Zan, Birth of a Legend (first chapter)

Chapter 6

When Arianna managed to open her eyes, her vision wavered so greatly that she didn't grasp where she was. Finally, she realized she was staring at the canvas wall of her tent. Slowly, she turned over and saw the flap of her tent was open. She heard the murmuring of deep voices from beyond, although she couldn't make out anything being said.

She filtered through the dreams and nightmares recently visited upon her until the actual events came back to her, and then she was filled with dread and remorse. The men that attacked them had been there to rescue her. They hadn't understood that Sebastian meant no harm. A rush of embarrassment and shame came next, remembering her state of undress.

She struggled to sit, only managing to rise onto an elbow. She tried to recall where her robe was, and then remembered that she hadn't brought one. Mrs. Herbin had been right. It was better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. She finally managed to sit fully, but standing took even more effort and left her horribly dizzy. She quickly sat back down again, feeling nauseous and lightheaded.

"Ari," Sully exclaimed as he rushed in. "You lay back down this instant!" She couldn't stop him. He was forcing her back and then pulling up a cover around her.

"What happened to him?" she cried.

Sully sighed. "He's alive. Unconscious but alive. Did he hurt you, my love?"

She shook her head slowly. "No."

He heaved a sigh of relief and then pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Sleep. You'll feel better in a day or so, and we'll leave then."

"No, please, I don't ... I don't want—" She wanted to say more, to express herself, but the sick fatigue was too much.

Across camp, John Emerson hovered over Sebastian's prone body trying to get a pulse. It was there, but faint. "What exactly was the toxin in those darts? Do we know?"

"It was plant based," North replied.

"What plants?"

"As best I can make out, it was acokanthera and oleander. It was not supposed to have been lethal."

"Well, I'm sorry to say it may have been. Acokanthera contains ouabain, which is a cardiac glycoside."

North gave him an impatient look. "And to those of us less informed than yourself?"

"It has the same effect as Foxglove," Emerson said grimly. "It affects the contraction of heart muscles."

"Killing him was certainly not our intention, but we had to get Arianna back, didn't we?"

"Yes, of course," Emerson relented. "How is she?"

"Still unconscious."

"No," Sullivan said, as he entered the tent. "She woke. Not for long, but we spoke briefly."

"That's a relief," North said. "Perhaps he'll wake, too."

"He took more blows than she did," Emerson stated. "His pulse is much weaker than hers was."

"What did she say?" North asked.

"That he didn't harm her," Sully said.

"Thank God for that," North exclaimed. "Although, I must say, I'm not really surprised. He sensed us before we closed in, and he stepped in front of her. He tried to shield her."