Another snippet from Viyella’s story. In truth, I’m well past these bits, but I don’t let myself post unless I’ve done lots of fresh work. Just keeping myself honest 😉
Hope you like it!
He stood and sent out one more thought. Yowls filled the courtyard, punctuated by screams. Seconds later, his cat Farain rounded the corner, his tail lashing the ground, his golden beard dripping blood on the stones. Farain threw his head back and roared at the night sky, the sound alone enough to unhinge a man’s courage. Dagen felt the scream building in Viyella, and he clamped a merciless hand over her mouth.
“Silence,” he hissed, “or you’ll meet your mother’s fate.”
Tears slicked his fingers, but he felt her shudder once more and then go still. He removed his hand and called the cat closer. With one more twist of its red, red tail, the cat obliged, thinking vague bloody thoughts in its indistinct but unique pattern. Farain had no saddle, but Dagen had done without on many occasions, and at the moment, he had no time to inquire if the Princess was capable of the same.
Gripping a handful of the coarse long fur that ridged the cat’s spine, he swung himself up on the sinewy back, fur prickling him between the joints of his armor. He bent down and swept the gasping Princess onto Farain’s back, settling her between his arms.
“Grip with your legs–tight. Good. Now, hold the fur with both hands and don’t let go.”
She followed his instructions with a silent obedience he had never guessed she could muster.
“Now,” he said, still in his low voice, half his mind engaged in soothing the cat into accepting this extra and unaccustomed burden, “this would be a good time to use that incantation you’re so fond of to hide us.”
“I can’t,” she whispered back, fear making her voice tremble. “I’m not strong enough. I can only hide myself for a few minutes.”
He sighed. My luck runs with distressing consistency this night. “Then hold on Princess, and pray that Ragat arrows find their target with more difficultly when a Dagen’s speed accompanies it.”
He spun the cat around and dug his heels in.
Have a great weekend. Stay thirsty, my friends!
R.S.A. Garcia 