jonny's

Lyrisia bit her lip to stop its trembling as she kept her eyes locked on the scenery through the window. The rain hadn’t let up since Nex had left and she was surprised it hadn’t flooded yet. It’d already been a full day and now she was tallying the hours that went past his deadline. Finally, she couldn’t stand it anymore and stood quickly.


The people she passed in the hall looked on her with worry, confusion, and pity, but she ignored them as she tried not to sprint to her destination. She almost didn’t remember to change out of the dress she wore on her way to Nommia’s bedchamber.

She didn’t bother to knock before nearly throwing the door open. She remembered Nommia’s fondness for men just before her eyes came to rest on the bed so she breathed a sigh of relief to see Nommia sleeping peacefully by herself.

Lyrisia strode over, kneeled before the bed, and shook Nommia’s shoulder urgently but gently. The last thing she wanted was an irritated Nommia… on second thought, maybe that would be to her, and Nex’s, benefit.

“Nommia,” she kept her voice from cracking in worry. “Wake up, please. He’s not back yet and it’s already been a day.”

“Wha-” Nommia asked groggily, cracking her eyelids to discover her disturber. “What’re you talkin’ ‘bout?”

“Nex!” Lyrisia tried not to shout. “He’s not back yet! We have to go find him. I’m getting worried. Please?”

“Fine,” Nommia sighed, forcing herself to sit up with a groan. “Go get the horses while I get dressed and we’ll go find him.”

Lyrisia ignored the following mumbled insults aimed at Nex as she thanked her friend and hurried off to the stables.

When Nommia entered the stables, she carried three different types of knives, which she hid in various places in the saddle of her jet black horse, and another strapped to each thigh. Lyrisia wondered if she’d really need that many as she checked her bowstring and secured it to her back.

They rode out of the castle at a brisk gallop and found the clearing within an hour and a half.

Nommia signaled for Lyrisia to dismount and they both quickly slid from their saddles. They crept to the edge of the tree line, both armed and ready for attack. Nommia saw the cliff first, she was as surprised as Nex by that, and finally, her gaze settled on the still, black-clad form.

She straightened before she heard the gasp from Lyrisia, who ran forward and fell to her knees beside Nex’s still form. Lyrisia brushed the hair from his face gently, trying to avoid the shallow cut on his cheek, as Nommia strode forward and squatted on the other side of him.

“Bastard had an archer,” she muttered, examining the arrow in Nex’s shoulder.

“Is he dead?” Lyrisia asked, on the verge of tears.

“Nah,” Nommia shrugged and finally met her friend’s tear-filled eyes. “He’s just unconscious.”

“Are you sure?” Lyrisia’s eyes went back to his face.

“Yeah,” Nommia chuckled. “You shouldn’t have been showing off,” she said into Nex’s ear. “Jerk.”

She wrapped her hand around the base of the arrow, closest to his back, and tightened her grip.

“What’re you-” Lyrisia started.

Nommia didn’t answer as she ripped the arrow out as quickly as she could. She froze with it above her head and looked down expectantly.

“Damn,” she muttered disappointedly and tossed the arrow on the ground. “He didn’t even move!”

“Oh,” Lyrisia responded, chastising herself for not realizing that. “We should get him to the infirmary soon.”

“Right,” Nommia sighed and bandaged his wound with a piece of torn cloth quickly. “I’ll figure out how to keep him on the stupid horse.”

She continued to grumble until long after they left with Nex tied to the saddle behind Lyrisia.