by Lily Thomas
Elizabeth slipped out from under the covers. Looking back at Stryme's sleeping form she made sure he really was fast asleep. He hadn't moved and was still breathing evenly.
She felt guilty about slinking off in the night, after all the effort he had gone through with finding Esme. Yet, she felt like he was giving her no choice. It wasn't like she would ever be a content captive. She needed to try to get away from the giants, at least once, to be able to live with herself.
She paused. If she escaped, he might punish the others. But if they all tried to escape at once, they probably wouldn’t make it far. It had to be one person, and right now she might have the right opportunity.
If he caught her escaping, there was the probability she would ruin any trust she had built between them, but he wasn't leaving her any other way. Lifting a small section of the tent entrance she poked her head out to take a look around the now silent camp.
If she went by foot, Stryme would easily catch up with her after finding her missing. Elizabeth shook her head in disappointment. She didn’t want to tip him off about her intentions to escape, until she thought she could actually make it.
She was about to close the flap in defeat, when a snort from her left had her head jerking up.
A horse.
Though bigger than human horses, it was still a horse. It could be her best hope. If she was on horseback, she might be able to get enough distance between them to make the escape worth it. This very well could be her opportunity.
She felt giddy with all the butterflies bouncing around in her stomach.
The horse pricked its ears forward. It was Stryme's horse. It wouldn’t be wise to take his horse, but it would get her point across. She was never going to give up. Taking his horse would show her courage or her stupidity.
Elizabeth smiled. It was now or never.
She was unsure if there would be guards positioned around the camp, but it was a risk she would have to take.
Letting the tent flap close behind her, she made her way over to Stryme’s horse. If a giant did happen to see her, she would try the excuse of needing to use the forest. There was no other reason for why she would be out of the tent at such a late hour.
Once she made her way over to the horse, she laid a hand on its soft nose. It snorted in her face, and the hay scented breath caused her to smile broadly.
She took a second to marvel at the size of his hooves. They were the size of dinner platters. Someone had taken off the armor he had been wearing, but that would only make it easier for her and the horse. Now the giant horse would only have her weight, which would be next to nothing for him. Bareback riding would be more difficult with his size, but she was sure she could do it.
Elizabeth heaved a sigh. She had to at least give it a try.
Calmly, she ran her hands over his flanks, shoulders, and neck. His black coat was so smooth, and it glistened in the moonlight.
“I hope you don't mind being ridden by a stranger, my friend.” Elizabeth whispered up to him, as his black eyes watched her every movement in silence. “If you help me in returning to my people, I will make sure you are treated like royalty.”
Wrapping her fingers into his mane she used it to help swing onto his back.
She let out her breath in relief, when she found that he didn't seem to mind her being on his back. Compared to his owner, she probably weighed as much as a feather.
Lightly, she pressed her heels into his sides, as she used the rope to guide him.
He was hesitant. His steps faltered, every once in a while, but eventually the horse picked up his pace. Soon they left the camp behind and made their way through the unlit forest.
She wanted to grin, but it was too soon to celebrate.
Since it was still pitch-black out, Elizabeth decided to proceed with a sense of caution. She would hate to have the horse trip over a log and injure himself. There was no need for her escape to end before she actually got anywhere.
Jumping at every sound Elizabeth kept thinking about the necklace around Stryme’s neck. There had been one very large canine and it came from some creature out here in the woods, she was sure.
Maybe her people had shied away from the mountains because of the creatures that lived here. Now she was out in the forest with just a horse for protection, but it was the only plan she had.
Chapter 3
Stryme stretched, as he looked over at the other side of the furs. He was expecting to see Elizabeth sleeping like an angel, but she was gone. As he placed a hand on her spot, he found it ice cold. She had been gone for some time now.
He didn't let himself get worked up. She could have just decided to go out to tend to an urgent bodily function. Or she could just be outside the tent with the other humans. From what he could hear, he had clearly over slept.
Quickly, he threw on his clothing and looked down at the ground where her dress was still laying. He was confused why she would leave in only her thin underdress. She could be a spitfire, but that seemed a little overconfident, even for her.
Stryme didn’t like the thought that his warriors were going to be seeing her in such a skimpy underdress. She was his. He had already decided that fact of her fate. He had never considered taking a human, but he enjoyed whom she was. So far she had impressed him with her bravery, and her willingness to stand up for what she believed.
She was so small and fragile. He would have to be careful, if he pursued her. He wasn't a male for slow passionate lovemaking. He left that to the bards. He liked having a little fire in his bed, and he knew she was just the spitfire he would want.
He grunted, as he made his way out of the tent. He strolled over to the hot coals where the fire had been the night before. Warming his hands over the glowing coals he looked around the campsite. Still there was no sign of his female, and he wondered where she had disappeared.
When he saw Keylz walking through the camp, he called out to him. “Keylz!”
Keylz turned looking surprised, when he saw who had called his name. Making his way over quickly he asked, “Stryme?”
