Heart Over Sword
Chapter 207: Laughing Cats (2)

Chapter 207: Laughing Cats (2)

The group stopped, and Evanna swore she heard Garrett curse under his breath. The cackling grew louder, and the iciness running down her spine also grew intense.

"Might as well light that fire now, fairy!" Ronan shouted as steps started pounding towards them. The light of day had gone entirely, and within minutes it was too dark to see straight ahead and not long enough for their eyes to adjust.

Evanna leaned into her stance, aiming her swords in front of her and to the side where her body responded in tingling chills the most to the incoming threat. She didn’t know what to expect when the blue flames of Fiza’s magic blew up into a giant bonfire between everyone, but it wasn’t the creatures surrounding them.

The group faced outwards in a circle facing these large brown spotted animals, spotted cats standing on their hind legs. Their arms were longer than their legs, and their paws were more humanistic, holding a blade in one and spear in the other and their torsos covered in red leather armour. The one facing Evanna at her side seemed to grin, baring a wide set of sharp teeth. Its lips twitched slightly before it cackled, and the others responded with more laughter.

She could see why they were simply called the laughing cats, and although there were seven, their sheer size was packed with the muscles of at least two men. They didn’t need many to fight or hunt. She could already tell this would be a hard fight, but she’d faced worse odds and wouldn’t let that deter her.

Evanna flicked her gaze between the two across from her that seemed to zero in on her. She looked to the side, seeing Garrett had his own to deal with and knew it was the same for the others. The clanging of metal proved it before she dodged one swing of the first cat only to barely miss both spears jut towards her. Before she could right herself, feeling imbalanced, both laughing cats lunged towards her with their blades, cackling all the while.

Evanna jumped up, hissing as they moved their spears to her height and jabbed at the bottom of her feet. But she somersaulted forwards, landing behind them and swung her leg out to the first cat as they spun around. She cringed as her foot felt like it kicked into the side of a stony wall; the pain and shock vibrated up her leg. Instead of the muscular beast falling to the ground, it giggled and stabbed its blade at her ankle.

Eyes widening, she rolled to the side and hopped to her feet, glancing behind them where she could see the blue fire and the night fairy sitting atop one of the beasts her throwing star in its head and the other she slit across its throat. She looked to the others; Arawn, skilful with his blades, instead shot ice at the laughing cat’s mouth, irritation lacing the prince’s voice as he commented on their annoying laughter. To the side, she watched as Ger, Ronan, and Axel fought two like her yet still struggled.

The princess returned her attention to the cats before her, dodging another two jabs from each one. Evanna narrowed her gaze. She was barely keeping up with them; their attacks were synchronised. She blocked the first blade and then swung her sword down on its spear, risking the movement to break the weapon. In doing so, she felt the other cat’s spear punch into the side of her ribs, knocking the air from her lungs.

The beast growled, twisting the spear, making Evanna grimace, but she sliced her sword down on it, breaking it before the pointed end fell to the ground. The first laughing cat lunged for her with the distraction, but she blocked its blade with her sword still, her left arm shaking from the beast’s strength. Then the second one lunged for her. Evanna spun out of the way in time, pushing against the first beast as her other blade rushed out and stabbed the side of its neck.

The beast whined and kicked Evanna in the stomach before she could pull her sword free. She instantly fell flat on the ground, both back and front, feeling overly bruised. She tried to inhale more air, finding it hard to breathe before crawling onto all fours, her energy depleting as she reached back for the dagger on her hip. She didn’t want to get that close to them, knowing well their strength, but they wielded more power than speed. Though they were still fast.

Clambering to her feet, Evanna watched the first laughing cat she’d stabbed in the side of its neck pull her blade out before following the second one that was almost upon her. Evanna called upon her powers, feeling something dark slither into her mind as she focused on the beast charging towards her. She held onto her blade and sword, crossing them in front of her face defensively as she felt the beast’s intention to remove her head from her shoulders. It knew she was wearing dragon skin armour and was done ’playing with her’.

But as it approached, panic clutched at her throat, and she whispered in a voice not like her own, "Stop, beast."

With its arm out wide, the blade and extension to it, the laughing cat froze. Evanna blinked, a harsh breath leaving her as she watched the second one with a bloodied neck approaching them, giggling, trying to converse with the one frozen before her. The princess watched as she felt the connection between her and this wild beast, its murderous intent towards her grew the longer it remained standing there. Its body began to shake from the position.

