The grim faces of King Roender and his son, Tanlir soon appeared in the cave opening. Flanked by his guards, the King stepped close enough to the enemy squadron leader for them to speak over the roar of the falls.
"Release your prisoners! You can't leave here unless I let you." He warned coldly.
"No! You may block my escape but I have your son's consort!" The squad leader said pointedly.
Tanlir's fists were clenched tightly. Through their bond, he could feel how badly Ulysses was feeling. The pain in his chest was a constant intense agony that wouldn't let him take a decent breath. Tanlir desperately tried to send comfort and strength to his seriously ill mate through their bond..
The King could almost feel his son's barely restrained need to reach his mate. Though his face didn't show it, he was shocked by Feral's nearly blue color under his dark fur despite the dimness of the harsh light from the enemy's torches. He didn't need medical knowledge to know his son-in-law was in danger of dying.
He switched his gaze to the squad leader holding the gun to Ulysses' head. "If you try to take him anywhere, he will die. Can't you see how ill he is? Pregnancy is dangerous for a male and he is in constant risk of dying during the first three months. If you have no physicians that know how to treat him, he will die. I doubt Tormech would be happy with you if that should happen." He said, trying to reason with the squad leader.
The squad leader's face remained stony and his grip on his weapon firm but in his mind he was seething at his untenable position. The King was right! Damn his eyes! He could clearly see that the consort was in a bad way and he also knew they did not have anyone capable of caring for the dark tom. He had only one option left to appease his Leader.
"I agree that taking the consort would be a mistake but your son will do just as well. Allow us through and he will not be harmed. I swear on my honor." The squad leader said solemnly.
The King's jaw tightened. He knew the squad leader would rather die then foreswear a promise but that didn't make letting his son, Cymric, be taken, any easier. However, he had no choice. The longer they argued, the closer to death Ulysses would get.
"Very well! I hold you to your word!" He said bitterly. "Allow them to leave. Send a signal to Lt. Jenor to allow them through on my command." He ordered.
Unhappy about the order, the King's guard did as commanded but couldn't help glaring at the squad leader and his troops as they passed by them.
As soon as the enemy with their prisoner had made it down the rock wall to the ground below, the King's guard quickly prepared to transport the consort out of the cave.
Summoning the Huey he and Tanlir had arrived on, the King had them drop a basket to the ledge outside the cave. It was a very tricky maneuver for the chopper due to the heavy mists and lack of visibility. The pilot had to rely on the flight crew on the ground with the King to get close enough to get the basket to them.
The four flight crew members quickly grabbed the basket and pulled it inside. One of the crew remained near the door to stay in contact with the pilot.
With one packet of blood platelets on board, Feral was looking only marginally better. Dr. Taglion was very worried about moving the ill tom but there really wasn't a choice...Feral needed to reach a hospital asap.
Several guards including the King, Torr and Tanlir helped raise Feral up then lowered him into the basket. He was carried out to the ledge where the flight crew took over. The basket was covered with plastic so that Feral wouldn't get any wetter than he was already. One of the crew clung to the basket while the others held the ropes to steady the basket as it was raised.
It took an agonizing ten minutes to carefully get the basket up past the falls and into the chopper. Once Feral was stowed safely aboard, a crew Kat went down in a seat sling to carry up Dr. Taglion, Prince Tanlir, then the King.
As soon as the crew member swung up into the cabin and closed the door, the pilot raced to the hospital. Tanlir clung to one side of the basket, gently caressing the sweating face of his mate, while Dr. Taglion monitored his patient on the other side.
Feral was angry about failing to keep the enemy at bay. He mentally cursed his condition while at the same time afraid of what the intense pain in his chest meant. He didn't need to see Dr. Taglion's worried face to know he was in trouble.
He watched helplessly as the enemy over ran their position. He tried to stay aware but the need to breathe took all his attention. He felt the sting of a needle and heard the King talking but was unable to make sense of what was said. He felt himself slipping in and out of consciousness.
He was left with only snatches of what was going on; being lifted in the air, something covering him, swinging in the air again, the distinctive sound of a chopper close around him, Tanlir's fingers on his face then it all went away as he sank into darkness.
When he regained consciousness, he found Tanlir sleeping slumped over in a chair with his head on his arms on his bed. The intense pain in his chest was gone, thankfully. He twitched his nose in discomfort at the feel of an oxygen cannula. He tried to reach up and ease it a bit but found his arm weighed down with tubes and lines leading to the machinery sitting behind the head of his bed.
He sighed mentally, 'I really hate being in a hospital!'
"My sons wear that same expression when they are stuck in here." Came a warm female voice to his left.
"Your majesty..." Feral blurted in surprise. His voice hoarse and dry.
"Please, Ulysses...it's Regina...remember?" The Queen chided him then reached for the small pitcher nearby and poured him a glass of water, added a straw and placed it near his mouth. "Here! I know you're very dry mouthed at this moment." She said gently.
Feral took a long sip which did soothe his throat. He pulled back and gave her a grateful smile.
"Thank you. How long have I been here?" He asked.
"Only about four hours. You were dangerously anemic and your heart was failing. You were very lucky." Regina said. Her mouth smiled but her eyes had a shadowed look in them.
"Somethings happened...please tell me." He pressed her.
"You needn't worry yourself. Your only job is to rest and recover." Regina said firmly, taking the sting out of the mild reprimand with a smile.
