A/N: Sorry for the delay but I think you're all going to like this chapter - well hopefully! Tiny tiny wincy bit of gore - but I mean only if you're squeamish to the extreme lol. But, you guessed it, most of this chapter is sheer DRAMA! Purely for the sake of amusing me :P And you too hopefully! Enjoy:D
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Rounding the corner of the darkened path, Beatrix noticed the opening in the trees and gave a tearful smile as she looked up to see the black clouds over head, rather than the haunting branches of the trees. The opening was a bridge and she could see the silver glint of water running haphazardly beneath it even from a distance.A flash of lightning illuminated the bridge just as she burst of out of the gloom of the trees. A lone figure appeared on the bridge in the unnatural daylight; the three-cornered hat and black cape a frightening reminder of those night-time tales told to small children, about men with guns and knives who lurked in the forests. Behind him on the other side of the bridge Beatrix could see similarly dressed figures with black handkerchiefs covering their faces and the menacing gleam of outstretched pistols.
Eyes wide with fear, cloak hood forgotten, Beatrix wheeled about on her saddle to see more phantom gunmen behind her amongst the trees. Her dark curls flew about in the rain as she jerked her head back round to face the figure on the bridge and yanked hard on the reins. The uneven surface of the stone had been made slippery from the rain and the horse skittered wildly across the wet cobbles towards the figure; its hind legs low to the ground as it attempted to slow from its full gallop.
Jerking on the reins again, Beatrix wheeled the horse around as it slid across the stone. It regained its footing and dithered nervously; facing across the bridge causing Beatrix to have to turn to her left to look at the outline of a man in the darkness. Breathing heavily she watched out of the corner of her eye at the figures in the woods to her right and those behind the original lone man on the bridge. They were slowly moving inwards, but the leader had yet to move.
"Miss Clarke, I presume." He called out over the rain, addressing her with a low bow and scheming grin.
"How do you know of me?" Beatrix called back, narrowing her eyes after her initial surprise.
The figure chuckled low to no-one in particular as more thunder rolled over head with a blaze of lightning, and raised his head into the silver luminance.
"Why, it is you who we are waiting for, my dear."
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Tristan pelted along the trail; water dripping from the end of his nose, hair plastered soaked to his head, breath appearing in fierce plumes as he rode. He was not far now, soon there would be a bridge and then the road leading directly back to Westminster, he thought to himself, glancing to his right to see the river rushing alongside the road after a few rows of trees.
Stooping lower in his saddle, Tristan flicked on the reins to drive the horse faster still; its hooves barely even touching the dirt beneath as it flew along the ground. The trees flashed past him in the darkness and he tilted his head back to the right to see the bridge loom up further along the river; but the outline of figures and a horse and rider could be seen as more lightning blasted across the onyx sky.A frown gouged itself deep into the scout's brow as he kept his eyes on the bridge; flashes of trees interrupting his view as he galloped along the path. There was definitely something happening up there and he could pick out figures on both sides of the bridge from the darkness. A surge of fury ravaged his thoughts as he drew nearer, lightning flashing and thunder crashing, and saw the woman he loved sat astride the horse; soaked to the bone but as beautiful as ever – even in the face of danger.
Rounding a corner in the path away from the bridge, Tristan felt his hand reach instinctively for his pistol and click the safety latch. Blood would be spilled this night, that he knew, and he raised his head to the skies and let the water calm his boiling fury as the path curled back towards the river, and then onto a straight strip of path leading towards the bridge. Jaw clenched, Tristan watched clearly as Beatrix's horse reared, whinnying; its front legs pounding the air, before he growled loudly in his throat and reached for his gun.
Clutching desperately to the horse's mane, Beatrix gasped frantically as she felt herself slipping down the saddle. The horse's whinny of fear seemed to stretch on for an eternity, before hooves stomped back down onto solid stone and Beatrix let out a cry of pain as her knees jarred from the impact.
"Don't fight us Miss Clarke! Your injuries will only make this all the easier for us, and all the more painful for you!" Called Thomas out over the pounding rain.
Drawing in harsh breaths that burned her lungs, Beatrix could feel her horse edging backwards towards the balustrade edging one side of the bridge. She wearily fingered the reins and tried to stop its incessant dancing whilst the creature threw its head about in terror at the approaching figures.
"What do you want from me!" She shouted desperately, her composure finally starting to crack as she felt her patience and emotion give way.
The figures drew in closer from her right and she snarled fiercely at them with more conviction than she felt; thinking that all cornered animals give as much as they get in an act to escape.
"Why, we want you." Smirked Thomas, drawing his arms wide open as he walked nonchalantly towards her. "Having you within our possession could solve all of our problems, Miss Clarke."
Too many thoughts were racing through her head at that moment to comprehend that she was about to be kidnapped, but a sharp bang from her left demanded her attention.
Exploding out of the gloom in a fierce display of rage, Tristan powered through the men in front of him; sending them sprawling to the ground. The others on that side of the bridge began shooting at the horse and rider causing the horse to rear upwards. Its front legs pawed the air in angry protest as Tristan began firing his pistol at anyone he could aim at, before the horse came crashing back down to earth; its powerful hooves knocking one or two unlucky men to the ground and crushing their bones with its sheer strength.
Tristan's face was a picture of brutal determination and power even through the heavy rain. His teeth were bared like an animal and his eyes were as black as the skies above them as he wheeled around on his horse, reloading hastily and bringing the handle of his gun down to strike someone in the face with a sickening crunch. Turning just in time to dodge an oncoming bullet, he pulled the trigger on the pistol and snarled in satisfaction as it found its target; blood splattering outwards into the rain as it burst through his throat, skin and muscle tearing beneath the small lead ball's power.
