Chapter V
Shadow
Water Reveals Tattoos
The sun went down and the forest went to sleep. The crickets though, they chirped. The owls hooted. The moon was full above the sleeping world, shining down on the lands with a brilliant light with the stars all around to help lead lost souls to the Heavens. The nocturnal side of the forest was awakening and those who tread the earth while light is abundant have gone to sleep. Wolves are hunting. The birds are nesting. Calm breezes are blowing gently as the simplest sound awakes the night. A twig snapped. That wasn’t normal, it never was. The wolves were too sly and clever to touch them, the birds were too light to snap them off branches, and the other animals knew not to give away their positions in the night.
A tall figure walked among the trees, wearing black gloves, a long black cloak with the hood up, his face in the shadows. His black boots had snapped the twig. Many called him Shadow, for he slid about without a sound waiting…just waiting. He walked calmly toward firelight in the distance, a large great sword on his back along with a bow and loaded quiver. He had a dagger on his hip. As he came up to the camp, he saw a young man with a sword in his lap, polishing it. The man was talking to a companion. When the figure looked over, he saw that it was an angel, a beautiful red-haired maiden. She was the most beautiful being he had ever seen before in his life. Her eyes, though oddly colored, like blood, shone like rubies. Her skin was flawless, save for her many tattoos but he counted that as part of her beauty. She was slim and well rounded. He shook his head as a couple of choice images came to his mind. She smiled at the other man, making Shadow’s heart quicken in pace. Her laugh, oh how it made his own heart dance.
He thought to step out of the bushes and talk to her, but he did not. Instead, he climbed a tree and lay down on a bough, making himself comfortable and taking a nap. He would find a way to talk to her in the morning. It would be hard though, without showing her his face.
The next morning, he awoke to the sounds of battle. He looked out over the camp and saw that rouge bandits had attacked. He leaped from the tree and began to fight alongside the girl and her friend. She looked over at him in confusion just as one of the bandits went to run her through, flipping over her head; he sliced the man in half with his long sword which rested on his hip.
He ducked a swing to the head and ran his dagger through the gut of his assailant. He parried another blow and beheaded the next challenger. His blood ran cold as a yell of pain rent the air. He turned and saw that the man had a cut down his right arm. It was deep. Shadow dived at the bandit who had done this to her and ran him through the heart with his dagger, beheading him with his sword.
The woman had tears in her eyes as she gently lowered the man to the ground and held him. His right arm was engulfed in blood. Shadow crouched beside her and looked over the wounds, pulling a blanket out of his pack and ripping it up, saying only to her, “Do you have herbs on you?” He realized something and added, “His left leg is broken in two places…”
The man muttered, “God damn it, why’d ya tell her that? She’ll only worry about me more now…”
She nodded and got them out, starting to press them to the wound before letting Shadow wrap the man’s arm. While he started to fix up the man’s leg, she said, “Who are you? Why are you helping us?”
“My name is of no consequence. You may, however, call me Shadow.” She seemed to think twice about him with that name of his. “Before you ask,” He added, “I did not get the name for a bad reason but rather my stealth abilities and the habit of rarely speaking.”
She nodded slowly and began to take care of her friend. After a moment or two, she said, softly, “This is my friend, Joey. My name is Kiara.” She was mainly just making sure he was comfortable as she also started cooking up some left over deer meat. Shadow didn’t respond to her but rather stood and started to walk away. She called after, “Wait, don’t leave!”
He turned back to her and said softly, “I don’t think I’m needed here, Miss.” Her eyes narrowed.
She then said, a tad evilly, “If you ever call me that again, I’ll slap you silly.” She then softened, “I can’t protect him on my own, though I’d like to think I can. You can ditch as soon as we get to the Rouge Sanctuary. Please, help me.”
Shadow considered the idea before saying, firm but soft, “I will help you on one condition and if it is not met, I will leave.” She nodded, slowly. He then said, “We head straight there, no side-roads, detours, or anything like that. Also, we stay off the main roads.”
