They had been riding for a few hours, and Alex was as happy as she
ever was. She loved Eclipse and loved riding. She could do it all day. The
forest was getting thicker and Tori seemed to be complaining more. Alex
didn't care though, she loved being out of the city and finally in nature.
Off in the distance Alex thought she heard a noise. Stopping Eclipse she put a hand up to quiet Tori. She was still for a moment, and then dismounted. "Take the reins Tori."
"Where do you think you are going?"
"I heard a noise. I want to see what it was."
"And leave me here all alone?"
"I'm not. You have Eclipse and Luna," Alex turned to go into the forest. She paused and turned back, "Do you want the ring?"
Tori quickly shook her head, "No! That dumb ring has been singing this whole trip. You'd think its sole purpose in life is to sit on your mom's finger." It was true; the ring had sung the entire time. But it was quiet now, as if it could sense it needed to be quiet.
Alex ventured into the woods. She went deeper and deeper until she came to a stream. Stopping she looked around, expecting something, anything to happen. She was about to move on when someone grabbed her shoulder. Alex ducked and swept her leg around to catch her attacker. He fell, but somersaulted back into a standing position. Alex turned to run but her attacker was quicker and tackled her to the ground. He flipped her onto her back and pinned her to the ground. Scared, Alex took in her attacker like she was back in New York and would have to identify him later to the police. He had blonde hair and dark eyes, but the feature that stood out was the scar that ran through his cheekbone. He suddenly jumped up like he was on fire, "Who are you?" he demanded in a Queen's English accent.
Alex scrambled to her feet stood tall and announced in a dignified voice, "I am Alexis Snow Wolfson."
"The man thought about that, "Wolfson? Sounds familiar."
Another man slipped out of the bushes on the other side of the stream. He looked older then Alex's attacker. He was broad with dark hair. "Who is your mother child?"
"Her name was Virginia."
"The fair Virginia."
"Not fair, just Virginia. Possibly evil, or cruel, but not fair."
The new man looked hurt, "Virginia was the most fair, but she hasn't been seen in many years. She must to be trapped, or dead. Fair Virginia would never let any of this happed."
Alex sensed he was not talking about the fight she just had with the younger man. She was about to ask when Tori's scream shattered the serene forest air. Alex didn't think twice and raced back to her friend. Someone was attacking Tori and they would not live long when Alex got to them. She heard the two men chasing her down. She hoped they were not helping the man attacking Tori. If they were, it would be an ambush.
Alex made it to the path she left Tori. Taking in the scene in a blink of an eye Alex got busy. Tori was off her horse struggling with a tall gangly man. There were three others struggling with the two horses. Alex ran up to the one who had Tori and shoved the heal of her hand in is face. Blood splattered everywhere. The man let go of Tori and grabbed it face. One of the three remaining men grabbed Alex from behind as a second ran to Tori. Alex kicked up her feet and knocked Tori's new attacker in the back of the head. He stumbled for a moment and went down. She then kicked her attacker on the inside of his knee. He let go with a howl of pain. Grabbing his knee he jumped back. Alex spun around and kicked him in the face. The man went down holding his now broken nose.
There was one attacker left. Forgetting Luna for the moment he started towards Tori. The man with the scar was also heading to her. Alex noticed the dagger at the scared man's hip. Alex was off in a second. She grabbed the dagger and brought it up just under the other man's chin. "If you touch one hair on her head, I swear to God I will cut your throat clean open. The man raised his arms in surrender. The other attackers were calming down and looked shocked as well. The scared man put out his hand for his dagger. Alex took the opportunity to pounce on him. "Can't you see this girl is severely injured? She is unarmed and hurt. Do you win a prize for the easiest catch? Or are you just cowards who attack girls in the woods? Well?" The scared man looked at the other men in turn, finally settling on Alex, "You and your friend will stay with us tonight. The Disenchanted Forest is a frightening place at night. Our healer might be able to help your friend." Two men helped Tori back on her horse and Alex grabbed the reins to guide. She didn't trust these men, but Eclipse trusted the one with the scar. He took her reins and led the way deep into the woods to their camp.
