Bonn leaped from his horse and Starlex was in his strong arms again. She could have lingered in his embrace forever, and she would have if Leiffen hadn't begun whistling an old Mynimium tune to break the spell of love.

And then suddenly she remembered Rigel baking on top of the crag with a broken leg.

Within moments, Bonn and Leiffen were climbing up the rock face to rescue Rigel. Starlex stayed below. She sat in the sand, exhausted, in the cool shadows of the tall crags and drank from the waterskin, being sure to leave plenty for Rigel. She dozed off to the soft rattle of the horses' reins and woke to pebbles showering down the rock face as Bonn carried Rigel over his shoulder with Leiffen supporting his broken leg.

Starlex stood quickly and brought water to Rigel as the men set him down in the soft sand. Rigel drank deeply from the waterskin and then lay his head back down. His cheeks red and moist, he tried to smile, but only groaned.

"How bad is his leg?" Starlex asked Bonn.

"I've seen worse," Bonn said, tearing the hem of his homespun tunic with his teeth. He cast his light blue eyes to Leiffen and said, "I think this calls for the strong stuff."

"Got it, mate." Leiffen walked up to his horse and pulled a small vial from his saddlebag. "Your friend, Flenn, gave this to me."

"What is it?" she asked, gazing at the amber glass vial.

"Something that comes in handy on the battlefield. Poppy extract to kill the pain."

Rigel popped his head up. "Let me have some of that."

"Easy, mate." Leiffen handed the vial to Starlex. "Give him three drops to start."

When Rigel's breathing indicated deep sleep, Leiffen gave Bonn the signal. The Skaard warrior gripped Rigel's leg and yanked the broken bone apart, snapping it back into place. A scream exploded from Rigel's mouth.

"He's awake now," Leiffen said with a chuckle.

"Heavens!" cried Rigel.

Starlex ran her hand across his forehead. "It will be better now, my dearest."

"Give me more of that stuff," Rigel insisted.

Starlex glanced at Leiffen. He nodded and she poured a few more drops between her cousin's parched lips as Bonn wrapped his leg tightly.

"The bone should fuse together now," Bonn said. He sat with his back against the rock and motioned for Starlex to come to him. She did so eagerly, sliding comfortably into the crook of his arm.

Stolen story; please report.

Bonn closed his eyes, breathing in his wife's sweet smell. "We'll spend the night here and set out in the morning for Kadaar, if that is all right with my lady wife."

"It is." Starlex gazed up at him with a sweet smile. "And Rigel can either go with us or return to Oran. Raki will get him home safe and sound."

"Then it's a plan," Leiffen said with a prolonged yawn. "I long to return to the land of ice after his blasted desert." He picked up a handful of pink sand and let it fall through his fingers.

"We'll think better in the morning after we've all had a good rest," Bonn said, softly closing his eyes.

"My dearest husband," she whispered, "I long to speak with you about..."

She stopped when she realized he was sleeping and snuggled closer to him. Her breath matching the timing of her husband's, she fell into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

They woke at dawn to Raki's caw and the violent flapping of wings.

A warning!

Bonn bounded to his feet to see Scipio Davadas and his battalion of four men galloping toward them.

Bonn reached his mount stallion and pulled his long blade and ax from the saddle. Scipio's guards rode two strides ahead of the king, thundering toward Leiffen.

Leiffen leap-frogged on the back of his chestnut mare, pulled his sword over his head, and circled the battalion in a cloud of sand. Corralling them against the rock face, Leiffen tossed his silver orb. It exploded in their faces, tossing them from their mounts against the rock. Two horses fell with them; two others broke and galloped with reins dragging back into the crags. Then men lay motionless in the bloody sand.

Scipio rode hard toward Leiffen, twirling his blade above his head, a war cry exploding from his mouth. Leiffen slid to the side of the saddle to avoid the death blow, but the razor-sharp blade found his shoulder and sliced deep. Leiffen toppled from his horse and rolled onto the sand by Starlex's feet. She and Rigel, partially hidden behind a boulder, could only watch desperately.

Now the king turned his full attention on Bonn who stood on the ground in a warrior's pose, ax and shield firmly gripped in his hands.

Scipio's horse pawed the sand as the king looked down at the Skaard warrior and said, "I charge you, Bonn Skaard, with treason and rape of an Oran princess. For those crimes, I condemn you to death."

"No!" shouted Starlex, emerging from behind the boulder. "I am his wife! And...and I am carrying his child!"

Bonn's head swiveled toward Starlex. Pure joy melted the ice in his cold blue eyes and a smile appeared within his bushy beard. Starlex nodded, gripping her belly as the tears ran down her cheeks.

"More reason to kill you then!" shouted Scipio as he dug his heels into his mount and charged at the Skaard warrior.

Bonn ducked as Scipio's blade bore down on him. Crossing behind the King's horse, Bonn grabbed Scipio's leg and twisted it, forcing the king from his mount. He landed in the soft sand and bounded to his feet with his weapons drawn.

The men circled each other. Leiffen tried to stand, but the loss of blood proved too much and he fell back to the sand with a groan.

Raki cawed loudly as she circled above the fighting men.

Starlex ran to Rigel's side and shouted, "Do something, Rigel! Use your magic."

Rigel groaned in pain and sleepiness from the tincture. He propped himself on his elbows and closed his eyes tightly. Raki violently flapped her wings.

Rigel fell back down. "I can't! I'm too weak!"

Scipio Davadas raised his blade and pivoted in the sand. Bonn rolled beneath it and plunged his ax into the king's side, penetrating his armor. Scipio groaned and spun in the sand, and then dropped to one knee.

Starlex screamed. Although he tried to kill her husband, the sight of the great king falling was like a knife driven into her own side.

Bonn stepped back while the great Scipio Davadas bled into the sand, mouthing his final prayers to Illym.