Happiness
Chapter 9
�There�s the other one!� a rider shouted, noticing Damon as he stood up from under a shade of a tree. �Let�s get him!�
The horseman dashed toward him, baring his blade, prepared to strike.
Damon took out the dagger that he had previously stolen from Titus and tensed up in anticipation. When the rider leveled with him, Damon sprang upward � his hands first � knocking the rider off the horse before the former had a chance to strike. The horse ran past them as both men dropped hard to the ground and began rolling furiously in the dirt, joined together in a deadly skirmish.
Leila held her breath, watching the dreadful battle that unfolded before her eyes, realizing all too late that not all of the hunters sent after them followed the skirmish as closely as she did and that it was a mistake on her part to let her guard down. Suddenly a hand was placed rudely on her mouth to prevent her from screaming, and she felt herself being jerked up into the air. Her legs began to kick violently until they found something soft underneath them, hitting it as hard as they could. The blow must have achieved its purpose, for she felt the grip on her loosen slightly. And, not wishing to lose her momentum, the girl dug her teeth into the big hairy palm that covered her mouth. The man screamed in pain, releasing her instantly. �You�ll pay for this, you little bitch!� he roared bringing his knife above the child�s head. She closed her eyes in fear and then heard a soft �swoosh� above her ear and a muffled scream. When she opened her eyes again, the man who threatened her was dead � the handle of Damon�s dagger sticking out of his chest. She froze, seeing death for the first time so near her, barely able to overcome her aversion at the sight of the corpse and too shocked to take her eyes off it. Damon stood in the same spot where his first fight took place, covered with dirt and blood (though not his own), towering triumphantly over the body of his opponent and looking warily at the three remaining riders. There was a long tense moment of silence while the men eyed each other attentively. Finally, one of the riders spoke his mind: �I was not paid enough for this hunt to risk my life.� And, having said that, he turned his horse around. The others followed, dragging the black stallion behind them on a rope. Damon gave a sigh of relief as the riders disappeared from view and ran up to the girl who still sat on the ground in a kind of a trance.
�Leila,� he shook her gently on the shoulder. She did not respond. He kneeled next to her and shook her harder this time, until she finally turned her face to him. �Leila, are you all right?� he asked, concern coloring his voice.
She looked him in the eyes and suddenly buried her face in his chest and burst out sobbing. Damon froze dumbfounded, unsure how to react. Then he slowly and hesitantly raised his hands and put them soothingly around the scrawny figure that was shaking with sobs. �Shhh, shh, little one,� he whispered, rocking her gently until her sobs grew more and more infrequent, gradually calming down. She raised her tear-stained eyes at him and said in a voice still shaking with emotion: �They �t-took �t-the h� horse.�
�I know,� he nodded. His face darkened for a moment, but he forced a comforting smile on his lips. �We will be alright,� he said with assurance he did not feel. �We will make it.�
A faint smile mirrored on Leila�s face, and she gulped down the sobs for the last time, wiping the tears off her cheeks. They got up. Damon gathered the remainder of food that their hunters, thankfully, missed, and the man and the child, hand-in-hand, walked confidently toward the horizon.
***
Desert. Probably the loneliest place on Earth. One could go for days without seeing any signs of life except occasional sparse thorny shrubs and scorpions and snakes � the poisonous inhabitants of that desolate landscape. All around for miles and miles as far as one could see were barren rocks, cracked by the scorching heat of the sun that burned mercilessly during the day. The rocks were too hot to touch in the daytime, but at night the temperature dropped so low that even the rocks that kept some of the day�s heat for part of the night could not provide sufficient amount of it to protect from bitter cold. Sometimes looking at these barren forsaken surroundings, listening to the howling wind that blew around him with violent force, Damon felt like they were all alone in the universe. He was told that they would eventually reach the river whose valley is rich and fertile, but so far that river was nowhere in sight. The chances of them getting out alive were very slim, and the scarcer their food and water supplies became, the slimmer those chances got, and the darker and gloomier grew Damon�s mood.
Leila was beginning to whine that she was tired and thirsty (Damon tried to ration their water supply as much as possible for the fresh springs where they could refill their water sacks were all too rare). Her complains were reminding him about his own thirst and fatigue, and he was getting annoyed at her for that. He barely restrained himself from a bitter remark in response to her next whimper. But she was, after all, just a little girl, and no matter how tough and high-nosed she sometimes tried to seem, the hardships of this trip were getting to her, and probably more so than to him. Damon relented, looking into her big dark eyes raised so entreatingly up to him, and promised quietly, �We will stop to rest in a short while. And then I will give you some water.� She smiled gratefully and turned to walk forward, her energy renewed suddenly at the promise of the impending rest. Damon grinned wearily, watching her tiny figure move swiftly along the cracked rocky surface.
A small black creature jumped nervously when the girl�s foot came close to it and raised its ugly tail armed with a venomous tip, prepared to strike at the �enemy.� The slight grin faded from Damon�s lips, his weariness disappearing instantly. He lunged forward, covering a short distance that separated him from the girl in a split second and, grabbing by her arm, jerked her up with all his strength, pulling her away from the scorpion�s sting. Sharp pain pierced Damon�s leg, and the little black creature moved briskly away, triumphantly carrying its deadly tail.
***
�Don�t you ever look where you are going?!� Damon yelled, still holding the girl by the arm. �Did it sting you?�
She shook her head fearfully and lowered her eyes. She noticed the redness on his right ankle, and her eyes widened in horror. �Damon!� Her agitated voice brought his attention back to the sharp pain from the sting and the venom that must have been injected into his leg. The redness was spreading rapidly, followed by a feeling of numbness that seemed to slowly spread along with it. Damon tore off a piece of his already tattered toga and tied it as tightly as he could below the knee to prevent further spreading of venom.
�We have to keep going,� he said hoarsely. �We must find an oasis.� ��and find it soon,� he added silently to himself.