She grinned a cocky and slightly mischievous grin, “That’s two conditions but fine. Consider your conditions met.”
He nodded and sat down beside her. For a long time there was silence, and then, “What now?”
After helping Kiara pack up and leave, Shadow went back to his own camp and grabbed his horse, letting Joey ride it. Kiara was very quiet from that point. She didn’t talk or say much of anything. They were able to travel seven miles in silence before Shadow asked, “What is the Rouge Sanctuary, exactly?”
She let a grin surface for the first time in hours. “The Rouge Sanctuary is a place created, supposedly by the God of Thieves over a hundred years ago. It’s a place where Atheist and Pagan alike are welcome. Any outlaw may find refuge there for as long as they may need.”
Shadow nodded. “If it’s so awesome, why haven’t the lawmen tracked it down and killed its inhabitants?”
She laughed- his heart began to dance again. “Because, my friend, the Rouge Sanctuary is not common knowledge. Lawmen are too foolish. They’ve beaten so many rouges who would be boasting in bars about its wonders. They are too stupid to believe that not all thieves and killers are automatically liars. It’s not my fault that we’ve given them directions a thousand times and they refuse to believe us! It’s also not our fault that they think we’re trying to lead them to the Valley of Death!” She said with a hearty laugh. Shadow smiled at her for a time, his heart picking up in pace in its happy dance.
Shadow then said, “I see. I guess it’s all completely the lawmen’s fault that most of the time, thieves and murders are trying to steer you wrong for their personal profit?”
She grinned wide and said in return, “What personal profit could we possibly gain from leading them to their deaths?”
He laughed hard at that and when he calmed, countered, “You would have one less lawmen.”
She giggled and said with a mock-innocence, “Oh, but why would we ever want something as tragic as their number decreasing to happen to local law enforcers!”
This made him laugh, rather hard. “You, Kiara, are funny.”
She then responded, “I’m not all that funny.” She said as she held the reins to Shadow’s horse. She had a slightly confused look on her face.
He then said, “I’d say why I find this all so funny, but I really don’t think I should. It would only start an argument.”
She hooked a thumb in the belt loop of her trousers, “I’d rather you say it than have us leave it unsaid, because that’s going to start more of a fight than saying it outright.”
He sighed heavily, “I’m Atheist, Kiara. I find the thought of any God being real amusing rather than serious or enlightening.” Of course, this was a lie. The truth about who he was depended on him not even giving out his real name. He looked too much like a very popular figure in Kaito. He was sure the daughter of Joseph Lien would know who he was. Thankfully, he had found creative ways to hide features that would give him away, like the hood.
She didn’t say anything but rather let go of the reins and kept walking on ahead, not looking back or giving any indication of what was going through her mind. He did already know, though, that none of it was good. He looked at Joey who gestured that he follow her and of course, he did. He grabbed her by the arm gently and said, “This is why I did not want to mention it. I didn’t want to offend you.” Rather, he didn’t want to lie to her, but in the end, he’d had to. She would have either nagged him until it came out or she would have found the truth. He preferred not to have her know who he was, although, he knew that this would later kill his chances of being with her.
Gods, how he wanted to be with her! He wanted it more than anything else he’d ever felt yet he barely knew her. He couldn’t help it. He loved her, he’d always love her. He knew that. The way her hair shone in the light, red like a rose. It was like running your fingers through water, he just knew it. He wasn’t totally sure, but his gut told him that it felt just like running your hands through water, soft, shiny water. The way her eyes sparkled no matter what the lighting, he found that amazing. It was odd, her eye color. He couldn’t place a proper name on it yet he knew what it was, just not what to call it. He loved to look at her eyes, though. Her skin, he’d only had the briefest touches, but every one sent a shock through him, a surge like he’d never felt before. It was an absolutely amazing feeling that he’d never forget. How could he forget her voice? The sound sent his heart into the skies. Her laugh made him laugh, and it made him want to dance- which meant something because he hated dancing.
