Chapter 4 #2
“What is it?” She pressed her hand to her holstered laser pistol.
“We have company,” he said grimly.
Honor strained to hear. Nothing…then she stiffened. There. The faint pounding of hooves on dirt.
She pulled out her laser pistol. “Archeologists, stay with the pod and keep your heads down. Security team, weapons hot. We have company incoming.”
She saw four hargon beasts come over a rise.
Colm frowned. “Raiders.”
He said the word the same way she’d say scum.
She shot him a questioning look.
“They are not honorable,” he said. “Thieves and cowards.”
“Well, they’re not getting our find,” she said. “Everyone stay back.”
The raiders thundered closer. Honor got a brief impression of large warriors wearing a mishmash of clothes and leather armor. She lifted her laser pistol, the lead raider in her sights, and fired.
The man fell under her laser, but before she could celebrate, the rest of the hargons were on them. She saw Colm drag one raider off his beast. She swiveled and shot at another, noting the rest of her team’s laser fire.
Then she turned and saw a beast rearing up above her. Her heart slammed against her chest.
She was yanked violently out of the way of sharp hooves. She stumbled against Colm, looking up into his set face. He tightened his grip on her—one hand on her arm and the other on her thigh.
“Ready?” he asked. “I’ll toss you up. You can take the next one down.”
She nodded, and reached for her staff. With one shake she extended it. Colm lifted her and swung her around. Then he tossed her into the air.
She flew up and slammed into the raider seated on the final hargon.
She unseated him, and they flew off the other side of the beast, crashing together into the dirt.
Honor was thankful she landed on top. There was a brief struggle, the raider rearing beneath her.
She got her staff against his throat. Damn, he was strong.
She pushed harder, all her body weight behind it.
Ugh, the man smelled like he hadn’t washed in weeks.
His long hair was matted around his scarred face.
Suddenly, he rolled, and she lost her balance. He shoved her off him, hard. She tumbled backward and jumped to her feet. She took two steps back, switching the grip on her staff.
Colm appeared by her side.
Another surviving raider joined hers. They both drew their swords, their gazes on Colm.
“Ready?” Colm asked.
“Hell yeah, warrior.”
Together, they rushed forward. Colm went in high, while Honor went in low. With a few quick slashes of Colm’s sword, and swings of Honor’s staff, they had the two raiders writhing in the dirt.
She dragged an arm across her face. She watched as Colm cleaned his sword and reached up, with a flex of muscles, to put it back in his scabbard.
“Not bad, warrior.”
He nodded. “The same to you. Not bad, little warrior.”
She frowned at him. “I’m not little.”
“You are compared to me.”
“Most people are little compared to you.”
“Everyone okay?” Derek shouted. “I barely got a shot off. You two were incredible.”
The archeologists crept out of hiding.
Honor eyed the raiders’ milling hargon beasts, moving closer to study them. “What do we do about these?”
“Let them go. They’ll find wild packs to join, or be caught by traders.”
She nodded. “I suggest we load this pod up and get back to the estate.” She clipped her staff back to her belt. “I don’t want to risk making this a big, juicy target for anyone else.”
“I think that is an excellent idea.”
There was a sudden burst of movement near the hargons.
Honor spun…just in time to see a raider leap onto the back of a hargon and charge in her direction.
Dammit. The man must have been hiding among the beasts. She heard Colm shout, was reaching for her laser pistol?—
The raider leaned down, snatched her off her feet, and yanked her onto the galloping beast.
Colm let out a sharp whistle, watching the raider’s beast thunder away.
A second later, his hargon raced up beside him. He gripped the reins and while the beast was still moving swung onto its back.
He set his heels into the hargon’s side. “Yah. Find your speed, my friend.”
Ahead, he saw the dirt flying up behind the raider’s beast. The bastard had Honor, and Colm had no intention of seeing her raped, murdered, or sold into slavery.
His face turned grim and his hands tightened on the reins. He would get her back.
He leaned forward over the neck of his hargon, the wind blowing his hair back. He could see Honor struggling with the raider.
By the Warrior’s fist. If she fell off at this speed she’d break her neck. He was certain even skyflyer technology couldn’t heal that.
Colm urged more speed from his hargon.
Soon he gained on the raider. As he neared, Colm felt his eyes widen.
Honor was slamming hard punches into the raider’s face. The man was trying to protect himself, but from the color in her cheeks, it looked like Honor Brandall was beyond furious.
Another vicious hit and Colm saw the raider lose his grip on the reins. The man lurched to the side, grabbing at anything to stop his fall. He let out a terrified shout.
Honor jammed an elbow into the man’s neck.
The raider toppled off. He hit the ground, tumbling over and over.
Colm slowed his hargon and leaned to the side, holding on with his knees. He drew his sword and it took one swing to take care of the raider.
When he looked up, he saw the other hargon was still racing away at breakneck speed, Honor clinging to its back.
By the warrior. He kicked his beast and they took off in pursuit.
He pushed his hargon hard. Its hooves pounded on the dirt and flames poured from its nostrils.
He pulled alongside the raider’s animal. He saw Honor’s hair had torn free from its tie and it covered her face in a golden cloud.
He reached over and yanked her off.
Her weight hit him hard enough to make him grunt, but he kept his arm wrapped around her and jerked her into his chest. Her arms clamped around him.
Colm slowed his hargon. It took some time, but finally the beast slowed to a walk.
He urged Honor’s face up. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?”
She held up her hand. Her knuckles were red. “Nothing I can’t fix.”
Any other woman he knew would be upset and hysterical after being snatched by a raider. Not Honor Brandall.
“I raced all this way to rescue you,” he said.
“Well, I was almost done rescuing myself.” She looked smug.
He fought back a smile.
“I just couldn’t get the damn hargon to slow down,” she added.
Colm wheeled his hargon around to head back to the others. “You’re sure you’re okay?”
She nodded, her hold on him easing. He felt a flash of disappointment as her arms slid away.
He helped her settle in front of him. With her snuggled in his arms, her round backside pressed to his stomach, he decided this wasn’t too bad either.
She fitted in his arms perfectly.
“I would prefer you avoid being kidnapped by raiders in the future,” he murmured to her.
“It isn’t on my to-do list.” She paused. “But thanks for coming after me, warrior.”
He smiled, feeling lighter than he had in a long time. “You’re welcome. Perhaps next time, you will leave me something to do.”
“Don’t hold your breath.”
His smile widened. “Now, how about we let your friends know you’re okay—” he saw them ahead now “—and return to the estate?”
“We’re on the same page, warrior.”
He raised a brow at the unfamiliar expression, but he understood her meaning. “You could ride back with me.” He slid his hand down to her waist.
She grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away. “I don’t think so.” She arched her head back to look at him. “The last guy who rode with me didn’t enjoy it much.”
Colm tipped his head back and laughed. “Very well, little warrior.”
She sniffed. “I’m not little.”