by Jenna Payne
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 strap
ped 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.
Her bare feet were covered in mud and also looked bloodied. Conrad looked her in the eye, noting for the first time that there was more than just the typical wide-eyed look of a defiant young human caught out after curfew. This woman wasn’t a teen pushing boundaries, she was genuinely terrified.
“I don’t know what happened to you, but we have to leave, soon. This forest is protected, but this far out from town, I can’t guarantee the vampires aren’t sneaking in and breaking the treaty. We don’t have time to discuss this. We have to leave soon or you’ll be in danger.”
He kept his hands up in front of him, swinging his leg over Stella’s rump and stepping onto the ground. He moved slowly towards the human, keeping his pace even, trying not to frighten her.
Hooves beat down the path ahead and to the right of them as Sterling pulled up and met them on the path. Conrad groaned aloud, not at all surprised when the girl turned and ran east, back the way she’d come.
“You have the worst timing.”
Conrad took off after the girl on foot, his long stride easily covering the distance between them. He caught himself admiring her firm backside as it peeked out from beneath the hem of her tunic. He admonished himself and picked up speed. They couldn’t spend any more time in the woods.
He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her back, slowing her down enough to grab hold of her waist and pull her into his arms.
“We have to go. I promise that no one will make a meal of you if you’ll just cooperate.”
“Never!” She kicked and writhed in his arms, trying her best to break free. She leaned down and bit his arm, drawing blood as he howled in pain.
Behind him, Sterling’s laughter carried through down the trail. A quick glance over his shoulder told him that Sterling had a clear view of the scene and his friend was enjoying the show.
“A little help, Sterling?”
“It looks like you’ve got it under control.”
Conrad groaned and picked the girl up, whistling to his mare. Stella raced to his side and stopped, waiting for him to mount. He placed the girl in the saddle and swung up behind her. He picked her up and slid into the saddle proper, locking her between himself and the cantle.
“I’m sorry I have to be so rough. It looks like you’ve had a hell of a day. But we’re out of time, and I don’t want to break my promise.”
Sterling turned the horses and took off at a fast gallop down the straight, open trail towards town. They’d lost a bit of time chasing after Lizette, and they both knew that Dallin couldn’t be trusted to uphold the treaty when the smell of human flesh was so close. The two of them didn’t stand much of a chance fighting alone with no way of calling for backup.
***
They eased the horses into a walk not far from their cabin outside Bradenton. Sterling pulled up beside Conrad, eyeing the angry red-head he held tightly against him while the horses trotted quickly towards home. Her tunic had bunched all the way up, leaving very little to the imagination. Her legs were strong, and beneath the dirt he could tell that she was quite pretty. He pushed back thoughts of her legs wrapped around his waist as he spoke to Conrad.
“We can’t take her to town. We don’t know who she is.”
Conrad nodded.
“Wait, no. I want to go to the town. I can’t stay out here! If I do, Dallin will—”
Conrad covered her mouth with his hand, gently but firmly.
“We don’t have time to argue. You have been bleeding for a while. The scent of your blood will lead them right to where I picked you up. We can’t risk bringing you to town, in case they are foolish enough to come after you. We can keep you safe in our home.”
Sterling looked as shocked as Lizette.
“I didn’t mean to bring her to our home, Conrad.”
“Then where would you have her stay?”
Ster
ling growled. Conrad was right, it was either their home or the town. They couldn’t put the townspeople at risk any more than they could turn her loose in the woods to fend for herself.
“Fine.”
Lizette tried to speak, but Conrad held fast. “I know you want your say, but I don’t know how to stress to you enough that we simply don’t have time. We aren’t going to hurt you, or we would have done that in the woods. Once we’ve had some time to figure out our next move, I promise we’ll take you into Bradenton. For now, you have to trust us, do you understand?”
Lizette nodded. She suddenly felt exhausted, and sagged against Conrad. Her lips felt parched and she struggled to wet them.
“Are you thirsty? When was the last time you drank anything?”
“At sunrise, right before I was drugged.”
Conrad wondered about the last comment, but decided to let it go, for now. They would have time enough to get her story from her. Right now, she needed more than just a few sips of water. He pulled a canteen from his saddle bags and twisted the top off before he handed it to her. She drank greedily, her throat working to pull the cool liquid out of the container.
Conrad looked her over as best he could, wincing in pain at some of the deeper cuts on her legs and arms. Her feet were caked with mud, even though it hadn’t rained in more than a week. It was likely caked blood that held the dirt to her bare feet. Conrad grew angry, but he kept himself in check. Dallin would get what was coming to him, but now was not the time.
They turned the horses down the road to their cabin, tucked neatly against a stand of trees outside the stone wall that surrounded the town. The wall was made entirely of stone, and had taken years to complete. It surrounded the entire town, with a mile of pasture land between the inside of the wall and the town itself. Every quarter of a mile, another cabin was built against the wall, with another pair of Lycan sentries living there full-time.