Chapter 4 :: Hunter
Thom continued to gaze through the thick glass, watching the clouds darken. The sky was tinted a deep blue near the horizon that faded into a midnight black above. He pressed his hot forehead to the window, reveling in the cool night air that soaked through the pane and refreshed his mind. A bell tolled in the distance, sweet and brazen.
He leapt up.
That bell signaled the hour before dinner…and Alanna still had not returned. Where was she?
Thom glared out at the clouds that threatened rain. Cursing violently, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
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The chilling hunt call grew closer in the darkening sky. Alanna shuddered and rubbed her arms sporadically as she looked around her with the darting eyes of a hunted creature. She was afraid. She had nothing, no one to defend her. She was alone. Her eyes passed over the odd cylinder once again. She looked away, but turned back, noticing something different about it. It was giving off a powerful signal that she did not quite understand. It seemed to be…calling something, or someone, to it.
Awed by the properties of the object, she crept closer, her fear of magic put at bay momentarily. Squatting near it, she cocked her head, eyes wide. A pale finger with a nail of chipped red polish reached out to prod it. The thing was like a magnet, grasping her finger and shoving it against the cold metal. The howls reached her ears again. She struggled to pull away. She was yanked onto her side, flattened, as an unseen force pulled her hand and wrapped it around the tube. She gave the thing an unsure look, and, realizing what it was trying to get her to do, pulled upward.
A long baton was unearthed from the rock. She stared at it in puzzlement. Her surprise ended abruptly when sharp claws raked her back. The force of the blow knocked her to her knees. Her back arched in pain as she felt something leap onto it, digging deep with powerful jaws. She lashed out with the baton and caught her attacker with a blow that sent it reeling backward and off her body, her nerves screaming in agony, her lips parted in a silent shriek.
She whirled to glimpse a gray wolf pack, numbering five in all, watching her with eyes of different tints. Some green, some brown. The alpha-male had eyes that glared a malevolent yellow. Alanna gulped. She was no match for one wolf, let alone five. The leader circled her, snarling, ears flattened. At that, her anger and sense of pride overtook her fear. She met its eyes squarely with her purple ones, glaring a challenge of her own as her feminine side melted away. She could not show weakness toward these creatures, she knew. It would only get her killed faster.
The thing crouched low to the ground, tail erect, fur around the head on its ends. It was not the least bit fazed by her malevolent glare. It only gave her a look that resembled scorn and…laughter; laughter at her foolishness. Then, without warning, it pounced. Alanna was not in the least bit ready for this exchange. She watched, knowing she had to find a way to get away, yet not able to move her body, as the beast flew directly into her with outstretched claws.
It rammed into her, forcing the air out of her lungs in a heartbeat. It stood above her, paws on her breasts, poised to rip her throat open at a moment's notice. Alanna writhed, trying to free herself from under the thin yet heavy wolf. A low, menacing growl stopped her movements. The thing's muzzle was sniffing her face, its claws digging painfully into her chest, judging her fit for the pack. She could not move, could not scream.
The hunter gave her throat a nip. He looked back toward his pack-brothers, communicating in silence, a way she could not and would not ever understand. The huge male lifted his paws off her chest and leapt off her, teeth bared. Alanna was surprised. Why were they letting her go? She did not know if she could run in her condition very far. She would not make it back to the palace.
The male gave her a warning snarl. She realized, in horror, that they wanted her to run. They wanted to chase her down like they would a deer or some other helpless prey. And she would have no choice. They would bring her down no matter what. She grimly turned, hating having to amuse a pack of wolves, but knowing that she had a better chance of escaping if she ran than if she stayed and fought. The fact that irked her was that the wolves knew it too. She started to flee, her legs pounding rhythmically on the stone. Her shoes were fairly worn out and did not serve well for sprinting. Her air came out in gasps, the raking the claws had inflicted stinging with the lash of the cold night air.
The wolves took up the howl. They had begun to pursue her. She did not dare turn back to see the progress of her hunters. That would mean losing precious time in the race to get to safety before they got to her. She sucked in air, pushing herself to the limit. She was already out of the quarry and running across the open fields towards the city and the palace. The wolves would not follow her into the realm of Corus. They were afraid of men in large groups, she knew from her teachings at the Convent. The shepherd there had taught her all he had known. Now it came in handy the only problem was getting there in time, and the wolves were closing in fast. Her pace began to slow. Her feet drummed monotonously as she sluggishly tried her best to keep her speed. The overjoyed howls of predators on the hunt drew closer with every step. She looked around, and, finding no shelter, plodded onward. Her muscles ached, her arms limp, her feet screaming.
She could not run any further.
She fell to her knees, then onto her hands, breathing deeply. The air smelled of the sweet wild roses that grew nearby. She could now hear the wolves' feet nearing their destination.
It's already pitch black. I'd never find my way home anyhow…
Goodbye, Coram.
Goodbye, Father.
Goodbye, Thom.
Her last thoughts were interrupted by a loud swish as something flew by her ear. A yelp sounded from behind. She looked around to see the yellow-eyed wolf crash to the ground. The other wolves howled, enraged, and leapt for the unseen archer.
Two wolves went down like dominos. She couldn't tell what was hitting them in the dark. The remaining two ran away, stopping when they were out of range to snarl back at their attacker before vanishing into the night.
Alanna turned to gaze into the trees. A man emerged on horseback and trotted toward her.
The hooves halted some distance away. Two legs appeared, merged with the four of the animal, separating to march toward her with a brisk gait. She blinked at the smell of polish from the boots.
She stood shakily and gazed at the face above her.