LW Browning - Krystile Warriors 01 - Warlord's Honor by LW Browning Page B

to read the emotions and even some thoughts.
    Whatever Koda presented to them was appealing. The warriors of Kurt's tribe were hopeful and satisfied with their plans. They felt a fierce allegiance to Koda. So many strong males thought so highly of him that her opinion of Koda grew. They saw him as someone they trusted with the future of their race, he was fair, honest and tough. He and his warlords and warriors protected their people from raiders and foreigners who came to steal and harm them.
    The warriors' thoughts changed. They were all thinking of food when they stood to take a break.
    She closed her eyes and bowed her head. It was difficult to withdraw from so many minds. She felt Osiria's concern and realized she was shivering. She opened her eyes. 
    "We should go and serve our males," Osiria said.
    Claire experienced the sense of disorientation and missing time that always occurred when she was open and reading a large group of people. The warriors and warlords were up walking around, getting food and visiting with each other. She followed Osiria back toward the group.
    Still trying to disengage from so many minds, she moved in a daze. Lethal thoughts brushed her mind. Apprehensive, she searched for the source of emotions she had just received. She turned to scan the trees, searching. They were close and getting closer.
    A sharp pain stabbed through her. She doubled over in agony as she crossed her arms over her midsection. Struggling to breathe, she staggered, whimpering, trying to get enough air to scream. She projected her pain and terror to those around her. The warriors were instantly alert. Something was wrong. Claire ran toward Koda. She pushed people out of her way in her desperate search for him. Why were they all so big? Where was he? She stopped and screamed again as a sharp blade drew across her throat. Pulling her hands away she saw there was no blood. Finally, she drew in a deep breath and screamed. The warriors were alerted now, even though they saw no danger.
    The crowd parted as Koda waded through them to get to Claire. She whimpered and let out another small scream that sounded as if she was dying.
    Just as she saw Koda coming through the crowd toward her, she gasped and doubled over. The pain was visceral. Death was closing in fast. She dropped to her knees.
    Then Koda had her, held her steady.
    "They are killing us."
    "Raiders!" Koda shouted. 
    The warriors, already looking for the cause of alarm, had formed up to fight off the attack that they were sure was upon them.
    "Where?" Koda's voice came through the pain.
    "Behind me, many."
    Violent emotions overwhelmed her. Claire felt someone else die. She used all of her energy to withdraw from the minds of the dying before they pulled her too close to the death that was claiming them.
    "Behind me," Claire repeated.
    Koda nodded to her. "Stay." As he turned, she doubled over in pain, barely aware that Osiria was beside her.
    ***
    A cloud of arrows flew toward them. They sounded surreal in the air.
    Koda gave a signal, Claire received a thought... 'counterattack'. The warriors spread out as some of them blended into the woods to seek out their attackers while another group gathered the females together in the center and surrounded them with their own bodies.
    She watched as Koda's whip hissed through the air. It never stopped, but continued moving like a living thing that snaked out striking at the arrows and pulling many of them out of the air.
    An arrow came from nowhere, moving fast toward Lodi's chest. Koda was faster. His whip snapped the missile from the air. A second and third arrow flew toward them. Again, Koda's whip plucked the deadly menace from the air and rendered them harmless. The whip flew on either side of him, too fast for the eye to follow. She had never seen anything like it. It was as if the whip had a life of its own, it snaked out again and again as it sang through the air deflecting the deadly arrows of the enemy.
    Part of her