Blood of the Neko - 10. Chapter 10

"Kayden!"

He crashed through the trees, stumbling over shrubs and bushes, ignoring the spikes of fallen branches and rocks cutting his feet. His eyesight was keener than Nash's but tears blurred his vision, and he could still hear the bigger guard thrashing through the forest after him.

He paused long enough to halt his forward motion and spring up toward the branch of the tree that hung low enough to grab. He darted up one or two more branches before he collapsed against the tree. His chest was heaving with the exertion, but the burning in his lungs was nothing compared to the tearing of his heart.

He had shoved his master. The Duke. He'd pulled away from him and ran.

But he couldn't bring himself to feel remorse for it right now. He was so angry, hurt, that his master could think such a thing. How? Why? He broke down in body wracking sobs as Joseph came to a halt at the bottom of the tree.

"Kayden!"

"Go away!"

"It's just a mistake! You know that!" Nash yelled back up as two of his fellow guards joined him.

There was no way he was coming down out of this tree with the three of them down there to drag him back.

"I'm not going back," Kayden told them. "Just leave me alone."

"You know I'm not leaving you," Nash called back.

Kayden crossed his arms and eyed the man with his sharp green eyes. In the dark, he could see them rather clearly, but he knew they couldn't see him as well. Tears welled up again, and he just couldn't keep the hurt from drowning him.

"Fine, stay there all night then."

@@@@

Joseph Nash huffed. Well, crap.

He turned to the other two guards, and pointed at the youngest. "You, go back to camp and let everyone know that the boy is fine." He glanced back up at the figure perched in the tree. "Stubborn. And hurt. But fine. Palick and I will stay here with him."

The young man dashed off into the woods, making his way back the way he'd come. For a second, Nash wondered if he'd be able to find his way, but they weren't far off of the path that they were following to the mountain pass, so the man should be fine.

He looked over at Palick before glancing back up at the young neko huddled in the tree. "Might as well get comfortable. We're going to be here a while."

Palick nodded, stepping off to the side a few feet to give Nash some distance. Joseph smiled at the man's blatant attempt to give them some privacy. He obviously knew that Kayden was comfortable with Nash and might eventually talk to him.

"Kayden," Nash called, his voice softer than before.

In the dark, he could barely see the boy, but he could faintly hear the heart-wrenching sobs that Kayden was trying to muffle against his knees as he balanced in the tree.

Figuring there wasn't much he could do until Kayden settled a bit, he sat down against a nearby tree where he could see the small neko. He was tempted to climb up after him, and if he didn't come down soon, he just may have to do that. But for now, he'd give him some space.

@@@@

It had been quiet for a couple hours in the tree, and Nash couldn't tell if Kayden had fallen asleep or not. Joseph sat quietly with Palick a few feet away dozing lightly while Nash kept watch.

A slight movement in the tree alerted him, and he noticed that Kayden was edging around to the other side of the tree. Nash narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what the boy was up to. It dawned on him that maybe Kayden was actually trying to escape from him.

Shit. That's it. Joseph scrambled to his feet, jumping up and grabbing the lowest branch. He heard Palick jolt upright and jump to his feet behind him.

A surprised squeak came from the boy above him as Nash struggled to get his feet on the trunk and haul himself up. Joseph slipped on the branch and cursed.

A hiss above him told him Kayden wasn't happy.

"Get down," the boy's hoarse voice warned, "You're going to hurt yourself."

"I'm staying with you," Nash grunted as he dragged himself up. "If you're staying in the tree, then I will too."

"You can't," Kayden hissed. "Just go. Please."

"You know I won't do that. The duke loves you, Kayden. You know that. You have to know that," Nash stated softly, as he found his footing.

The choked sob from above made him sick. "Please, Kayden, come down. Let's go back. Just talk to him."

Something sharp suddenly stung his shoulder, and he jerked, losing his grip on the branch. A startled gasp above him was all he registered as he fell toward the ground. He heard and felt a sickening crunch as his ankle give way under him, and he dropped to the ground with an agonized grunt.

"Joseph!" Kayden was suddenly dropping from the tree next to him, but Nash's instincts told him something was wrong. Something had caused him to fall, the stinging pain in his shoulder told him that.

He heard the gurgled cry of Palick as he struggled to get up. His eyes managed find the other man in the bright moonlight, a bloody knife having just slit open his throat.

"Kayden! Run!" he snapped instantly, not sure who the attackers were, but only knowing he had to keep the boy safe.

Kayden had just landed next to him, his head whipped around at the acrid scent of blood. Nash tried to get to his feet, but his leg collapsed back under him. At least Kayden did as he said and darted back up the tree.

