Eli must have never laid eyes on the beings that had taken the others as well as his hand. Because the sheer evil that stepped out the shadows and revealed itself to them was just that. Hal felt the feeling in her knees briefly weaken, stumbling as she laid eyes on something not quite human, not quite beast, but as if nature had sought a way to cruelly combine the two into something that would resemble both.

The fact that it could speak at all made it more utterly horrifying than the actual features itself, but that didn't mean it was anything pleasant to behold. Tall and robed in black, its form was largely hidden from view, including most of its face. But from underneath its drooping hood was a long beak — one that matched that of the giant beast Thorn was currently fighting — and Hal could not help but notice that it was currently stained with blood. She tried to swallow her fear, but her mouth was so dry that it felt more like tampering down a dry heave of panic.

"Lower your weaponsss," the creature hissed at her, its voice slithering across her skin like thousands of insects. Despite their precarious situation, the rider struggling to maintain his own strength, gripping his thigh tightly as it bled slowly from the wound, Hal's grip on her daggers tightened. She didn't dare move, the creature's bow and arrow hanging from its side. But she didn't know how skilled an archer they were, and did not want to completely risk setting them off, especially with the rider in his condition.

As she looked at its weapon, that's when she saw it. The familiar and detailed markings etched into the arrowhead. It was a unique design, done by Ayo for all of his pieces so that he could distinguish his from the others. Meaning…

"Halen."

She blinked, pulled out of her horrid thoughts as the rider looked at her, his eyes bordering on desperate. "Murtagh —?"

"I need you to run," he said in a low voice. There was another thick layer of sweat on his skin, and his breathing was growing dangerously labored. Hal frowned with concern — had the arrow pierced the artery in his leg?

"Ssseithr oil," the creature said almost gleefully, as though it had read her mind. "A very efficient poissson."

Hal felt the blood leave her face as she ignored the creature's warning and closed the distance between her and the rider, dropping her bow and arrow as she fell to her knees, taking his face in her hands as he finally collapsed, his weight threatening to take them both down. However, she managed to hold on, gently lowering him to the ground.

"It's going to be okay," she said in a low voice, trying to think quickly. Trying to ignore how the creature eyeing them began to take slow steps forward. "This is nothing. I can…I can —"

But what could she do? Without the threat of the monster at hand, she would push the arrow through, pray it didn't slice or hit anything of importance, so that she could cut it and pull it out. She had herbs that could help speed up poison extraction…that were currently sitting in her bag. With Nani. Dammit all. She had never heard of seithr oil — would her medicines even be of any use? How long? How long did she have? Judging by the concerningly pale face of the rider, not long. How had it already entered his system so quickly? Just how much had been coated on the arrow?

She moved back to face him, trying to appear calm and blinking back tears as stress and fear threatened to overwhelm her. Lovuk she could handle. Even the Nïdhwal had been handled by Thorn while she helped the rider. But those were creatures she knew, even in legend, and had heard of. This thing taunting them, along with the beast Thorn was currently fighting, were not even whispers in her memory. She had no idea what she was up against or how to fight it, and it didn't seem like the bargaining type.

"Halen." She shook her head, trying to block out what she knew he was going to say. But the rider got her attention by trying to sit up, and when she turned to stop him, grabbed her face in both of his hands. She could see it there, in his eyes, as he gave her a kind smile. They couldn't win this. They didn't stand a chance. And he was trying to give her one since she could still leave. "It's okay."

Her heart seized. How as he so calm? Why was he so calm? "No." But her voice broke on the word, the tears running freely now.

"It's okay," he repeated, his voice even softer than before. "I will try and give you an opening. Then I need you to run for it. I need you to run harder and faster than you ever have, okay? Don't stop until you get to deep water. Do you hear me? Deep water. They can't swim —"

"I won't leave you."

"I cannot let you suffer this fate. Please, just go."

The creature had paused, watching their interaction as if bored. "There is no essscaping the Ra'zac," it hissed.

Murtagh looked at it, a dark fire in his eyes Hal had not seen before. She shivered slightly. "You don't need us both. Let her go free; take me instead."

