Just as Gieaun was tucking the paper away, a crashing noise, louder than the one they’d heard before, sounded from the dark tree line. The five companions froze and stood staring at the spot where the commotion had come from. Scede and Pahrdh held their torches up once again.
Before they could get a chance to see what had caused the ruckus, someone shouted, “NOW!”
Several people in costume came crashing out of the shadows and ambushed them.
“What the–” Scede started to say before being choked off by a hard shove.
Within seconds, Jahrra, Gieaun, Scede, Pahrdh and Rhudedth were surrounded by six intruders. Two of them wrenched the torches from Scede’s and Pahrdh’s hands and snuffed them out.
“Hey!” Gieaun yelled as one of the attackers grabbed her arms, trying to subdue her.
A scuffle ensued when someone else threw their arms around Pahrdh, pulling him roughly and noisily to the ground while another dark figure landed a blow to the side of Scede’s head, causing him to collapse with a winded grunt. Someone massive and strong managed to seize one of Jahrra’s arms, but she reacted quickly, remembering one of Yaraa’s maneuvers, and twisted away, running head long into the sinister trees. As Jahrra disappeared into the darkness, she heard more muffled yells as one of the ambushers restrained Rhudedth.
After a few minutes of agile running between the low pine branches, Jahrra no longer heard the sounds of pursuit. She ducked quickly behind a huge tree and stood very still for a while, secretly appreciating the many years of defense lessons she’d taken with the elves of Dhonoara. She was also especially grateful that her costume was black. She listened for a moment and heard nothing, only the stifled sounds of people being gagged and tied. She’d lost her mask somewhere (perhaps it was back with the group) but right now that was the least of her worries. Who were those people? she thought. But she knew she didn’t have to ask herself that question. It was Eydeth and his thugs; she’d picked his voice out from the others immediately.
Gradually, Jahrra crept back towards the edge of the trees as quietly as she could. It was no wonder they hadn’t seen anyone. Despite the fact that the now risen moon was bright enough to bathe the fields in silvery light, the forest was well overgrown and provided many dark places to hide. As she moved closer, Jahrra strained her ears to hear the attackers talking.
“Did you catch her?” demanded an annoyed Eydeth.
He was wearing a mask, the head of a lion, but Jahrra knew his voice anywhere.
“No,” answered what looked like an exhausted eagle, “she was too fast for me.”
“Great! The whole point was to teach the Nesnan a lesson, and you let her get away!”
Jahrra looked around and saw that all of her friends had been tied up and gagged, but other than looking very angry and slightly frightened, they weren’t harmed.
“Can’t we do something to her friends to teach her a lesson?” a dark gray wolf with a gruff, muffled voice asked. Jahrra recognized it as Criyd’s. “It’ll teach them not to cross us again, won’t it?”
“I guess we could untie them and throw them into the river. Or better yet, just throw them in as they are,” Eydeth said, having the nerve to sound disappointed.
Jahrra seethed with anger. Why did Eydeth have to target them anyway? And why was he even here when he should be at some fancy party in Kiniahn Kroi? To torment us, of course, Jahrra thought irritably. She took a deep breath to calm her temper. She knew she had to do something, and something fast. She couldn’t let Eydeth and his ruffians throw her friends into the river.
Suddenly, Jahrra’s armlet flared up again. She nearly gasped as she clutched it with her other hand, and before she could figure out what was going on, a strange scene passed in front of her eyes: a scene of someone dressed in a dark costume running deeper into the woods as others followed. The vision faded and the sensation passed, leaving Jahrra slightly dazed and confused. She blinked several times and looked back towards her friends, realizing that Pahrdh was about to receive a cruel kick from someone in an ugly goblin suit.
Without giving it any further thought, Jahrra jumped out from behind the trees and shouted in the direction of the group, “Hey! Leave them alone, it’s me you want. Let’s see if you can catch me you over-stuffed, un-bathed swine!”
She had a good dozen yards on them, so she began running back through the woods without even pausing to check if they’d seen her. After a few moments, she heard voices calling out behind her.
“Don’t let her get away! Catch her! Criyd, you go to the left, Broeghen, you to the right!”
And once again, without even trying, Jahrra found herself the object of yet another one of Eydeth’s manhunts.
-Chapter Eleven-
Fright and Flight on a Sobledthe Night
Jahrra heard the crashing of underbrush and knew she’d distracted enough of Eydeth’s gang to give her friends a fighting chance. She ran for another few minutes until she came upon a small clearing in the woods. The exertion had put her slightly out of breath, but she knew she’d gained some distance on them for now. She leaned over, hands on her knees, sucking in great gulps of air while quietly blessing the strange bracelet for helping her out once again.
She decided to wait until they caught up a little before going any deeper into the dark forest. She eventually straightened up and decided to look for a place to hide until her attackers arrived. Before Jahrra could make any progress, however, someone much bigger than any of Eydeth’s friends grabbed her firmly. A strong hand closed tightly around her mouth while another arm clamped itself forcefully around her waist. Whoever this was, he or she was very strong. Before Jahrra could think of anything else, she began to panic. She kicked and tried to claw at the arms holding onto her, but to no avail. She was sure that those chasing her were still far behind, but could she have been wrong? Could Eydeth have set this trap for her?
The man, or creature, that held her was trying to drag her back into the woods away from the clearing and out of the only moonlight that was pouring down from the broken canopy above. Jahrra felt hot tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn’t tell if they were a result of fear, anger or from the strong smell of creosote, smoke and sulfur that enveloped the stranger restraining her. She could hear his raspy breathing, but he didn’t attempt to loosen his grip or tell her to stop moving. Jahrra feared the worst. I’m going to die! she thought frantically. Her captor had successfully dragged her to the other end of the clearing and was about to disappear into the trees when the group that had been chasing her burst through the undergrowth on the other end of the tiny meadow.
“She must’ve come this way! Look at the path she made as she tore through here!”
It was Eydeth. He had his mask off and was pointing a great lion’s paw towards where they had just broken through. She had never been so glad to see the horrid boy in her life. Jahrra took advantage of this one moment of opportunity. She quickly opened her mouth and bit down as hard as she could on the hand that covered it. The man bellowed in pain, and ripped his hand away.
Jahrra screamed, “HELP! HELP ME!”
She had managed to get somewhat free in the confusion, but the stranger still grasped her around the waist as she struggled with all her might, trying to run to Eydeth and his friends.
“Eydeth!! There is a strange person here, please!”
She broke free with one of her recently acquired defense moves and ran as fast as her wobbly legs would carry her. Eydeth and three of his friends stared in shock as she hobbled towards them, only to look at the stranger when he shook off his injuries and started after her. Jahrra reached the boys and glanced desperately into their eyes, but they were distracted by something just over her shoulder. When she finally saw the composition of their faces, Jahrra’s blood ran cold. Eydeth and his friends looked paler than death, something that was more than a result of the white moonlight. They had a terror in their eyes she’d never seen before in anyone.