A deep chuckle resounded from nearby, as Nash watched Palick's limp body drop to the ground. He grit his teeth as he leaned up against the base of the tree for support, dragging his dagger from its sheath as three men emerged from the shadows.

"Who are you?" Nash demanded. "You are attacking emissaries of the king and the Duke of Marsten. Back away."

The chuckle deepened, and Nash knew that it didn't matter to these men who he was. They may even already know that.

"We know who you are," the apparent leader stated. "And we know what you are planning to do. Laos paid us keep an eye on the trails. Been watching the duke with his little lover." The man's eyes darted up to the tree.

Nash gripped the hilt of his dagger, gasping as pain shot through his shoulder. Something had definitely hit him, he could feel the warmth of the blood seeping down his back. He hoped that Kayden stayed safely out of sight. If he stayed in the tree, the men shouldn't be able to get to him.

"Now, little one, why don't you come on down out of that tree?" the man called up, and Nash's heart lurched.

"No! Don't!" Nash yelled back up. "Stay there. They can't hurt you, if you stay up there."

"But what about you?" The man smiled, stepping closer.

Nash made a desperate attempt to plunge his blade into the man, but an arm around his neck yank him back. Whatever was in his shoulder buried itself a little deeper, causing him to gasp in pain. His dagger dropped to the ground as one came up to his throat.

"No!" He heard Kayden's hoarse, agonized cry.

He was shocked to see the boy jump out of the tree, landing on the leader. The man behind him tensed, but Nash was able to drive his elbow into the man's ribs, loosening his grip slightly. Kayden kicked and swung at the leader, pummeling him with surprising force, but the third guy managed to get a hold of Kayden's waist. He pulled the young neko back just by the sheer fact that he outweighed the boy by nearly double.

"No! Kayden!" Nash shouted, struggling with the man behind him for the knife.

He had almost managed it, when the man abruptly stomped down on his foot. Pain shot up his leg as he nearly passed out from the blinding pain.

"Joseph!" He heard Kayden's cry, his gut aching at not being able to stop the hurt he could hear in it.

"Kayden, huh?" the deep voice came.

Nash managed to open his eyes as he was dragged back into a tight hold against the growling man. What he saw had him snarling in anger.

One of the men had Kayden wrapped up in his arms, a knife was pressed against his throat. The fear in the boy's eyes was bright, and Nash's gut wrenched at having failed in his duty to keep him safe. The leader leaned over the young neko, grabbing the boy's chin roughly in his hand and turning it into the moonlight.

"Well, I'll be damned. It is him," the man laughed. "Look, Theo, it's the kit. The one we sold a couple years ago to the market. Well, fuck, who knew that the duke would want such a scrawny little thing," he mused. But then his eyes roved up and down Kayden's lean form. "He's become a bit of a tiger in the last couple years."

Nash's heart stopped, as he suddenly realized who these men were. He'd heard of the hunters. Those who had enslaved Kayden for years, breaking the boy's will. A tear leaked from his eye as he realized just how afraid Kayden must be, coming face-to-face with such a horror from his past.

"Let the boy go," Nash swallowed, biting out his next words. "He's of no use to you. He's just a slave."

"Of no use, huh? Ehern, didn't we find him pretty useful before?" The man named Theo grinned from behind him.

"Yeah, he made for some great target practice," Ehern laughed, causing Nash's anger to flare and he struggled in Theo's arms.

"But, I think we may find him even more useful," Ehern grinned, his hand lifting the silver tag at Kayden's neck.

Oh, shit, Nash breathed, and he could see Kayden's chest heaving in panic as well.

"Looks like he's become the duke's whore," the third man stated, as he pressed the knife closer.

"No," Nash tried desperately, knowing that if they thought they could use Kayden against the duke, Kayden's life could be forfeit. "He's just a slave. He was given to the duke by his brother. I was chasing him down because he ran away."

Ehern stared for a long moment at Nash, and Nash tried to keep his concern for the boy off of his face. "Somehow I don't believe that."

Nash just gritted his teeth, staring down the man. There was nothing he could do to save his own life at this point. He knew they would kill him at any moment, but he had to do what he could to save Kayden.

"So, I suppose..." the man wandered closer to Kayden. "If I did this..."

Suddenly, he swung his arm, his hand arcing across Kayden's torso. It took a second for Nash to register that the agonized cry from the boy and the arching of his back was caused by the vivid slash of a small blade in the man's hand.

"No!" Nash tried to yell, wrenching forward, but the man covered his mouth to muffle his cries.

Tears leaked from Kayden's eyes as his chest heaved, dark blood spilling from the neko's chest, staining the ivory shirt. Nash felt himself collapse to the ground, unable to stand.