The creature — the Ra'zac? She had no idea if this was its name or its species — halted, then let out a sickening, dry sound that was supposed to be a laugh. She found herself clinging to Murtagh, somehow more comforted with him there than without. And perhaps it was cowardly, and the logic insufficient, but it was why she couldn't bear to leave him. Run to deep water? How long would that take? How fast could they run? And if they caught up to her, which something in her gut told her they would, what then? She didn't want to die alone, not in the very woods that her been her source of refuge and joy since the hauntings of her past.

"Free? Why would I let her go free? Now, there'sss one for each of usss."

What?

Hal was violently yanked by her hair and let out a scream of pain and surprise, flailing her legs as her hands immediately tried to free her scalp from the excruciating tugging. Murtagh tried to grab her, but the Ra'zac approached him and, without hesitation, slammed its foot down on the top of his injured leg. Murtagh looked sick as he screamed, and the Ra'zac bent his head back, exposing his neck, to press a blade to it. He cut the skin, but it was enough for Hal's blood to run cold.

"No don't, please!"

The creature holding her sniffed the air, sniffed her, as the wind changed, taking long deep pulls. Hal tried to shy away from it, but to no avail.

"You," the creature said in a low voice, sounding equally horrendous as the other even though she couldn't see it. "You sssmell like our massster."

It threw her to the ground and Hal struggled to clamor away. But the thing brought its boot down on her stomach. Although it did not seem to use much force, Hal felt completely pinned to the ground, and no amount of exertion could get it off. She thrashed and kicked like a wild woman, the warning pressure in her chest meaning very little at the threat to her own life. When she raised her blade, it kicked her hand, knocking it far out of reach. Then, with no mercy, it slammed its other boot down on her hand, and the sickening crunch that sounded, the pain as the two of her fingers snapped in opposite directions, made her scream and stop fighting.

The other Ra'zac stood, leaving Murtagh alone to come towards her. It too sniffed the air, its unseen eyes trained on her. "Yesss. It is faint, but it isss there."

"What does this mean? What ssshould we do?"

The creatures were silent, thinking. Hal looked between the two of them, her heart racing madly in her throat. Finally, the one who appeared to be in charge said, "Take her below. Ssssee what ssshe knowsss. And asssk her…ssslowly."

The implication of his words couldn't be misconstrued even if Hal desperately wanted them to. She began to shake violently, unsure of what they thought she could possibly know or who their master even was.

"And what about the male?"

She couldn't see it. Was sure she never wanted to. But she could hear the gleeful smile in the creature's voice as it said, "Masster said the humansss were not to be touched. But if the humansss came to usss...and we have not had a proper meal in monthsss."

Hal completely lost her mind. She screamed, making a feeble attempt to get to Murtagh before she was yanked back by her hair, dragged to gods know where kicking and screaming. It never crossed her mind that they were literal prey, fodder to fatten up the monstrous mistake creation had made. And the thought of anyone being exposed to that. Victim to that. Not to mention they apparently had other plans in store for her.

Murtagh struggled to put up his own fight, but Hal could not look at him. Couldn't bear to watch it as the Ra'zac approached him, blade out as if to swipe it across his neck.

That's when she remembered.

Oh, she was so stupid, but maybe it wasn't too late. She reached for the dagger in her boot with her good hand, her left, stabbing the creature in what she presumed was still a knee. The thing let out a blood-curling howl as she yanked the blade loose, and it stumbled back, releasing her hair just enough that she could swipe the blade through what little bit was still in its hands, sufficiently freeing herself for the moment.

Cradling her right arm to her stomach, not daring to looking down at her twisted fingers and ignoring the pulsating pain coming from them, she let out a fearsome cry as she threw her arm back, ignoring the horrid sting of her shoulder, and tossed the blade at the Ra'zac. The creature managed to dodge it, which she had expected. But it backed away from Murtagh, which was all she needed. She needed to buy them time — to do what, she didn't know. She could just be dragging out the inevitable. But then so be it. If they were to die, let these bastards work for it.

