by Travis Bughi
Emily felt torn and her head hung heavily as she ran. What had she done to anger her grandmother? Chara’s respect had become everything to her, and she’d lost it in a heartbeat. Damn you, Nathok, Emily thought. If that elf cared so much for her, then he should have taken better care not to embarrass her in front of everyone—as if she didn’t have it hard enough trying to fit in. She looked more of an outsider than ever now. Her thoughts dragged ever downwards as the silence of the forest enveloped them all.
The group moved quickly, streaming through the forest with the knowledge that their lives depended on it. Emily was sure that the centaurs would be tracking them soon. Perhaps their tactic of leaving late morning had worked, and Lok’har would be caught unprepared, or perhaps he could not be caught unprepared, and their time with the elves had only made him wait. With sudden dread, Emily wondered if perhaps Lok’har had predicted their method of travel. Maybe they were running headlong into a trap.
Emily watched the forest with renewed eyes, but as the day dragged on, her fears remained unrealized. They dashed through Angor, heading straight south all through the day and well into the night. Emily welcomed the cool air to her burning lungs and sweaty skin.
Through the trees, the moon stabbed spears of light down through the tiny gaps between leaves. Emily looked up at it and saw that it was almost full. Others stole glances up at the celestial object, as well, in between gasps for breath. Everyone was exhausted, but no one asked for a break. They all knew that every moment spent running now was one less moment running through werewolf territory on a full moon night. Time was running out, which ironically, was exactly what they wanted.
When they did stop for the night, Emily was careful around her grandmother. She wanted to speak to her again, but didn’t want to be rejected. So, instead, she just watched Chara quietly unfold her bedroll and eat dinner. The silence between them was killing Emily. Eventually, she worked up the courage, or the impatience, to speak to Chara again. This might be the last time they were alive together, and Emily didn’t want to end things this way.
“Mother,” Emily whispered.
Emily waited for a reply, but none came, so she kept speaking.
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry for whatever I did to upset you.”
Emily waited again to see if Chara would say anything back, but when she didn’t, Emily turned back around to get ready for sleep. As she rolled herself up, she felt a tear trickle down her cheek. As it dripped down and splattered on the mat, she felt Chara’s hand reach over and grip her shoulder.
“I’m sorry, too, Daughter,” Chara said. “It’s just, I don’t want to lose another daughter.”
“You won’t, Mother,” Emily whispered and placed a hand on top of Chara’s. “I won’t leave you.”
Chara leaned over and kissed Emily’s cheek.
“Sleep well,” she said.
And Emily did. She went to sleep in surprising peace and serenity, thanks to Chara’s shower of forgiveness. It lasted right up until her dream came back.
Chapter 14
In the morning, they were running again. Despite all the soreness and tired, morning moans, they were running with eager feet. Today was their last day away from home, one way or another.
Out of all the amazons, Emily felt assured that she was taking the worst of the beating. Not only was she tired from a week of training, but her dream had kept her from getting the most out of her sleep. Thankfully, her nightmare seemed to have ended just before most everyone woke up. Either her timing was superb, or Quartus had delayed her dream on purpose to give her more sleep. Either way, waking up gasping and sweating was difficult to explain to the few others who were already awake.
“Dreaming of that elf again, eh?” Iezabel teased.
Emily ignored such comments. She found that any response she gave was instantly met with more taunts. They were all in good fun, at least that’s what she was told, but that didn’t make them any more enjoyable. At least Chara was smiling at the comments this time around.
The good news was that she only had to endure the remarks until they were on the move again. When they were running, silence was king. No teasing or yelling, jokes or taunts. The only sounds were breathing and feet hitting dried leaves. Admittedly, Emily listened to Chara’s breathing the most and worried about her constantly as they ran. It was a good thing this was their last day in Angor, for surely she could not endure another. The toll this trip was taking on her was more than apparent. Chara was on her last trip away from Themiscyra.
Emily was thinking about this as they were climbing one particularly steep slope. The forest was normally quite flat, but the occasional mountain and valley divided the landscape here and there. It was yet another aspect of Angor that Emily did not like. She hated to admit it, but she preferred the constant landscape of the plains over this. On the Great Plains, the highs were never too high, and the lows were never too low. Rarely was anything flat, and the land rolled on forever.
Angor was a shifting realm of the unknown. They could walk for miles on flat landscape only to come across an insurmountable mountain that jutted out of the ground and pierced the sky. Even if they found a climbable hillside, they might discover the opposite end to be a sheer drop and have to hike around another way. It was daunting and kind of a paradox. The landscape, as a whole, seemed to be divided against itself and determined to anger Emily. They needed to head south as soon as possible, and the forest was not making that easy.
As if to prove this thought, when the group finally reached the top of the mountain, they looked down the other side to see yet another sheer drop.
“Back down, girls,” Adelpha said.
They groaned, but otherwise said nothing. There was no one to blame for any of this. The amazons never went this deep into Angor. They were traveling uncharted territory and that meant mistakes were going to be made, mistakes that were costly and potentially deadly.
