The Guardian

The fur flies in this chapter, I hope you enjoy it!





The door clicked closed as Syah opened her eyes reluctantly. She had slept soundly with Thane by her side but still wanted to stay in bed for as long as she could. She blinked at him in surprise as she tousled his hair with a towel. He had bathed, and was wearing a white button up shirt with new black pants. She sat up as he tossed the towel aside, a light blush rising to her cheeks as he strode towards her and sat on the edge of her bed.

“I’m sorry I left you. Your mother let herself in and offered me a bath. I hope you’re not upset.”

He was beautiful, water dripped lightly from his hair and onto the white shirt which was sticking slightly to his still damp skin. He no longer smelled like the woods but carried a light masculine scent with a touch of lavender soap. She shook her head at him as she sat up.

“I’m not upset. Do you happen to know where my mother is now? I need to speak with her.”

He leaned back on the bed, his elbows propping him up next to her legs as he stared up at the ceiling. Did he mean to pose perfectly or was it simply by accident?

“I can go find her for you while you dress.”

He tilted his head at her. He seemed to be in a good mood, she wondered if something had happened.

“I don’t think it’s safe to let you run errands on your own yet.”

He stood smoothly from the bed and strode over to the door.

“Your father is still in bed and Colar is outside working on his swordsmanship, I’ll find your mother so you can dress.”

She opened her mouth to argue but he was already out the door. She sighed and slid out of bed. He was definitely in a good mood. Syah washed herself in a water basin and then slipped on a champaign colored silk dress before brushing out her hair to a shine. She examined the scrapes on her hands and the small cuts on her arms and legs from the woods. She jumped as Thane moved behind her and took her hand, lifting it to his lips as he gazed at her in the mirror.

“You know it’ll heal faster if I help.”

His tongue flicked out and slid over her skin as she blushed. Her gaze moved to her mother, waiting at the door, a light pink rising to her cheeks as well. Syah pulled her hand away as Thane smiled, he was playing with her. He moved away with that and took to leaning against the far wall next to the window.

“I’m sure father has already told you what has happened.”

Her mother’s gaze flicked to Thane and then back to her.

“He mentioned a new guardian. But he was rather upset; I don’t think he told me the whole truth.”

Syah drew a breath before she continued.

“I’ve challenged him for the noble house. When he passes, I want to have the right to stay and take a suitor instead of being married away.”

The color drained from her mother’s face as Thane strode past Syah to help her mother stay standing.

“Syah, what have you done?”

She gazed coolly at her mother. She hadn’t expected her to understand, she lived in fear of her father.

“I’ve saved myself mother, and I want you to do the same. When night falls tonight and father drowns in mead I want you to take all the things important to you and run away.”

Thane removed himself from her mother’s side but didn’t go far.

“Syah, where would I go? Your father is all that I know.”

Syah took her mother’s hand.

“Go to my uncles. He would hide you until everything was finished.”

“Syah I—“

She hugged her mother as genuinely as she ever could; she had to make her understand.

“I’m going to set us free mother, but I can’t do that while I have you to worry about. Father is harsh and would use you against me. You have to leave.”

She hugged her back and breathed lightly against her hair.

“I understand Syah, I will go tonight when your father drops drunk with mead.”

Her mother smiled at her as she took her leave, she never was one for extensive conversation.

“This role suits you little noble.”

She sighed and turned to Thane.

“Weather it suits me or not it’s the role I must perform. Stay here, I need to go bathe, I’ll return shortly.”

He nodded as she gathered a towel and fresh clothes before leaving. He had done the right thing saving her; she was powerful and silently confident. He only lingered for a moment before leaving the room, she had wanted him to stay but he had a mission of his own. The bonding she had performed on him was stronger than any he had ever felt before. He felt overly protective of her after only a day of being bonded and there was something he wanted to take care of. He had spent a little time exploring that morning before Syah had stirred and managed to familiarize himself with her father’s room, her mother’s room and Colar’s favorite places. He smiled as he approached the sparing ring. The guardian was still there, shirtless and glistening in the sunlight as a knife moved effortlessly through the air. He didn’t notice Thane until he was at the edge of the ring, only seven feet from him.

