Along Came a Wolf (The Yellow Hoods, #1): Steampunk meets Fairy Tale (15 page)

“Run!” screamed Tee.

“No—
sail!
” corrected Richy. He grabbed his sail-cart, giving it a running push before leaping in.

Unmoving, Elly locked steely eyes with the rapidly approaching horseman, pulled one of her fully charged shock-sticks from her cloak, armed it, and threw it at him. 

His eyes widened as he recognized the object just before it made contact. A moment later, he was on the ground, flailing about—for a second time, thanks to Elly.

Elly and Tee grabbed their sail-carts and followed Richy toward the main road.

In all the confusion, the horseman at the doorway fumbled his rifle and accidentally fired into the trees. Out of shots, he started running toward his fallen colleague.

“Forget him! Help me!” barked LeLoup. Quickly, the horseman got LeLoup to his feet and hastily led him away.

“Tee?” yelled Nikolas as he arrived on the scene, only to see a downed horseman, and the three Yellow Hoods in their sail-carts heading down the road. He bent over to catch his breath, sweat beading down his face.

Captain Archambault arrived a minute later. He put his hand on Nikolas’ shoulder to reassure him, and was about to say everything was going to be fine, when LeLoup and his last remaining horseman came galloping through in pursuit of the Yellow Hoods.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

To the Ends of the Earth

Elly, Richy, and Tee raced past two dismounted and wounded guardsmen who must have tangled with a horseman earlier. The astonished guards didn’t understand what the kids were yelling as they raced by. A moment later, LeLoup and his last horseman bolted by in pursuit. The guards looked at each other, not sure what to do.

As the Yellow Hoods zoomed down the road, Elly hollered, “Richy, I’ve got to say, that thing you did with launching your sail-cart at LeLoup—”

“That was crazy,” interrupted Tee.

“Insane, that was just insane,” finished Elly.

Richy smiled. It hadn’t been the plan—it was just instinct, as if his sail-cart was an extension of himself. He would have done anything to protect his friends.

He suddenly had a bad feeling. Wanting to get a good look at the road behind them, he gave a quick jerk of the steering wheel and a pull of the brake for a second, before letting it go. His sail-cart spun around so he was now facing backward. Richy felt one of the wheels start wobbling.

“You can do
that?
” exclaimed Elly.

“LeLoup!” yelled Richy, deftly spinning his sail-cart back around.

Tee and Elly glanced over their shoulders. Their stomachs tightened with fear as they saw LeLoup and his horseman galloping after them.

“They’re gaining on us!” yelled Elly.

“Richy, any idea how we can charge our sticks and not crash?” asked Elly. “I’ve never sailed this fast.”

He looked at the simple controls of the sail-cart. “Um, um… okay, I’ve got it! Bring your sail down, and use your knees on the steering wheel—like this!” Richy started to furiously wind up his shock-sticks. Elly copied him.

Recognizing a distinctive gnarled tree and large rock, Tee realized they were near where she and Elly had tested out their first homemade sail-cart, weeks ago.

Glancing over her shoulder, Tee confirmed LeLoup and his horseman were only a dozen yards behind. She shot a quick look at her friends. Their weapons were ready, and sails back up. Taking a deep breath, Tee made her decision.

She pulled her hood back, revealing herself, and turned to lock eyes with LeLoup. His face became red with rage as he recognized her. Tee turned her sail-cart off the road and into the forest. LeLoup immediately followed.

“Where’s she going?” screamed Elly. “What’s she doing?”

The horseman still pursuing Richy and Elly fired his pistol— but missed both of them.

Richy glanced back and threw his first shock-stick at the horseman. While his throw missed, it caused the horseman to drop his pistol.

The horseman was almost on top of them now. He pulled out his sword. Reaching down, he swung the blade in a wide arc, cutting Richy’s sail in half. As Richy tried to maneuver, two of his wheels fell off and the sail-cart spun out.

Elly looked at her remaining shock-stick. Recognizing she was almost in front of her own house, and knowing the next section of road like the back of her hand, she took a chance and stood up in the sail-cart. She turned backward to face the grinning horseman as he prepared another swipe—and then expertly threw her shock-stick at him.

“Bull’s-eye!” yelled Richy as he saw the horseman flail and fall off his horse, rolling into the bushes.

Elly sat back down, yanked down the sail, and pulled hard on the brake, bringing her cart to an abrupt stop.

After taking a moment to catch her breath, Elly looked up to see her parents standing outside—staring in awe at what they had just witnessed. 

They looked at the riderless horse trotting by, then Richy, who was cheering as he ran toward Elly, and then back to their daughter. They weren’t sure what to make of everything.

Elly climbed out of the cart and smiled at her parents. “Sorry—I can’t talk about it. Official
Yellow Hoods
business.”

“Huh,” said her parents, dumbfounded.

Tee needed to maintain strict focus in order to control her sail-cart as she rocketed down the mountainside. The last time, she had taken advantage of every opportunity to slow down. This time, she tried to go as fast as she could—LeLoup was trying to run her down. She could hear him screaming incoherently behind her.

Meanwhile, back at Tee’s home, William and Jennifer had just finished loading the second trunk onto the cart.

“I think that’s everything,” said William. “I can’t believe that even with all of the stuff out here, the house
still
looks pretty full.”

“Do you hear something?” asked Jennifer, glancing about.

William listened and looked around carefully. “Sounds like it’s coming from over there,” he said, pointing.

