The Decision

Kyra groaned weakly, her body felt stiff and numb, her eyes like weights pulled down comfortably but not ready to open. There were whispered voices around her then a gentle touch and the warm breath of some one very close. The person's hot breath was tickling her ear as the familiar voice of their leader whispered, "Can you hear me?" Kyra didn't want to open her mouth, she was comfortable, but she made the effort to move her head. It was quite difficult, like waking up much to early from very little sleep. Her body didn't want to move. When she was finally able to twitch her fingers, Kyra's other senses seemed to leap to life also. The smell of the canvas tent she lay in hit her first, other smells of herbs and medicine flew gently toward her and she could even smell the faintest bit of blood. Sunlight streamed through her closed lids for a fleeting moment before it was gone. Someone else was now standing beside her.
"What happened?" The man whispered, Kyra recognized his voice as the leaders son, next in line to inherit after his father. He was a good man, strong, tall, and handsome as Kyra remembered, she thought she might open her eyes to look at him, but suddenly she was filled with a longing to confirm what had happened to her. Though she could ask, would they tell her the truth? Kyra knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but it was about her and she had to know. KioNish sighed and sat on one of the nearby cots.
"It's not safe for her any more. They know, they always knew." The leader spoke gently, his son Ataris, came to sit beside them.
"We can't send her back." Ataris' voice was frightened, uneasy.
"Yes," KioNish sounded thoughtful, Kyra's heart thumped loudly and she fought to make her breathing seem slow as if she were still sleeping, "I endanger the whole village by sending her back, and it is obvious that she can't stay here safe any more, she's getting ideas. I would let the spies do what they want, but it will be difficult for them to kill her." KioNish paused, fear was building in Kyra now like a terrible sickness. "Yes," KioNish said slowly, as if deciding "We will have to do the deed ourselves." Kyra's heart seemed to leap out of her at that moment, she couldn't take it any more. A scream was building in her voice, a cry in her heart. Her own people, they were going to kill her.