And even now, in anger and hurt, she was gorgeous. He’d never seen a more beautiful woman than the one who stood before him now. He wondered what the Goddess of Life was thinking of when she created a beauty like this. She was humble, too! That was incredible for one so beautiful. Kiara didn’t seem the type to flaunt her gorgeous face and her intelligence. Oh, yes, she was smart. More so than most scholars, she was smart. She may not know everything in books but she had the street-intelligence that he found so endearing.
“Shadow, are you listening to me?” Her voice pulled him back from his thoughts as she pulled her arm away and said, “Laughing at my religion is not the way to avoid offending me, Shadow. That hurts, a lot.”
He sighed and said gently, “I apologize. I just don’t understand why you seem to love it so much. I tell you, there are no Gods.” That was another lie. He loved the Gods and Goddesses probably just as much, if not more than she did. Just how he loved her… He had to wonder if the Goddess of Love was toying with him. He thought about it. No, she wasn’t. He knew that his urge to jump in front of harm for her was genuine.
She shook her head, a look of hurt and slight anger on her face, “You’re wrong. I won’t even bother getting into it, because most Atheists are too close-minded to believe me, but you are wrong.” She turned on her heel and ran off into the woods. He was both relieved and upset. He didn’t want her to go, but then, he was sure she could tell that his thoughts were somewhere else.
Joey caught up on the horse and said, “Let her go, mate. She needs to be alone. You tried, now let her tend her wounds. It cut her deep, you know, to know you were laughing at everything she holds dear.”
He groaned and said, “I wasn’t trying to insult her! I can’t help it, though. It seems so naïve to me!” Yet again, another lie he had told. Gods, he hated lying to them.
Joey shook his head and said, “Let it go, mate. She’ll be good in the morning.”
The next morning, Shadow woke up in his tent, which, to avoid his hood slipping out in open air, he wore. Shadow grabbed his small mirror and shaved his face. He had very dark brown hair with a red tint that was easier seen in broad daylight. His eyes were dark green with flecks of lighter green. He had a five o’clock shadow along his jaw line on his tanned skin. He was lean and masculine, very well toned. He trained almost every other day. That reminded him. He’d have to see about sparring with Kiara or starting a street fight, just for some sport.
This may sound irresponsible to most people, but to him, it was the only way to get a good bit of training in. He was wanted in every city in Goyt for his street-fighting and not to mention his famous thieving record. He could never return home and bear his face freely, thus, why he wore the hood all day, especially in public. There were the rare moments where he took off the hood and walked around freely, but then, he was one of the first Atheists to be a hero to Pagans. He didn’t like the attention at any rate. He hadn’t been called by his real name for several months.
Kiara, actually, surprised him when he met her. He remembered meeting her when she was much younger as he was. He had been maybe fifteen, she had been roughly twelve. She hadn’t been much more than a scrawny girl with short red hair, bright eyes, and a strong passion to make her father proud. He had had lighter hair, lighter eyes, and less muscle on him. She had become such a beauty, though. It was hard to believe that the careless, insecure, irresponsible, fun-loving, rambunctious and passionate preteen that had stood before him now faced him as an intelligent, determined, still passionate, poised, attentive, drop-dead gorgeous, full grown woman. It was something he still wasn’t used to. It surprised him to no end, too. He was sure she’d never grow up.
He yawned and got dressed, pulling on his hood as he went out and saw that Kiara was no where in sight. “Joey, where’s Kiara?” He then realized that he was alone. After he finished feeling stupid for talking to air, he grabbed his swords, ditched his cloak, and ran off in the direction of his horses’ tracks. Somehow, a man with an injured leg managed to get up on it. He’d have to ask Joey how he pulled that off later.
