Author's Note: I just read my last couple of chapters over again. I am mean to myself! And also very amazed at the fact that I could write such a gruesome battle the first time around…hm…maybe that's not a good thing. It shouldn't get much worse than that, though, so if you really didn't like that, don't despair. I don't THINK that will happen again.
Storlock
Sarah caught one glimpse of the twisted, black embodiment of evil that was coming towards her and needed no excuse to stay with Erin. Grabbing Elissa's arm, she yanked her friend none too gently after her, and they began a race for the parking garage. Sarah's mind was racing. What if they couldn't get to the parking garage in time? Erin had said that there was only one Skull Bearer downstairs, but what if there were more? Her swimming mind could not remember if Erin had mentioned any other Skull Bearers in the school. She could do no more than send Elissa on unprotected if such a thing occurred, and that was not something that she wanted to do. A fierce determination to survive the day rose over everything, and she dashed down the halls faster than she had ever run in her life.
Elissa was still a much faster runner, and was outdistancing Sarah quickly. "Elissa! Stay with me!" she called to her friend, concerned that she could not protect Elissa as well if her friend was so far ahead of her. Elissa slowed, matching Sarah's slower pace, and they ran on past the cafeteria.
Suddenly, a red thread of flame burnt a hole in the tile right next to Sarah's foot. "Faster!" she gasped, turning about momentarily to see what creature had nearly hit her with its fire. The culprit looked down on her from the second floor balcony, and even from this distance she could distinguish its burning eyes from the darkness of its hood. Fear stole Sarah's wits, and she nearly became the newest Skull Bearer's victim. Regaining her mobility after an internal war of fear and will, she turned hurriedly and dashed off after Elissa, getting under cover of the ceiling that had been nonexistent in the cafeteria. One more lance of fire tore up the floor behind her, but the Skull Bearer missed again. She skidded left, then right, smashing into Elissa, who had been coming back to make sure Sarah was alright. Only a little farther and they were there, bursting through the door as if the Skull Bearer was on their heels. They met a frightened Amanda, tentatively brandishing a short knife that Allanon had given her before he ran off to help Erin and left her alone. "It's us, Sarah and Elissa!" Sarah gasped as the two skidded to a halt before Amanda.
"I can see as much." Amanda responded wryly. Concern suddenly washed over her face as it dawned on her that Adrienne and Erin were not there. Although she did not know if Adrienne had become a part of this business, she could not help but wonder that her friend would sit in German class while Sarah and Elissa went into danger. And Erin…last time Amanda had seen Erin she had been fighting valiantly in English class, holding back the Skull Bearer to allow Amanda's escape. "What about Erin?" Both Sarah and Elissa looked at each other and said, "You can tell her." Normally, they would have laughed, but they were too saddened by the thought of their dear friend so badly injured. Sarah decided to take up the story.
After she was finished, telling all that she had known, Sarah lapsed into memories of her years with Erin. To think that it was all over, that she would never see her friend again…it could not be. Tears traced a complicated map of sorrow on her face, and she almost brushed them away, but saw that the twins were crying also. She looked pleadingly at the door, willing it to open, to admit a stumbling, wound-ridden Erin into this refuge of safety.
As if her pleas had driven it, the doors parted and Adrienne dashed through, catching sight of her friends and turning towards them. But it was not Adrienne whom Sarah stared at. It was the man behind her. Sarah's first thought was that the man was Allanon, but she quickly dispelled that. He did not resemble Erin's description. This man was probably just a teacher. Sarah's concentration was quickly drawn to the bundle of blood-soaked rags that she knew to be Erin. "NOOOO!!!!!" Sarah screamed, heedless of the consequences. She was at Erin's side in seconds, tears streaming unchecked down her face. This was indeed Erin, though she was barely recognizable, coated in blood and other wounds. "Nooo…" she moaned now, tears becoming uncontrollable sobs. She vaguely registered the presence of the twins and Adrienne at her side, but paid them no attention.
Adrienne managed to keep hold of her wits, since she'd already had ample opportunity to see Erin's horrifying condition. She racked her brain for details on healing that she might have read or researched, and came up with very little to work with. Tearing more bandages from her shirt, Adrienne wrapped them tightly around the worst of Erin's wounds, attempting to stop the bleeding. She checked Erin's pulse quickly, finding it understandably weak, but still present. The twins followed her lead and offered more strips from their own clothing to bind the torn body of their friend. Sarah dragged herself from the depths of sorrow momentarily, asking "Is she alive?" "Yes." said Adrienne sadly, her uneducated ministrations failing once more.
Almost a minute after Adrienne's arrival, Allanon also dashed through the doors into the garage. He raced to Erin's side, face lined with worried creases. Gathering Erin's torn body into his arms, he thanked the teacher profoundly and then turned to the others. "Come quickly. We haven't much time."
"Where are we going? Shouldn't Erin go to a hospital?" Adrienne exclaimed.
"We are going to a town of skilled healer gnomes, Storlock. It isn't far. Now, we must hurry." Allanon replied, then turned and began to run from the parking garage. The other four had no choice but to follow.
They ran for what seemed like hours to the four friends, along roads and through the small patches of wilderness spared from development, Allanon leading the way. They all found it very hard to keep up with his huge strides, Sarah and Adrienne most of all. Adrienne's bad knee was acting up, and she fell more than a few times. The party had to slow down many times because Sarah's lungs were failing her, screaming for air that she could not supply.
Finally, however, the trees through which they were running parted to reveal a small village of wooden huts and stunted, white-robed creatures. The streets were dirt and gravel, and the healers scurried busily back and forth with medicines and treatments for their various patients. Allanon dashed over to one of the gnomes, speaking quickly, and was led away to one of the huts. The others stumbled to the steps leading to the door of Erin's dwelling and collapsed, huffing and puffing with the strain of their run. Adrienne had a grimace of pain on her face, and it was only then that the others realized she was also wounded. Amanda signaled a second healer to come, and the gnome led Adrienne, limping badly, into Erin's hut as well.
The last three of the party stayed on the steps, gulping in the fresh air and waiting for their hearts to stop pounding. An hour passed in silence, and then they began to chat quietly. The friends attempted to keep their talk lighthearted, but eventually gave up and lapsed back into silence.
After two hours, Allanon appeared in the doorway. He met three anxious teenagers desperate for news about their friends. "How is Erin?" "Will Erin live?" "What are they doing to her in there?"
"The Stoors know nothing for certain. They have done all that they can for now. Erin's fate will be decided by herself and herself alone. If her thirst for life is strong enough, she will live. Only the next couple of days can determine that." Allanon replied ominously.
Timidly, Sarah asked "And Adrienne?" Of all three, she had been closest to Adrienne, and though she was extremely worried for Erin, she cared for Adrienne also.
"Adrienne is fine. The Stoors believe they can cure her knee, so that she will be better able to travel. Now I suggest you all either get some rest or take shifts sitting with Erin. Be careful to let her sleep. She needs rest more than anything." Allanon said, then strode down the steps and into the street.
"Where are you going?" called Amanda after him.
"I am going to see what supplies the Stoors have to offer us for our journey." The Druid turned back to look at them. "This is only one step on a very long road. Be prepared to meet more obstacles and danger. Excluding Erin, if this is the worst you four suffer on this journey, you will be lucky." He continued down the road, leaving the trio of friends staring after him.