The Tiger Within 678 Soldiers

The sun began to set as the fire slowly died down. Smoke swirled against the sky in slender twists now instead of puffing billows. Kyera and the other royals still stood tall, waiting for the last embers to fall cold. Bryson, Crystalsa, Rose, Myra and Ramsey all stood together with Kyera for the last of the pyre. No one wanted to leave Kyera alone to send off her cousin. Not one eye was dry. 
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The glowing finally faded to black and everyone stood in silence. Bryson's arm wrapped around Kyera and pulled her into a hug. He offered her his strength and a reminder of his love. She hugged him back as she took a deep breath, his bear scent filling her with some comfort.

"I am so sorry, Kyera. I never dreamed Gale would be in danger." Bryson whispered, his words tinged with self loathing. This palace was too close to the border … he should have known that. Now it was too late.

"The only way this could have been stopped was if it was me on guard, Grandfather. Then again, if Verone got the drop on me it… may have ended the same way but with my body on the pyre. What is done…" she couldn't even finish the statement before the tears began to fall again and his arms tightened.

"Shh little Kyzie Wyzie… I'm right her. Grandfather is here." He murrmered into her ear rocking gently. Clovis watched them both while holding his mother who was also broken. They never dreamed their line would be in danger here… to lose Gale…

"My Lady Kyera, Kyera!" Called out Oslo, the bear guard, granted the true humans heard nothing but roars of a black and white bear. Kyera turned to face him as Bryson waved him over.

"Sir Oslo, over here stop the roaring." Bryson called back honestly not happy. His granddaughter needed time to rest. Who the h.e.l.l dared bother his granddaughter on a day like this?

"Akira, she's injured!" Oslo called and Kyera ran toward him. She would not be burning her mother too… not today. She may hate the woman, but the healer inside had seen enough blood today.

The tigress was limping, her hind quarter drenched in red and her left leg was being drug along, unable to move it properly. Bryson followed Kyera and scooped the cat up and headed inside. Kyera followed at nearly a run.

"Kyera… Kyera Gale… he help Gale." Whimpered Akira struggling weakly against Bryson. Kyera felt a bolt of ice shoot through her heart.

"Gale is gone, mother. Hush, save your strength." Kyera whispered through the knife in her heart twisting from the loss. Bryson laid Akira down on the healing table and Half Eye began his work. Blood was thawed with words and pulled back into her body before he began sewing the wholes shut.

"I-I...t-t" Akira shuddered trying to push past the pain in her leg. It was difficult to speak through the pain or at least that's what she told herself. Half Eye ignored her tending the wound.

"Kyera, its Verone." Half Eye met Kyera's eyes as he spoke and Kyera froze.

"You sure? No, of course you are. He probably took Gale's life himself." She laughed a bit creepily, it was the sound of a woman on the edge of a mental break down. Not that anyone could blame her, if it wasn't for losing her brothers training her against it, she would be there already.

"He's alive… fox blood…" Akira struggled to say and Kyera's attention snapped to her.

"Akira what did you do?" Kyera demanded realizing a small detail she hadn't before. Akira had never been in Gale's room. Why was her scent on the blanket?

"Save Gale… Primrose… has Gale." Whimpered Akira in the haze of low blood volume and sheer cold. She didn't have much left in her now.

"d.a.m.n it, gather the knights. We ride." Kyera demanded as she ran up stairs. The power was building in her; wild and demanding filling every inch of her heart. There was no time for a plan… for thought. This was it. They touched what they couldn't have.

"Kyera, there are soldiers riding on the border!" Ivory roared through the window and Kyera cursed loudly.