Thomas growled loudly in frustration as he watched his men being gunned down by this lone gunman, and he span back round towards Beatrix with his cloak fluttering out behind him. She snapped her eyes back to the highwayman and held tighter to the reins at the look of sheer malice written across his face through the rain. He started to walk towards her again, slowly quickening his pace until his boots were splashing against the wet stone as he ran towards his awaiting victim. He even ignored her surprised gasp as the rest of Arthur and his men burst onto the bridge, and instead started to run faster towards her. He had come this far, his prize would not be taken from him now!
The ripple of tense muscles beneath her thighs alerted Beatrix to the fact that her horse was dancing backwards across the bridge again; back towards the balustrade. Tossing her head towards the right she watched as the figures began running towards her and the new enemies on the other side of the bridge. Knowing there was no escape that way, she turned her head back to look towards Tristan and the others. They were all deep in fierce battle with guns blasting in plumes of grey smoke, and none were able to help her. Her horse backed closer towards the low wall behind them as the highwaymen approached from all sides, and she could feel the tension building within its muscles beneath her as she watched helplessly.
Kicking out with her left foot she caught Thomas off-guard as he reached her, and he stumbled backwards with a pained groan in surprise before he launched himself forwards again and grabbed onto the bottom of her soaked dress.
"Get off of me!" Beatrix shrieked, kicking out viciously with her leg whilst still trying to keep her position on the horse.
"I'm not going anywhere, my lovely." Snarled Thomas, his revolting sneer leering up at Beatrix through the rain.
Struggling desperately against his strong hold on her, Beatrix began beating any part of him she could reach with her fists and scratching his face and hands. Thomas was far too determined to let go of her; even under such assault, and with a growl attempted to lift himself up using the stirrup to yank Beatrix from the saddle. The horse panicked beneath the new weight and with a fearful whinny it reared up upon its hind legs; tossing Thomas off sideways onto the ground and unseating Beatrix.
Hands scrabbling desperately for the reins, Beatrix screamed as she felt herself falling backwards; over the side of the balustrade and towards the gushing river below.
Everyone turned as they heard the ear-splitting scream just in time to watch Beatrix be tossed backwards over the side of the bridge.
"BEATRIX!" Roared Tristan, flinging himself from his horse without a second thought.
He hit the ground running, throwing punches left, right and centre as highwaymen ran towards him, but never breaking step. He barrelled into the wall just in time to see the eruption of water as Beatrix's body disappeared into its murky depths.
A deafening roar filled Beatrix's ears as she plunged into the water. The water quickly rushed back in to fill the void her entrance had created and she flailed uselessly in the rushing depths. Violet eyes wide as saucers, and mouth opening and closing in shocked panic, she found she could not draw breath. Any air that she had in her lungs had been sucked from her like a knife to the chest, and she could only feel the burning sensation of icy water as it poured down her throat. Arms thrashing urgently, Beatrix managed to roll herself over in the unyielding current, but her hair was smothered over her face so she never had the chance to even see the large boulder as she ploughed straight into it. A blinding pain ripped through her shoulder as it collided with the jagged edge of the large rock, and with a last muffled cry of agony, everything slowly went black.
Wrenching himself back to reality, Tristan turned on the spot, his dark eyes seeking out the man he had been watching at the inns and who was leading this attempted kidnapping. He found the highwayman picking himself up off the unforgiving stone of the bridge from whence the horse had thrown him. Trusting him not to move too far, Tristan ran back to his horse; nodding to Dagonet on the way who spurred his horse back down the forest path away from the bridge, and reached inside one of his packs hung from the saddle. His hands touched upon cold metal and he carefully removed the sword scabbard as gunfire added to the cacophony of noise and the rain created a river of blood across the bridge. Once he was satisfied after checking his sword, Tristan sheathed it in his belt and began striding back over the bridge. He did not bother to wipe the soaked hair from his eyes as Thomas brushed himself off and found Tristan stood not far from him; a challenge poised in the air.
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Dagonet galloped as fast as he could down the riverbank. His eyes scanned the gushing flow of water for any sign of Beatrix, but he had seen nothing since watching her fall from the bridge. He gritted his teeth as he goaded his horse faster still; the noise of the battle upon the bridge fading behind him to be replaced by the thundering of his hooves and the sounds of the storm and river beside him.
He cursed as another roll of thunder reverberated around him; the storm had been going on for hours and still showed little sign of abating which made his search so much more difficult. Squinting in the rain he could make out a large boulder up ahead, but not much else. Another blaze of lightning illuminated the whole forest and Dagonet clenched his jaw and slowed his horse as he looked upon the rock. There was a large patch of blood visible just above the surface of the water.
"May the gods look upon you kindly Beatrix." Whispered Dagonet aloud as he spurred his horse onwards again.
Now it was just a matter of following the dark trail of blood in the water.
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A/N: Mwaahahahaa! I am sorry for leaving you for so long - and for leaving this on such a cliffhanger! I didn't want to make the chapter too long though, as I doubted the action would be able to keep the momentum all the way through - sorry! -puppy dog eyes at angry readers- Was fun to write though -grins-
Any comments, questions? Likes, dislikes? I hoped to make it quite dramatic and for it to really go out with a bang, so any comments etc on how you think the grand finale is going so far would be great! Thanks for all your lovely reviews and support!
Thanks for reading:D
Rach xxx