Page 36 of Valka

“Yes! She’s hurt, isn’t she?”

“She is.”

“Then I’ll trust you. Take me to her, please.”

~~~

Katva helped Bettina climb the footholds up to Valka’s cave, actually lifting her and placing her on every next one so that she could make it up the cliff’s face to see for herself that Delia was still alive. The moment he placed her on the ledge leading to the entrance of Valka’s cave, she froze, pressing herself against the cliff wall at her back.

Katva stepped up onto the ledge with her, and realized she was not moving. He looked around and saw nothing to keep her frozen in place as she was. “What has you afraid?”

She looked up at him disbelievingly.

“What? I can’t protect you if I don’t know what it’s from.”

“That,” she said, just barely lifting a hand to point to the opposite end of the ledge.

“The skaevin? It’s Delia’s skaevin. It has been protecting her since she was attacked.”

“You can’t be serious. It worked?”

“What worked?”

“She was trying to make the thing like her.”

“We train them. They are easy to win over. All you have to do is feed them. It is not so much a surprising thing, especially since it was injured and she cared for it when it was injured.”

Bettina shook her head, still unable to believe what she was seeing. “I still think it’s an amazing thing.”

“Do you wish to see Delia?”

“I do!”

“Then you’ll have to move closer to the skaevin.”

Bettina eyed the bird, then the male escorting her. “Okay. Yes, I can do that.”

“Come,” he said, taking her by the arm and walking beside her until they reached the entrance. “Valka! May we enter?” he asked, making his voice a little louder to be more easily heard.

Valka was still sitting beside Delia, just watching her as she slept. He lifted his head to look at Katva.

“This is Delia’s friend. She is concerned about Delia.”

“Delia sleep,” Valka said.

“Can we enter?” Katva pressed.

“Yes,” Valka finally answered.

Katva kept a hold on Bettina’s arm, leading her over to where Valka sat beside Delia on his bed.

“Delia sleep,” Valka said again.

“What happened?” Bettina asked.

“Skala hurt Delia. Valka kill Skala. Valka kill Raska. Valka kill Skala again!”

Bettina looked up Katva.