When she was by his side once more, Murtagh said, "Halen, your hand."

"Kind of the least of our concerns right now, wouldn't you say?"

She grabbed her bow off the ground, wincing at the strain on her hand and shoulder as she nocked an arrow.

"Halen, please, listen to me. Just go. Leave me —"

"No!" Her fire had reached critical and he fell quiet as she look at him, the creatures regrouping just a few feet away. "Whatever happens, rider, I choose to stay."

She looked at him square on, let him read the determination in her eyes. She loved her village. Loved her people. But if she ran now, she couldn't return unless she knew she was no longer being hunted. The thought of unleashing these things on Denu. On Layla. No, she'd rather die. And to understand his fate, even if it was also dooming her own... No one deserved to die like that. Not alone. Fool-hearted, perhaps. But at the very least, she was keeping these things away from her village.

Something flashed in Murtagh's gaze, a resolute determination she had not seen before. His lips pulled into the first real smile she could remember seeing. "You're mad."

"I could say the same thing about you, Dragon Rider."

The bravado was false, she knew. Even as her chest tightened in fear. But Murtagh surprised her by yanking his sword up, and Hal yelped back in surprise, even though the blade was nowhere close to her. She watched, stunned, as Murtagh shakily rose to his feet, his face pale as he tightly gritted his teeth. Yet his grip on his sword was steady, his gaze ablaze with determination.

Hal grinned.

"Kill the man," the Ra'zac cried.

Hal pivoted from her crouched position and fired her arrow, and the second creature easily dodged it as it rushed them, but it did not anticipate the sudden and resounding roar that made her heart stop and leap all at once. Thorn was crashing through the trees, looking deadlier than she could have ever possibly imagined. As they all turned to look at him — Murtagh crying out in relief and joy — no one expected the spear that flew into the head of the second creature that had been moving towards Hal and Murtagh, impaling it soundly as it dropped dead. Hal froze, stunned, as a familiar cry of victory resounded in the still air. Delight and relief flooded her veins as Amon, Cado, Ayo, and Sam, sprung from the bushes and trees, weapons raised for attack. The Ra'zac hissed in distaste at the sight of an ambush and its fallen comrade, realizing it had very few options as Thorn opened his mouth, the fire building in the back of his throat. It backed away quickly as Amon ran to Hal and Murtagh's side, sprinting away with inhuman speed.

"Quick, with us!"

Amon carefully situated Murtagh on his back and Hal leapt to her feet, matching his hard strides as they took off into the woods. She glanced over her shoulder only once, happy to see that the others were following close behind, but she focused dead ahead, realizing Amon had his arms full, so it would be up to her to scout up ahead for danger and take care it.

She pushed herself to run a few feet in front, her bow and arrow ready, her hand shaking at the effort it was to hold the string with three good fingers. But she would not focus on that now. She would stay vigilant, and she would run like hell.

"We thought you all were dead," she commented breathlessly to Amon, unable to keep the grin off her face despite knowing that they weren't yet in the clear.

"We thought we were too," he grunted. He shifted Murtagh higher on his back, but the rider barely seemed to notice. Hal watched him warily, having briefly forgotten about the poison. His face was completely ashen, and she noticed, disturbed, that the wound looked like it was bubbling. "Stumbled upon those demons in our hunt," Amon continued. "Or rather, they stumbled upon us. Eli —"

"He made it back to the village," Hal finished for him, happy to be able to share some good news. "He's hurt, pretty shaken up, but he was alive, talking and everything, when I left."

Amon looked at her, his eyes wide as if he was daring to believe it. But the broad smile broke across his face and he whooped happily as they continued running, the others close behind and Thorn now flying overhead, keeping much lower so as to keep an eye on them, she was sure.

The trek back to their camp felt like journey, but she was sure it was only a few minutes. Hal's hand was burning and she wanted to make sure they could take care of Murtagh, if it wasn't too late. Everyone was tired and anxious, constantly checking over their shoulders to make sure the Ra'zac wasn't following.

