Chapter 5

3 weeks later in the home of William Johns…

Scrambling on her hands and knees across the bed, Carolyn's fingers wrapped around a candlestick just as William grabbed her ankle, pulling her back towards him with a flip of his arms. With a scream of terror, Carolyn swung her arm, clipping him on the temple.

He went down in a heap.

She collapsed back on the bed in a sobbing, panting mess. Getting herself under control she got to her feet, slowly creeping around the end of the bed till she could see William where he lay on the floor. A bruise was blossoming on his temple where a trickle of blood flowed.

Carolyn kicked at him with her foot. When he didn't move she hesitantly leaned over him seeking a pulse. Finding it, she jumped, plastering herself against the wall behind her, the candlestick still clutched in her hands.

Think, Carolyn, think.

She had to get out before William gained consciousness.

Hurriedly pulling on a dress over her torn bed gown the best she could, Carolyn slipped on her shoes, tying her cloak around her neck to cover her malfunctioning wardrobe, all the while keeping one swollen eye on an unconscious William.

Moving over to the chest containing her clothing she took the signed marriage contract her father had given her, placing it in a drawstring purse along with the unsigned one that William had dropped on the floor, before tying it around her waist.

Not daring to take anymore time, she slipped out the door, locking it behind her, depositing the key into her pocket. Making her way quietly through the house, she stayed hidden in the shadows until she was able to slip out the servant's entrance unnoticed. Running to the stables, she quickly found Geoffrey.

"We're leaving now. Please ready the carriage."

"Lady Carolyn!" Geoffrey exclaimed getting a good look at her face, "Who did this to you?"

"Geoffrey, please. We need to hurry." Carolyn begged her nerves nearly to the breaking point.

Geoffrey nodded grimly, having heard rumors from the other servants and had the small carriage ready to go quickly.

Carolyn paced in the barn until Geoffrey came to fetch her, helping her to the carriage.

"We need to hurry." She said to him once again as he let go of her hand and shut the door behind her.

Climbing up on the driver's seat he took the reins, flicking the horses into motion. Once they were outside the gates Carolyn let herself start breathing again but knew they weren't out of danger yet. Sinking back into the seat she curled her legs up, wrapping her arms around them.

Always making sure the carriage was out of sight, they had stopped a few times throughout the day. Geoffrey had gone into the first Inn they had passed, getting enough food to last for several days. Neither of them wanted to stop for any amount of time until they passed through the badlands and into the neighboring realm. Furya, Carolyn thought Geoffrey had said, but at the moment the greatest concern was the Black Forest. Geoffrey was balking at Carolyn's insistence that they go through and not around.

"Well, we can't stay here and I refuse to go back," Carolyn said as she tried not to let her chin quiver, convinced the bruises on her face looked even blacker in the dark from the way Geoffrey winced everytime he looked at her.

Geoffrey looked towards the forest looming in the distance. "Aye. Up you go, Milady," he said helping her back into the carriage before climbing back to his own spot. Taking a deep breath, he got them on their way.

Carolyn sighed once they were off, the swaying of the carriage rocking her to sleep.

Geoffrey was struggling with the horses as they traveled the forest road. They would have normally taken the long way around but he had agreed with Carolyn's argument that Lord William would never think them brave enough to take the direct route.

Geoffrey knew for a fact that William was right. He was terrified. The noises coming out of the forest had him griping the reins in his hands. There were flashes of light all along the tree line and he could only think that they belonged to the creatures rumored to live here in the dark.

At that exact moment, as he was distracted, one of the creatures came swooping down out of the sky grabbing him by his head with its talons, carrying him off over the trees.

With no one at the reins, the horses ran out of control down the road throwing Carolyn to the floor of the carriage. She heard horrible noises outside just before the carriage tilted, crashing to its side, sliding down an embankment. She bounced around the carriage until it slowed, coming to a stop, her already bruised and battered body causing her to cry out. She kept still until the pain subsided to a dull throb and she was able to get her breathing under control. Blood ran into her eye from a cut near her hairline and running her tongue over her lips knew that the cuts on her lip, from William's ring, had reopened. Slowly, she began to untangle her limbs from her clothing until she was able to fully stretch her legs out.

Twisting herself around she was able to climb and crawl her way out of the carriage window, using the frame to pull herself to her feet.