“Joey!” He heard hoof beats and followed them, hoping to find Kiara. He found Joey, at least. “Joey!” He said running over. “How the hell did you get back on the horse?”
“Magic,” He joked, “now come on! We need to find Kiara. She never came back last night.” Shadow swore and took off after Joey as he spurred off.
Running hard and tired, Shadow and Joey were now running along the Gallia River, according to Kiara, a landmark before reaching the Sanctuary. Shadow was panting hard, having left his cloak back at camp, it was easier for him to run, but he had to sprint to keep level with Joey. They came up to the waterfall and looked around. At first they saw nothing, but then, there! She was in the middle of the river clinging to a rock. Shadow stripped off his shirt, his necklace- which was rare, but he didn’t want to lose it- his weapons, and handed them all to Joey, telling him, “If you lose my sword or that necklace, I’ll kill you violently.” Joey nodded and watched as Shadow leaped into the water. Shadow winced at the sting he felt as the water slapped him but he ignored it and swam at Kiara. It was hard, considering the water’s hard current but he managed.
When he reached her, she was barely hanging on, looking ready to pass out. He wrapped an arm around her waist and swam over to the shore side, bumping his hip as he did, but he didn’t mind, because it didn’t hurt all that much. He pulled her up out of the water, laying her out flat. She had apparently passed out half way between the rock and the shore. He checked her breathing and spewed curses as he started giving her mouth-to-mouth. After a couple minutes, she rolled onto her side and coughed up water. She didn’t wake up but she was breathing- for right now that was enough for him.
He pulled her over to the shade and sat beside her. Gods, she was pretty. Unconscious and soaking wet, she was still pretty. He swore. The gunk a gypsy had given him to hide his many tattoos had begun to come off. He sighed. It was bound to happen sometime. Joey came up and saw his tattoos becoming visible. Joey looked at him for a long time before saying, “I saw a town fifteen minutes that way,” He said pointing east. “Let’s go back to camp, grab our gear, rent a hotel, and then you and I need to have a talk.”
Shadow
Water Reveals Tattoos
The sun went down and the forest went to sleep. The crickets though, they chirped. The owls hooted. The moon was full above the sleeping world, shining down on the lands with a brilliant light with the stars all around to help lead lost souls to the Heavens. The nocturnal side of the forest was awakening and those who tread the earth while light is abundant have gone to sleep. Wolves are hunting. The birds are nesting. Calm breezes are blowing gently as the simplest sound awakes the night. A twig snapped. That wasn’t normal, it never was. The wolves were too sly and clever to touch them, the birds were too light to snap them off branches, and the other animals knew not to give away their positions in the night.
A tall figure walked among the trees, wearing black gloves, a long black cloak with the hood up, his face in the shadows. His black boots had snapped the twig. Many called him Shadow, for he slid about without a sound waiting…just waiting. He walked calmly toward firelight in the distance, a large great sword on his back along with a bow and loaded quiver. He had a dagger on his hip. As he came up to the camp, he saw a young man with a sword in his lap, polishing it. The man was talking to a companion. When the figure looked over, he saw that it was an angel, a beautiful red-haired maiden. She was the most beautiful being he had ever seen before in his life. Her eyes, though oddly colored, like blood, shone like rubies. Her skin was flawless, save for her many tattoos but he counted that as part of her beauty. She was slim and well rounded. He shook his head as a couple of choice images came to his mind. She smiled at the other man, making Shadow’s heart quicken in pace. Her laugh, oh how it made his own heart dance.
He thought to step out of the bushes and talk to her, but he did not. Instead, he climbed a tree and lay down on a bough, making himself comfortable and taking a nap. He would find a way to talk to her in the morning. It would be hard though, without showing her his face.
The next morning, he awoke to the sounds of battle. He looked out over the camp and saw that rouge bandits had attacked. He leaped from the tree and began to fight alongside the girl and her friend. She looked over at him in confusion just as one of the bandits went to run her through, flipping over her head; he sliced the man in half with his long sword which rested on his hip.
