A Crowned King (Complete)

Chapter 17

Winter's golden eyes snapped open upon hearing a sound. She didn't know what it was that roused her, but she made no move. If there was an intruder they would be alerted by her movement and might call off their plan because of her awareness. She closed her eyes and reached out with her other senses, looking for any sign of what had brought her to consciousness.

The Ranger felt a cool wind on the back of her neck and she knew right then what had happened. Someone had comw in through the window. It was the drop in temperature inside of the room that had tipped her off. However it would seem her companion wasn't as easily roused as she. Martin was laying with his back to her, snoring rather loudly. Not for the first time she had to wonder about him and who he really was. She was almost positive his name wasn't actually Martin and she knew he didn't grow up in the Isles. His accent wasn't quite right and he took everything seriously.

Of the dozens of Islanders that she'd met the one thing they had in common was their sense of humor. They tended to be very light and didn't seem to like having anything messing with what could make them smile. This Martin Iron didn't have that quality at all. He brooded a lot. He was very dark and ominous, mysterious in a sort of way that she hadn't expected to be attracted to.

But there was one thing that she'd caught onto and quick. He was highborn. It was obvious from the way he walked and talked. Also there was an arrogance about him, a soft confidence to him that got under her skin. It was something that she liked about him, not to mention his magical abilities.

That wasn't what she needed to be concerned for in the moment though. Winter heard the sound of a shuffling boot landing on the wooden floor and she opened her eyes, looking around in the darkness in the room. She saw two large shapes moving around the bed, but neither were on her side. Instead they gathered on the side where Martin was sleeping. She heard the sound of steel ringing on wood as a weapon was drawn and she saw the glints of daggers in the darkness of the room. Mako was under attack and was the sole target of the attack.

She couldn't let him die.

Winter placed her palms on her company's back, waiting. As the assassins brought their weapons down, she pushed Martin across the bed hard and his body moved against the assassins. Martin's body crashed into the thighs of both killers causing them to stab into the bed where he had been at up to the hilt. There was a grunt from the men and a cry of surprise by Martin, but there was nothing that she could do at that moment. She had to act and immediately.

The Ranger rose up and struck the first man in the face with an open palm, breaking his nose up into his brain, killing him. As she moved to take on the second, a hand wrapped around the dagger jammed into the bed and was slammed down into the skull of the second killer. There was a groan of pain for a second before the killer slumped to the bed.

"Son of a bitch." Martin grumbled from under the body as he released the dagger he'd stabbed the man with, sliding out from under him. He moved to his knees and stared down at the two bodies on the bed, a frown on his face. He looked over at her in the darkness, his eyes searching. "Are you alright? They didn't hurt you did they?"

The concern he showed for her surprised her. Sure they traveled together, but only because he'd paid her. She was his guide and that was all. It wasn't like they were friends. She got off of the bed and walked to the in-table next to the bed. She pulled a match out from under the table drawer and lit the oil that rested in a plate there, casting its orange and yellow lights around the room revealing the room.

The Ranger noddes her head. "I'm fine, Martin. They woke me up coming in I think." she told him and looked to the door, nodding. "They came in through the window. If it weren't for the change of the temperature in the room I doubt I would've woke up."