Chapter 20

The sound of chittering woodland creatures filled her ears, almost tearing up at the sound her near-death experience had her grateful for the simple joys of nature. The horse beneath her swayed gently with each stride, and she took comfort in the rhythm. As they traveled deeper into the forest, she noticed a shift in the scenery. The once green ground was replaced with a raging river, she clutched the blanket around herself tightly.

 I see the Gods have a sense of humor.

They rode for what felt like hours, the sun starting to rise in the sky, Ana Sofia leaned against Wesleynard's chest, her eyes heavy with fatigue. He stroked her hair, his other hand gripping the reins tightly.

"We're almost there." She shook herself awake falling asleep now would be as good as sealing her own death in absolution. 

The lull of the horse and Wesleynard's musky scent made it even harder to keep her eyes open, there was also a tingling warmth around her that seemed to steadily increase. Ana Sofia gasped as she felt the heat surrounding her intensify, the sensation was almost unbearable. She looked up at Wesleynard, her eyes widening in fear.

"What's happening to me?" she whispered, her voice shaking. "Shh," he said, his gaze fixed on the horizon.

 "You most likely are developing a fever hold on a little longer Ana." He nuzzled his chin on her head she leaned heavily into his touch as the dizzying sensation twisted her stomach. 

They rode on for a few more hours, the sun rising higher in the sky. Ana Sofia could feel her fever burning more intensely, making her head spin and her vision blur. She clung to Wesleynard, her body trembling with each passing moment. He glanced down at her, his eyes filled with concern.

 "Ana? do you think you can make it?" His voice increased Ana's ears only registered his voice as a distant hum.

She tried to nod but, found it too difficult so she managed a small shake of her head instead. Wesleynard dismounted quickly and scooped her up in his arms, she didn't have the strength to assist him in maneuvering herself off his stead. He started running towards an unknown destination. She felt a sharp pain at her side that seemed to sober her up.

It must be the broken bone. 

She gritted her teeth trying to distract herself as best she could from the pain. "Wesleynard?" She asked, her voice barely more than a croak.

"I don't think I can last." She winced as another wave of pain washed over her, this one more searing she no longer had energy to scream her body taking, over it quieted the pain as she descended in blackness.

********************************

"Shit." Wesleynard felt her breathing become shallower he needed to get into his destination it was now a few miles away a hidden location only accessible by foot. Gathering up his own energy he broke into a full sprint the cave entrance slowly coming into view. He reached the entrance of the cave, panting heavily from the exertion. The cave was dark and damp, with only a faint glimmer of light seeping in from the entrance. Wesleynard carefully made his way inside, carrying Ana Sofia in his arms. He made his way deeper into the cave, his feet shuffling against the rocky floor. The air was cool and damp, making him shiver slightly. He paused for a moment to catch his breath, his muscles aching from the effort of carrying Ana Sofia.

"Natalia!" He called out tightening his grip on her "She's dying." A glimmer of light descended around him he closed his eyes and let her magic transport him to the safety of the cave.

Natalia appeared before him; her eyes filled with concern. "What happened?" she asked, kneeling beside him.

Wesleynard shook his head, his breath coming in short gasps. "She fell... from the river... and..." he paused before resuming "It's all my fault. If I....had..." Natalia reached down to cradle Ana's face her magic coiled and in quick bursts in entered Ana's fingertips her skin glowed as the magic surveyed inside her.

Natalia's face seemed to harden. The men in the area grew somber as Wesleynard's heavy breathing filled the air. "No, it's not your fault," Natalia said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You did all you could to save her." She looked up at Wesleynard, her eyes boring into his. "But we need to act fast."

She reached out to take Ana from his grip but, he only tightened his arms around her to pull her closer to him. The guilt began to eat at him one of his men offered a supportive touch to his shoulder.

"Please, let me help her," Natalia pleaded, her voice trembling with worry.

Reluctantly, Wesleynard released his hold on Ana, and Natalia carefully took her into her arms. She began to hum softly, her hands glowing with a warm, golden light.

Wesleynard trailed behind her as he watched her movements, "What's happened to her....I" his voice faltered. 

"Come, I'll tell you soon, but I must stabilize her first. " The pair went deeper into the cave until a small room came into view summoned by Natalia's magic. 

She laid Ana down on a bed of soft furs, her hands still glowing with the warm golden light. "Her injuries are severe," she murmured, her brow furrowed in concentration. "But I think I can help her."

She began to chant softly under her breath, the words in an ancient language filled with power and magic. Wesleynard watched helplessly as he knelt at her side, Natalia motioned to a pot filled with antiseptic and medicinal herbs without hesitation he began to clean the small wounds that were scattered across her body. Her eyes remained closed throughout the process, her breathing shallow and labored. Natalia continued her chant, the words growing louder and more intense as she poured her magic into healing Ana Sofia.

Hours had passed when Natalia abruptly stopped her balance crumbled beneath her as she steadied herself on the wooden chair. 

 Wesleynard felt panic rise in his chest, "Why did you stop?" his voice came out as a harsh whisper.

Natalia slowly opened her eyes, her face etched with concern. "Her injuries are too severe," she said softly, her voice breaking. "I've done all I can for now. She needs more time to recover, and we don't have that luxury." Wesleynard's heart sank.

 "Then what do we do?" he asked, his voice hoarse. Natalia bit her lower lip, her brow furrowed in thought.

"We need to get her to safety," she said finally. "I'll do what I can to keep her stable, but we need to keep moving."

"Fine. Don't leave her side I'll arrange a departure." He quickly turned away before Natalia's voice interrupted.

"Departure? we can't leave the city is in ruins and Daeth's men are still looking for us." She reasoned. 

Wesleynard flinched, "Our priority is saving her life. I won't hear of anything else."

Natalia sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Alright, we'll stay here for now. But we can't risk being discovered. We need a distraction."

Wesleynard nodded grimly, his mind already racing with plans. "I'll handle it. You focus on keeping Ana stable."

Natalia watched his body as he stalked away, she trembled at the hell he would leave in his wake. Wesleynard was always reasonable and cool headed but in this moment, she knew better than to get in his way and she feared for the souls that would cross that threshold. As Wesleynard left the cave, his mind was filled with anger and determination. He had to protect Ana Sofia at all costs, even if it meant sacrificing himself. He knew Natalia was right; they couldn't stay in one place for long. Daeth's men were closing in, and every passing moment put them at greater risk. He turned the corner searching for Ethan his men were recovering from their injuries and the events of the past few days had left them broken. They were outnumbered and could only help a small number of villagers. Their anger was quiet, but he knew they were beasts ready for revenge. 

"Ethan," Wesleynard called out, his voice hoarse from disuse. "Ethan!" The sound of shuffling feet drew his attention to the shadows. Ethan emerged, his face pale and drawn. "What do you need, my lord?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"Gather some villagers that know this forest well and don't think of wasting any time."

The men exchanged glances; their faces etched with worry. "We can't leave the others, my lord," one of them murmured. "We owe them our protection."

Wesleynard narrowed his eyes, his voice cold. "You will do as I say," he snapped. Ethan stepped in quickly, "I will go." 

Wesleynard's expression softened slightly. "Very well, Ethan. Gather as many as you can and meet me back at the cave in an hour." He paused for a moment, his thoughts turning inward. "And Ethan..." He met the man's eyes squarely.

"Do not fail me."