“That sound… I can’t figure out what it is,” said Jennifer.

What had started as a single, rumbling noise quickly separated into a concert of distinct sounds: tree branches snapping, underbrush being crushed, wood knocking on stone, a horse whinnying, and a familiar high-pitched voice calling out.

“Get the crossbow!” yelled Jennifer.
“Now!”

“Huh? Why?” said William, though he reacted immediately and started to search.

“It’s Tee!” said Jennifer.

“Are you sure?” replied William, confused.

“
Yes!
Something’s wrong!”

Both of them searched furiously for the crossbow and the bolt with the rope attached.

“Why can’t we ever remember where we put that thing?” yelled William, frustrated.

Over the noise came Tee’s desperate voice, “Mom! Dad! Help!”

Jennifer was almost paralyzed by the screams of her baby girl. “Will, I’ve got the bolt with the rope! Quick—she’ll be here any second!” Jennifer started to track where Tee might be coming from.

“Got it!” yelled William, sprinting from the other side of the house, crossbow in hand.

Jennifer handed the bolt to her husband. “Someone’s chasing her!”

William yanked the string back hard with one hand, cocking the crossbow.

“She’s coming too fast, Will!” said Jennifer, panicking. “Slow down, Tee!” she screamed.

After placing the bolt in the crossbow’s barrel, William aimed for where Jennifer pointed, awaiting his exact target. The seconds seemed to stretch out forever until, in the blink of an eye, Tee shot out of the forest and across the clearing, with LeLoup only a few yards behind. 

William was beside himself. “The cliff—I—I didn’t have time,” he stammered quietly.

Before any emotion could settle in, Jennifer yanked William’s arm and yelled, “Come on!” They darted after Tee.

Seconds later, they heard a horse’s prolonged neigh, a loud crash, and then silence.

As Tee re-entered the forest across the clearing, she realized her parents couldn’t save her this time. She was closing in on the cliff.

When the familiar tree came into view, Tee remembered how she, her grandfather, and dad had reinforced it, tying it back with the cables her grandfather had crafted, and packing down the roots with more soil. Her grandfather had also secured a mysterious iron ring to the tree, at about his shoulder height. He’d measured where it was to go a half dozen times, and after installing it, had tried his best to pull it out, but it held firm. He hadn’t explained why he’d attached the ring. All he had said was, “I put it here just in case.”

Tee pulled the sail-cart’s brake with both hands, but sensed it wouldn’t be enough at this distance. There must be some other way, she thought, her eyes desperately searching for an answer. Then, she noticed the other lever, similar to the brake on the right, but on the left. It hadn’t been there before. Grandpapa! 

With nothing to lose, Tee pulled the second lever with all her strength. Suddenly, five mini-crossbow bolts shot out of the front of the sail-cart, trailed by thin black cables. As her grandfather must have expected, one connected with the tree’s iron ring, and—like magic—locked itself securely in place just as Tee and her cart went sailing off the cliff.

The horse, upon seeing the cliff edge, neighed with panic. It violently turned and started back up the mountain, throwing LeLoup into the air.

He grinned at the thought that Tee would share his fate—but then the slack in the cable ran out and both Tee and her sail-cart flew through the air in a semi-circle, and back onto the cliff’s edge. 

“No!!!!!!” screamed LeLoup.

A moment later, Tee’s parents arrived to find their daughter face down in the dirt and leaves. Her sail-cart lay a few yards away, smashed and tangled in cables. To their relief, Tee rolled over and looked at them with her beautiful large brown eyes. 

After repeatedly checking herself for injuries and hugging her parents, Tee said, “I guess LeLoup won’t have to worry about people knowing he was defeated by the Yellow Hoods.”

Her parents chuckled with nervous relief.

“You forgot something,” said Jennifer.

“What’s that?” asked Tee.

“Your triumphant
La-la
,” answered her mom, sweetly.

Tee thought about it for a moment. For years, Tee had added her special exclamation to things she’d done—but none of them had been as serious as this.

Sitting on her dad’s knee, and looking at the trees and their enchanting, colored leaves, she said, “Mom, I think I might have outgrown it.”

Her parents hugged her tightly.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Tale of The Yellow Hoods

From the moment that Jennifer had proposed to everyone to bring their families, and some food to share, the hours had flown by. The evening was a victory celebration. Almost everyone made it.

After eating, Jennifer gathered the group around the wood stove and retold the tale of the recent events. In her captivating tale, she deftly wove together everyone’s perspective. Though they all knew the outcome, she held her audience in suspense the entire time. This telling would cement the story in everyone’s minds as the first tale of the Yellow Hoods. 

William had coordinated the food and beverages, and kept the fire going while Jennifer regaled everyone with the tale. He was fond of watching his wife tell a great story.

As a side tale, she explained to Tee the long-standing relationship between the Cochon brothers and the family. Tee apologized, again, to Bakon for the stone incident.

Nikolas sat quietly during all of it, cuddling his granddaughter. He thought to himself how these gatherings helped make the house a home.

He’d watched Bakon and Egelina-Marie with fatherly pride. Each was unsure how to act with the other in front of family, friends, and neighbors. Gabriel and his wife seemed to be oblivious to the whole thing.

Bore and Squeals reminded Nikolas of when they were little and would sit by the fire with his other children, while Jennifer would capture their imagination with wild bedtime stories. Now they sat there, bigger, but still boys, soaking in everything and laughing at the best parts. Isabella would have loved to have seen it.