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

Chapter 42

The whistling stopped and Leyla changed direction, the Face Changers close on her heals. Seven of them and they were headed straight at the unfinished wall. She had to intercept the Bone Eaters to give Peter and Anne time to get everyone to safety, but she couldn't lead the bastards towards Michael either.

"Yaaaa-Oooooo!" The blood thirsty howl was exactly what she had been hoping for; they were close.

Leyla's feet flew over the gnarled roots of trees as she dipped in and out of patches of light. Pulling her bow and arrow forward, she matched her breathing to the steady rhythm of Athiri's paws hitting the ground beside her. 

"Yaaaa-Ooo!" 

A woman came into view. Streaks of blood flowing over her mud-caked body and her eyes wide with fear, she was running from two Bone Eaters who were catching up to her.

Leyla pulled back on the bow string. The distance would normally have been too far to cover, but the Heat  she had come to expect seeped through her arm and into the wood lending her power.  There was no hesitation in her movements, no doubt in her mind as she shot two arrows in quick succession as she continued to run.

The Bone Eaters flew back with the impact of the arrows before falling to the ground.

The woman saw her approaching, then  looked back soundlessly at the dead men. Relief crossed her features as she fell to her knees.

"Take her to safety!" Leyla commanded the Face Changers as she strained to see any oncoming Bone Eaters. 

"Yes, Protector!" The men in Hayvani disguise, rushed to the woman's side.

"Yaaa- Yaaaa - Ooooo!" Two howls set off together from the north.

Athiri growled turning his head in the direction of the racket.  His nostrils flared when Leyla started running once more. It didn't take long to spot the Bone Eaters. There were three of them chasing a young couple.

"Ahh!" The girl screamed as she tripped on a root.

"Sabira!" The boy rushed back to her side.

Leyla released an arrow, hitting one of the Bone Eater's in the back of the neck just as he was bringing his hatchet down on the fallen girl.

When the two other bastards turned in her direction, Leyla stopped running.  Their bloodshot eyes went from her to Athiri, but there was no fear in them; only madness.

"Athiri! Stay!" She stepped in front of the Hayvan, unsheathing her sword. The Warrior weapon felt comfortable in her grip.

"Watch out!" The boy called out as the Bone Eaters charged her with hatchets raised. Fools.

Heat filled her hand, infusing her blade as she ran three steps, jumped and spun. The tip of her sword cut across the neck of the first man before she landed and kicked the legs out from under the second. Bringing her sword down swiftly, she stabbed the second Bone Eater through the chest before retrieving her weapon.

"No! Please! Please!" The girl was pushing herself back, her fearful eyes on Athiri, but the boy's gaze was on her.

"Are...are you the Protector?"

There was no time for questions. There were four more Bone Eaters to find. 

"Will it eat us?" The girl sobbed, hiding her face in the boy's shirt.

"Quiet!" Leyla frowned. She couldn't hear footsteps, nor the breaking of twigs... Athiri's ears twitched, his nostril's flaring just as a call rose through the calm.

"YAAAAA - OOOO!"

There!

"Wait here," she called to the couple as she ran passed them towards the sound. The trees turned into a blur as she pushed herself to run faster.

"YAAAA - OOOO!"

They were almost at the outer wall. Was everyone safe? Did Anne have enough time to get the archers ready? The sound of steel on steel rang ominously through the trees. Focus, Leyla! Run faster! Heat entered her legs and sunshine hit her face as she burst into the clearing with her sword in hand.

There, only steps away, Peter was fighting three Bone Eaters while the two Face Changers were carrying the unconscious woman through the unfinished wall.

Leyla dove into the fight, her sword clashing with two hatchets at once. Peter, now one on one, made short work of his opponent. Spinning out of the way of one attacker, Leyla kicked the other at Peter who stabbed him through the stomach.

The last Bone Eater turned from Peter to her, throwing his hatchet in her direction. Leyla dodged it easily then looked to Peter who nodded before moving in to finish the man.

"Did any of them make it past the wall?" She asked, her eyes on the forest around them. The lookout whistles had said seven Bone Eaters were attacking, but she had only seen six.

"No," Peter shook his head.

"Then there's one left," Leyla muttered. Michael should be long gone by now, and the guards with him could easily handle one Bone Eater, but that young couple was still in the forest.

"Take Athiri inside with you and send out the archers," Leyla sheathed her blood streaked sword and took her bow in hand. "Tell everyone to look for the last Bone Eater and bring back all refugees."

"Yes, Protector," Peter nodded.

"Athiri. Go with Peter," Leyla gave the Hayvan a quick scratch behind the ear, before she ran back into the forest.

It only took a few minutes to reach the the couple who were in exactly the same position as she had left them; with the girl hiding her face in the boy's shirt.

"You're back." The relief in the boy's voice was evident.

"Is she hurt?" Leyla asked, her gaze on the surrounding trees. No howls. No breaking branches. Did the last one retreat? That would not be good.

"I...I'm alright," the girl looked up. Tears had left lines through the grey mud on her face and dragged bits of it across her quivering lips. "Th-they attacked our village. They killed everyone."

Leyla's thoughts turned to the people the girl must have lost; A mother? Father? Friends? Then she forced herself not to think. She had to find the last Bone Eater or he would bring trouble.

"My people will be here soon, follow them into camp," she spoke without emotion.

The boy stood, his eyes grateful as he bowed, "Thank you."

Leyla saw the girl reach out for his shirt in panic and cleared her throat. "Don't be afraid. You are people of the Protectorate now. I will not let anyone hurt you."

The girl's hands stopped shaking as she watched Leyla leave.

Pain. Fear. Loss. How much longer were the people of the No Lands going to suffer at the hands of Shik? Something had to be done, something more...but for now all Leyla could think to do was to keep the people around her safe.

And for that, she had to find the Bone Eater...