Emarian had made quite a scene of missing Kirati at the hold the next morning. He had run out of his chambers and down the hall to hers, sinking onto his knees in tears when she was not there. Her father had come running and was equally as devastated by the discovery.

Immediatly, Emarian offered to head a search party and Kirtoren had one assembled and ready to go before the morning meal. They did not return to the Hold until after the evening meal, tired, discouraged, and without any sign of Kirati.

Later, after he had eaten, Emarian wrapped up some of his meal and, telling Kirtoren he couldn't stand the thought of Kirati alone at night, he took a runner and started "searching" on his own.

He arrived at the shack as the sun began to peak over the horizon. Kirati was laying on her mat when he walked in. "I've brought you the mor-" but he never got any further, because Kirati's belt knife was lodged in his throat. He sank to his knees and tried to scream but only a horrible gurgling sound came out.

"You're much cuter when you shut up," Kirati told him as she stalked over and yanked her knife out, bring more pain as she was not gentle about it. His mind began to cloud and dim and then, with a sigh, be flopped over and died.

Kirati stood, blood on her skirt and hand, shivering with fear at what she had just done. He had been planning to do the same to her, but she was still a murderer now. She could make up a pretty little story for her father, but she'd still know. She looked at Emarian's face, now distorted with pain and anger, and couldn't help a sigh. If he hadn't wanted to kill her, she really could have loved him.
Though she was horrified at what she had done, Kirati forced herself to be practical and, wrapping Emarian's body in the mat, rolled him outside and far away from her shack. She then washed her hands in the waterskin he'd brought her and began to make plans for getting home.

As she had expected, he had traveled by runner and had left the little mare tied up outside. She snorted and neighed as Kirati approached to untie her. The moment she was loose, the mare bolted, galloping away through the brush. Kirati could only hold the rope and watch her only hope for survival dissapear into the brush.

For the first time since she had been kidnapped, she cried. The night before, she had been able to plot her escape, but now she was doomed. She was lost and couldn't even stay where she was because the shelter would not hold up against the Threads which were due to fall very soon. Unless she found shelter, she would not have to worry about being starved, she would be eaten alive. Kirati shuddered and pushed the idea to the back of her mind.

She went back inside the shack to think. She forced herself to stop crying, it wouldn't get her anywhere and it would only distract her from thinking about how to get herself out of the mess she had murdered her way into.

A few minutes later she was back outside the shack, the food and water Emarian had brought her in hand and Gorgeous perched on her shoulder. Kirati gazed up at the trees looming over her and wondered how in Faranth's name she was going to get home. She told herself to think positive and started off.

The sun had climbed to the top of the sky when she stopped for a rest, still no closer to knowing where she was or how to get home. The landscape had changed from forest to open plains, not offering shelter from Thread but at least not attracting it as trees would. She collapsed on the ground from frustration as much as from exhaustion. She screamed, listening to the echoes her voice made as it bounced off distant cliffs.

As she listened, she heard another distant sound. It was a sickening, hissing sound. The sky was taking on a gray as sickening as the sound and, peering into the sun, Kirati saw the leading edge of Thread advancing toward her. She could see bursts of fire from the riders fighting it and then the actual dragons. Her heart lept into her throat with hope and fear. If she could just get one of them to see her... But she didn't have time. The Thread was coming too fast, and it was obvious the riders were having trouble.

A thread hit the ground. Then another. And a third. Kirati was on her feet as the fourth and fifth hit, running by the seventh. Gorgeous squealed as one grazed her wing as she flew after her human. Kirati couldn't offer her flit any comfort, she had to keep running. The logical part of her mind told her she couldn't possibly outrun the Thread, but a deeper fear of death urged her on. She moved faster than any human could have hoped to, her tired muscles brought to life with fear. She should have collapsed from exhaustion. She couldn't think beyond the next obstacle she had to jump and couldn't have stopped running if she tried.

Kirati didn't see the rock that she tripped over. One moment she was running, the next the ground was rushing up to meet her. Her head struck the ground with a loud crack and everything went black.

. back . next .