Feral shook his head mulishly. "I'm sorry Regina, but as most of the Kats that know me will tell you, I don't take no for an answer very well and will continue to insist so you might as well come clean now." He said equally firm back at her.
Regina blinked in mild surprise. Just when she was getting comfortable with her new son-in-law he would do or say something that reminded her strongly that despite being pregnant, he was a military Kat and far too sharp and intelligent to miss her attempt at hiding her upset state.
Sighing mentally, she studied him for a moment longer then made a decision.
"Very well, I'll tell you but you will not be running off to do something about it. You're in this bed for the next twelve hours according to the doctor. When you were critically ill, Roender attempted to rescue you all. Unfortunately, the minion of that fool Tormech was holding a gun at your head. However, he saw reason when the King told him you were too fragile to be whisked off without proper medical help so instead he insisted on taking Cymric as his prisoner and poor Roender had to agree. So Cymric is a prisoner of Tormech." Regina said unhappily.
"No!" Feral said in anguished shock. "If it weren't for me, he'd be here." He growled angrily.
"You will not go there, Ulysses!" Regina said sharply. "It was not your fault that any of this happened. Tormech was determined to cause trouble and you and Cymric were the unfortunate targets. From what I've been told, you and Cymric acquitted yourselves very well but were overwhelmed by sheer numbers."
Feral grunted unhappily. "I hate being helpless!" He muttered.
Regina reached out and gently caressed his cheek. "I know. You are a worthy warrior, Ulysses but right now you are a mother to be and must guard your precious cargo rather than fight battles. It's a hard thing to allow others to defend you when you are used to leading the way during a fight. I think you are very brave to be attempting something no male is meant to do. Rest...concentrate on keeping your kitten and yourself alive...that's your only job right now. Roender will get our Cymric back, never fear." Regina said reassuringly.
"I guess I have to since I obviously don't have a choice. I just hope Cymric is returned soon." Feral said in resignation.
"So do I." Regina sighed worriedly.
Over the mountains in the Republic of Lionar...
Prince Cymric kept a grim demeanor as he was marched away from Dreamer Falls. They walked through the jungle-like forest until they reach a small barren area where three military helicopters waited. The squadron leader divided up his now sadly reduced force among the choppers and they were soon in the air and winging their way back home.
He stared at the floor, refusing to look at his captors.
The squadron leader was nervous and angry. There would be hell to pay when he arrived back at Headquarters without the consort. He spent the flight getting his story straight.
Thirty minutes later, the choppers were descending into a large walled courtyard. When the blades had ceased to move, they deplaned. The squadron leader dismissed his troops except for two who guarded the Prince as they marched toward the main building.
This was a huge, forbidding edifice of grey stone. It was some five stories high and resembled a strange combination of castle and modern office building. He was taken through a heavy door, down a long hallway to an elevator. They went up to the top floor, stepped out and went down another long corridor then turned to a shorter hall which ended at a rather ornate set of huge doors. A pair of soldiers stood on either side and eyed the approaching group warily.
The squadron leader stepped forward, identified himself, then asked to see Leader Tormech. One of the guards nodded and turned to an intercom and spoke into it for a moment. Receiving an okay from within, the guard reached for the door and opened it.
As they stepped into the room, Prince Cymric studied the interior. The room resembled a throne room. There were sand colored marble tiles on the floor and heavy gold drapes on the walls as well as banners. A huge flag covered one wall and a portrait of Leader Tormic was to one side of it. The room was empty.
Moments later from a door to one side of the throne, a powerful lion-cross strode into the room followed by several of his officers and administrators.
Leader Tormech stopped a few feet from his squadron leader and stared forbiddingly at the prisoner.
"Prince Cymric! I did not expect to see you here." He rumbled in displeasure, turning a gimlet eye on his squadron leader.
The Kat squirmed uncomfortably but quickly explained what had occurred in the cave.
The Leader stood silent for a moment then roared, shaking the room. Everyone but the Prince shrank back a step in fear.
"A simple task I give you and still you manage to botch it." He snarled angrily. His massive paw swung out without warning and struck his subordinate a powerful blow that sent the tom flying across the floor.
Tormech stalked toward his helpless minion who was staring fearfully up at his leader and rubbing his jaw in pain. He hadn't attempted to get up from his inelegant sprawl on the floor.
Tormech began to reach down for the tom when a shout behind him caused him to halt in mid-motion. He raised up and turned to eye the Prince in angry surprise.
"How dare you interfere?" He rumbled deep in his chest.
"Your officer acted in the only manner he could under the circumstances. Though I have no love for him or any of you, I will not stand by and watch someone unjustly punished. Though I wasn't able to summon aid, the pain the consort was in would have been felt by Tanlir and he would have known his mate was in trouble because they are lifemated. That is why my father, the King, happened to be there so quickly." Cymric said firmly, his eyes flashing in anger at the Leader's cruelty to his own soldiers.
Tormech reared back in amazement and rumbled, "Lifemated? That is a rare thing."
"Yes it is, as is a male hermaphrodite getting pregnant." Cymric said flatly.
"Hmm, yes that is certainly true." Tormech said musingly. He turned away from his fallen officer to move back to stand before Cymric. "So, now what do I do with you, eh?" He asked, not really expecting an answer.
Prince Cymric eyed him balefully, not answering.
"Take him to a guest room and guard him. We don't want him harmed in any way." Tormech ordered then turned away and went back to his strategy room to decided what to do about this new development.