“Why do you look so shocked to see me?” Stryme laughed as he slapped Keylz on the back in a brotherly manner.
Keylz didn't crack a smile though. “When I didn't see your horse, I thought you must have gone somewhere during the night.”
“My horse?” Stryme's eyes narrowed. Taking a look at the tree where he had tied his horse the night before, he let out a curse. His horse was missing.
As he was about to take a step, a thought hit him smack in the face. “Where is Elizabeth?”
“Who?”
“The female I took to my tent last night!”
Keylz shrugged his broad shoulders. “I haven't seen her this morning or any of the other human females. They have all stayed in their tent, probably too terrified to come out.”
“No chance of her being in the tent with the other females, is there?” Was it too much for him to hope she hadn't just made a complete idiot out of him?
“I've already checked on them this morning. I would have seen her, if she had decided to join the other females.” Keylz explained.
Growling low in his throat Stryme cursed. “That wench! After everything I have done for her. I went to save her fellow human and this is how she repays me?”
“Something wrong?” Keylz asked missing the point.
“Other than my best steed missing at the same time the female is missing? No, there is nothing wrong with this.”
Understanding dawned on the other man's face. “She took off with your horse?” Keylz gave a hearty laugh, clearly amused at Stryme's evident frustration. “Never thought I would hear of the day that a human female would steal a warrior's horse from right under his very nose.”
“I'm glad you can find amusement in this situation. I am going to be borrowing your horse.”
“I will be sure to let everyone know why we will be delayed. Just try not to take too long in finding her. Assuming you can find her.” Keylz teased him fo
r good measure.
It wasn't often that the king of the fire giants messed up, but when he did he could rely on Keylz to prod him about it for days and to make sure everyone knew.
Stryme turned and arched an eyebrow. “You doubt my ability to find one small human female plodding through our forest?”
“No.” Keylz pointed to the tooth on Stryme's necklace. “I just know the dangers in the forest that might also stumble upon her. You may not find much of her, if a mountain cat finds her first.”
Stryme knew he was right. He shouldn't care about her welfare, but his heart felt a slight strain. Why was it beating so damn fast? She had got herself into this mess. It wasn’t his problem, if she wound up dead.
Jumping Elizabeth woke from the deep sleep she had been in. She’d been sleeping with her chin against her chest, while on the back of the huge horse. She trusted him to make his way through the forest without guidance. It wasn’t like she knew where she was going in the first place.
Glancing around she wondered what had woken her. She felt certain she had heard some sort of sound.
She looked around nervously. Nibbling her bottom lip she felt prickles of apprehension run down her neck. There was something out there watching her. Whether or not it was an animal, she was unsure.
It made her nerves stand on end though. In some ways, she was hoping it was Stryme. Maybe he had already caught up to her. There was a better chance he would keep her alive than a hungry animal.
The horse didn't seem bothered by anything around them and that helped to calm her down a bit.
Shifting her numb bottom she thanked the gods it was finally morning. The sun was starting to warm her up from the chilly night. Wearing only her small under garment had not been a wise decision on her part, but she hadn’t wanted to waste too much time.
Right as she was finally relaxing, a crunch sounded through the forest. Whipping her head around she looked at all the trees surrounding her.
This time the horse sensed it as well. He stopped and stomped the ground a couple of times with one large hoof. His ears pricked towards the sound, as they waited.
There they sat in silence, as they stared in the direction of the noise. When nothing else happened, Elizabeth nudged the horse in the sides to get him moving again. He was reluctant, but made his way forward slowly.
The sooner she was out of this forest the better.
Two more crunching sounds carried through the frigid morning air. Each came from a different direction, but this time she could almost swear they appeared closer than the last one. Even though the trees were closely packed, she thought she should be able to see something with how loud the noise was.
A growl ripped through the air, right before a mountain cat sprung out onto the path before them. The horse reared, kicking out his front legs, to ward off the predator.
Elizabeth hit the ground,before she could react. Landing on her back Elizabeth cringed. A stab of pain radiated throughout her body. She watched from the ground, as another mountain cat emerged from the cover of the trees. It joined the other cat with the attack against the horse.
The horse didn't seem inclined to give up. He landed forcefully back onto his front hooves, nearly pummeling one of the mountain cats in the head.
She was disappointed he had missed. With one knock of those hooves, the cat would have been out, if not dead. She prayed he could defeat the mountains cats, because she had no chance against them.
The cats backed off a few paces, as they tried to figure out the best way to team up on the horse. Then they spotted her lying on the ground behind the horse, looking injured and defenseless.
She knew she looked weak just sitting there, but at the moment she was in too much pain to get her feet underneath her. She would make them an easy meal, if the horse didn't stay near her.
When the mountain cats started to circle around, the horse, thankfully, stayed with her. He backed up until he was beside her, standing guard. When the mountain cats tried to get in closer, he would snort and lash out with his sharp hooves.
