Chapter 4 Rendezvous

Sabrina -

The hunting cabin was further into the Greymoore woods then she remembered and west of where the invading army had come from. They were to stay in the lodge until either her dad arrived or they needed supplies. If they needed something, someone would go get it. The lake was not far for collecting water. All the knights were capable hunters.

The knights had all gone out in a hunting party and her handmaiden went to fetch water. The light magician was asleep in his room. Everyone, except Sabrina, had agreed that she should stay at the cabin - for her own safety of course. But she had grown bored and rationalized that she outranked them all.

Sabrina closed the gate behind her, hearing the protective magic her grandfather had put in place click, after the gate had completely shut. Noone would see the lodge unless they had a directive from the royal bloodline of Treyus, her grandfather. Being of that blood line, you were able to see through the magic.

It was more than just a glamour spell though. If someone uninvited walked or ran or rode their horse too close to the gate, it would repel them, knocking them back and causing a momentary confusion. Everything about the place would fade as the confusion wore away, which was effective in keeping invaders from asking questions.

Sabrina headed to collect berries and herbs for the deer that Zayne would undoubtedly bring home. Not only would the plants add flavor to the meat, they would also be needed in prepping the meat for storage.

5 knights, her handmaiden and light magician had come out into the wilderness together with a single goal: keeping the heir to the Treyus bloodline safe from the invading barbarians from the northern edge of the Greymoore forest. They were quite the crew.

Sabrina hummed softly, as she moved through the woods towards the patches of plant growth she knew well. Her father had taken her to this place before. It held beautiful memories. It was hard feeling those memories affecting her, when her father was in so much danger.

Almost as if reading her thoughts, the woods were quieter than usual. Birds were not singing and squirrels did not chatter, as they watched her walk below the branches they perched on. It was creepy, she admitted to herself.

Hurriedly, she gathered enough of the plants for today but did not bother gathering extra. The feeling of being watched seemed to come from everywhere and she sensed that it was more than the wild life giving her that feeling.

She turned with her basket towards the lodge. Safety awaited her there, she told herself, as she took her first step. But the uneasiness had her reaching for the dagger hidden within the side fold of her dress.

She stifled her scream as a man riding a horse staggered out from a thicket of woods. He was injured badly. The horse walked quietly, although the man did not hold the reins.

Hesitantly she stepped up to him. The horse eyed her warily. Something in its eyes told her the animal would fight rather than leave his master behind. The loyalty of animals that have formed a connection always impressed her.

She lifted her free hand showing the man and the animal that she was of no threat.

The man was considerably taller than her. But he was slouched over on the horse, his muscular arms wrapped around his abdomen. He watched her cautiously with ice blue eyes that caused a fire to burn in her stomach, as they met her gaze.

His face was a mask of straight lines and masculine accents. He would have been so handsome except his features were tired and pinched, as if working hard to remain emotionless despite the obvious pain he was grasping at with his hands.

The man and horse held the same wary expression in their eyes, as they regarded her. "Hi. I'm..." Sabrina was going to tell him her real name but decided best not to reveal herself yet. "Tracena." It was the first name that came to mind and she flinched as soon as she said it. Try explaining two women with the same unusual name in the same house.

"Jozin." He said, his deep rough voice growled and she heard a hint of pain that he had tried to bury.

Trying to calm herself, she smiled. He responded with a more guarded look. He swayed on the horse as he directed it a step forward.

She saw the blood oozing from him. It looked as though he had been used as someone's personal sword mannequin. He wore her family's colors. Maybe he was a soldier in her father's regiment tasked with keeping the castle from the invading forces.

"Are you ok?" She asked him. Almost as if in response, his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the ground. "Jozin." She was not sure why she was whispering.

Stepping forward, she pushed him a little with the edge of her shoe. He rocked gently under the pressure of it but did not respond. She looked around the woods. She had to help him. It was the least she could do for a man who had been injured so badly protecting her home.

She went around picking the herbs her father had taught her would stop bleeding. She pulled Burberry vines that would work well for adhesive. After quickly surveying the area, she noted there were no plants to assist with the pain.

As she approached the stranger, the horse neighed and tossed his head. Sabrina smiled, sending out soothing vibes to it. "He needs some attention." She whispered to the steed. As if understanding the horse took a few steps back, watching her kneel at the stranger's side.

She pushed him onto his back. He had not only lost a lot of blood but was covered in it. Most of the blood wasn't his or he would already be dead.

His powerful muscles gave the impression that it would have taken a lot to overcome him. She wondered why someone like this had not been mentioned before by her father. She touched his neck and felt a weak pulse.

Sabrina tucked a loose hair behind her ear before peeling away fabric from wounds. Taking his shirt off quickly, revealed perfectly toned muscles. She pulled out her canteen and cleaned the sword wounds best she could.

He groaned in pain under her ministrations but she did not pause. The only other option was to wait until he bled out. The bleeding slowed quickly, as she applied the proper herbs and technique.

She tore his shirt into pieces to bandage his wounds. Some of it was still clean enough to use although most of it was beyond use. When the cloth from his shirt ran out, she began to tear strips from the ends of her dress.

Standing over his bandaged body, she looked down at his legs. They had shown no sign of blood. But as she examined him with her eyes, she realized that one of his legs was bent in a way that it should not be.

She did not want to remove his pants. It was warm enough outside. That wasn't why. Being alone with a man in the woods without an escort was inappropriate enough. But for him to be exposed.. She blushed deeply. Her curiosity of what it might look like inside a man's pants disturbed her.

She checked to see how loose the pant legs were. When she determined that they were too tight to pull up past his knee, she cut the length with her dagger.

The knee was deep purple and swollen to twice its normal size. Sabrina was surprised he had been able to get to and on the horse. She could not think of anyone she had ever met who would be able to walk on their leg like that.

Working quickly, she splinted his leg. She nodded, as she completed her work and sat back. She was sweating and breathing heavily.

Glancing at the sky, she saw she had spent half the day with this stranger. She was exhausted and would be missed at the lodge soon.

But this brave man was still unconscious. If she left him unguarded, it would make all her care of his wounds meaningless when whatever creatures lived out here ate him.

She checked his pulse again. It was so faint she could barely feel it. Her heart beat fast. Did she work fast enough? Had he lost too much blood before reaching her?

Sabrina put her hands on his chest and closed her eyes, willing him to wake up. She could not stay much longer. But she would not leave him like this. Her heart ached for her home, for this fallen brother, for her father. A single tear slipped down her check.

She felt all her emotions gather within her, tickling through her core. Her arms hummed with a strange intensity. She poured in her strength behind the intense humming. Time seemed to stand still, as she focused on her desire for him to awaken.

She didn't know what she was doing. Being silly, she guessed. Yet there were times that she had wished so hard for her father to heal from a wound and it seemed to do so overnight. As she grew older, she realized that a lot of time he was just putting on a brave face for her.

She heard Jozin groan, and felt him shift. Her eyes fluttered open. His eyes started to move behind the closed lids. She dropped her hands to her side.