Page 9 of Wraithwound

Chapter

Nine

The shouts that replaced the crude banter in the camp intermingled with the panicked whinnies of horses tethered nearby. Embers from the campfire exploded into the air, along with steaming hot liquid, as the beast ran straight through the fire at one of the men. Lena considered her options; it was likely she’d already been spotted, and going around the camp might lead her into another patrol’s camp. After a moment’s hesitation, Lena burst from her spot by the tree into the chaos of the camp.

As she sprinted through the campsite, she heard the sickening crunch of bones and squelching flesh, directly followed by a pained scream that was cut short. She made it three quarters of the way when a rusted cage crashed in front of her, blocking her path. Lena threw her body sideways to dispel her momentum and landed roughly on the damp earth. She groaned and rolled onto her back, squeezing her eyes shut to manage the pain. Not even that last shot of adrenaline was successful at keeping the exhaustion and fatigue at bay. The events of the last few days had taken their toll, since prior to that she’d spent the last several months in bed and apathetic to life around her. Lena barely managed to get up and begin limping towards the trees, secure in the knowledge that the beast was still wreaking havoc in the camp. But then a cold, commanding voice rose above the chaos.

“Manning, Trevor, flank the beast! Now, GO!” A voice commanded before adding, “Vince? VINCE?”

“He’s dead!” yelled another voice in response.

“Kelvin! We have another visitor. Retrieve her, NOW!” the first voice ordered.

“Yes, Jarek, uh, sir.”

Lena ran faster, urging her body past the exhaustion and the pain. Pounding footsteps sounded behind her, and she turned to see a fist flying towards her face. The impact knocked her back, upending her world. Stars exploded in her vision, and a scream escaped her throat. As she was dragged back towards the camp, thick fingers threaded through her hair. The metallic tang of blood on her tongue provided some insight regarding the extent of the injuries she’d sustained although it was difficult to think through the acute throbbing in her face.

Lena was thrown against the metal cage that lay at an odd angle on the ground and felt a boot to her stomach as Kelvin bent over her and shouted something indiscernible at her. The rough scrape of rope tore at her skin as it was fastened onto her wrists and pulled against one of the bars. Lena panted, willing her vision to clear as she struggled to take in the scene around her.

Three men surrounded the creature, but then, Lena blinked and there were only two. Scanning the area, she found him quickly, or at least, what was left of him. From the looks of it, he’d been slammed against a tree and now lay crumpled at the bottom of it. A smattering of bright red blood marked the place the body had hit before it fell to the forest floor.

Lena watched on as the men attempted to take down the beast, panic filling her veins. She tested the strength of her bindings, shaking and twisting her wrists frantically as she tried to loosen the ropes. Despair’s icy grip clamped down on her as she realized she might not be leaving this camp. Worse yet, if that came to pass, Henry’s soul would be lost.

Groaning from inside the cage caught her attention, and she turned to see two women inside. She stared at the small girl lying in the cage next to the short-haired woman. Lena twisted her bound hands carefully around the bar and touched the young girl’s arm. She didn’t stir, but the woman next to her did.

Lena was amazed that the woman was still alive, especially with how violently the cage crashed after being launched from the platform. But she didn’t have a chance to think about it as another deafening roar split the air. She had no idea where the men were, and she didn’t care. In a strange turn of fate, she found herself rooting for the crazed animal, feeling more terrified of the men than she did of it.

Lena looked back at the cage to see the woman was reaching for something inside her boot. When she drew her hand back out, she was holding a finger-sized crystal. Lena’s eyes grew wide as she realized what she was looking at. The woman snapped the top off the delicate hollow rock and sent the contents down her throat. Lena heard the distinct wet rasp in the woman’s breathing ease and then disappear.

A loud chittering sounded from above, and Lena tore her gaze away from the woman to scan the trees while tugging at her restraints with increased fervor. The woman in the cage had gotten up to check on the girl. Lena realized she must have been passed out in the cage next to the woman the entire time. But the girl didn’t move. Face unreadable, the woman turned and started evaluating the integrity of the bars. The cage was badly damaged, and some of the bars on the back had separated from the frame.