Emily paused before traveling back down and looked out past the mountain. All she could see were treetops, an endless sea of green. From up here, they seemed to cover everything, like the weeds and grass on the plains. They had only a day and a night of travel left, and she searched the landscape ahead for signs of the jungle. She could not find it, though, because they were either too far away or the forest blocked it all.
“You know what you’re looking at?” Chara asked.
“Trees?” Emily asked.
“You’re looking at werewolf territory.”
Emily looked back at her grandmother with a tense and surprised look.
“We passed into it yesterday,” Chara explained. “I didn’t tell you, so you could sleep better. Now come.”
Emily tensed up even more when she heard that. She looked down and south, expecting to see werewolves running through the forest, but saw only trees. How long would it take to pass through it all? Could they reach Themiscyra in time? They had just one day now, less than that, Emily thought, as she looked up at the sun riding high in the sky. Emily shared her worries with Chara as they climbed down.
“If we spend all day running,” the old woman said, panting, “without more interruptions like this, then we will probably reach the jungle’s edge by just a little after nightfall.”
“Is that enough time?” Emily asked.
“We’ll soon find out, won’t we?”
Emily didn’t find that comforting, but knew it was true enough. Their bets had been placed, and there was no going back. There was only going forward, and when they finished climbing down the mountain, they ran around it with haste. They traveled any way they could from there. They went up and down, dodging partially buried boulders, leaping over bushes, and speeding through streams and rivers. Emily usually hated the cold water, but she had to admit that it felt nice in that moment. Her legs and body burned from all the running, and the water cooled her sore muscles.
More than once, she glanced at Belen. The traitor was forced to run near the front, wh
ile Gaia was forced to run near the back. This kept them divided and unable to help each other. Emily tried to watch Belen for signs of the confidence that Dirthzea had mentioned, but instead the traitor seemed distraught, angry, and unhopeful. If the elf had been right, then Belen was hiding her feelings well. Perhaps she was plotting her escape at this very moment, and this misery was simply a mask to make others let their guard down. Or perhaps Gaia was the key to this all. Emily looked back at the massive, ugly woman.
Emily saw that Gaia’s lips were turned down and her eyes were red from crying. The amazon was obviously not looking forward to her trial. Her appearance was rather pathetic, actually, and Emily felt sorry for her. No, Emily mused, Gaia is no longer of use. Belen’s escape will be of her own doing. Belen would need to be watched carefully. If she escaped, there would be no time to pursue her.
So long as they kept running, though, watching her would be easy. At least if she did make a run for it, she would make a great distraction for the werewolves and centaurs. Emily took a slight pleasure in that fact, but felt a bit guilty about it. Then she remembered that night in Lucifan, when she’d almost been eaten alive by ogres, and no longer felt guilty. In fact, she began to hope for it. Try and run, again, Emily smirked. I won’t chase you this time.
The day dragged on and was made ever longer by the amazons’ fright. The sun was coming down, and the amazons were looking around in sheer amazement, daring to hope. Maybe they were actually going to make it after all. In the elves’ camp, they’d wagered that Lok’har wouldn’t follow them into werewolf territory, but few of them wholeheartedly believed it.
Yet, here they were, running through the forest, nearing the jungles, and the sun was setting. It was unbelievable. How could things have worked out this way? The amazons began to share smiles with each other. The sun kept lowering until it finally made contact with the world beneath the tree line, and Kirke and Leda clasped their hands in excitement.
They’d made it.
Then the sharp whistle of an arrow split the silent air with ferocious power, and the hair-raising sound ended abruptly as it smacked into a tree just a hand’s width from Iezabel’s head. The dead thunk might as well have been the dong of a gigantic bell. The eye of every amazon in the group turned at the sound, saw the arrow, and followed its trajectory.
Behind them, in pursuit, were twenty centaurs with bows raised.
“A forward scouting party!” Hanna yelled.
“Combative retreat!” Adelpha yelled.
Instantly, the amazons fell into line. Those in the front turned to shoot, forcing the centaurs within range to take cover. The amazons in the back moved to the front and turned around to shoot, too.
“Damn Lok’har!” Iezabel said. “I had a feeling he’d be crazy enough to fight us on werewolf land!”
The centaurs had barely gotten their bows in range when they started shooting. With the amazons running, the centaurs had to abandon stealth. This gave the amazons a little advantage, given that the greater range of their bows allowed them better accuracy.
“This is going to slow us down,” Heliena called to her sister, sounding remarkably calm about it. “The rest of their war party is probably coming up this way soon.”
Emily had to admire her poise.
“We don’t have a choice!” Adelpha said. “If we turn tail and run, these scouts will have an open range to take us down.”
“And if we don’t move faster,” Heliena countered, “there won’t be any of us left to turn and run when Lok’har gets here.”
Adelpha fired off another arrow and growled in anger. Emily ran past her and then turned around with an arrow already nocked. She looked for any centaurs too close together, found two, fired at one, and watched it leap to the side into his partner. They didn’t fall this time, but it did mess up their shots and buy valuable time.