They finally made it, stopping at a deep cave hidden behind a strong waterfall several meters up from the ground. Ayodele led them down a slick path, but they managed to maintain their footing. If they slipped, the fall, at least, wasn't dangerous as long as they managed to hit the water.

"How in the Heavens did you find this place?" Hal asked, looking over her shoulder at Cado.

"You wouldn't believe us if we told you," he said with a shake of his head.

"I think I've successfully extended my threshold for disbelief at the moment," she challenged with a wry smile. "Why don't you try me."

Cado just shook his head as she ducked towards the cave. "It was the most bizarre thing," he began. "It was pitch black, and we suddenly see this glowing light —"

But once she's inside, Hal shouted in surprise as Nani whined in delight to see her owner, Cado's story forgotten. All negative feeling dissipated as Hal ran towards her horse, wrapping her arms around the mare's neck, squeezing carefully.

"I know I say this all the time Hal," Cado said with a grin, "but you trained the hell out of that horse. No idea how she found us, but she did. Only reason we even thought to venture out. We were hoping to intercept you before you ran in to those bastards. But leave it to Hal to walk right into trouble."

She gave him the finger with her good hand before turning back to Nani. "So, you didn't completely abandon me, huh?" Hal said, stroking her nose with smooth strokes. "Good girl."

Hal gave Nani a loving kiss on her cheek before moving to be at Murtagh's side as Amon carefully set him down. "How are you holding up?" she asked him with a sympathetic grimace at his leg.

"I'll be able to heal my leg, including the poison," he added, noting that she was about to ask. "So, it could be worse," he grunted.

"Could be a lot better too."

"You're a right ray of sunshine," he grunted, his lips twitching as he tried not to laugh. "And if I'm the one saying it, that's saying something."

"Would it help if I held your hand and sang you a lullaby, little kitten?"

Hal shot him a teasing grin which he returned. If he was confident that he would be fine, then she was fine. And she felt bolstered by the survival of her friends and their daring escape. "Are you two done flirting?" Ayo snapped, pulling their attention away from each other. "We need to get this arrow out."

Rolling her eyes at his dramatics, Hal said, "Relax, Ayo. The man has an arrow in his thigh after all. And I've been told my bedside manner could use some work." She didn't look at him, but she could tell that Murtagh was trying again not to laugh.

"It might be better to push it all the way through," Sam suggested with a pained expression. "But either way, it's going to hurt like fire."

"We definitely have to push it through," Hal agreed, wincing sympathetically.

"Doesn't matter, I'll heal it once the head is out," Murtagh said through gritted teeth. "Just don't touch it, there could still be poison on the tip." Sweat was running down his forehead as everyone moved into their positions. Hal borrowed two rags from Cado, wetting one to dab at Murtagh's head with. The other she put between his teeth.

Without thinking, Hal took his hand in her good one. She looked him in the eyes. "If you need to cry, I'll only judge you a little."

He snorted with derision just as Ayo, in one quick thrust, pushed the arrowhead through. Murtagh screamed through the rag in his mouth, his eyes watering as his grip on Hal tightened. Even she flinched as Ayo quickly and carefully broke off the head and tail, sliding what remained of the shaft through his leg, mindful of where he placed his fingers. He moved to discard the pieces over the edge of the cave and into the water below. Murtagh shuddered, but dropped the rag from his mouth. Hal stepped back and everyone watched as Murtagh healed his leg, relief spreading across his features as his pain ebbed and the skin and muscle repaired itself.

"Well I'll be damned," Sam said with an impressed look.

But if he was impressed with Murtagh's magic, it was nothing compared to his expression when Thorn burst through the waterfall. Hal didn't even realize that the cave was large enough to accompany the giant dragon, but it was as long as he kept his wings folded. On the ground, he dropped two dead deer for everyone to eat. But the men were too mesmerized by his sudden appearance to think of food. The horses shirked back nervously, whining at the sudden intrusion.

"Not bad lady and gents," Amon commented, clapping Hal on the back as he spoke. But his hand landed squarely on her right shoulder instead, jostling her injuries. She cried out, and everyone turned sharply, Amon jumping back in surprise. "Heavens, Hal, I'm sorry."

