The Warrior's Heart Ch. 05

Hey,

this is the final chapter, hope you enjoy it,x

*

Matilda awoke groggy and disorientated. Leo sat with his back against the tree cradling her lightly. It must have been some hours since she fainted, what had happened? The afternoon light streamed through the trees basking them in a warm glow. Leo was rocking her slightly. Murmuring endearments in her ear, asking her to be okay, to please be okay.

"Leo" she croaked.

"Mattie!" he leant forwards, drowning her with kisses, "Mattie, are you alright?"

She nodded, trying to pull herself up, "I'm fine, what happened?"

He pushed her back down onto his knee, shushing her and stroking her cheek "What do you remember?"

"We were talking, you wanted to take me back and then I had this awful headache, oh god Leo I felt like I was burning, and then everything went black....no...not black...red...everything went red. Then I woke up. How long has it been?"

He looked at her for a long moment "It has been hours. Mattie, do you remember I told you about the stone. I have it."

She smiled faintly puzzled "That's wonderful..."

"Yes, yes I thought so. The stone is more aware than I realised Mattie." He continued to stroke her face.

"What do you mean "aware"?" She asked, still confused as to what he was telling her.

"It has a consciousness. It brought you to me. To help me. It wants to close the portal. It used you to tell me this. It spoke through you. It wants you to come with me to close the portal. It hasn't given us much choice."

She stared at him. "Then it seems the stone and I want the same thing." She said.

***

They travelled that day, Leo guiding her horse, as he made her sit upon it, insisting she rest as much as possible. She didn't argue, because she still felt drowsy and disorientated although she wouldn't admit it.

"Leo, where is this portal anyway?" she asked.

"It's a long way away. Maybe two weeks journey. We are already in crusher territory. They took the stone away from the portal. It's in the Northern provinces of Calla, where the crushers first appeared. Before they swept down here."

She remembered Calla had once been a thriving country, a peaceful neighbour of Acillus for centuries. Then suddenly the crushers had appeared and destroyed it. Acillus and the other neighbouring countries had been fighting them since then. One by one their neighbours had fallen. Now Acillus stood alone against the crushers. They had been protected by their seven powerful armies.

"Leo, who was the man that opened the portal?"

"An idiot. It doesn't matter, he's dead. Killed by his own avarice. He opened the portal, to gain control of an army, for power and wealth. He had no control over the crushers though, they...consumed him."

Leo suddenly stilled and motioned for her to be silent. He picked her up off the horse, and silently removed their packs, slinging them over his shoulder. He unhooked the reins, there was no saddle. She heard it then, the horrible cry of a crusher. Then a grunting snuffle. He slapped the horse on the rump to get it moving away from them, so that it would not attract attention to them. Taking out his crossbow, he pulled her into the shadows of an oak.

They watched as the hulking crusher crashed after the horse. Then two more followed it. One of them keening highly like a child. How had she ever thought they were human she thought. Leo waited till they were gone and then pulled Matilda after him, making them run. After an hour or so they stopped.

"I can't....I can't...I'm sorry...I have to stop.. give me a moment" Matilda panted.

He put his finger to his lips, and waited patiently by her for a moment, stroking down her back, then he pulled the packs so they were sitting on his front, handing her the flask of water. She took a long gulp. He sprinkled some onto his hands, wiping them over her hot face. Then he took a sip himself. Stashing the flask, he suddenly hoisted her onto his back. She gasped. He continued to run. When she was ready she got down to relieve him of her weight and they continued on.

That night he found them a resting place.

"Why haven't we seen more crushers?" She asked.

"We're in dead country." He replied. Seeing her blank face, he went on. "The crushers have been here. There's nothing left. They've razed every village, burnt their crops, killed everything they can find. They've killed the land. There's nothing left for them to kill here. So they've all but deserted it. Most of them can be found either directly fighting our country -Acillus or on one of their direct routes from the portal to Acillus. They don't stay around because they don't really want the land. They just want to kill. They're done here. What we saw was a small scouting party, here to pick off remains"

She shuddered and burrowed into his arm. They lay silently together. Holding each other.