Off in the distance Alex thought she heard a noise. Stopping Eclipse she put a hand up to quiet Tori. She was still for a moment, and then dismounted. "Take the reins Tori."
"Where do you think you are going?"
"I heard a noise. I want to see what it was."
"And leave me here all alone?"
"I'm not. You have Eclipse and Luna," Alex turned to go into the forest. She paused and turned back, "Do you want the ring?"
Tori quickly shook her head, "No! That dumb ring has been singing this whole trip. You'd think its sole purpose in life is to sit on your mom's finger." It was true; the ring had sung the entire time. But it was quiet now, as if it could sense it needed to be quiet.
Alex ventured into the woods. She went deeper and deeper until she came to a stream. Stopping she looked around, expecting something, anything to happen. She was about to move on when someone grabbed her shoulder. Alex ducked and swept her leg around to catch her attacker. He fell, but somersaulted back into a standing position. Alex turned to run but her attacker was quicker and tackled her to the ground. He flipped her onto her back and pinned her to the ground. Scared, Alex took in her attacker like she was back in New York and would have to identify him later to the police. He had blonde hair and dark eyes, but the feature that stood out was the scar that ran through his cheekbone. He suddenly jumped up like he was on fire, "Who are you?" he demanded in a Queen's English accent.
Alex scrambled to her feet stood tall and announced in a dignified voice, "I am Alexis Snow Wolfson."
"The man thought about that, "Wolfson? Sounds familiar."
Another man slipped out of the bushes on the other side of the stream. He looked older then Alex's attacker. He was broad with dark hair. "Who is your mother child?"
"Her name was Virginia."
"The fair Virginia."
"Not fair, just Virginia. Possibly evil, or cruel, but not fair."
The new man looked hurt, "Virginia was the most fair, but she hasn't been seen in many years. She must to be trapped, or dead. Fair Virginia would never let any of this happed."
Alex sensed he was not talking about the fight she just had with the younger man. She was about to ask when Tori's scream shattered the serene forest air. Alex didn't think twice and raced back to her friend. Someone was attacking Tori and they would not live long when Alex got to them. She heard the two men chasing her down. She hoped they were not helping the man attacking Tori. If they were, it would be an ambush.
Alex made it to the path she left Tori. Taking in the scene in a blink of an eye Alex got busy. Tori was off her horse struggling with a tall gangly man. There were three others struggling with the two horses. Alex ran up to the one who had Tori and shoved the heal of her hand in is face. Blood splattered everywhere. The man let go of Tori and grabbed it face. One of the three remaining men grabbed Alex from behind as a second ran to Tori. Alex kicked up her feet and knocked Tori's new attacker in the back of the head. He stumbled for a moment and went down. She then kicked her attacker on the inside of his knee. He let go with a howl of pain. Grabbing his knee he jumped back. Alex spun around and kicked him in the face. The man went down holding his now broken nose.
There was one attacker left. Forgetting Luna for the moment he started towards Tori. The man with the scar was also heading to her. Alex noticed the dagger at the scared man's hip. Alex was off in a second. She grabbed the dagger and brought it up just under the other man's chin. "If you touch one hair on her head, I swear to God I will cut your throat clean open. The man raised his arms in surrender. The other attackers were calming down and looked shocked as well. The scared man put out his hand for his dagger. Alex took the opportunity to pounce on him. "Can't you see this girl is severely injured? She is unarmed and hurt. Do you win a prize for the easiest catch? Or are you just cowards who attack girls in the woods? Well?" The scared man looked at the other men in turn, finally settling on Alex, "You and your friend will stay with us tonight. The Disenchanted Forest is a frightening place at night. Our healer might be able to help your friend." Two men helped Tori back on her horse and Alex grabbed the reins to guide. She didn't trust these men, but Eclipse trusted the one with the scar. He took her reins and led the way deep into the woods to their camp.