“Where’s Syah, you shouldn’t leave her alone.”

Thane smiled and walked along the edge of the ring, every move he made screamed fight. His body was tense, posturing as he sent every physical signal he could at Colar.

“She’s stronger than you think Colar.”

Thane held Colar’s attention now as his body tensed; the air around them was growing more aggressive by the second as Thane met the weapon wrack and fingered the fine metals.

“If she is injured under your watch I swear I’ll—“

Thane picked up a knife, the same size as Colar’s, and flipped it easily in his hand.

“You’ll what?”

Thane’s gaze darkened as he stepped into the sparing ring.

“You know things about me that I’d rather keep secret. And the easiest way to keep you quiet is to cut your throat.”

Colar growled low in his chest as his fangs grew, the guardian was fully aware of Thane’s intentions now. Colar could sense the things he had done in his past; all of it was a threat to him. He belonged to Syah, who was bonded to him more strongly than anyone before and he would do anything to keep it that way. Colar was a threat, her father was a threat and anything else that stood in her way. And Colar possessed the greatest weapon against him, his past. Thane moved lithely around Colar who was poised to use his claws rather than the knife he still possessed.

“So prepared to change, how unfortunate that you must rely on your animal side.”

Colar’s fangs grew as Thane growled, doing his best to urge the guardian forward. If he could get him angry, he could win easily. The guardian was hurt by Syah, he was mistreated by her father, and his temper was short. This combination, when jabbed just the right way, would bring Colar to his death.

“I change so I can be strong for Syah.”

The guardian’s ears and tail grew as Thane took his battle stance.

“It’s a pity that you are only strong as an animal. If you cared for her safety, you would ensure your strength as a human and as an animal.”

Colar’s voice was barely more than a snarl as his features became more cat than human.

“We will test your strength.”

Thane smiled as Colar leapt forward, his blade ready to flash and bring Colar down.

Syah slid from the cooling bath water and quickly wrapped herself in a towel to keep from catching a chill. It was almost noon now, and she would need to decide her next move before her father had time to combat her education. She needed to organize a schedule with someone who she could trust, and who could educate her on the ways on leadership and her land. She dried herself and slipped into her slip and her simple silk dress. A light powdering of lavender scent softened her skin as she brushed her wet hair out and pulled it up and off the nape of her neck. It was still damp, and she wasn’t about to let it ruin another dress. She quickly made her way back to her room, eager to meet up with Thane to plan the next month. But when she opened the door she found an empty room. Panic rested in the pit of her stomach. Something was happening, and she needed to find him before things turned for the worse. She ran through the halls of her home in desperation until she pulled his words out of her mind. He had said that Colar was working on his swordsmanship, he would only do that in one place, and if she was correct, he would still be there. She didn’t think Thane would go and pick a fight, but perhaps he would, it was her only shot. As she ran she felt a rush of panic, if something had happened to him all was lost. It was reminiscent of her attempted suicide. She was running again, to meet her possible doom if Thane was lost. She came to the door leading to the outside training area as she barely slowed, throwing herself against it as the sunlight nearly blinded her. Colar was fully changed into a cougar and was covered with bloody cuts; his lips were curled back as his fangs dripped with saliva. He lunged forward as his teeth snapped shut on nothing but air. Thane hadn’t changed at all but he too was covered in a light sheen of sweat and slight cuts and bites littered the skin on his arms and hands. Colar, even in animal form, was unable to reach his torso. And Thane was only armed with a simple knife. She couldn’t allow this to continue, they were fighting for keeps and one or the other would die before the end. She ran towards them, her heaving chest unable to utter her approach for the lack of air it held. They hadn’t noticed her yet as she took advantage of their brief separation. Colar had stalked back, preparing for another lunge as time slowed down. Syah leaped between them, her back to Thane and her arms spread protectively as Colar leapt forward in rage. She only had a chance to inhale before she realized she had made a mistake. Colar was in animal form, and he was seeing red. He was going to kill her for want of Thane. Everything happened quickly then. Thane moved faster than she had ever seen any guardian move as he hugged her to his chest, his back exposed to Colar’s vicious onslaught. She heard the sharp tear of flesh as Thane winced and threw his head back in agony. Syah stared up at him in shock as his gaze returned to her, pain apparent on his face as he smiled weakly at her.

