Knife of Rebellion: Battles of Eyenwar, Book 1

Chapter 31- Lost Days

Slowly I become aware of the clamp of hoof beats and the bite of a rope in my midsection. Groggy, sore, and dizzy I creek slowly into a sitting position.

"Welcome back." Chuckles a voice.

I groan, not bothering to answer. My mouth feels like a sandbank.

"Lady Monika woke up... Earlier. She and Jacob- that's the boy you healed -they rode toward the front of the procession to keep moral up."

I reach down and fumble with the ropes tying me to my horse. The knot proves to be more difficult than I thought, so Cairo reaches up from the ground to help.

"Thank you," I mutter.

"You're quite welcome. People who expend all of their vitality to save hundreds of kidnapped men and save a fourteen year old boy deserve to get a little sleep without worrying about falling off their horse." He says playfully.

I smile, grateful to be looked out for, "How far have we come?"

He laughs, "Maybe you should wake up a little more, take a look around."

I blink a bit, and check my surroundings for the first time.

We are surrounded by soaring peaks and snow capped mountains. We are already in the southern Gricadan pass, surrounded by the protection of rocks and stubby, needled trees. The long trail of men in front of me is now traveling only two or three men at a time, and I can only see a few. Most have disappeared around the next bend or the one after that. It's amazing how invisible the mountains can make a small army.

"Cairo?" I croak, throat burning with thirst and horror.

"Yes?"

I struggle to keep my volume under control, "Have I been asleep for two days?"

"Well, I suppose if you measure days by the sun setting and rising again." Cairo jokes.

It is now that I realize that I cannot feel my legs.

"Cairo?"

"Yes Lina?"

"Would you..." I cannot believe what I am about to ask. Truly, it is the most embarrassing thing I have ever done, "help me down?"

It takes several minutes, complete with an affronted horse, wobbling legs, and being carried for several feet before the utter humiliation has me struggling and squirming.

I take each wobbly step carefully, one arm wrapped around my saddle and the other clasped around Cairo's arm. He helps me carefully drink water from my canteen, careful not to let me guzzle the liquid and make myself sick. Slowly I begin to walk on my own after that, no longer hobbling so much as trembling. Heartfire remains dutifully by my side while Cairo grudgingly swings onto his horse and moves to the side, at my behest.

It doesn't take long before the needs of my body call to be attended to. I steadfastly refuse to allow Cairo to help me with that. After I've emptied my bladder and bowels, which took far longer than I would have hoped, my stomach growled loudly, demanding it be paid attention next.

I dig through Heartfire's saddlebags and find a hard biscuit and two measly pieces of dried pork. I force myself to consume them slowly, but it is hard when my belly insists it be satiated immediately. Even with my measured intake, I quickly grow queasy and it isn't long before the combination of food and water scorch back up my throat and into the bushes on the side of the road. The resulting adrenaline has me shaking even worse than I was before. I gargle what's left of my water in an attempt to get the sour taste out of my mouth.