He ducked a swing to the head and ran his dagger through the gut of his assailant. He parried another blow and beheaded the next challenger. His blood ran cold as a yell of pain rent the air. He turned and saw that the man had a cut down his right arm. It was deep. Shadow dived at the bandit who had done this to her and ran him through the heart with his dagger, beheading him with his sword.
The woman had tears in her eyes as she gently lowered the man to the ground and held him. His right arm was engulfed in blood. Shadow crouched beside her and looked over the wounds, pulling a blanket out of his pack and ripping it up, saying only to her, “Do you have herbs on you?” He realized something and added, “His left leg is broken in two places…”
The man muttered, “God damn it, why’d ya tell her that? She’ll only worry about me more now…”
She nodded and got them out, starting to press them to the wound before letting Shadow wrap the man’s arm. While he started to fix up the man’s leg, she said, “Who are you? Why are you helping us?”
“My name is of no consequence. You may, however, call me Shadow.” She seemed to think twice about him with that name of his. “Before you ask,” He added, “I did not get the name for a bad reason but rather my stealth abilities and the habit of rarely speaking.”
She nodded slowly and began to take care of her friend. After a moment or two, she said, softly, “This is my friend, Joey. My name is Kiara.” She was mainly just making sure he was comfortable as she also started cooking up some left over deer meat. Shadow didn’t respond to her but rather stood and started to walk away. She called after, “Wait, don’t leave!”
He turned back to her and said softly, “I don’t think I’m needed here, Miss.” Her eyes narrowed.
She then said, a tad evilly, “If you ever call me that again, I’ll slap you silly.” She then softened, “I can’t protect him on my own, though I’d like to think I can. You can ditch as soon as we get to the Rouge Sanctuary. Please, help me.”
Shadow considered the idea before saying, firm but soft, “I will help you on one condition and if it is not met, I will leave.” She nodded, slowly. He then said, “We head straight there, no side-roads, detours, or anything like that. Also, we stay off the main roads.”
She grinned a cocky and slightly mischievous grin, “That’s two conditions but fine. Consider your conditions met.”
He nodded and sat down beside her. For a long time there was silence, and then, “What now?”
After helping Kiara pack up and leave, Shadow went back to his own camp and grabbed his horse, letting Joey ride it. Kiara was very quiet from that point. She didn’t talk or say much of anything. They were able to travel seven miles in silence before Shadow asked, “What is the Rouge Sanctuary, exactly?”
She let a grin surface for the first time in hours. “The Rouge Sanctuary is a place created, supposedly by the God of Thieves over a hundred years ago. It’s a place where Atheist and Pagan alike are welcome. Any outlaw may find refuge there for as long as they may need.”
Shadow nodded. “If it’s so awesome, why haven’t the lawmen tracked it down and killed its inhabitants?”
She laughed- his heart began to dance again. “Because, my friend, the Rouge Sanctuary is not common knowledge. Lawmen are too foolish. They’ve beaten so many rouges who would be boasting in bars about its wonders. They are too stupid to believe that not all thieves and killers are automatically liars. It’s not my fault that we’ve given them directions a thousand times and they refuse to believe us! It’s also not our fault that they think we’re trying to lead them to the Valley of Death!” She said with a hearty laugh. Shadow smiled at her for a time, his heart picking up in pace in its happy dance.
Shadow then said, “I see. I guess it’s all completely the lawmen’s fault that most of the time, thieves and murders are trying to steer you wrong for their personal profit?”
She grinned wide and said in return, “What personal profit could we possibly gain from leading them to their deaths?”
He laughed hard at that and when he calmed, countered, “You would have one less lawmen.”
She giggled and said with a mock-innocence, “Oh, but why would we ever want something as tragic as their number decreasing to happen to local law enforcers!”
This made him laugh, rather hard. “You, Kiara, are funny.”