“I almost lost you there.”

He lost his strength then as he fell to his knees allowing her to then see Colar. He had lost his animal form and was now standing dumbstruck. All the color had gone out of his face as he realized what he had almost done. She had little interest in him as she turned her gaze to Thane’s back. He had a severe lash traveling diagonally across the width of his back, laid open so deeply she could see the white glint of bone. She swallowed hard and tried to control herself as she watched a fair amount of blood flow from the wound and down the guardian’s back.

“Syah, I—“

She found her strength again then as she tried to help Thane to his feet.

“I don’t care what you have to say Colar; you nearly did the same to me, now help me.”

The guardian managed to steady himself enough to help her bring Thane to his feet, the wound was already beginning to heal but she was worried about the amount of blood he was loosing. Any guardian can sustain a deep wound, but no guardian could live through a massive loss of blood. Just like humans they required a certain amount to live. She moved as quickly as she could towards her room. If her father saw this spectacle it would be disastrous. Thane began to move on his own once they reached the stairs, he wasn’t leaning on Colar any longer but perhaps it was due to pride more than healing since she felt more and more of his weight on herself. She didn’t notice the blood trail on the floor until they reached her room, a perfect excuse to rid herself of Colar.

“Make yourself useful and clean up the mess, I don’t want father seeing any evidence of a fight.”

Colar left quickly as she led Thane through her door and onto her bed. His blood had ruined another dress and would soon ruin her sheets as well. Once he was planted on her mattress she quickly closed her door and then went to destroy her sheets. She quickly pulled one off, placing the edge of it firmly under her foot as she pulled up with all the strength she had, quickly and sharply. It ripped cleanly as she forced Thane to sit up as straight as he could manage.

“Syah, stop this, I’ll heal just give me time.”

She wrapped the sheet as tightly as she could around his middle to cover the wound and stop the bleeding.

“Shut up, you’re bleeding out if I leave it alone you’ll die.”

He winced but she ignored him, she had to do this to ensure his survival.

“Syah, please, this is unnecessary.”

Her air was coming short, she didn’t feel as though she was gathering enough as she came to the end of the sheet and pulled it tight.

“I have to stop the bleeding, if only for a short while so it can close.”

His hand against her cheek stopped her busy hands as he smiled at her.

“I can hear your heart. Come back to me Syah, calm yourself, or I fear your heart will burst.”

She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch as she forced her breathing to slow.

“Why the hell would you fight Colar. I asked you to stay in this room and you go and pick a fight.”

Thane laughed lightly, he was still in pain although he was doing his best to hide it in front of her.

“He was a threat to you and a threat to me Syah. If I hadn’t gone and established myself he would have made the first move and possibly try to take you.”

She scoffed at him as he itched at his makeshift bandage. She slapped at his hand and received a rather childish glare.

“Colar isn’t like that, he might have picked a fight but he wouldn’t try to take me.”

Thane became serious as he gazed at her, his tone lowering.

“You don’t feel the things I do that float around him. He’s darker than you think, and has dark intentions for you as well.”

She made a mocking face at him but he remained firm, perhaps he wasn’t trying to scare her, perhaps he was telling the truth. There was a slight knock at her door, sending her spine straight as she quickly turned to face the coming storm. Colar cracked the door open and slipped inside.

“My Lord has sent me to gather you. He wishes to speak to you.”

Colar presented his palms, which were stained with Thane’s blood he had tried to clean up. Her father had caught them, and there was going to be hell to pay.




Until next time my friends!