Authors: Jenna Payne
***
The human, Owen Wrigley, sat on the back of the pack horse, tightly bound and tied to the saddle. He sat quietly, trying not to panic as the horses moved quickly through the forest. Convicted of murdering a young woman in Bradenton, Wrigley had been sentenced to be released in the Immortal Woods; the only place in Northern Ungerland that wasn’t protected by the Lycan clan of Bradenton.
Since the war between the Vampire and the Lycan, they’d held onto a tentative treaty. The last fifty years, Bradenton had been free from vampire attacks, and they exiled all their criminals to the Immortal Woods. They were given a pack of supplies and dropped off in daylight, left to fend for themselves.
They could try to make it to the human stronghold in Lower Ungerland, but until now, no one had made it far enough to escape the vampires. The humans of Bradenton were safe, protected by Lycan sentries that lived in the woods surrounding the walled-in township, and the Bradenton forest was free of vampires and safe for hunters.
The Lycan king, Omus III, hadn’t been completely satisfied with the outcome, as his original goal had been to destroy all the vampires in the area. But reducing their numbers to fewer than thirty had been a good start. With human flesh being so scarce, they didn’t dare turn their limited meals into more vampires.
It wouldn’t be long before the vampires were eradicated altogether, and the humans would be safe at last.
Sterling rode in front of the pack animal and the doomed human. Sterling’s hair was lighter than most Lycans, a sandy blond rather that the deep sable that was typical of werewolves. His eyes were bright hazel, as were the eyes of the rest of his family. He came from a long-line of light wolves, though no one was really sure where the mutation had come from.
In contrast to Sterling, Conrad was dark, with dark brown eyes that were almost black and a long mane of thick, jet-black hair. He brought up the rear, keeping their little caravan moving at a fast clip as they headed for the Immortal Woods.
Both Sterling and Conrad were silent, pensive and enjoying the scenery. The trial for Wrigley had been swift but fair. The evidence against him so compelling that no one was shocked when the guilty verdict came back.
Wrigley sat quietly on the horse’s back, eyes drooping as the steady movement rocked him. If he was going to survive the night, he had to save his energy. No amount of pleading or begging would change his fate, but with any luck, he could make good time and reach the stronghold before he was caught by vampires.
He had no intention of becoming anyone’s next meal.
Sterling stretched in the saddle, twisting first left then right, trying to ease the discomfort in his back. They’d been riding since dawn, ensuring that they would reach the release point in time to make it back to Bradenton before the sun set.
They were about thirty minutes away from their final destination, and Conrad was ready to go home. He hated prisoner duty more than anything. It wasn’t the humans they released; he had no problem leaving the worst of the worst in the Immortal Forest to pay for their sins. The long, monotonous ride bored him and made him wish for his large, plush bed in his fine bedroom, in the cabin he shared with Sterling. Every cabin was occupied by two sentries, and those that were paired up were partners for life. They rotated jobs, but otherwise, Conrad was stuck with the surly Sterling.
They’d been best friends since they were cubs, so Conrad really didn’t mind. But times like this, where a little fun would have broken up the monotony of the job, he wished he’d been partnered up with someone more like himself.
They came upon the sign that warned anyone who might have gotten this far into the woods that there was no Lycan protection beyond this point. It instructed any traveler in the area to head five miles west to ensure his safety.
Sterling picked up speed after passing the sign, eager to get to the drop-off point and unload Wrigley. He urged his horse into a trot, clicking his tongue to instruct the pack horse to follow suit. On his mare, Conrad cantered slowly behind the others. Her stride was shorter than the two in front, which is why she always got to bring up the rear. Her gentle canter was smooth and rhythmic. Her feet landed softly on the thin layer of dirt beneath her on the path. Conrad loosened the reins. His horse kept its slow, easy pace while he relaxed.
The prisoner struggled to stay in the center of the saddle, nearly bouncing off with each stride of the pack horse’s trot.
“Sterling!” Conrad called up to his friend, motioning with his head towards Wrigley. Sterling nodded and pushed his horse into an easy canter. The pack horse moved into a canter as well, giving the man a much smoother ride.
The prisoner mumbled under his breath his thanks, but Conrad ignored him. He wasn’t interested in the man’s comfort; he just didn’t feel like wrestling the heavy man back into the saddle while he was bound.
A short while later, they made it to the drop-off point. The sun was still quite high in the sky.
“You’re in luck, you have more than five hours of daylight before the vamps come out to feed. You might be the first to make it out of here.” Sterling dismounted, handing his reins to Conrad as well as the rope to the pack horse.
He went around to the prisoner, talking as he approached, “If you kick me or try to attack me in any way, I’ll tie you to that tree over there and you won’t have a choice. Do you understand?”
Wrigley nodded and held his hands in front of him. Sterling ignored the man’s outstretched arms and cut the rope securing him to the saddle instead. He removed the pack from the saddle and threw it as hard as he could. It landed with a thud several yards from them. He pulled Wrigley from the saddle and set the man on his feet.
“I’m going to cut the rope most of the way, but you’ll have to work a bit to break your hands apart. I would suggest retrieving the pack and running towards the south before you worry about the rope. You don’t have much time, but the last convict I brought here tried to steal my horse as soon as I untied him. I don’t want to have to kill you right here, understand?”
“Of course I do. I’m not an imbecile.”
“That’s a matter of opinion.”
Sterling cut the rope binding Wrigley’s hands about three quarters of the way through, before shoving the man towards the pack.
“You have food and water to last a few days, as well as a blanket and some other supplies. You won’t need them, but the people of Bradenton show more compassion than you showed that young mother.”