"Geoffrey! Geoffrey!" she cried out, not seeing or hearing him anywhere. Pulling herself up the steep embankment using trees and roots, she emerged on the road.

Monsters, she really didn't know what else to call them, were hovering over the horses, stripping the flesh from their bones. She was also fairly certain it was Geoffrey's head that was being rolled around on the ground beside them. Taking her skirts in hand, Carolyn ran.

She wasn't sure if she was running in the right direction or not, only that she had to get away from the horrible things buzzing over her head, splattering her with a sticky blue liquid as they fought each other in the dark sky above her.

She knew it was only a matter of time before they killed her, as even now one was simply toying with her, smacking her with a talon causing her to stumble and fall, just for her to pick herself up and it to happen all over again.

Knocked to her knees once again, screaming as she felt a set of talons wrap around her waist, Carolyn heard thunder behind her. She was dropped back down in a heap, the cries of the creature reaching her ears as she lay there in a daze, letting go of consciousness as a tall dark figure loomed over her.

Riddick slowed his horse to a canter as darkness fell over the land. Tired and road weary, the thought of spending a night in the Badlands was not high on his things to do list, even now as a seasoned war veteran. He would stop for a few hours of sleep once he had crossed the border into Furya.

A smile came over his face at the thought. He was ready to be home. Luckily the men he had served with at the Senate had not wanted to be there any more than he did. Completing their tasks quickly and efficiently, he would be back at home before three full weeks had transpired.

He skirted around the Black Forest, his last true obstacle before crossing over into Furya. Had it been day time he would not have hesitated to go through, but he was tired and not at his best. One careless mistake on his part could be his last. He knew this from experience. The dragons that made their home in the Black Forest were not to be trifled with.

He had just made his way back to the road when he heard it. Stopping his horse he turned to face the forest road entrance and sat quietly listening, thinking that surely his ears were playing tricks on him. He heard it again.

"Well, bloody hell."

Moving to the side of the road, he leapt off his horse grabbing a thick branch and large pieces of thin bark that had fallen to the ground. Cutting off a piece of rope hanging from his saddle, he wrapped the thin bark around the top of the branch tying it together before setting flint and tender to it. As soon as his makeshift torch was lit he was back on his horse galloping into the Dragon's den.

He could hear the woman's screams followed by a dragon's cry. Evidently the older ones had eaten, and the yearlings were attempting to catch their own food. That didn't bode well for the woman.

Spotting her as one of the yearlings flew overhead, Riddick increased his speed, standing in his stirrups as he pulled his sword from its sheath.

She had been pushed down to her knees once again and was just being lifted into the air when Riddick's torch blinded the animal causing it to drop the female, giving Riddick the chance to plunge his sword into its belly. Riddick let go of the sword as the Dragon went flipping end over end before coming to a stop at the edge of the road.

Dismounting, Riddick held his torch high as he placed a foot on the dragon in front of him pulling his sword from the bubbling flesh. Moving over to the girl, he knelt on one knee beside her. She was bleeding heavily and fairly torn up.

Lifting her with one arm, he easily tossed her over his shoulder. Turning to his steed that had not left his side, Riddick climbed into the saddle, pulling her down to his lap. Taking the reins, he turned the horse around, spurring him forward.

The colors of the sky signaled that dawn was approaching as Riddick guided the horse off the main road. Coming to a stop he grabbed his bag and injured passenger, laying her on the soft grass.

He removed a flask and an extra shirt from his bag before tossing it aside to make bandages out of his spare shirt. Dropping to the ground next to her, he held her chin with his thumb and forefinger inspecting her face. Her eyes were swollen badly and most of her face bruised. Whoever had done that was probably why the lass had been in the forest to begin with. Rolling her over, he cut away the back and sides of her dress setting aside the pouch tied around her waist. He poured a small amount of the whiskey over the worst of her wounds before moving her to a sitting position as he wrapped bandages around her waist and then her head, her hair nearly soaked with blood.

Laying her back down, he began putting together a litter, quickly fashioning one from downed tree limbs nearby, lashing it altogether with rope and then tying it to his saddle in order for it to be pulled behind his horse. Padding it with grass and leaves, he took his bedroll, spreading it open over the litter before placing his patient upon it. Flipping the other half of the blanket over her, he began strapping her to the frame with the leftover bandages. Repacking his bag, he placed her pouch in it before mounting his horse and very slowly, headed home.