The Year of the Horse (Book two of the Almair Series) (Completed)

Chapter 13 (Edited)

"Is she waking?" someone asked, while I started come through. Worry filled the person's voice, making me wonder how long I had been out.

"Relax, John. She is waking up," another person, or well wolf, said. The wolf poured something cold and wet on my face, making me wake up fully.

I groaned, closing my eyes all the way because I was blinded by a very bright light. "Someone, please. Turn off the sun," I mumbled, moving my head away from it. Pain, that was what I was feeling because of the fight with Randi. It had came at me like a crashing wave would at a beach.

"How are you feeling?" John asked. Relief filled his voice, because he was glad that I was alive and well. Or, well as in that I didn't stay unconscious like had for the last real battle that I had done.

"Like someone ran me through a grinder," I replied, blinking. I was trying to clear my vision, because everything was so bright. That made me wonder how long I was out, also, because it had been late afternoon when the fight happened.

After a few minutes, I had cleared my vision, and I saw the ember eyes of my older brother. Worry filled his eyes, but he didn't let his worry show anywhere else.

He smiled. "That was a pretty intense battle."

"Well, it should've been. We hate each other's guts that much."

"She's alright, Leah. She just needs to rest." He turned to look at the female that was beside him.

I looked at the she-wolf that was beside John, studying her. Like most wolves, she had a coat of gray fur. However, it had patches of black everywhere. Her ears were small, and there was a small bit of black rim on it. The female, or Leah, like John had said had small, bright green eyes, that looked like emeralds. She had white on her muzzle and then her front right paw was white.

"My name is Leah, Almair," she said, respectfully. She bowed her head in respect, indicating that she respected me. She was one of the few wolves that looked like I could trust.

"Please, call me Martha and don't bow to me. I am not of a high ranking position."

"But, you are the Almair, and that is a high ranking position." There was a frown in her voice, because she didn't understand what I was meaning.

I sighed and shrugged my left shoulder, looking down. "When I'm older, maybe, you can call me Almair. However, right now, I'm just... Martha. That is my name after all."

"Just Martha?"

"Just Martha." I nodded my head and looked up at her. "I was chosen for the job as the Almair. And in my blood, I know that I am right for that position. However, right now, and this very moment I am just Martha."

"So, you don't want me to bow to you?"

"Pretty much... yes."

"Then I will not bow to you or call you Almair," she said, catching herself at mid-bow. She smiled an apology, making me smile a little. "Do your brothers and sisters know not to bow at you?"

"Yes, they do." I grimaced, thinking about my two brothers that were just a year older than me. "Nick and Mike do it to make fun of me, sometimes."

"Do you get even with them?"

"I got some good stories that I can tell if they really drive me up the wall. So yes, I will be getting even with them." I smirked, because I knew that they wouldn't like it.

"And, you won't tell those stories, because if you do, then Mom's going to whip you," Mike said, coming in followed closely by Nick.

"I got Mom's permission to use it."

"She does have her permission to use the stories, and I am a witness," John said, smirking at them.

"Can I go home now?" I looked at Leah, wanting to feel my own bed. I missed my room. It had been a week, and I wanted to get back.

"Yes, you may. You're shoulder might hurt a little but, it shouldn't hurt you too much not to go to school. Your left paw is broken, but I think you're right handed. Yes? Oh, and you should rest today, though, to build up your strength."

"What is today?"

"Sunday."

"Can you tell my Mom that I am allowed to go to school if I rest for the rest of the day, please?" I looked Leah, hoping that she would say yes.

"So, you want to use me as the bad guy?"

"Well, I've already missed a week. I don't want to miss another one or even a few days."

"Then go to bed right now, young lady," Leah growled at me. There was a smile on her face while she nodded her head that she would

I smiled my thanks and stood up to leave. I bit back a groan as I started to limp towards our house, not wanting any help from my three siblings. "Can you not let anyone disturb me, while I'm sleeping?" I asked, looking at my older brother.

John nodded his head, smiling. "I won't let anyone disturb you, while you are taking your well earned nap."

"Does that mean that you won't be eating any meals with us?" Nick asked, keeping pace with us, which was pretty slow for him. He grinned and glanced at his brother.

"For today, I won't be."

"I call Martha's food," Nick and Mike said in unison.

"You guys can fight over my food, but John can have the cherry if there is one."

After a few minutes of limping, we reached the base of the forest that would take us to our house. They backed up, letting me have room so that I could change into human form. I turned towards the left, changing back into human form.

"Awww, but I wanted the cherry," Mike complained. He pouted while watching me.

I groaned out in pain, while my bones shifted into their human position. My shoulder started to hurt as well as my hand, because of the bones and muscle shifting. I glared at Mike, making him look away and whimper a sorry.

"Are you sure that you want to go to school tomorrow?" John asked, worried.

I sighed and nodded my head. "I am sure that I want to go to school. It just kind of hurt when I transformed into human form, because of my shoulder and wrist."

"That is why I think that you should've stayed in wolf form. You are hurting"

"Don't let me go through that again. That really hurt."

He sighed and nodded his head. "Alright, then go to bed and get some sleep. Your body needs to heal."

I sighed with relief, glad that he wouldn't let me have to shift again. "Thanks, John."

"Don't thank me... yet." There was a teasing smirk on his face before we started to walk the rest of the way to the house.

I couldn't help but smile, glad that I did have someone like John. He was there for me and teased me, makin me feel like an equal. He placed me first than anything else, even though I didn't know why.