Emily saw Adelpha fire an arrow and then look desperately at the situation. They had been so close, but the centaurs had finally caught up with them just as the last vestiges of light were disappearing. They could retreat safely by doing it combatively, but it would take them all night, the entire full moon night. Twenty humans made a tantalizing target, but adding double their number in centaurs made them an irresistible one.
The centaurs were shooting at them now, trying to slow them down so the rest of Lok’har’s forces could catch up. He doesn’t want to be stuck in werewolf territory, either, Emily thought, but he’ll do it to kill us. Emily looked up at Adelpha, then, and realized the young woman was faced with a very hard decision. Some amazons might die if they ran, but all of them would die if they didn’t.
“Run!” Adelpha yelled.
The amazons took off as fast as their legs could carry them. The arrows from the centaurs turned from a steady stream into an overwhelming flood. No sooner had they turned around than Emily watched a nearby amazon take an arrow directly between her shoulder blades. She tumbled down to the ground, and two of her friends quickly swooped their fallen comrade up. They weren’t going to make it with her, though, so Emily turned around to fire back.
It was a quick shot, unprepared, almost totally in the blind. She pulled two arrows from her quiver and, as she ran, spun in the air to face the centaurs. She quickly picked two targets and let her arrows fly, just like she’d done with Nathok countless times before.
And, just like those other times, her shots missed their targets. Each arrow struck a tree that partially covered a centaur. However, her plan worked anyway, and the centaurs stepped back into full cover, not wanting to be caught in the open. The other amazons saw Emily’s attempt and followed suit. They turned and shot quickly, catching many centaurs out in the open, unaware. Two centaurs, both reloading their bows while running full speed after the amazons, plunged down to the ground with arrows in their chests. The scouting party slowed their pursuit instantly and proceeded with more caution.
“It’s working!” Iezabel yelled, taking down a centaur that hadn’t fallen back soon enough. “They’re slowing down!”
It was not a moment too soon. The sun was barely visible now, and the sky was blackening quickly. Emily searched for the full moon, but could not find it with the trees in her way. She turned back to see the centaurs had not regained their speed. They still followed, shooting when they could, but they had learned their lesson. The amazons were running, but they weren’t helpless. The amazons cheered as they ran on, some yelling jeers and insults at the centaurs who now followed with care. Emily looked to Chara and saw the old woman panting hard. This was not a pace she could maintain.
Emily ran over to her and looped an arm under hers so they could run together.
“Lean on me, Mother,” Emily said. “Come on, you can make it.”
“And if I’m hit by a centaur arrow?” Chara asked through harsh breathing.
“Then I’ll kill that centaur or die trying,” Emily replied.
The scouting party chased them through the forest, and the amazons continued to run. The light faded quickly until only a few streaks hung loosely to the west. It was only then that the centaurs changed their tactics.
They went wide, picking up speed and trying to flank the amazons. A few shots from amazon bows kept the centaurs from closing in, but the centaurs didn’t try to push in much. They kept moving in a half circle at the amazons’ backs, only shooting arrows at those who strayed too far left or right.
The amazon with the arrow in between her shoulders slumped dead. The arrow had struck something vital, and there could be no saving her at a full run. Her friends reluctantly set her down and kept running. There would be no going back for that one. Emily watched as tears struck the eyes of every amazon, even Gaia, as they left one of their own behind. Vengeance eventually replaced the tears, and the amazons turned as they ran to fire more arrows at the centaurs.
The last of the sunlight faded, and the encompassing night shrouded all. The full moon gave off an eerie glow—its presence almost threatening. Everyone was nervous, and wo
rry plagued every face. Only Heliena seemed unconcerned, and Emily envied her confidence. In this desperate hour, when their gamble had turned horribly wrong, Emily realized that Heliena was the warrior Emily wanted to be. She wanted to be beautiful like her, confident like her, and skilled like her. The realization seemed to come out of nowhere. Surly, she had better things to focus on.
Another centaur arrow flew past Emily and struck the brush-covered ground. She’d strayed too far to the right and so pulled herself and Chara back to the left as another arrow struck a nearby tree. She tried her best to put as many objects as possible between them and the centaurs, but they were becoming slowly outflanked.
Suddenly, Iezabel turned around and yelled, “They’re peeling off.”
Emily glanced around to see the centaurs slowing their pace and pulling wide into the trees.
“They must be too far ahead of their group,” Adelpha said, a catch in her words.
“We did it, then!” Hanna yelled. “I knew Lok’har would give up! Must have gotten scared off by the moon.”
The amazons laughed in disbelief, eyes wide in bewilderment. The centaurs had stopped running now. They were just standing, watching them. The amazons smiled and faced forward again. It was then that they realized one amazon was not watching the centaurs.
Alone, just in front of them, Heliena stood perfectly still, staring ahead. The other amazons stopped immediately in their tracks.
“No,” Heliena called. “That’s not why they’ve stopped at all.”
As Emily stepped forward in the darkness, she and the other amazons saw what Heliena was staring at.
Right in front of them stood a massive, towering mountain.
They had run straight into a trap.
Chapter 15