With a shrieking squeal, the other one charged towards her but like with the first laughing cat, she seemed to ’catch’ its mind like a fish in a net and whispered, "stop right there."

It froze, but before she could do anything else, it sputtered, black blood dripping down its gummy mouth before falling to the ground face first. Lodged into the back of its head were throwing stars. Evanna looked up, surprised by Fiza’s appearance, who was only a few feet away. Then inhaling sharply, her heart almost leaping out of her chest as she dodged the first beast’s sword, bending her spine backwards, her head flopping back just as the blade cut a few loose hairs from her plait. She couldn’t feel the hold on the beast’s mind anymore and panicked, calling out to it again.

Without speaking any words as she collapsed to her knees, Evanna watched as the beast followed her command. It ripped the armour off and, in a strained movement, pierced itself in the heart with its blade. The laughing cat gurgled on its own blood before falling to the side.

Evanna watched the animal breathe its last breath as her body started to radiate pain across her limbs. Her head felt like it was being stabbed continuously by tiny needles behind her eyes, her foot similarly the same, and her body throbbed all over. The princess collapsed forwards, barely keeping herself up by the palm of her outstretched hand.

"Raven!" Fiza appeared before her in a blue smoke, her hands pushing Evanna’s shoulders back. Her bright starlight eyes flicked between hers in what looked like panic. "What do I do? I’ve never been stupid enough to get injured!"

Evanna softly chuckled, finding humour in this fairy that acted like she cared yet somehow still insulted her. Her humour dried up, though, from the pain.

"Raven?!"

Ger and Axel called for her from afar, finishing the last beast that was taken down with all of the men helping each other. Arawn shot an icy ball at its head before running in her direction. Evanna leaned to the side, the palm of her hand clutched at the small blades of grass as her body tensed some more from the movement. Suddenly warmth spread from her fingers, caressing her skin, heating her body and ridding her of the sharp pains. It spread like vines under her skin, the leaves pressing against the pain behind her eyes and wrapping around her ankle comfortingly.

Evanna relaxed further once Arawn was in front of her, his hands cupping her face, piercing blue eyes searching hers before fretting over her body. His hands gently pressed against her arms, legs and foot, inspecting the side she’d been ’stabbed’, only to pull back and frown at her. Arawn knew she had been in pain moments ago, he could see it on her precious face scrunched up even as she’d breathed through it all.

Instead, Evanna breathed easily against him, now resting her forehead on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" She asked, a sigh leaving her lips. Arawn looked at her some more. Concerned at the sound of her voice. She had used powerful elven magic, and he wasn’t the one to have taught it to her.

"Raven!" The others ran towards her, Ger skidding on his knees by her side, his hand going to her face.

Arawn didn’t like that and pulled her into his arms, holding her under her back and knees. Evanna gasped but didn’t complain as her head relaxed into his chest, her eyelids fluttering like she struggled to remain awake.

"She needs rest." Arawn started to turn away, then paused at seeing Fiza watching her with a growing and knowing smile.

Her strange eyes then glided back to the spot Evanna was picked up from and returned to Arawn, broadening her smile before giggling and skipping away. That girl was quite strange. He looked back to the grass but couldn’t see anything of note, but he caught Garrett’s gaze before walking away and leaving his friend to inspect further.

Fiza was strange, but she also seemed to know more than others. Most likely dealing in secrets and knowledge. That was a fae’s wealth to someone like her anyway.

Arawn continued to walk with Evanna in his arms; he refrained from rolling his eyes as Ger kept checking up on her and ultimately kept disturbing her much-needed slumber. A fight wouldn’t take this much energy out of someone unless they were severely injured or unfit; Evanna was neither, but she’d used her powerful gift tonight. She was allowed a little more sleep than the rest.

Garrett caught up to the prince after Arawn ordered the others to check the laughing cat’s pockets for anything worthy to keep. One look at Garrett’s dazed expression made Arawn pass his princess off to his most trusted friend and stride back to the two fallen beasts. He crouched and glided his hand across the grass, pausing and blinking when a small blue fire hovered beside him, bringing light to the area.

Fiza was focusing on her throwing stars, cleaning them, but she glanced at him, almost waiting to see his expression change. Arawn looked back at the grass, then stepped back, flicking his eyes between Evanna, who was injury free even though he’d seen her fight recklessly and back to the dried-up, brown grass that was now dead. It was in one spot, shaped like a hand among the healthy green grass.