Suddenly they heard the pounding of hooves, as a horse came rushing up holding the small and lithe figure of a girl in black. She was draped over the horse, and was in danger of falling off.
"O my! That's Cynthia!! What happened! Fee all toll tea schnie! Schnie!" Patti screamed. At the instant she uttered those magic words, the horse stopped and the aforesaid Cynthia was held in the air by magic force. Shamal rushed to his comrade's side and lifted her from the invisible arm the held her up. She moaned slightly.
**Help! Help! Someone! We have an injured person here! Queen Cynthia is here! And she's hurt! Help! We are in the western garden! Help!** Patti called out telepathically. All around she heard the lads and lasses talking into their comlinks:
"We are in need or medical care in the western garden. Queen Cynthia is here and appears to be hurt. We are in need or medical care in the western garden. Queen Cynthia is here and appears to be hurt. We are in need or medical care in the . . . . . . . ."
Shamal laid down his friend in the cold snow. She was wearing a light silk dress that came down to her ankles. She came from down south, way down south. He gasped. There, across her cheek, was a deep scarlet slap that left the chocolate skin around it a sharp contrast. It was hit so hard across her face that when he touched her cheek, the chocolate was ice cold and the strawberry was burning hot!
"Cynthia, darling, can you hear me?" Patti anxiously called. She got no reply. "O my goodness! What in the world happened to her?"
**Cynthia, dear, look at me! What happened?** Patti telepathically asked Cynthia. **Cynthia. I can feel you have enough strength for short-rang telepathic! Please, try. Even one word.**
**Bu . . . . . bu,** came a weak reply from Cynthia.
"Bubu? Huh?!" Shamal said.
**Bubu?** Patti tried.
**Bl . . . ew** Cynthia tried.
"Blue!!!!!! Blue Blood! Seakings! I bet they were after Karen through her!" Patti exclaimed.
"Patti . . . . They . . . They were after you," Shamal said.
"What do you mean?" Patti asked quietly, bending over Cynthia. **Blue Blood. Seakings. Am I right Cynthia?**
**Yes,** was the strong reply.
"I mean, Pats, that they sent a sniper to your palace. We caught him, but . . . I think they are trying to scare you," Shamal looked at Patti, and he knew that she knew why the Seakings wanted him.
"Cynthia! We're here! O my goodness! Where is she?!" Karen charged through the path followed by medic.
"Here, over here!" Shamal and Patti called, jumping up. Cynthia was whisked away, with a worried Karen at her side. Patti and Shamal were behind, with their faces masking the worries and knowledge they had, to save what they thought was the younger one, the one who would deal with it the hardest. Karen stopped suddenly.
"Karen?" Shamal said. Karen made no reply, but her hand went to her stunner, and switched it to its highest setting.
**Karen?** Patti said. Then all she saw was a blur as Karen drew her stunner and shot into the dense forest. Shooting four times, she rushed forward with several lads and lasses with their stunners on. They found a dead man with blue blood dripping out of three holes in the area of his heart. He had also one blue cover hand. She had shot blindly, without sight. She had used no magic. She shrugged off the inquiries. No one knew how she knew he was there, how she knew where to shoot, or how her shots were so accurate.
