Hi, once again! Here's chapter four. If you have any suggestions,
comments, etc. please leave a review or e-mail me at arakis16@hotmail.com,
or at eloradananoftirasleen@yahoo.com. Thanks! I don't own Willow, or the
characters from the book/movie. Ok, this chapter is slightly strange, and
by slightly, I mean very.
CHAPTER FOUR
"If they come back, don't spare any of their lives, slaughter them all," Sorsha said emotionlessly as she washed her blood covered hands in a tank of water. She pushed her hair behind her ear and sat on the ground, completely exhausted from tending to the wounded all night long.
"We will move out at daybreak. After you complete your tasks, use your remaining time to rest. We have a long day ahead of us," she said as she pushed herself off the ground and walked over to Rak. She leaned up against him as she brushed him and began to tack him up. After she finished she pulled herself up into his saddle and grabbed her bow. She hastily fitted an arrow and held it readily as she patrolled the outskirts of the camp.
She returned in a few hours, after all the equipment had been packed up and everything else had been taken care of. "Move out," she barked sharply. "Those of you who are not injured, walk and give your horses to someone who has been hurt."
Kyrell reined his horse in beside Rak. He looked at her with weary eyes and smiled weakly. "That was enjoyable," he said sarcastically.
Sorsha smiled at him wryly. "If I see another one of those Poha scum, I will stick its head on a pig pole."
She slumped into Rak's saddle, all the while, watching the mists like a hawk, trying to distinguish what was actually there from what her mind saw.
The troops spread out, forming a long relentless line that would cease at nothing to find that child.
Kyrell lead several troops up a rock outcropping but found nothing. Suddenly, the dogs started howling and pulling towards the east. "Come," she ordered her troops, beckoning them to follow her. The rest of the troops followed the snarling and snapping death dogs.
Finally, midday, when they were well out of the desolate Nockmaar Valley, Sorsha halted Rak.
"You," she ordered coldly, motioning to one of the dog trainers. "Let your dog go and tell the others to do the same."
The trainer nodded in relief as he called for his comrades to let their dogs go. He unhinged the restraints, quickly climbed into the saddle of a horse and followed his dog. Sorsha motioned for several to stay behind and continue the search.
"Kyrell," she called as he pulled his horse up beside hers. "Let's go," she said as she pressed her heels into Rak's sides and he lurched into a gallop.
They followed the dogs for a few hours before they finally slowed down. One of the dogs, a smaller, younger dog, actually collapsed from exhaustion, but the others continued on relentlessly.
They followed the dogs further and further out of Nockmaar valley and they had traveled in a wide arc, first going east now going directly south. Sorsha urged Rak on as gently as possible. The other horses were beginning to fall back and some had stopped all together.
"Kaeim," she yelled to one of her troops, "you had best stop, your horse is about to fall," she ordered as the troop nodded his head and slowed his horse down.
She stopped Rak and let him rest for a few minutes before proceeding. The trainers, however, were forced to keep closely behind the dogs to keep them from killing the child if they ever found her.
Sorsha motioned for the others to stop. "We shall stop here, we will follow their path in a few hours. There are enough troops following the dogs for now in case they do find the child or meet any resistance," she said nodding towards the trees where the others had vanished.
The scattered line of troops all dismounted and cared for their horses. Sorsha walked Rak over to a small stream, a tributary to the river Freen, and let him drink. She took his tack off and splashed water all over him to cool him down. She sat down next to the stream and watched over Rak as he grazed quietly.
She stretched her muscles, and sighed in content as some of the tension was relieved. Sorsha reached into a saddlebag and pulled out some bread and cheese and devoured it ravenously.
"It is time," she called to the troops as she mounted Rak. She waited for a few moments then urged Rak into a brisk trot. She frowned as she followed the path that the dogs and trainers had plowed. ~The Galladoorn could easily follow this, even a child could.~
"Tell the people in the back to cover our trail," she ordered loudly. She smiled slightly as she heard the word being passed down the line.
She cringed as she heard the howl of a death dog deep within the forest.
CHAPTER FOUR
"If they come back, don't spare any of their lives, slaughter them all," Sorsha said emotionlessly as she washed her blood covered hands in a tank of water. She pushed her hair behind her ear and sat on the ground, completely exhausted from tending to the wounded all night long.
"We will move out at daybreak. After you complete your tasks, use your remaining time to rest. We have a long day ahead of us," she said as she pushed herself off the ground and walked over to Rak. She leaned up against him as she brushed him and began to tack him up. After she finished she pulled herself up into his saddle and grabbed her bow. She hastily fitted an arrow and held it readily as she patrolled the outskirts of the camp.
She returned in a few hours, after all the equipment had been packed up and everything else had been taken care of. "Move out," she barked sharply. "Those of you who are not injured, walk and give your horses to someone who has been hurt."
Kyrell reined his horse in beside Rak. He looked at her with weary eyes and smiled weakly. "That was enjoyable," he said sarcastically.
Sorsha smiled at him wryly. "If I see another one of those Poha scum, I will stick its head on a pig pole."
She slumped into Rak's saddle, all the while, watching the mists like a hawk, trying to distinguish what was actually there from what her mind saw.
The troops spread out, forming a long relentless line that would cease at nothing to find that child.
Kyrell lead several troops up a rock outcropping but found nothing. Suddenly, the dogs started howling and pulling towards the east. "Come," she ordered her troops, beckoning them to follow her. The rest of the troops followed the snarling and snapping death dogs.
Finally, midday, when they were well out of the desolate Nockmaar Valley, Sorsha halted Rak.
"You," she ordered coldly, motioning to one of the dog trainers. "Let your dog go and tell the others to do the same."
The trainer nodded in relief as he called for his comrades to let their dogs go. He unhinged the restraints, quickly climbed into the saddle of a horse and followed his dog. Sorsha motioned for several to stay behind and continue the search.
"Kyrell," she called as he pulled his horse up beside hers. "Let's go," she said as she pressed her heels into Rak's sides and he lurched into a gallop.
They followed the dogs for a few hours before they finally slowed down. One of the dogs, a smaller, younger dog, actually collapsed from exhaustion, but the others continued on relentlessly.
They followed the dogs further and further out of Nockmaar valley and they had traveled in a wide arc, first going east now going directly south. Sorsha urged Rak on as gently as possible. The other horses were beginning to fall back and some had stopped all together.
"Kaeim," she yelled to one of her troops, "you had best stop, your horse is about to fall," she ordered as the troop nodded his head and slowed his horse down.
She stopped Rak and let him rest for a few minutes before proceeding. The trainers, however, were forced to keep closely behind the dogs to keep them from killing the child if they ever found her.
Sorsha motioned for the others to stop. "We shall stop here, we will follow their path in a few hours. There are enough troops following the dogs for now in case they do find the child or meet any resistance," she said nodding towards the trees where the others had vanished.
The scattered line of troops all dismounted and cared for their horses. Sorsha walked Rak over to a small stream, a tributary to the river Freen, and let him drink. She took his tack off and splashed water all over him to cool him down. She sat down next to the stream and watched over Rak as he grazed quietly.
She stretched her muscles, and sighed in content as some of the tension was relieved. Sorsha reached into a saddlebag and pulled out some bread and cheese and devoured it ravenously.
"It is time," she called to the troops as she mounted Rak. She waited for a few moments then urged Rak into a brisk trot. She frowned as she followed the path that the dogs and trainers had plowed. ~The Galladoorn could easily follow this, even a child could.~
"Tell the people in the back to cover our trail," she ordered loudly. She smiled slightly as she heard the word being passed down the line.
She cringed as she heard the howl of a death dog deep within the forest.