"Don't mention it," she grimaced, trying not to cry. She hated breaking fingers. And now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the full effects of the injury were kicking in with horrendous results. The cut from her shoulder was almost more bearable by comparison, but still stung.

Murtagh rushed to her side, his eyes zeroing in on her fingers first. "Let me heal them for you."

She breathed, hesitating. "We can just bandage them together. I've broken fingers before. Besides, I think you've used enough magic already." She certainly didn't want him weak and passing out with that other creature still out there.

"I'll be fine, Thorn will help me. But let me do this. Please."

She swallowed nervously, but nodded her head, caving as the pain throbbed, getting stronger with each passing second. She winced as he gingerly took her hand in his, and they both ignored how Amon flinched towards her, paranoid in case something went wrong. But Hal wasn't concerned or even afraid. Not of the rider. Not after what she just witnessed.

He spoke the same words, and his hand glowed the same red as before. Hal stared, wincing as her fingers were reset, but the pain was subtle compared to what it could've been. The light was warm, soothing even, as her fingers straightened and proper feeling returned.

When he was done, she held up her hand, as if expecting it to look different than the one she had before. Well, she supposed now it was uninjured. Yet she still marveled at it. She slowly bent her fingers, stretched them out to make sure everything seemed in order. "Absolutely wonderful, your magic," she muttered, more to herself than anything. But she gave him an appreciative smile all the same, one that he did not return as his demeanor became more sobering.

"You should have left me," he said by way of response, his voice grim. Hal rolled her eyes at him, having expected this. "What were you thinking? You could've been killed."

"My train of thought is a little more than you can handle right now, rider. But I had my reasons for staying — only one of which had anything to do with you."

"It's one more thought than I deserve," he said in a low voice, hissing it so that only she could hear despite everyone straining to hear over the disruptive falls.

"That's not who she is, Dragon Rider," Ayo said in his standard smooth, firm voice. Ever the voice of reason in their group. He crossed his arms over his chest, surveying the rider in a swift motion, no doubt assessing him like Hal had done during her time caring for him. "She has a nasty habit of running towards the very things that are not in her best interest, if only for the sake of someone else."

"Saved your ass plenty of times, didn't I?"

"Twice, Hal. It was only twice."

"Twice is more than enough in my book," she countered cockily. "And when I get you lot home," she added, "I'm going to make sure you each find a way to make up all of my valiant efforts and sacrifices."

Ayo's expression was grave, however, and the mood shifted into one of sorrow. "You shouldn't have come, Hal," Sam stated, his gaze down. "It's not safe here."

"You all would've done the same for me!" she challenged, her voice tight. It was like dealing with the rider all over again after saving him. "What kind of friend would I be if I had stayed? How could I look your families in the eye and tell them everything will be okay when people they love are missing?"

"And you think we want you caught up in this?!" Cado snapped. "You think we would prioritize our safety over your own? Dammit Hal. We just wanted you to be safe."

She knew they meant well. She knew how much they loved her. Yet she still felt slighted, like she had burdened them in some way.

And then she realized what she had done. What they were trying to tell her.

Her eyes lowered in humiliation. She had burdened them. Even Murtagh and Thorn. Especially Murtagh, who had known her a few short weeks, had attempted to sacrifice himself to save her. Everyone here would put her life over theirs. Had she stayed back, perhaps everyone would have found their own way back. But they had even ventured out of their safe hiding spot to find her. And Murtagh had been injured in the process. They had escaped once before, but her actions could've gotten them killed.

Her eyes burned with the unfairness of it all. She had been trying to help. She felt an indignant rage coursing through her as she curled her fingers into fists at her sides. She glanced around the room, hoping someone would say otherwise. That they appreciated her efforts. That they were glad she was here. But she was met with stone faces and wary eyes.

"Oh Hal," Amon sighed, reaching out to comfort her.

She wiped at her eyes and cheeks with defiance, her jaw tight as she backed away from him. "Excuse me, I need some air."