Trained to protect its rider.
She stared up at him with amazement. Elizabeth didn't know a single human horse that would try to defend its rider against two ginormous mountain cats. The horse might have plate-sized hoofs, but these mountain cats had a mouthful of razor sharp teeth. And those claws were long and razor sharp.
She was under no delusion she wasn’t still in danger. The horse would only be able to hold off the mountain cats for so long.
One of the mountain cats gave a deafening roar.
Elizabeth quaked in terror. She felt as though she was relieving the day the fire giants had attacked their carriages. This time, though, she wouldn’t be spared. She knew there was no way either of them was going to be alive for very much longer.
The cat to her right decided it had waited long enough and leapt towards the horse. Elizabeth turned to look at the other mountain cat, but it was already in mid-spring, heading straight for her.
A few hours passed and there were still no signs of his treacherous human female.
She was making an impressive attempt at escape. Coming from him, that was high praise indeed. He had been right to think he would have to keep a watchful eye on her.
He wasn't concerned about finding her. He was more concerned about how he was going to find her.
Dead? Alive? An animal could already be gnawing on her bones. Here he thought she was the intelligent one, but clearly not. Marching into a forest with just a horse and no food or weapons was a recipe for disaster.
Stryme was definitely hoping she hadn't brought his horse into any danger. He was a loyal friend who Stryme had personally trained from a foal. If she brought his horse to any harm, she would be hearing more than just a sharp word from him.
When he finally found a set of hoof prints, he celebrated. Her escape was about to be a short lived triumph.
He followed the trail of hoof prints, until he heard the heart-stopping roar of a mountain cat. The mountain cat had found itself some prey, and Stryme was certain he knew who the prey was. Then the roar of another mountain cat joined in with the first.
Spurring the horse he was riding into a break neck pace he hoped he wasn't too late. If he didn't get there in time, there would be nothing he could do for either of them.
Entering a small break in the trees he saw his horse facing off against one mountain cat, as another mountain cat crept up on Elizabeth. She seemed transfixed on the mountain cat unable to move with the dread coursing through her bloodstream.
Unsheathing a sword he thanked the gods he had the foresight to put his armor on when he had gone out to look for her.
Everything seemed to play in slow motion for her.
The mountain cat's lips pulled back, exposing enormous teeth. She visualized those teeth tearing into her flesh with no problem. Elizabeth stared in horror, as the mountain cat’s legs tensed and then it lunged towards her. She wanted to move, but her limbs felt frozen in place.
Her eyes widened, as its stale breath assailed her nose. She thought she was about to meet her maker, when all of a sudden the ferocious predator was knocked away from her.
The only thing standing in front of her now was a different horse.
Elizabeth blinked dumbly. Baffled she looked around to see what was going on. Her lips parted in awe to see Stryme facing off with one of the mountain cats.
His crimson eyes held only pure determination. He was a warrior. This was second nature to him. This probably wasn’t the first time he had done this, if the necklace of teeth was any indication. He also had no time to think about what might happen if he made a wrong move.
She had to admit she was impressed, and she hoped he would succeed. Even if it meant he was only going to take her back to camp, it still meant she would at least be alive. She could always try another escape. Or maybe they would kill each other and she would be left to go free.
Right now though, she just wanted to stay alive.
He was skilled with his sword, and she found herself believing he would win.
He was able to get in a few lunges with his sword. The only problem was the mass of the animal. It was taking a lot of beatings from Stryme, but was managing to withstand his attack. It almost seemed as if the mountain cat would never be weakened.
With a speed Elizabeth wouldn't have predicted, the animal leapt for Stryme and landed on top of him. His sword flew from his hand landing near Elizabeth's feet.
Now he was in a wrestling match with the fierce cat. She could hear his horse still battling the other one, but she couldn't seem to take her eyes off Stryme. Even through her fear, she was impressed with his skill. It must have taken a long time and a rough life to be such a formidable warrior.
Elizabeth glanced down at the sword a few feet away from her and shook off her shock. Getting onto her feet she pushed the pain to the back of her mind.
She bent down to pick the sword up. As her fingers grasped the hilt of the sword she huffed as she attempted to pick it up. She could barely drag the blasted thing! It was as long as she was tall and probably weighed the same as her.
She frowned, as she looked back at Stryme.
He landed a forceful blow against the mountain cat's jugular. The cat recoiled. Stryme didn't waste anytime in turning the tides. He leapt up from beneath the mountain cat grabbing it in a chokehold. He wrapped his legs around the mountain cat and before it could react she heard the snap of its neck.
It dropped to the ground, while Stryme stood over its unmoving body. There was blood on his armor, and she was unsure if it was his or the cat’s.
He finally looked like the barbarian she had been warned about in her childhood. She had been told the giants would come to steal her away, if she misbehaved. Here and now, all she saw was her protector.
He unsheathed another one of his swords at his hip and joined his horse in battling the last mountain cat.