The woman’s hands were also bound, but she managed to grip the bar and push, leaving bloody smears on the half-rusted metal. When that didn’t work, she wiped her hands off on her clothes and braced her hands on the top. She kicked at the weak spot in the back until one of the bars flew off with a clang. Lena turned to make sure the men hadn’t heard, but they were still fighting the enraged beast. Then, she came around and started working on loosening Lena’s bindings.

“Thank you!” Lena breathed.

The woman said nothing, intent on her task. Her short, sand-colored curls bobbed as she looked between the ropes and the status of the standoff nearby. She had a swollen lip and fresh purple bruising along one of her cheekbones that was healing before Lena’s very eyes. She couldn’t help but stare.

A garbled scream made its way over to them and sent a little spark of hope through Lena. Maybe the animal would rid them of these cruel men. If she had her pick, she’d choose the beast. Lena’s hopes were extinguished almost as quickly as they had ignited.

The beast was moving slower, each movement requiring immense effort. It lumbered towards the man in the camp, still roaring. The man lunged, side-stepping what would have likely been a fatal blow as the creature swiped at his face with its claws. He pivoted, raising his sword and sinking it deep into the beast’s open maw through the soft flesh there and into its skull. Stunned, she stared as the beast stumbled sideways and then toppled over, sending a tremor through the land and taking the man down with it.

She held her breath, hoping the man would not get up again. But he did. Bloody and swaying, the man pulled on the sword still stuck inside the animal’s skull. A sense of sadness pulsed in her heart for the once magnificent creature. Just then, Lena felt the ropes on her wrists fall away, and she turned to see the woman who had aided her flee into the trees.

Lena followed, moving achingly slow, every step a force of will. She heard the pounding of boots behind her and turned sharply, hoping to find a place to hide. Her heart drummed in her chest, and black returned to the edges of her vision as she crouched by a tangle of thick, overgrown roots. A burst of intense prickling from her chest seemed to urge her to quiet her breathing and focus on her surroundings.

Movement from the base of the tree in front of her caught her attention. She squinted trying to figure out what she was looking at and realized a pair of brown eyes were trained on her from across the way. The woman from the cage squatted behind the ferns. She hadn’t made it very far. What was she waiting for? Then, it dawned on Lena. The girl. Had the woman been trying to draw the danger away?

Lena noticed the woman’s hands were still bound and remembered she had her herb knife in her pack. It was a small tool but would be effective in cutting rope. Lena quietly reached into her pack, feeling for the small tool. Once it was secure in her palm, she flipped her hand over and offered the knife to the woman. Her eyes grew round with recognition, and she gave Lena a small nod.

Lena shut her eyes, straining to get a sense of where the man might be. When only silence greeted her, she pulled her arm back and chucked the knife over to the woman. It landed on the ground right before her with a soft thud. Both women froze. Lena waited to see if the footfalls resumed but heard nothing. Seemingly satisfied with the absence of sound, the woman reached over and snatched the small blade off the ground. She began sawing at the rope, giving Lena a big smile as she did, but the small moment of victory was interrupted by rustling and then the crunch of leaves. It was ruined completely by the sound of the man’s voice.

“Where are you, you evil bitch? I know you brought that animal into our camp to save your friend, and now my men are dead!” he raged. The forest became quieter, as if the trees themselves now listened to the hatred he spewed.

“Do you know why I joined the militia?” he continued. “It was because I realized that cowardice is the reason this darkness has spread. My entire village was decimated by two wraiths that turned from the town over. It could have been prevented. My family would still be alive, if those COWARDS had done the right thing.”

Guilt wormed its way into the pit of her stomach.

“You must be real close to turning if you can command beasts. Let me help you. It’s obvious you’re too afraid to take your own life. Let me end it before it’s too late. I’ll let your friend go.”