not hurt. I'm angry."

The Sage nodded, "Anger is easier to deal with than hurt. I can understand why you would choose to hide behind it."

"Hide?" She sputtered.

"Yes, hide," He nodded innocently. "But still, this is good. If you're hurt it means you must have let down your guard long enough to let someone get close. Was it Liam?"

Leyla's mouth dropped at his suppositions, but the Sage wasn't done.

"Are you upset that he left? He did tell me he would not be back any time soon -"

"Stop!" Leyla growled low. "What in Gaia are you talking about? This is not about Liam!"

His rambling demeanour changed instantly, and the Sage was back to being utterly calm, "Then, who is it about?"

Bloody Diya! Did she just get played? "Hah!" Leyla shook her head in wonder, "So you were capable of trickery?"

"If it helps you." A sad smile touched his lips, "You are so worried about others, but you don't seem to think of yourself. I wish for you to be happy."

Leyla's mood shifted once again, as Raphael's words played in her mind. Be happy, Leyla. "You sound like him." The words were out before she had thought them through.

"Well, it sounds like he cares for you too," the Sage nodded.

It was strange, speaking to someone about Raphael...about anything personal... "He told me to leave...to somewhere far away," her words were hesitant.

"Why?" The Sage asked. There was no inflection in his voice, no judgement.

She stroked Athiri's ears, letting the Hayvan's purrs calm her heart, "To be safe? To be happy..."

"It sounds like he truly cares for you, but since his words made you unhappy, you must have wanted something else from him?" the Sage ventured.

What did she want from Raphael? He had apologised, he had taken off the bracelet and even given her a way to return to Asch. But why did all of that make her feel bitter? The answer appeared with utter clarity. He had given up on her. "I wanted him to fight for me."

The Sage took in the words she couldn't quite believe she had spoken. Then he cocked his head as if considering her from a different angle. "And you? Did you fight for him?"