~ReikaI was leaning against a wall, my eyes slowing closing, heading to a much-needed sleep when the sound of a distant growl reached my ears. My heart skipped a beat and I rose to my feet in fear. I looked at Arya, who had frozen in place, her eyes wide with concern.How had they found us so quickly?“Have they found us?”, I asked, my voice trembling, even though I didn’t want it to. I had to be strong!“It’s a warning,” Arya said quietly. “ It means they’re still looking for us. They’re probably close by. As long as we don’t make any noise, we’ll be okay. We need to be vigilant”“What about our scent? I hadn’t thought of it earlier but won’t they be able to trace it here.”Arya gave me a faint smile, “I’ve taken care of that. I concealed our scent with a magic potion, Eragon and I had gotten a while back.”The small sack she’d been holding!“Oh. Smart move.” I mentally smacked myself. Why hadn’t I thought of that? I was so useless. The Moon pack is still out there, searching for us
~ReikaI hesitated, my heart hurting with the knowledge that I was leaving everyone fighting those monsters behind. I had to trust that they'd be okay. With one final look, I turned and entered the passage. As Arya led everyone into the depths of the passage, the sounds of the battle fading, I made a vow to myself, that I would find a way to end this war, no matter what it took. But now the women and children were of top priority.The darkness of the passage pressed in on me, as we followed closely behind Arya, through the winding tunnels. There was no light, just plain darkness, making it impossible to see anything. The only sense of direction we had was the formation of a straight line, where everyone held onto each other with Arya leading. As we reached the hidden exit in the forest, I paused and listened intently. The sounds of battle were distant now, but I could hear the occasional distant growls. I only hoped Vlad and Eragon were holding their own.Arya ushered everyone out int
~ReikaAs I lay there, the warmth of Vlad’s body pressed against mine, a sense of unease gnawed at the back of my mind. The world outside the tent seemed distant, almost unreal, but I couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong.Suddenly, the flap of the tent was thrown open, and Arya burst in, her face pale, her eyes wide with fear. “Reika, we need to leave. Now!”I sat up quickly, pulling away from Vlad. “What’s happening?”“They found us,” Arya gasped, struggling to catch her breath. “The Moon pack… they’ve found us and we’re outnumbered. They’re vicious, Reika!”Vlad was on his feet in an instant, his expression darkening. “The Moon pack?” His voice was a low growl, the tension in the room thick enough to cut with a knife.My heart sank. I had hoped for more time to prepare myself for this, but it seemed fate had other plans. “They want me. But I didn’t think they’d find us and this quickly too,” I whispered, my mind racing. “We have to get out of here before they….”A
A few days later, I made it to Boulderstall and was shocked by what I witnessed. The town was in ruins and men who I recognized as warriors of the moon pack guided the place. I knew this because there were many faces I’d encountered during my visits to their territory. I could capture things easily. Staying out of focus, I monitored everything that took place in front of the great gate that opened to the town. Carriages entered carrying boxes probably filled with food supplies. I still couldn’t fathom the fact that the moon pack had attacked the crescent stone back. Alpha Conri and Alpha Bodolf had been allies way before I had even been born. Surely, their friendship wouldn’t have been strong enough if a simple cancelled marriage had led to this.There was a ninety per cent chance that Reika was already in Boulderstall and had been captured. Though the chances were high, my gut told me she wasn’t. That I should look somewhere else. But where?Crouching down I tried to smell for any cl
~VLAD~I could hear concerned voices surrounding me as I was carried from the ground and placed on what felt like a mat. Their voices were muffled in my ears so I couldn’t pick up what they were talking about. I was semi-unconscious, that I could tell since I could not open my damn eyes. I tried to recognize each of them which, was useless considering my current state. The pain was still there but, I could no longer feel the dagger that had been accidentally stabbed into my chest by the woman I’d come to care about—that too against my wishes. She was the only one I could think of at that moment. Was she okay? Had she already reached Boulderstall? And most importantly, would I get to see her again? I felt a deep ache in my chest just from thinking of that. A wet substance was suddenly applied to my wound before all hearing seized and, I blacked out again.I woke up to the sound of men talking and the clattering of plates. My stomach grumbled and, my mouth watered as my nose picked up t
~ReikaI made my way through the crowd until I stood in front of what had caught their attention. My body became tense, my hands slightly shaking by my sides as I stared at the person before me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing."V-Vlad?" my voice came out hoarse, my throat suddenly parched. He wasn’t dead! I couldn't explain the emotion that washed over me. Relief, sadness, I couldn’t tell but I was glad to see him. He looked well. No one would believe I’d stabbed him with a silver dagger some weeks ago. He stared back at me, his gaze piercing my soul as he came towards me. There was something in his gaze, a fondness that hadn’t been there before. It confused me. Everyone moved back, clearing the way for him as he reached me. I stood frozen before him, too shocked that words refused to tumble out of my mouth.He stood close now, so close that I could see a fading scar that cut across the left side of his face. It hadn’t been there before but it reminded me of the stranger behind