"When I knocked you off your feet with a chestnut from my sling."
He shook his head.
She nodded. "My aim was true," she boasted. "I meant to mark you, capture your attention, not kill you. Now I regret that decision. Prehaps I'll get a second chance before you are chased back to your savage kingdom where you belong."
He still didn't believe her. He folded his arms across his broad chest and smiled down at her. "Why didn't you kill me when you had the chance?"
She shrugged, "I just didn't feel like it," she announced. "Now, I do."
When he laughed, Eris realised that the male still didn't believe her. She couldn't blame him, she supposed, because until this very minute, she hadn't told him a single word of truth.
She wondered if he had found out shw wasn't really a member of the Shrine yet.
Of course he had, she decided almost immediately. The treasonous tax collector would have told him.
Eris could feel her composure slipping away. Her knees too. She decided to dismiss the rotten handsome warrior and reached up to pull the curtain closed.
He was much quicker than she was. He had a hold of her hand before she had even touched the drapery.
He wouldn't let go either. His grip stung like a hornet. She quit trying to pull away from him as soon as she realsied how futile her struggles were, and how weak it made her appear.
"Are your possessions here, Eris?"
That question, asked so matter of factly, took her by surprise. She nodded before she could stop herself. Then she said, "Why would you as me such a question?"
"I am a practical man," he answered. "It will save time to go directly to the main city of Claw Kingdom from here. Have your things ready or I'll leave them behind. As soon as my friend has recovered, we will leave."
Eris was astonished by his arrogance. "I am not going anywhere."
"Yes, you are."
She shook her head at him, again. Roy took a sharp indrawn breath and his nostrils flared.
The head covering hiding her hair slipped to one side, at risk of falling. This caught his eye. Before she could right the damage, Roy reached over and ripped the covering from her head.
Eris's glorious chocolate brown mass of curls tumbled down from the coil on top of her head to hang almost down to her waist. His breath caught in his throat at the magnificent sight and he felt like he completely forgot how to breathe for a moment.
"Only real healers wear a head covering when praying in the Shrine, Eris. You aren't one."
"The pretense was a necessity to get away from you. The Goddess understands. She is on my side after all, not yours."
That ridiculous remark made him genuinely smile. "And how did you come to that conclusion?"
The smile had moved his voice, warmth seeping into his tone. Was he laughing at her?
No, of course not, she told herself. He wouldn't know how to laugh. Claw Kingdom's warriors didn't possess emotions. The reason was simple: the enemy soldiers followed a leader who was more monster than a man.
Therefore they could murder the innocent in cold blood in order to obtain land and resources that were not rightfully theirs without being remorseful.
"Why fo you believe the Goddess to be on your side?" he asked again, when she didn't answer him.
"I did get away from you, didn't I? That should be proof enough, my lord. Showing to you clearly that the Goddess is on my side. I am quite safe here."
Roy couldn't really argue with that lopsided logic. "For the time being, you are safe," he agreed.
She granted him a smile that showed off the attractive dimple in her cheek. "I'll stay here as long as I want," she boasted. "Its the truth when I tell you that I am not leaving this sanctuary until your kingdom's invasion attempt has been foiled and you have gone back home to where you belong."
"The invasion is all but over, sweet Eris. The land is now under Claw Kingdom's reign. Accept that fact, and life will be much easier for you. You've already been conquered."
"No. I will never be conquered."
The mighty boast from the prideful female was throughly ruined by the quaver in her voice.
He noticed it. She pretended not to notice.
The rude male had the gall to smile, damn his attractive hide. Eris felt her back straightened in reaction.
Roy gave her a hard squeeze before finally letting her go. Eris started to turn away.
He stopped her again by grabbing her chin this time, holding her in place. Forcing her face up, Roy leaned down until her face was just inches away from her.
"Don't inconvinience me again."
He didn't raise his voice above a whisper when he gave that command, but his tone was hard enough to truly infuriate her.
She pushed his hand away from her chin and moved to one side, so he could get a clear look at her brother.
"Do you actually think I care if you are inconvienced or not?" she asked. "My brother lies here, near death, because of your greedy land hungry bastard of a king. Had he just left us alone, Timo would still be whole."
Roy ignored her crude insults about his king and turn his attention to her brother. The first thought that came to his mind was that the Margay soldier was truly near death.
His complexion was as white as the blanket covering him. Beads of persperation covered his forehead. His hair was the same brown as Eris's, but that was only a similarity between brother and sister.
Roy couldn' see any injuries, because the blanket coverd the big man from neck to feet.
He judged the soldier to be young from the lack of wrinkles on the outer corner of his eyes and the few scars on his face that he could see. He remembered then that the Margay informant had told him that Timo was a year younger than Eris, and from all appearances, she was a very young female compared to him.
So it seemed like the Margays also sent cub soldiers into battle.
Roy, suddenly felt very weary. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it while he kept his gaze on Timo.
The brother's sleep was fitful. He wore a frown that suggested ferals and rougues were racking his nightmares. Roy found himself affected by the sight of such obvious torment.
Eris felt her heart soften towards the warrior the moment she saw concern in his eyes. They were a beautiful deep expressive purple.
He had tried to hide his reaction, but he hadn't been able to. She was surprised, confused as well. Shoudn't he be gloating? Celebrating the chaos that they had caused?
She opened her mouth after a moment of silence. "When he is awake, he prays for death," she whispered.
"Why"
Roy sounded genuinely perplexed. Eris noticed the warrior couldn't see Timo's affliction. "My brother's left hand was severed during battle."
Roy showed no outward reaction to her announcement. "He could still live," he said after a long minute. "The injury could heal and seal itself off."
She didn't want him to be optimistic. She wanted him to feel guilty. She took a protective step towards her brother. "You might have been the one to do this to Timo."
"Yes." Roy answered, looking directly into her eyes.