She woke up in the middle of the night to find herself almost stripped of clothes. Her skirt and blouse discarded. She felt hot and flushed, a wonderful glow of pleasure spreading from her core throughout her body. Leo was kissing down her front, lightly blowing and nipping at her skin. They were bathed in moonlight, their bodies entwined. She arched up to meet his kisses, a low moan escaping from her throat. She tried to touch him, but found he held her hands pinned to the floor. He was kissing her breasts. Flicking the nipples with his tongue and then suckling on them. She bit her lip to stop from crying out. His hand traced up her leg, up her inner thigh, lightly skimming over her sex, teasing her, not quite touching. He trailed his hand lightly over her sex, frustrated she felt her hips jerk up. Then his hand lightly pushed against her, one finger dipping in and out as his thumb found her clit and softly began to circle it. She gasped, trembling beneath him from the force of her reaction. He smiled and kissed down her smooth stomach, lightly kissing her bellybutton. Then he reached her sex and she gasped as he licked it. She arched up again, writhing beneath him. His tongue flicked over her clit. Alternately sucking it in and circling it with his tongue and then giving it light flicks. It felt so exquisitely sensitive. She felt a heavy fire lace itself from her belly up her spine.

"It's too much, it's too much" she moaned "I can't take it."

"Yes you can Mattie" he whispered as he came up above her and plunged in. He thrust into her body, with steady sure strokes, getting faster as they both neared completion. She loved the heaviness of his body on hers, the fullness of him as he thrust in and out of her, the way his hands skimmed over her body. She came over and over, crying out, as he pushed into her, pouring his seed in to her, he let out a muffled moan.

Afterwards she turned to him and he gently kissed her forehead "Back to sleep love" he whispered.

**

The next day, they washed in the river again and continued on foot. He noticed her limping and made her sit down, despite her protests to examine her foot. He scolded her softly when he found the large painful blister. He burst it, cleaned her foot and wrapped her feet in bandages and insisted on carrying her that day to rest it.

Their days carried on, they saw a few more crushers, but Leo made sure there were no confrontations. He didn't want to risk alerting the crushers of where they were by leaving a trail of dead crushers.

***

Then one day, their journey came to an end. They finally reached the mountain pass. At the top of this mountain stood the portal. It was heavily guarded. They hid in the shadows of a neighbouring mountain ledge about a mile away.

"How on earth are we going to get up there without being captured?" Matilda asked

"We're not" Leo said grimly.

"What do you mean?" Matilda asked.

"I'll have to be captured. It's the only way to get close."

There was a long silence. "What do you mean you'll be captured? What will I be doing?"

"Mattie I can't take you up there."

She fell to her knees with a faint cry clutching her head. Then red eyes looked up at him. "She has to go with you."

The stone was in her head again.

"Get the fuck out of her! If you hurt her, then I will personally give you over to the crushers, so that they bury you so deep, you will never see the light of day again, let alone close that damn portal."

The red eyes widened slightly "Do you think that is what she would want? For you to ensure all of mankind's destruction in her name. Her heart is pure."

"Damn you, then don't hurt her."

"I won't, if you do what I say. She must come with you."

***

The air sizzled with power. The storm was brewing. Matilda stood on the top of the small ledge. Her normally blonde hair, whipped behind her, a bright vibrant red, her glowing red eyes watching the mountain. She raised her hands and there was a crackle of red lightning. The sky darkened. There was the distant rumble of thunder. Then the rain started.

Leo watched as the storm created havoc on the guards surrounding the mountain. He saw now that there were multiple small hurricanes that kept attacking the crushers surrounding the mountain.

He looked back at Matilda, his hands tightening into fists.

He didn't know how to protect her, didn't know how to stop the stone from using her. His only choice seemed to be to do what the stone wanted.