She then responded, “I’m not all that funny.” She said as she held the reins to Shadow’s horse. She had a slightly confused look on her face.
He then said, “I’d say why I find this all so funny, but I really don’t think I should. It would only start an argument.”
She hooked a thumb in the belt loop of her trousers, “I’d rather you say it than have us leave it unsaid, because that’s going to start more of a fight than saying it outright.”
He sighed heavily, “I’m Atheist, Kiara. I find the thought of any God being real amusing rather than serious or enlightening.” Of course, this was a lie. The truth about who he was depended on him not even giving out his real name. He looked too much like a very popular figure in Kaito. He was sure the daughter of Joseph Lien would know who he was. Thankfully, he had found creative ways to hide features that would give him away, like the hood.
She didn’t say anything but rather let go of the reins and kept walking on ahead, not looking back or giving any indication of what was going through her mind. He did already know, though, that none of it was good. He looked at Joey who gestured that he follow her and of course, he did. He grabbed her by the arm gently and said, “This is why I did not want to mention it. I didn’t want to offend you.” Rather, he didn’t want to lie to her, but in the end, he’d had to. She would have either nagged him until it came out or she would have found the truth. He preferred not to have her know who he was, although, he knew that this would later kill his chances of being with her.
Gods, how he wanted to be with her! He wanted it more than anything else he’d ever felt yet he barely knew her. He couldn’t help it. He loved her, he’d always love her. He knew that. The way her hair shone in the light, red like a rose. It was like running your fingers through water, he just knew it. He wasn’t totally sure, but his gut told him that it felt just like running your hands through water, soft, shiny water. The way her eyes sparkled no matter what the lighting, he found that amazing. It was odd, her eye color. He couldn’t place a proper name on it yet he knew what it was, just not what to call it. He loved to look at her eyes, though. Her skin, he’d only had the briefest touches, but every one sent a shock through him, a surge like he’d never felt before. It was an absolutely amazing feeling that he’d never forget. How could he forget her voice? The sound sent his heart into the skies. Her laugh made him laugh, and it made him want to dance- which meant something because he hated dancing.
And even now, in anger and hurt, she was gorgeous. He’d never seen a more beautiful woman than the one who stood before him now. He wondered what the Goddess of Life was thinking of when she created a beauty like this. She was humble, too! That was incredible for one so beautiful. Kiara didn’t seem the type to flaunt her gorgeous face and her intelligence. Oh, yes, she was smart. More so than most scholars, she was smart. She may not know everything in books but she had the street-intelligence that he found so endearing.
“Shadow, are you listening to me?” Her voice pulled him back from his thoughts as she pulled her arm away and said, “Laughing at my religion is not the way to avoid offending me, Shadow. That hurts, a lot.”
He sighed and said gently, “I apologize. I just don’t understand why you seem to love it so much. I tell you, there are no Gods.” That was another lie. He loved the Gods and Goddesses probably just as much, if not more than she did. Just how he loved her… He had to wonder if the Goddess of Love was toying with him. He thought about it. No, she wasn’t. He knew that his urge to jump in front of harm for her was genuine.
She shook her head, a look of hurt and slight anger on her face, “You’re wrong. I won’t even bother getting into it, because most Atheists are too close-minded to believe me, but you are wrong.” She turned on her heel and ran off into the woods. He was both relieved and upset. He didn’t want her to go, but then, he was sure she could tell that his thoughts were somewhere else.
Joey caught up on the horse and said, “Let her go, mate. She needs to be alone. You tried, now let her tend her wounds. It cut her deep, you know, to know you were laughing at everything she holds dear.”
He groaned and said, “I wasn’t trying to insult her! I can’t help it, though. It seems so naïve to me!” Yet again, another lie he had told. Gods, he hated lying to them.
Joey shook his head and said, “Let it go, mate. She’ll be good in the morning.”