"So, maybe he's not so unimportant," Theo growled in his ear as he let Nash drop. He pushed Nash to his side and yanked his arms behind him.

Nash felt his energy draining from him as he watched helplessly as the leader stripped the white shirt from Kayden's body. He clamped his eyes shut briefly at the sight of the neko's bloody chest.

"My, my boy," Ehern looked up and down the boy's body suggestively. "You've certainly filled out." When he slapped his hand to Kayden's bloody chest, the neko gasped in pain. The sound speared Nash's heart, highlighting his agonizing failure.

He felt his hands being tied behind his back as he collapsed to the ground. He was a bit surprised, as he had expected to be killed.

"Kayden, I'm so sorry," he whispered, his breathing becoming ragged.

@@@@

Kayden gasped as he saw Nash fading on the ground. The fire of pain across his chest was nothing compared to the fear that they might kill him.

"Please," he begged. "Please don't hurt him. I'll do anything you want--"

"I know you will, sweetheart," Ehern stated ominously, his hand landing on Kayden's cheek. Kayden swallowed, trying to tamp down his fear of these men as he felt the man's hand slide down his neck. He hissed as the blade pressed farther into his neck, causing a trickle of blood to well up and slip down his throat. Then Kayden felt the man lift his chain from the hollow of his throat. He gasped as a quick yank ripped it from his neck.

The silver chain glinted in the moonlight as the hunter held it up for Kayden to see. His blood stained the tag bearing his master's mark as Ehern gripped it in his blood covered hand. Another tear slipped down his cheek as he felt the loss of his chain, his link to his master, disappear as quickly as Damien had ripped apart his heart.

"Tie him," Ehern ordered, and Kayden sighed in slight relief as the knife at his throat disappeared. He felt his wrists yanked together in front of him, tying him the way they always did when they tied up their captured slaves to lead them through the mountain pass. He'd made that trek with them many times as they had delivered slaves to the mines over the years he'd been their slave. The familiar feeling filled him with dread.

Ehern dropped Kayden's bloody shirt in front of Nash's prone figure. He squatted down in front of the fallen guard.

He ripped open Nash's tunic and shirt with a swipe of his knife. He didn't cut the skin like he had with Kayden. Instead, he beckoned Kayden to be brought forward. After the neko was shoved closer, he dug his finger into the blood trying to clot in the slash on the boy's chest. Kayden bit his tongue to keep from giving the man the satisfaction of knowing he was causing more pain.

He smeared his finger in swipes across Nash's bare chest, but Kayden couldn't see what he was doing or why he was doing it. Nash didn't seem to be in any pain from it, and for that Kayden was grateful.

Once he seemed satisfied with whatever he'd done to Nash, Ehern grabbed the guard by the back of his hair, causing the man to hiss at the rough yank.

"Listen carefully," Ehern stated. "I ain't killin' ya for one reason only. I'm hoping you'll survive long enough to get a message to the Duke, otherwise, that will have to do," he said, nodding toward whatever he'd done to Joseph's chest. "You tell him to turn back. Leave the mines alone. Be grateful for the coal that is still being supplied. Or he'll lose more than just two guards."

The hunter stood, dropping Kayden's chain onto Kayden's bloody shirt. Nash met Kayden's eyes. And Kayden knew the man could see his fear, his guilt, because Nash blinked at him rapidly and nodded, trying to reassure him. The hunters' callousness triggered thoughts of the hunts he'd suffered with them, the trails, the camps they'd made, the... Oh, crap-- He gasped at a sudden memory, one he should have remembered before, one he needed Damien to know.

"Let's go," Theo called as he stepped away from Nash.

Kayden was yanked forward by the rope on his hands. He stumbled slightly. "Wait! Please. Just let me say good-bye. He-he was my friend."

Ehern seemed to be considering it, but Theo was just looking irritated, ready to get moving.

"Oh, I'm feeling generous. Go ahead and say your good-byes, tiger."

"Really, Ehern, we don't have time for this," Theo snapped. "They could come looking for him any time now."

"They won't look in the dark. They think he's safe with his guard here."

Kayden didn't listen to their argument. He dropped to his knees in front of Nash, his bound hands reaching gently to his fallen guard's cheek. "I'm so sorry. I should have heard them, smelled them.... I was... distracted. I- It's all my fault. But they'll come for you. I know they will, just hang in there. Please. Please tell him I'm sorry."

"Come on, sweetheart," Ehern called.

Kayden leaned closer, as if he was giving Nash a good-bye kiss on the cheek, but he whispered in his ear. "They'll warn the mines. Tell Damien to be careful. They'll attack at from the crag at the mountain pass. Laos keeps lookouts there. Please. Keep him safe."

"Now!"

Kayden barely heard Joseph's choked cry as he was yanked away.