He pulled the crusher armour on that they had stolen from a stray guard he had killed earlier. He pulled the dark cloak around him. It would not fool anyone looking closely, but with all the chaos going on down there, it gave them a chance.

He gathered another helmet for Matilda, that would be ridiculously big on her, but would be better than nothing.

Matilda turned towards him, red eyes glowing. The stone had done its work. It was time to go.

***

They made their way up the mountain together, the violent havoc that was ripping the crusher guards apart didn't touch them. It was like the storm made a clear path for them. Leo made sure that he kept Matilda close to him. He watched as crushers were literally lifted off their feet and slammed into the mountain, or each other. He almost felt sorry for them.

The crushers were too busy trying to defend themselves to notice two small figures make their way up the windy mountain pass. Any that did, were soon dealt with by the storm.

Eventually they reached the top. Leo saw the red hoop of fire that was the portal suspended off the ground. Around it stood four very large crushers. Leo turned to the red eyes glowing out of Matilda's face "Now what?"

"Now you save the world."

He rolled his eyes and pushed her back, behind him. As the first crusher came towards him, Leo used the palm of his hand in an upward move into its face, bringing it down with blood spurting from its broken nose. A second later he delivered a round house kick into another's head making it snap back. The remaining two circled him carefully then, trying to draw him away from the portal.

Matilda stood a little way back, red glowing eyes staring at the unfolding scene. Her face fixed and expressionless.

Leo blocked a blow as he kneed the next crusher in the groin. Twisting and taking the crushers own sword from him. He pushed the sword into the crusher's stomach. He felt a blow to the back of his head, pain laced through him, he staggered slightly.

He turned to see the final crusher. He was massive, over seven feet tall. Leo could feel blood running down his face. He could barely see. His head lolled. His body felt so heavy suddenly. He had to get the stone through the portal. If only it didn't seem so far away. If only this bloody crusher wasn't so huge.

He looked over at Matilda and felt a desperate kind of strength. He couldn't leave her to this, in the middle of the crushers, all alone. He held the stone in his hand and he tried to dodge around the crusher, but he was caught around the neck in a steel grip. The sword falling uselessly from his hand. The crusher's large hand pried the stone from him. He began to see black as the crusher's grip tightened around his neck. He clutched at his neck, his eyes turning to Matilda.

"No.." he gasped.

Matilda's previously expressionless face now showed signs of distress. It looked like she was having an internal struggle. Her eyes flickered green for an instant, and then her red hair shimmered back to her normal honey blonde. Finally her eyes turned back to green and she let out a cry of pain and anger. "PUT HIM DOWN!"

The crusher stared at the small woman blankly for a second. Then she launched herself at him. She hit the crusher square in the chest causing him to release Leo, more out of surprise than the actual weight of her.

She clawed at him, as he staggered back. She felt a terrible fury that he would dare hurt Leo. That she had been held immobile by the stone till it was almost too late. Then as the crusher tripped and began to fall back, she felt Leo's strong hands haul her back as the crusher finally lost its balance and fell through the red hoop of the portal, his hand still clutching the stone.

There was a flash of bright ruby red. Then a rushing sensation all around them. The portal shimmered and then seemed to suck in on itself.

Leo lay on the hard ground clutching on for dear life to the small ball of fury from a moment ago. He held her tightly, breathing hard.

The stone was gone. The portal closed. It was over. Matilda was safe.

He turned to face her "bloody hell woman!" He grinned.

Together they made their way down the mountain to go back home.

EPILOGUE --SOME YEARS LATER

The days were warm, but the grass and flowers were still lush. Matilda sat out on the porch swing. She rocked slightly back and forth, using her feet to push her, a soft smile on her face. She held in her arms their small three year old daughter Lara, sleepy from a long day. Leo watched them for a moment. Their honey blonde hair blending as it mixed together.

There was so much goodness here, Leo thought. His eight year old son Kai was out playing in the fields with his friends. His wife and daughter looking so peaceful. It brimmed over with goodness. This was home he thought.