Chapter 35

King Rhobart Braveheart stood still as his onyx eyes looked at Ayla with such much intensity. He was breathing so hard, and it seemed that his body was trembling.

And then he was running, eating up the distance that separated him from Ayla. His eyes never left hers; he didn't even blink, as if he was scared that she would disappear the moment he closed his eyes.

Ayla moved to a sitting position, ignoring the pain from her right shoulder as the King reached her. The dagger that was still in her left hand fell into the snow.

"Ayla! My Ayla! " he said as he kneeled in front of her. His hands shook so hard as he gently cupped her face and whipped her tears away with his thumbs. Relief was written all over his face.

Scar kept screaming as Kerra tore at his flesh.

"Mercy," Scar begged.

The King looked like some ancient god of vengeance when his eyes moved to look at Scar.

"For harming my n – " the King said to Scar but stopped to control his burning fury. "For daring touching her with your filthy hands, you will die. Kerra, kill him!"

Ayla wanted to see, but the King looked into her eyes, "Don't look."

But she wanted to see. She needed to see how that evil man finally found his end. She needed to see Nixx.

"I have to see," Ayla said in a serious tone.

The King searched her eyes for a moment. He gave her a short nod and removed his hands from her face. Ayla turned her head to look at Scar. Kerra was on top of him, and Scar was bleeding from all the wounds the snowcat inflicted upon him.

As the snowcat looked into Scar's eyes for the last, before tearing his neck apart, Ayla remembered her words – 'May you suffer terribly before you die. I hope that you will look Death into her eyes and know that you will die and you can't do anything about it.' Words have power, Nixx told her. And he had been right. Her words somehow had influenced the fate of Scar. And Ayla was glad – glad that Scar would never hurt anyone ever again.

"Kerra, stay still as I check out Ayla. You can play with her later," the King said once Scar was dead, and the snowcat obeyed. She sat on her paws and started purring.

Ayla looked back at the King; he looked at her with eyes full of emotions. When he saw the bruised on her neck, his eyes filled with pain.

"I can't believe you found me. Or that you were still looking for me," Ayla said.

His eyes, two pools of darkness, looked into her blue ones, "I would have burned the Uncharted Lands to find you. I would have entered the Darkness and fought Beliar to get you back. I would have torn my heart out of my chest for you. Losing you again – you have no idea, Ayla!" he said with a trembling voice and closed his eyes for a few moments. When he opened then again, he appeared to be more in control of his feelings.

Ayla was lost for a few seconds. No one had said something like that to her before. And a new feeling blossomed in her heart – gratefulness. She was grateful for the King and for the fact that he never abandoned his search for her.

Her shoulder kept throbbing with pain, but she forgot about it as the King pressed his forehead against hers, closed his eyes, and breathed her in. Her heart skipped a beat. His scent tickled her nose; he smelled like Nordmar – wild and untamed. And something else she could not quite put her finger on. Something very familiar – the Winter Wind. Where did she smell it before?

"I am so sorry it took so long to find you, t'xoria. Because of me, you almost – " the King said but stopped at the last word as if he could not say it.

He put his hands around her, hugged her, and Ayla yelped in pain.

"You are hurt!" the King said as he let go of her. "I should have realized it earlier!"

"It's my right shoulder. I think I broke it when I fell from Spirit. Oh, gods! Spirit!" Ayla said and bit her lower lips. "Nixx gave him to me, and I already lost him. I lose everything I receive! First Star, then your bag – " Ayla's eyes went round with fear when she realized what she said, but the King said nothing. She hoped he did not hear her.

She continued talking, "We have to find Spirit and then Nixx. Nixx and then Spirit. And then – "

"Breathe, Ayla! You are panicking! First, I am going to look at your shoulder; then, we will find Nixx and Spirit."

"Nixx is more importan. He – he might be dead because of me. For helping me. My shoulder is not that important," Ayla continued talking as the King was already taking her cloak off.

"You are the most important to me, Ayla! And then we will look for this Nixx, and I will do all I can to help him!"