Chapter 24
The thing stepped out of the woods. It was a hare about Tyra's age.
"Hello..." the hare said, then sat down timidly.
"Hi..." Tyra said warily.
"I'm Nicole..." she said,"...who are you?"
"Tyra. Why?"
"You aren't safe here, you have to head north. That's the only safe place for you."
"Why--"
Just then they heard the crackling of flames and both of them lept up and ran as flames overtook where they had just been.
************************************************************
Akhal smiled as it became apparent that the flames he had set began to eat up this section of woods. Why he was so obsessed with fire was beyond him, but all he knew is that it got the job done. By the time the fire died out, it would be too easy to find anyone standing on where the trees had been. But they couldn't control how far it went...
************************************************************
Terry, who had really good hearing, sat bolt upright when he heard the crackling over a mile away. He shook Sragg awake.
"Hey," he said, "Sragg...do you hear something?"
Sragg, who had equally as good hearing, nodded.
"Flames, but they're not coming this way."
Terry sighed.
"That's it. Those two hares are done for."
************************************************************
The flames had long since stopped. Tyra and Nicole stood at the last little bit of trees left.
"That was stupid of them," she said.
"Who?"
"The vermin."
"Oh."
"They set the woods on fire."
"Well, what's going to--"
But that statement was cut short as fifteen of Akhal's smaller patrol spotted them (as they were in the little bit of woods too) and began to run at them.
Chapter 25
Tyra and Nicole lit off in the opposite direction.
"Where the heck are we going?" Tyra said, panting heavily.
"Away from--"
But her words were cut short as both collided with a huge wall.
"Oh crud!" Tyra shouted, "We're dead now!"
Nicole spun around as something closed behind them.
They were trapped. Outside they heard a vermin laugh.
"After long seasons you're ours finally!" one of them shouted. "Send a runner to Akhal, tell them that we've got them."
Tyra sank to the floor.
"We have to get out of here."
Nicole leaned against the wall.
"Aye, but how?"
Tyra sighed.
"Start working on the hinges, that's all I can say." Tyra rose and reached for her sword. That's when she realized it wasn't there.
"Nicole! I've lost my sword!" she shouted.
"Don't be surprised. So have I."
"What the heck are we going to use to get out of here?" Tyra was at the point of freaking out. Unsurprisingly.
"Calm down. The fact is: We AREN'T going to get out of this." Nicole sank down, as did Tyra. "We have to wait it out."
************************************************************
Back at Akhal's main camp, the triumphant runner came in.
"THEY'VE GOT BOTH OF THEM!" he shouted, obviously proud to bring the news. Stupid vermin.
Katze, who happened to be just sitting there, the threat to hurt (heh-heh) his granddaughter still hanging over him, lept up.
"What?!"
"Sit down, old one!" Akhal said, exiting his tent. "Good, where are the idiots?"
"They're on the other side of the burning. They have them in that old rusty thing over there. The one that looks like some sort of metal trailer."
"I see," Akhal said, pushing Katze back to a sitting position. "We'll head over there right now. I'll send a messenger to Predak. You there!" The unlucky weasel he pointed to happened to be...Sragg.
"Oh it's you," Akhal said, his voice grim. "Well, brother, you can carry the news back to Predak for me. Bet you never thought you'd get that honor."
Sragg left to go back to the tent that he and Terry shared.
"I have to go to Predak." Sragg's face was twisted with anger and hatred for his older brother. "They have Tyra and the other hare. The messanger just came in."
Terry winced.
"See how the others are doing. I guess that we'll probably meet you on the way back..."
"Yes. See you then." Sragg immediatly left the camp carrying the news back to the home camp.
The thing stepped out of the woods. It was a hare about Tyra's age.
"Hello..." the hare said, then sat down timidly.
"Hi..." Tyra said warily.
"I'm Nicole..." she said,"...who are you?"
"Tyra. Why?"
"You aren't safe here, you have to head north. That's the only safe place for you."
"Why--"
Just then they heard the crackling of flames and both of them lept up and ran as flames overtook where they had just been.
************************************************************
Akhal smiled as it became apparent that the flames he had set began to eat up this section of woods. Why he was so obsessed with fire was beyond him, but all he knew is that it got the job done. By the time the fire died out, it would be too easy to find anyone standing on where the trees had been. But they couldn't control how far it went...
************************************************************
Terry, who had really good hearing, sat bolt upright when he heard the crackling over a mile away. He shook Sragg awake.
"Hey," he said, "Sragg...do you hear something?"
Sragg, who had equally as good hearing, nodded.
"Flames, but they're not coming this way."
Terry sighed.
"That's it. Those two hares are done for."
************************************************************
The flames had long since stopped. Tyra and Nicole stood at the last little bit of trees left.
"That was stupid of them," she said.
"Who?"
"The vermin."
"Oh."
"They set the woods on fire."
"Well, what's going to--"
But that statement was cut short as fifteen of Akhal's smaller patrol spotted them (as they were in the little bit of woods too) and began to run at them.
Chapter 25
Tyra and Nicole lit off in the opposite direction.
"Where the heck are we going?" Tyra said, panting heavily.
"Away from--"
But her words were cut short as both collided with a huge wall.
"Oh crud!" Tyra shouted, "We're dead now!"
Nicole spun around as something closed behind them.
They were trapped. Outside they heard a vermin laugh.
"After long seasons you're ours finally!" one of them shouted. "Send a runner to Akhal, tell them that we've got them."
Tyra sank to the floor.
"We have to get out of here."
Nicole leaned against the wall.
"Aye, but how?"
Tyra sighed.
"Start working on the hinges, that's all I can say." Tyra rose and reached for her sword. That's when she realized it wasn't there.
"Nicole! I've lost my sword!" she shouted.
"Don't be surprised. So have I."
"What the heck are we going to use to get out of here?" Tyra was at the point of freaking out. Unsurprisingly.
"Calm down. The fact is: We AREN'T going to get out of this." Nicole sank down, as did Tyra. "We have to wait it out."
************************************************************
Back at Akhal's main camp, the triumphant runner came in.
"THEY'VE GOT BOTH OF THEM!" he shouted, obviously proud to bring the news. Stupid vermin.
Katze, who happened to be just sitting there, the threat to hurt (heh-heh) his granddaughter still hanging over him, lept up.
"What?!"
"Sit down, old one!" Akhal said, exiting his tent. "Good, where are the idiots?"
"They're on the other side of the burning. They have them in that old rusty thing over there. The one that looks like some sort of metal trailer."
"I see," Akhal said, pushing Katze back to a sitting position. "We'll head over there right now. I'll send a messenger to Predak. You there!" The unlucky weasel he pointed to happened to be...Sragg.
"Oh it's you," Akhal said, his voice grim. "Well, brother, you can carry the news back to Predak for me. Bet you never thought you'd get that honor."
Sragg left to go back to the tent that he and Terry shared.
"I have to go to Predak." Sragg's face was twisted with anger and hatred for his older brother. "They have Tyra and the other hare. The messanger just came in."
Terry winced.
"See how the others are doing. I guess that we'll probably meet you on the way back..."
"Yes. See you then." Sragg immediatly left the camp carrying the news back to the home camp.
