“Lya! It's me!” My father's strained voice said as my eyes flew open. I strained against the ropes trying to reach for him.

He gently cut the ropes and I jumped into his arms, my tears spilling over onto his bloodied shirt. I felt him wince as I remembered the damage to his arm. I jumped back afraid I hurt him more than he was already.

“I’m so sorry!” I say through my tears.

“It's ok, dragonfly. We are ok.” he says as he brushes a couple tears from my cheek. “But we have to move. There's at least one more out there. I would rather get back to Avani before he brings more back up.”

“Home?” I ask, confused. “Can we not go back to Jovanis? We need to clean your wound and get our strength back.”

“I'm afraid that's not possible anymore.” he says and I sense there is something he is not telling me.

I want to argue, but the steely look he gives me, stops me. I sigh. “Well we need to wrap that” I say pointing to the wound that was still bleeding. He looks at it as if it was the first time he noticed it before taking off his shirt and handing it to me.

“Do it quickly, Lya. We need to get moving.” I nod as I begin to cut the shirt into strips with his dagger and expertly wrap it snugly around his arm. It would stop the bleeding, but we needed to get to a healer quickly before infection sets in.

We set off at a fast pace, the sun had set and father wanted to get home as quickly as possible. He was gripping his sword tightly with his right hand as he scanned the surroundings with his ever watchful senses.

“What about Aeris?” I asked at last, worried about our family horse. He turned to look at me.

“Lya, there are a lot more important things going on here right now then our horse.” he answers.

“I know that, father I was just…” I pause trying to think of how to respond.

He sighs. “Lya there were only a handful of people who knew where we were.”

I slowly caught on to what he was insinuating. Jovani and Enora. “Do you think they are alright?” I ask suddenly worried for their well-being.

He did not respond for a moment. “I suspect they will be for now,” he replies, this time I sensed anger in his reply.

“What is the matter?” I ask, as I climb over the large log in front of us.

“It is nothing, Lya.” he replies.

“Father, you've said it yourself, I am almost thirteen. I am old enough to know what is really going on here.” I say defiantly.

He looks at me with a small smile before saying “I suppose you are right, Dragonfly, though it is just a suspicion. We will know nothing until we investigate.” he pauses as if deciding once again if he should tell me. “The only other people that knew where we were happen to be the Baerdals. It is very unlikely anyone would have risked coming into the city and questioning them. Even less likely that any of them would have told a stranger. The assassins would have to know when and where we were and in order for that to have happened, Jovani would have already had to have contact. It's just a theory, Lya, but one that must be investigated fully once we return.”

His theory made sense. The Baerdals were basically family, they would never say anything to put us in harm. “But why?” I ask.

“I do not know. But I fear the king may be in danger.” he replied.

Then it hit me. This had nothing to do with my father at all. This was an attack on the king himself. I wasn't completely sure if I understood what would have happened if they had succeeded, and the idea of it sent another chill down my spine.

Our quick pace had been quicker than Aeris' slow walk there and we had made it in a little less than an hour when we reached the edge of the forest and I knew we were about a mile from home.

As I followed, I saw him stumble over a branch and then he fell to his knees. I ran to him. “Father?” I yelped in worry.

When I reached him I noticed how pale he had gotten and started to worry just how much blood he had lost. “I am… ok” he struggled to get out as he tried to get to his feet.

I knew he wouldn't be able to make it on his own, but I did not know how I was going to carry him. “The gate” he said. “The watch, get them.”

The front gate? “Father, no, I can't leave you.” I said desperately, trying to come up with another idea, but coming up blank.

“Go!” he choked out and I could tell I had no choice, he needed to get to the healers fast.

Quickly, I helped him lie down and hoping it would fool any assassins, I gathered some branches and leaves to place around him. I gave him a quick kiss on the cheek as I sprinted off into the night.

I ran as fast as my legs would carry me, I sprinted through the fields that surrounded Avani, and I reached the gate in less than ten minutes.

“Help!” I called as I approached.

A man I recognized stood at the gate, his name was Tevon, he had worked with my father for many years. “Aalya?” he asked as I screeched to a stop in front of him.

“It's my father!” I panted “we were attacked, he's hurt. Please hurry!” I begged.

He did not question me. “Garren! Gets the horses! Phillip, wake up the healer!” he called to the guards around him.

They moved quickly and soon, Garren had brought four men and an extra horse.

I climbed in front of Tevon and told him where to go. Within minutes we had reached the area where I left my father and showed them where he was.

Tevon and I jumped off our horses. Then Phillip did as well.

“Is he alive?” he asked in alarm.

Tevon did not waste any time as he picked my father up and put him in front of Garren on his horse. He slapped the horse's rear to make him move faster and they galloped off in the night with the rest of the mounted guardsmen following in their stead.

The rest of us quickly got on our horses and followed moments after.

They would not let me in when we finally reached the healer's hut and I felt a surge of panic and desperation at the reminder of my mother's death right here in these very halls. I sank to the ground and cried.

Eventually, Tevon came to ask me what happened. I tried my best to compose myself and tell him everything that happened from the moment we heard the noise in the bushes to the moment I ran up to him at the front gate.

He asked me about what they were wearing, how they fought, if I noticed anything strange about their weapons and many more questions. I struggled to recall everything as he jotted things down.

I knew they wished they were speaking to my more eloquent father and honestly I did as well. As soon as the thought surfaced I started crying again. Graciously the man decided to stop his questioning.

I didn't know what I was going to do without my father. He was my only constant. Maybe we were not so good at talking all the time, but I knew he loved me and would do anything to protect me. I wish I could be that protection for him right now. He needed me and I was bawling in the corner like a baby.

I do not know how long I cried before my heartache and fears faded into restless sleep on the cold, hard ground.