Fugitive of the Sky

Chapter Ten: Yellow Eyes

Arms picked Aqie up and jerked her into the air. She cried and flung her arms out, trying to concentrate and fly enough that she wouldn't fall and hit the hard ground again. But she didn't fall down; the arms had kept a firm grasp on her and she was staying securely somewhere between earth and sky.

Cold water splashed on her cheek, startling her, and trickling into her open mouth. She gasped and tried opening her eyes, but the moonlight hurt and she turned away.

"Drink," a voice urged.

Aqie closed her mouth and made a whimpering noise. It hurt too much to be thirsty. She didn't want to drink.

"You need water."

The voice again. Who? Oh— the hunter.

Had he taken her kaprae? Was he still going to protect her? Aqie shuddered and tried curling up. Her ribs complained with a burst of pain so vivid it was almost blue. Aqie's breath caught and she moaned.

She felt the warm presence of the hunter near her and dared to open her eyes a crack. He was crouching beside her, water dripping from his cupped hands. She saw wet marks on his pants and boots as well. Wow. The water was cold in the spring. He must really care about her to get his hands wet and cold for longer than he wanted to, right?

"You have to drink," he urged again. "What little water you might've had will be long gone by now. Drink, unless you want to get up and drink it from the river."

Head aching, Aqie gave in and opened her mouth, tilting her head back and letting the hunter pour water in like she was some sick child. Aqie pressed her eyes shut to forestall the tears. In a way, she kind of was just a sick, injured child. It wasn't like she'd gotten much practice at being an adult in a dangerous broken world. Mom and Dad were supposed to help her, to show her and teach her how to be an adult. But there was no time for that anymore. They were gone.

The hunter tried to pour the water into Aqie's open mouth, but he missed and spilled some freezing cold water down the side of her cheek. Aqie gasped and choked on the water that had gotten down her throat. It took a few more tries and the side of her face was burning with cold before she said "enough" and the hunter gave in.

The hunter wiped his wet hands on his pants and tucked them under his armpits. He quirked one side of his mouth as he looked at her. "We should probably wash your wounds. Do you think you feel well enough to get in the river?" He frowned as he answered his own question. "No, not if you can't even stand. Can you handle me washing your wounds? The water is cold."

Aqie snorted softly and rubbed her tingling cheek. She knew the water was cold, probably better than he did. The water was always cold when the snowmelt was still running off the mountains. Mom had always said her birthday was the coldest time of year because of the snowmelt, but that it was the best time because new life was springing its way through frozen ground and the melting snow. "Just like when we had you," she would say.

Come to think of it, she was cold right now. Aqie shivered and curled a little tighter. The ground was bumpy beneath her, but at least it wasn't sharp and rocky anymore. But wait. Hadn't she been near the cliffs? How had she gotten close to river to drink from? The hunter must have carried her. It was nice to know that he would protect her. She was safe. But was she? Long-ingrained doubt tried to rise up, but Aqie was sleepy and didn't want to bother. He was safe. At least right now, the hunter was safe. That meant she could close her eyes and sleep.

"I guess not," the hunter murmured. "It's for the best. It will make the story more believable."

Aqie sighed and started to let herself drift. What did it matter what the hunter had said? She was tired. She wanted to sleep.