Disclaimer: see previous chapters
Author's Note: Ok, this is where it gets hard to write…there aren't any fiery heating systems to throw the Skull Bearer over or Elfstones to incinerate it…oh well, please R&R! Flames welcome!
A Broken Princess
"Skull Bearer! Go!" was all Adrienne heard, and then she was running down the nearest hallway, one thought foremost in her mind. I can't let Erin down. I can't let her die there. She is my FRIEND, goddamnit!
Adrienne turned left, her traction-less shoes slipping on the tile as she skidded into the wall. She regained her balance just as quickly and dashed on. Right at this moment, I must run swifter than the swiftest arrow! Adrienne shouted in her mind, propelling herself ahead faster and faster. Another hallway came up on her left, and she turned sharply, careening into the wall with a loud thump. Wonderful, she scolded herself. You can't even turn a corner without running into a wall. Adrienne turned yet another left and saw the Skull Bearer down at the end of the hall. It saw her, too, but before she could get to Mrs. Franklin's hallway it sent a stream of fire into her left arm. Adrienne cried out in pain, and heard an answering scream from the hallway where the battle was being fought. Fearing the worst, she ran even faster the last few feet down the hallway, tore open the door to Mrs. Franklin's room, and burst inside, only to crash into a dark-robed form coming out of the room.
"Allanon?" Adrienne gasped, struggling to catch her breath, staring up into the surprised and alarmed face of a man.
"Yes. What do you want? How do you know me?" he said guardedly.
"No time to explain. Erin's in trouble, fighting a Skull Bearer down the hallway." Adrienne gestured vaguely in the direction of the battle.
"What about Elissa?" he asked quickly.
"Sarah is taking her to the parking lot." Adrienne answered. "She's a friend." she added, seeing a look of alarm in Allanon's eyes.
Allanon did not respond, but shoved her out the door and into the English hallway. "Where are they?" he demanded.
Adrienne assumed he meant Erin and the Skull Bearer. "Turn right here, they're at the end—" Allanon did not wait for her to finish, but started off in the indicated direction at a faster pace than Adrienne had ever seen anyone run. She followed as quickly as she could, but nearly stopped in her tracks at the scene which confronted her.
Erin and the Skull Bearer were locked in combat, the Skull Bearer barely keeping his balance in a pool of blood that was gushing from Erin's body. New gashes had been torn in her sides and back, but she paid them no heed. The highlander clung to the Skull Bearer with her legs, her fingers crooked and stiffened into claws with which she was attempting to rip out the Skull Bearer's eyes. She was barely recognizable as a human, and her eyes were beginning to glaze over with the coming of death.
Suddenly Allanon was there, blue fire erupting from his fingers and slamming into the Skull Bearer's back. The Skull Bearer was thrown completely off balance and tumbled to the ground. As it hit, it managed to free itself finally of Erin's limp form, throwing her against the far wall to land in an unconscious heap of shredded clothing and blood.
Adrienne screamed in horror, losing all semblance of reason as she rushed past the battle of magic to her friend. She knew little of healing or dressing wounds, but she tore pieces of her shirt and tied them all over Erin's broken body, fighting a losing battle to keep Erin's wounds from bleeding. The wound in her own arm went completely unnoticed.
A searing pain shot through her back as the Skull Bearer targeted her again, attempting to divert Allanon's attention from it. It succeeded, and Allanon nearly went down. Adrienne knew she must get Erin away. She ignored the throbbing of her own wounds and concentrated on getting Erin into her arms and out to the parking lot.
Loss of blood had made Erin weak and frail, and had reduced her weight enough that Adrienne would have been able to carry the highlander quite easily had she herself not been wounded. She gathered Erin in her arms and lifted the broken princess from a large pool of sickeningly red blood. It was then that she noticed the teachers who had come into the hallway to see what the commotion was, and she gave them pleading glances. One of the teachers darted tentatively from his doorway and gathered Erin into his arms. Adrienne motioned for him to follow her and ran off.