The Talking Gargoyle Part 7

Raven stepped out into the street shutting the door behind him as it was locked. He glanced over the street looking for any sign of trouble but stopped on Ariana helping Lona on top of the doe. The thief wasn’t crying, she had many years to learn how to keep her emotions at bay, but the tears wanted to rush out. She smiled up at the sick child and Raven smiled at her warmth coming from the thief. One day, the Knight knew, she would be a great mother if she could find the right squirrel.

                He sighed heading over to his war buck with Ariana standing on the other side asking, “What are we going to do?”

                “What do you mean?” He asked.

                “We have to find another Healer,” she said.

                “And if they tell us the same thing,” He questions her, “then what?”

                “We keep looking,” she said determent to save Lona.

                “And if we fail? If the sickness takes her?” Raven whispered.

                Ariana didn’t say a word. She couldn’t find the words to say.

                “We should take her to her family,” Raven said not looking his friend in the eyes. “Let them have the time with her before it is too late.”

                Ariana garb his paw making him look up at her as she said, “One more Healer and then we will get her home. I want to try one more time.”

                Raven saw the tears pooling in her eyes as she wipes them away. She wanted to try everything before they were forced to give up. This was why Raven wanted her to join the Lionheart Company because he saw deep down she was a good-hearted squirrel wanting to make the world a little better place.

                “Emma told me about a powerful Spellcrafter name Zeal Whitechurch,” Raven said, “he might be able to help, we just have to find him.”

                Ariana smiled at her and said, “Thank you.” Or she was going to say ‘thank you,’ but a small black ball rolled between them, right under her legs blasting into bright white light. The light reached up knocking them both in the face, smacking their ears, and dropping them to the ground as they tried to scream out in pain. If they were screaming, there was no way of knowing it, but when the world started to come back, Raven saw Lona missing being carried away by the assassin.

                He stumped to his feet trying to go after the child, but Ariana was still on the ground having a hard time getting up. He reached out trying to take her paw, but the mounts were also freaking out in pain. His war buck was fighting against the rope around his neck but more so the pain in his eyes and ears.

                “Ariana,” Raven hoped he yelled at her.

                “I’m all right,” she shouted back, “go get Lona.”

                The effects of the blinding ball were wearing off quickly, and Raven was starting to be able to see the world again. He watched the shadow pull Lona down an alleyway and took all his might to chase after her. He raced after the assassin moving faster than the killer thought he would and smashed him against the wall of the alleyway.

                The assassin looked behind him growling more at the child for putting up such a fight, and the fight Lona was putting up was causing the assassin far more problems than he would have liked. He threw her across the alleyway knocking her against the wall with a hard cry from Lona. He pulled out two blades turning face to Raven.

                “I’m going to make you bled tonight,” the assassin said dashing at him.

                Raven tried his best to dodge the attacks, but the effects of the bomb still rung in his ears making the world a little off. It felt like he drank too much ale, and someone had punched him in the eyes, so he was trying to fight back. It didn't work well.

                The assassin cut him, not deep, but enough making him hurt. The blood ran between his armor while he tried to block the hits, but the assassin was fast. He was taking out an unknown angry on Raven and Raven wasn’t too happy to be at the end of this rage.

                He saw the assassin’s blade go up and he shot from his feet putting all his weight behind him shoulder planting it right into the killer’s belly. The cutthroat coughed out the pain as Raven uppercut him in the jaw sending him back against the wall. He hit the wall with more force than he planned on knocking stars into his eyes.

                But the assassin didn’t have to time wish upon and jumped back to his feet just in time to have his nose broken by Raven’s steel glove. Raven aimed for the wall behind the assassin’s head, and the squirrel’s head was just in the way. The quickest way to the wall was through the assassin’s face.

                The assassin fell to the ground knocked out cold while Raven stood over him. There were still lines of blood leaking from between his armor and the only to stop the blood was the take off the steel. The assassin had been trained well against Knights. He knew the best way to hurt someone in armor was to get between the armor.

                “Raven,” Lona yelled rushing up to him jumping into his arms. The Knight he tightly for a moment before putting back on the ground. “You are hurt,” she said.

                “I’ll be fine,” he said studying the lines of red.

                “I was scared,” she said, “but saved me. I knew you liked me.”

                “Of course, I do,” he said with a grin. “Come on we need to get back to Ariana, and I need my helmet.” He left his helmet on the ground in the mud hopefully not being smashed by his buck. They went back around the building finding Ariana running up with her daggers free.

                Once, she saw them she stopped dead in the tracks, putting the daggers away and smiling back. “Thank all the Angels,” she said giving Lona a hard hug and to Raven’s surprise a hug as well. She grabbed him tight for a long moment with joy flooding out he was alive.