The Lion's Gambit (Book One) Fully Released

Chapter XV - Desperation

The rain died down as Kota looked back toward the ruins, hearing the light sound of the rain on the surrounding trees. Lucinda groaned as she repositioned herself on Kota's back. He moved next to a tree that canopied the area below with a broad branch. Cautiously maneuvering her to the ground, he positioned her against the tree before he moved away from her, surveying the area.

Seeing no landmarks, Kota turned around before coming back and kneeling next to Lucinda. He examined her arm, seeing that it bled through the makeshift bandage he had made earlier. He put the edge of his cloak in his mouth and pulled, tearing off a strip of fabric.

Keeping her eyes closed and breathing lightly. "How does it look?"

His hands were shivering from the cold of the rain, and he took a deep breath. Lifting the old cloth from her arm, he saw the dark coloring of her skin around the wound from the toxins that figure had put on his dagger. He stayed quiet as he began wrapping the new bandage. "It's not that bad. Could be much worse."

"I am glad you are a decent liar." Lucinda laughed as he wrapped the last part of the wound.

He leaned forward, using his teeth to make sure the knot he made was tight. Kota smirked as she looked at him with a small smile before he looked down at his left hand, seeing the curse had completely consumed his wrist and was branching upward below his torn sleeve. Remembering the wolf's bite, he flexed his hand, and the mark moved below his fingers before he straightened them.

Lucinda looked down at his wrist. "Are your wounds bad?"

"I will survive. It's only the slight cut from the wolf's bite above the curse, and nothing else."

He held his hand to her and showed her the curse and the slight cut in his flesh as the marks intertwined on his arm.

Shivering, she leaned forward, inspecting his hand. "That's not possible, but who am I to say anything?" She winced in pain while grasping her left arm before she continued. "We got attacked by a man with a giant wolf for a pet. Nothing is normal anymore."

Kota nodded as a flash of lightning illuminated the surrounding area. Suddenly uneasy, he felt a presence behind him, and he pulled out his sword, turning around to see a figure in the storm's light. He held his blade tight as the figure disappeared with the dying of the lightning flash.

Lucinda glanced around him and saw nothing. "It's nothing, Kota. Just your nerves."

Kota stood there holding his blade as he felt his heart race, and he took a second to catch his breath before sheathing his sword. He turned back to see Lucinda gripping her arm as she looked at him. He untied his cloak, then wrapped it around Lucinda. She started to get to her feet, but she stumbled forward into his arms, and he hooked his arm under her shoulder.

"Stay off your feet," he instructed. "I need to get you to Ruwan so we can get that arm examined. I will not let you die."

Bending down, he helped her move around to his back, and she leaned against him, feeling weak. Kneeling forward, he pulled her arms around his shoulders before he lifted her onto his back, and as she wrapped her arms around his chest, he glanced at the wound. Although the wound's bandage compressed the injury, it was still bleeding through the fabric.

As they moved forward, Lucinda kept a tight grip with her right hand under his shoulder strap, and she let her left hand relax as she pushed it against his chest. He walked through a small thicket of leaves as he searched the ground, seeing a path. Glancing back, the way they had come, he adjusted her position on his back slightly before heading southwest toward Ruwan.

Lucinda leaned her head against his shoulder as she relaxed with every step. Feeling warmer from his cloak, even though it was soaked through, she asked him, "Do you think they are all right?"