The next morning, Shadow woke up in his tent, which, to avoid his hood slipping out in open air, he wore. Shadow grabbed his small mirror and shaved his face. He had very dark brown hair with a red tint that was easier seen in broad daylight. His eyes were dark green with flecks of lighter green. He had a five o’clock shadow along his jaw line on his tanned skin. He was lean and masculine, very well toned. He trained almost every other day. That reminded him. He’d have to see about sparring with Kiara or starting a street fight, just for some sport.
This may sound irresponsible to most people, but to him, it was the only way to get a good bit of training in. He was wanted in every city in Goyt for his street-fighting and not to mention his famous thieving record. He could never return home and bear his face freely, thus, why he wore the hood all day, especially in public. There were the rare moments where he took off the hood and walked around freely, but then, he was one of the first Atheists to be a hero to Pagans. He didn’t like the attention at any rate. He hadn’t been called by his real name for several months.
Kiara, actually, surprised him when he met her. He remembered meeting her when she was much younger as he was. He had been maybe fifteen, she had been roughly twelve. She hadn’t been much more than a scrawny girl with short red hair, bright eyes, and a strong passion to make her father proud. He had had lighter hair, lighter eyes, and less muscle on him. She had become such a beauty, though. It was hard to believe that the careless, insecure, irresponsible, fun-loving, rambunctious and passionate preteen that had stood before him now faced him as an intelligent, determined, still passionate, poised, attentive, drop-dead gorgeous, full grown woman. It was something he still wasn’t used to. It surprised him to no end, too. He was sure she’d never grow up.
He yawned and got dressed, pulling on his hood as he went out and saw that Kiara was no where in sight. “Joey, where’s Kiara?” He then realized that he was alone. After he finished feeling stupid for talking to air, he grabbed his swords, ditched his cloak, and ran off in the direction of his horses’ tracks. Somehow, a man with an injured leg managed to get up on it. He’d have to ask Joey how he pulled that off later.
“Joey!” He heard hoof beats and followed them, hoping to find Kiara. He found Joey, at least. “Joey!” He said running over. “How the hell did you get back on the horse?”
“Magic,” He joked, “now come on! We need to find Kiara. She never came back last night.” Shadow swore and took off after Joey as he spurred off.
Running hard and tired, Shadow and Joey were now running along the Gallia River, according to Kiara, a landmark before reaching the Sanctuary. Shadow was panting hard, having left his cloak back at camp, it was easier for him to run, but he had to sprint to keep level with Joey. They came up to the waterfall and looked around. At first they saw nothing, but then, there! She was in the middle of the river clinging to a rock. Shadow stripped off his shirt, his necklace- which was rare, but he didn’t want to lose it- his weapons, and handed them all to Joey, telling him, “If you lose my sword or that necklace, I’ll kill you violently.” Joey nodded and watched as Shadow leaped into the water. Shadow winced at the sting he felt as the water slapped him but he ignored it and swam at Kiara. It was hard, considering the water’s hard current but he managed.
When he reached her, she was barely hanging on, looking ready to pass out. He wrapped an arm around her waist and swam over to the shore side, bumping his hip as he did, but he didn’t mind, because it didn’t hurt all that much. He pulled her up out of the water, laying her out flat. She had apparently passed out half way between the rock and the shore. He checked her breathing and spewed curses as he started giving her mouth-to-mouth. After a couple minutes, she rolled onto her side and coughed up water. She didn’t wake up but she was breathing- for right now that was enough for him.
He pulled her over to the shade and sat beside her. Gods, she was pretty. Unconscious and soaking wet, she was still pretty. He swore. The gunk a gypsy had given him to hide his many tattoos had begun to come off. He sighed. It was bound to happen sometime. Joey came up and saw his tattoos becoming visible. Joey looked at him for a long time before saying, “I saw a town fifteen minutes that way,” He said pointing east. “Let’s go back to camp, grab our gear, rent a hotel, and then you and I need to have a talk.”
