Chapter List
I awoke to the sounds of birds chirping. The scent of a cooked meal was heavy in the morning air. The grass I was laying on was damp from the morning dew. Everything was great. I stood up and looked around. Everybody was standing in the field happily talking with each other. Terrance was talking to Damien. He laughed as Damien finished a joke he was telling him. I looked to my right and saw Ziara jump playfully on the tiger, bringing him to the ground and tickling his sides. I chuckled at the sight before me.
�Renard?� I turned to face Jewell. She was looking at me worriedly. I smiled at her.
�Why �ello there, Jewell.� Her expression stayed the same.
�Renard? Come on Renard.� I tilted my head. What was she talking about? She stepped up to me and started dabbing my forehead with a damp cloth. I looked at her strangely but said nothing.
�Renard? Renard wake up.� Suddenly everything was different. I slowly opened my eyes and looked up to see Jewell, Fea, and Damien kneeling by me. My head was throbbing with pain. I felt like somebody beat me in the head with a rock.
�I think he�s coming to.� Jewell said to the others. I groaned and slowly sat upright. I shivered and hugged myself trying to get warm. It was dark now. Three large bon fires placed around the group of animals lighted up the area. I tried to shake off my daze but that only added to my headache. Fea moved right in front of me.
�Renard are you okay? Do you need anything? Water? Food? Do you know how long you were out? Does your head hurt? Did you-�
�Fea, enough with the questions for a minute!� Damien told her. She blinked then nodded and sat back. Damien wrapped a blanket around me and rubbed my back.
�Are you okay, kid?� he asked. I looked at him.
�I think so� I�ve got a pretty bad �eadache.�
�You should after what happened to you.� I looked at the tiger from before. He looked like he had been through hell and back. He had cuts, bruises, and other telltale signs he had been in a fight.
�Wha� d� you mean?� I asked, confused. My memory wasn�t the greatest at the moment and I had no idea what had happened. He sighed.
�While you were on the ground some brute came up and gave you a sharp kick to the side of the head. You blacked out and Ziara came up and killed the human before he was able to do you in.� he paused and looked towards the ground. �That�s when some guy came up behind her and stabbed her in the back with a dagger.�
�Is she alright?� Damien asked, knowing I would ask the same thing.
�She�s still alive� but she won�t live�� I could tell the whole thing was hard to him. It was obvious him and Ziara were close friends. I looked down at the ground and closed my eyes. One more person t� add t� those who �ave died for me� I thought to myself. I sighed and looked up at him as another animal ran over.
�Syka, she�s not going to last much longer.� He said. I looked past them to where Ziara was lying. She was surrounded by others and was talking gently to them. She was smiling but I knew it was only to try and calm them.
There was a tap on my shoulder and I looked up at Syka.
�Renard, she wants to see you.� He told me. I nodded and slowly got to my feet. I fought with myself, trying to stay up. I walked slowly over to her, not wanting to go too fast so I wouldn�t end up getting dizzy. I stopped and kneeled down next to her.
�Ziara?� I asked to get her attention. She turned her head and smiled at me.
�Renard. Glad to see you awake. I worried that guy had ended you for sure.� She said. I smiled slightly and shook my head.
�No, just put me in f� a li�l nap.� She smiled then winced slightly. I guessed that the pain must have been great but she was hiding it well.
�Renard� You stood out there with us and fought alongside of us today. You�ve had no training like the rest of us had but you didn�t back down. That took courage.� She moved her hand up and took hold of the wolf pendant and held it in her hand.
�You�ve proved that you�re brave and resourceful. You�re indeed a worthy captain, Renard. One of the best captains I�ve had.� I smiled and she released the pendant.
�Thank you, Ziara.� What else could I say? She shivered and closed her eyes.
�Syka?� the white tiger stepped up to her.
�Yes, Ziara?� he asked.
�Keep an eye on Renard and help him learn how to use that weapon properly.� She told him. He nodded slowly.
�Of course.� He said. She then slowly laid her head back and went still. Ziara was gone.
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