The Forest Border (3)

They walked less than ten minutes, the river can be seen and the sound of flowing water can be heard. Green everywhere, even the flowers were too. The river was broad, the end of it was like horizon. Solid rocks neatly arranged by its bank completing the scenery.

"Wow.." She was amazed.

A black cat slowly walked from out of nowhere near the river bank. They heard it made a sound.

"I knew your pet guard will be here." Said Nieal.

Irina laughed. She unconsciously ran towards it with her arms wide open.

"Careful now, we don't want you slip to the river and wet your dress." Warned him. "Also, I don't want you catching cold. You owe me a dance in the ball."

Irina laughed again while holding the cat in her arms. She sat down on the grass folding her foot over another. She saw Nieal put off his shoes, ready to dipping his feet into the water.

"This place is beautiful." Said Irina happily.

"It is." Just like you, Nieal added inside.

"Nieal." Called Irina.

"Hmmm.." His feet dipped into the water.

"How old do you think this cat is?" Earning a raised brow by Nieal. "She had been with us since as long as I remember."

"She? I don't know. Why don't you ask her." He emphasized the word her.

Irina seemed seriously giving it a thought while she caressed the cat. "Hmmm.. you're right. Why don't I ask her instead?" She narrowed her eyes to Nieal whose mouth wide open and blinked his eyes repeatedly. "Do you really think I would say that?"

"No.. Everyone would think you're crazy."

"Do you think I'm crazy too?"

"Well, you are sometimes crazy."

"What?" She heard Nieal's laugh.

He took out his feet from the water, dried them and ready to put on his shoes when Irina put down the cat gently. She abruptly stood up, made Nieal startled and asking her what happened.

She then took off her left shoe, seeing that Nieal asked her. "What are you doing? We are going home now, if we wanted to have lunch with your father."

By the time Nieal finished talking, the shoe was flying to the direction of the path where they came.

Nieal laughed hard. This was her way to vent her anger towards him by making him collects her shoes back to her. The other shoes flew to the same direction, but it didn't land smoothly, instead it produced the sound of someone's in pain.

Both of them startled, no laughed. Nieal was the first to realize that Irina's shoe hit someone. He then rushed toward that person.

Irina was just stood still not a bit making move, or expressed her sorry. She recognized the man whose shoulder hit by Irina's shoe. What was he doing here? Was he following me? She glared to both men. While Nieal could not see her glare because he walked with his back facing her, Lucas gave her his familiar provoking smile.

"Nieal stop!" Said Irina.

Nieal patiently turned around. "Irina be good, come here and say you're sorry." He said using his older brother tone. He then resumed his walk.

Irina stayed still, a slight pain creeping in her chest. The second she tried to take a step, the pain was unbearable. She bends her body tried to suppress a scream. Her body pulled backward by an unseen force.

When she bends her body, Lucas thought she was trying to get Nieal's attention. He was on guard when he saw her body moving involuntary. A thick dark green long arm stretched and its hand held her bare wrist, it went quickly made her body stumble. Lucas was no longer smiling, he run passing Nieal shouting protection spell. It instantly pulled its hand when the transparent bubble shows up and he aimed his next spell to kill the green creature. As soon as she had been protected, the pain in her chest had weaken her make her fall with her hand in her chest to the front which Lucas had already predicted as he was there to catch her. Everything went fast, the creature moving and Irina's falling were at the same time made Lucas hard to aim sharply. He missed his aim.

The creature was staring angrily at Lucas for few seconds before it disappears into the stillness of the forest.

"Irinaaa.." Nieal screamed her name. He was incredibly panic.

When Lucas was sure that the creature gone, he lifted the protection spell so Nieal can come closer.

Irina was unconscious, her eyes were half close. Lucas lied her down on the grass. He tried to examine her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Nieal said half shouting. He didn't like unknown man trying to touch Irina.

"I was just trying to wake her up."

"Just because you are a witch doesn't make you a healer."

"True." Lucas agreed. "But I think she's still in pain."

"We have to hurry then." Nieal stepped closer to Irina, he carried her in his arms. "You need to come with us, to explain what kind of creature that attacked her."

"Explain to who?" asked Lucas. He confused as to why part of dark creature attacked her.

"To her father." Said Nieal curtly.