Sterling took the reins from Conrad and mounted his horse. Sitting tall in the saddle, he took the pack horse’s lead and started heading back the way they came. Conrad remained behind, facing the prisoner and making sure the man didn’t try to ambush them from behind before they put some distance between them.
Wrigley looked at Conrad for a moment, and then he ran for the pack. A sharp boulder jutted out from the trail beside the pack, and Wrigley knelt beside it, running the thin piece of rope over one sharp edge quickly, freeing his hands in a matter of seconds. He didn’t even glance at Conrad before he ran headlong into the woods, heading south as fast as his legs could carry him.
Conrad turned his mare and urged her forward, letting her gallop for a bit to catch up to Sterling. When he did, they cantered side by side for several miles, finally pulling up when the horses had had enough.
“At this pace, we should be home long before sundown,” Sterling mused.
“That would be good.”
The forest was quiet around them. The only sound was the sporadic calling of the birds to one another. The horses moved towards home at a fast clip. They were eager to get home to their feed, and to rest for the night in their barn, where they were protected from the dangers that lurked beyond the town walls.
***
Conrad and Sterling crossed into the Bradenton Forest hours later as the sun sank toward the horizon. They were only about an hour’s ride from home, and it looked like they would arrive with time to spare. Conrad smiled to himself. They would have time to hit the tavern and enjoy some ale before heading back to their cabin. They weren’t on duty tonight, having taken prisoner duty instead, but a Lycan was never truly off-duty. If the alarm sounded, they would all come out to protect their human charges, as they had for generations.
Conrad heard something in the distance, and he perked up in the saddle. The local deer were nomadic, moving between this forest and others in the neighboring country. But he hadn’t seen a deer in weeks. Deer meant meat, and meat meant delicious stew. He’d grown tired of eating rabbit.
He saw a flash of red in the trees beyond, moving quickly west. The color was wrong, and Conrad wondered if he was seeing a large fox, out in the daytime. There was only one reason nocturnal animals appeared in the day, and it wasn’t a good one. A rabid animal could wreak havoc on the local fauna, causing food to scarcen and much needed population to dwindle.
“I’ll catch up,” Conrad called out to Sterling softly. He pulled his bow from the saddle and an arrow from the quiver strapped to his back. Sterling nodded, unconcerned with Conrad’s behavior. Sterling continued on while Conrad urged his horse down a side trail and towards the fleeing animal.
His horse, who he affectionately called Stella, cantered down the trail, ears pricked and eyes alert. She could feel the change in her rider’s body, and she knew they were about to hunt. She moved swiftly, her large hooves surprisingly quiet due to the soft terrain beneath her.
Conrad caught sight of the fox again, running through the trees, making a lot of noise. Nocking the arrow, he pulled back and aimed, carefully targeting the creature before he let the arrow fly.
He saw red flash in between two trees, feet away from a narrow clearing. He would take the fox down there, a quick, clean kill to put the poor thing out of its misery. He aimed and held the arrow steady, waiting for it to break into the clearing.
He saw her a split second before he let the arrow fly. He pulled the bow up, unable to stop his hand from releasing in time. The arrow hit the tree above her head, inches from her wild, curly mane.
The woman looked at him, her eyes wild with fear. She ran into the trees again, still headed for Bradenton. But they were miles away, and there was no way she could make it there before the sun set.
Sterling waved to him from the trail parallel calling out to him. His voice carried through the forest.
“That’s enough, Conrad. Leave the poor thing be.”
“It’s a human. I have to catch her before she gets to the river. She’ll never get to town in time.”
Sterling watched Conrad push Stella into a gallop, ducking through the trees as she raced down the narrow trail that cut across the trail that the human had run down.
“A human?” His words went unanswered as he watched his friend disappear into the trees. He shrugged and kept riding on. This trail eventually met up with the one that Conrad had taken, so he would see the human soon enough. Conrad didn’t need Sterling’s help to rescue a frightened human in the woods.
Conrad watched the tree-line ahead and to his left, catching glimpses of the woman’s fiery hair flying behind her as she ran. He called out to her several times, but he wasn’t sure if she heard him. She might well have, but she was obviously running scared, unwilling to trust a stranger who had just shot an arrow at her.
Her path finally joined his, and the trail opened up as it made its way toward the river. Too late, she realized her mistake, and she found herself with nowhere to hide.
***
Lizette turned, staring down the trail at the man and horse bearing down on her. She looked around, frantically searching for a weapon of some sort. Her eyes fell on a small branch that resembled a club. She picked it up, swinging it wildly in front of her.
The man and horse stopped, while she continued. The man regarded her with concern, the expression knocking her off balance. This wasn’t the look of a man who had tried to kill her and found her alive. This man looked
sorry
.
“Don’t come any closer. I will not be a meal for a vampire. Not today, not ever.” She swept the branch forward, leaning into the swing so that the air from the weapon brushed Stella’s nose.
Stella pulled her head back but held her ground. Conrad put his hands up in front of him, showing they were empty.
“I’m not trying to hurt you, I want to help.”
“Is that what you call shooting an arrow at my
head?
”
“It was an accident. I thought you were a rabid fox.”
“A likely story. Stay back or I’ll knock this horse’s head off.”
Conrad threw back his head and laughed. The woman was tiny, and her weapon wouldn’t do more than offend the mare if she swung it with all her might. That was if the rotted stick didn’t crumble on contact.
“Look. It’s going to be dark soon. Come with me and I’ll get you back to Bradenton where you’ll be safe.”
Lizette regarded him for a moment, holding the stick out in front of her to keep him from coming any closer. The hem of her tunic rested just on her thighs, drawing Conrad’s eye to her slender legs. They were covered in scratches, some of them bleeding steadily and dripping down her legs.